Marcus Curtis, a 45-year-old breeder from Riverside, California claims he resurrects an ancient giant guard dog. Marcus declared himself both lucky and proud as he owns a 212 pound American Molossus dog.
Named Old World Sasquatch, the 18-month-old .ᴍᴏ.ɴsᴛᴇʀ is the result of the breeder’s mission to bring back what he calls the ‘Old World Molossus’ breed, Barcroft reports.
The Molossus dog is an extinct ancient breed native to Southern Europe. Initially used as guard dogs, these dogs were later used in .ᴄᴏ.ᴍʙᴀᴛ by the Romans. Among the Tibetan Mastiff, Molossus is the most famous ancient dog breed.
“Molossus” is a general term for a type of domestic dog. Some stories say that mastiffs are the direct descendants of the Molossus, which explains why the American Molossus certainly looks similar. Others, though, use the terms “molossoid” or “molosser” to further define certain types of any breed (from Boxers to Leonbergers) and further the confusion.
What’s most obvious is that these dogs are big. We mean really big. The American Molossus: a hefty specimen whose sturdy body will impress even those familiar with Great Danes and English mastiffs.
“When people see Sasquatch, usually it is shocking, to be honest. People are in shock and amazement when they see these giant beasts.
“When it comes to their body mass, bone structure, and the overall size these dogs have never matched thousands of years ago and to this day they are unmatched, “Marcus told.
Some real beasts, Molossus can weigh 180 to 200 pounds and they impress with their stature and incredible physic. However, Sasquatch already reached more than 212 pounds and according to its owner, it is expected to reach around 220 pounds.
“We were expecting Sasquatch to originally be 185 to 200-plus pounds,” said Marcus. “Being the fact that he is young and already 212, we are expecting him to be probably around 220 pounds by four years old,” he said.
Despite its early age, the huge dog has already outgrown the largest Mastiffs the famous breed had encountered, weighing no more than 190 pounds. It’s hard to average a lifespan as the “old” breed is so new. Bigger dogs usually have shorter lifespans than smaller dogs, though, topping out around 10 years. The American Molossus Kennel Club (AMKC-1) (there are two organizations of this name) lists the lifespan goal to be 10-12 years.
Marcus explains he was looking for the best guard dogs, but with a kind temperament. Actually, those gentle giants are known for having “an even temperament, intimidating looks, and a social nature that can quickly turn menacing when faced with a threat.”