Found in Britain as early as the Roman invasion, the noble
Old English Mastiff was probably brought to that island by Phoenician traders as early as the 6th century BC. Since then, the
Mastiff has been used as an arena gladiator by the Romans, in the bloody sports of bull, bear and dog combat, and as a sheep guardian, bodyguard, protector and companion. A
Mastiff came to America on the Mayflower and subsequently other dogs were imported. By the end of World War II, Mastiffs were almost extinct in England.
