Living with the mastiff is a unique and unrepeatable experience, which can only be understood by those who have tried it. The British idealise this breed, going so far as to classify it as being unique in the dog world - both old and modern anecdotes of the mastiff support this fully. In fact one can read "Histoire des chiens Celebres" by De Freville,1796, that during a particularly severe winter in France a starving wolf tried to attack two children in their home, entering through a window it had broken. The mastiff, which was returning home with its owner, caught the scent of the predator and quickly managed to defend its small owners, killing the wolf. There is also the delightful story of the Dutch merchant who was passing through some woods when a thief ambushed him and shot him in the shoulder. The injured merchant was defended by his faithful Ceasar, who had immediately realized what was happening and bit the thief to death. Unfortunately five other bandits appeared from the woods armed with swords and took on the dog in a furious fight. The dog not only managed to chase away all the thieves, but also attracted the attention of a nearby innkeeper with its howling, who helped the unfortunate owner, saving his life.A very touching recent event happened to one of my own mastiffs, which I had given to a family with a little two-year-old girl, with whom the dog immediately fell in love. She was his tutor, his playmate and he followed her everywhere. On day the little girl started nursery school - the school bus came to pick her up in the morning, and brought her back in the late afternoon. It was a tragedy for Giorgio; he was sad, he didn't eat anything and only recovered when his little owner reappeared. The parents decided to go to the school authorities and obtained permission to also take the mastiff to the nursery school. So Giorgio was able to spend a whole day with his little companion and her school friends and see 'in person' that nothing bad could possibly happen to her. He calmed down after this experience and from that day on he behaved normally. These lovely stories show how this wonderful breed can live in complete harmony alongside man. Precisely because there is such a relationship, we must respect it and treat it with consideration to its dignity, its pride and its strength.I would like to dedicate the last part of this chapter to a very important subject; that of training. In my first few years as a breeder I was convinced, because of the mastiff's strong personality, that it was impossible or even disadvantageous to train it. In recent years I have had to change my mind, and in fact, having seen the results obtained, I am certain that training can be advantageous both for the dog and for the owner. It is extremely important that the teaching should be carried out by qualified instructors, who know the breed well. In fact, the mastiff is a highly sensitive dog, which needs to be instructed with equal sensitivity. It is with this method that you can train it and have a loyal friend who is well mannered and ready to share his life with you.

Cesare Gilardi