Utility Breeds
Utility breeds contain mastiffs, giant breeds and their miniaturized counterparts bred for work other than herding sheep and cattle. Historically they assisted soldiers during wars, pulled carts or sleds, and hunted large game such as wild boar. Today utility breeds are used for police work, rescuing people, and as flock guards. Keeping giant breeds requires space, energy and a firm commitment to training. The reward is a truly magnificent friend admired by all they meet.
The classification of the dogs in this Group varies from country to country. For simplicity of navigation and accessibility, the table below lists the breeds alphabetically that appear in the Australian classification, divided into five sections based broadly on their historical purpose.
As Livestock Guardian Dogs are split between the Utility Group and the Working Group in Australia, for ease of navigation those in this section are called 'Livestock Guards'. As explained in Livestock Guardian Dogs History, these dogs live and blend permanently with the flock, bonding with the sheep and goats as their social companions.
The Mastiff family embraces an entire family of giant breeds whose origins date back thousands of years to the Asiatic Mastiff. As civilizations moved eastwards towards Britain, many modern large breeds evolved from this one source, some developing in Europe, and some from the Mastiff of England.