The great Carthaginian general Hannibal (218 BC) led his forces along eastern Spain, over the Pyrenees Mountains, and across the Rhone River. His 90.000 infantry, 12.000 cavalry, and nearly 40 elephants traveled all autumn, he also took with him several battalions of trained war mastiffs, who, during their long travels, "fraternized" with local breeds to produce what became the St. Bernard, once called the Alpine Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Pyrenean Mastiff and Spanish Mastiff, as well as other giant breeds. In fact all of the massive mountain dogs have Spain, France, Turkey, and the Balkans can trace their size back to Mastiff blood in their ancestry. Even the Chow Chow carries Mastiff blood, as does the Pug, which was originally a form of dwarf Mastiff.

 

During the Roman occupation of Britain (55 BC - 415 BC) a lot of Dogs were exported from Britain to Rome and used them to guard property and prisoners, as well as using them to fight in the arena. The dogs had to fight for their lives against whatever the Romans brought back home from their long and numerous expeditions. African animals like lions were popular in the arenas. Fights between different dogs and between dog and bear were among the most popular dog activities in those days. The Romans also found the mastiff to be quite interesting, and as the Roman Empire were on it's most powerful, the mastiff also had a respected position as both war-dog and fighting dog. The mastiff is supposed to have been Cesar's favorite dog.