There are at least two lines of
dogs competing for the breed name American Mastiff; neither is
recognized by any major English-language
kennel club.
One line is the dry-mouthed American Mastiff, developed by the Flying W Farms
kennel by crossing the
English
Mastiff with an
Anatolian Shepherd. This resulted in a breed that looks exactly like the
English mastiff but without the drooling that is common in the English Mastiff.
This American Mastiff loves children and are devoted to their families. These
are loyal and calm dogs. They are generally nonaggressive except when their
family is threatened. In those instances they become the fierce and courageous
guard dogs that they are.
The second line is sometimes called the Panja American Mastiff, developed by
the Panja kennel.
Both lines are very new with not much breed history, making them ineligible
for registration in most
breed
registries; registries with relaxed requirements may recognize a new breed
with minimal history, such as the Continental Kennel Club's recognition of the
Flying W Farms line. Some critics claim that these are simply
crossbred dogs or
variants on the standard
English
Mastiff. It is not clear which line, if either, will ultimately become a
solid breed known as
the American Mastiff.