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| modernmolosser.com |
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| wikipedia.com |
Dogs used in guarding flocks were white because it was easier for the shepherd to distinguish between a wolf and the dog. The white color made the dog blend in with the sheep, which was less intimidating to them, and gave him an advantage over predators that didn’t realize there was a dog protecting the flock.
The flock guarding dogs were lighter in weight because their job was to chase away intruders, like a thief, wolf or leopard, rather than fight them.
Most scholars agree the Molossus originated with the Molossis people in the mountainous regions of ancient Epirus (part of modern Albania and Greece). The Molossians were renowned for their vicious hounds, used by Molossian shepherds in the mountains of Epirus to guard their flocks.
The poet Grattius [b. 63 BC], a contemporary of Ovid, writes "...when serious work has come, when bravery must be shown, and the impetuous War-god calls in the utmost hazard, then you could not but admire the renowned Molossians so much."
The breed was native to ancient Epirus (present day Albania and Greece) and the Balkan region. It later spread to Italy, around the Mediterranean and across Europe. Virgil [b.70 BC] says the Ancient Greeks and Romans used the heavier Molossian dogs for hunting (canis venaticus), to guard the home, and watch over livestock (canis pastoralis).
"Never, with them on guard," says Virgil, "need you fear for your stalls a midnight thief, or onslaught of wolves, or Iberian brigands at your back."
These dogs were renowned as early as 350 BC, as Aristotle mentions them in The History of Animals, praising their bravery and physical superiority.
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