The Mastiff is one of the biggest breeds of Dog on the planet. It's one of the tallest breeds of Dog around (only the Irish Wolfhound and the Great Dane are taller) and on average, one of the heaviest (with only the Saint Bernard weighing more). Two of the three heaviest dogs on record were both Mastiffs (One was Zorba weighing in at 343 pounds, the other was Cloe weighing 365 pounds and was reportedly the size of a donkey) with the third being a Saint Bernard (Benedictine, weighing in at 357 pounds). It's because of this breed's monstrous size and strength, it's courageousness, and it's gentleness that the Mastiff is often used for cross-breeding to help create new types of dog with those some traits... just... maybe not as big!
The Fila Brasileiro (or Brazilian Mastiff), for instance, is a Mastiff mix between a Mastiff, a Bulldog, and a Bloodhound. They are great guard dogs as they grow very attached to the family and are extremely distrusting (and sometimes even aggressive) with strangers. Despite this aggression to the unknown, they are good with children in the family and not only protect them well but also understand how to play gently with a "human pup".
Another popular Mastiff mix is the Bullmastiff, a cross breed between a Mastiff and a Bulldog. This animal demonstrates an almost perfect harmony between the two parent breeds a it has the strong family orientation of a Bulldog, and maintains the enormous size of a Mastiff (standing at over two feet tall and weighing often well into the 120 pound range). This dog, however, is stubborn and independent, making socialization and training from an early age a necessity. It is unwise to allow children to play with this animal alone without adult supervision because the Bullmastiff may knock over and injure small children by accident due to it's size and power.
Boerboels (or African Mastiffs) are another popular Mastiff mix, and are bred for the sole purpose of being a watchdog. They're a cross between an English Mastiff and some of the wild dogs found in Africa, and is a breed several thousand years old. Extremely playful and affectionate, these dogs make great playmates for children.
Darren here, I run the http://www.raredogbreeds.net web site. It carries information on many types of dog, including lots of information on the Mastiff Mix.
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