Spanish Mastiff is a very old race. Most probably it appeared on Iberian peninsula before Roman invasion, brought by Greek`s and Phoenician before over 2000 years.  First mentions about a mastiff from Iberian peninsula appears in notes of Virgilius and come from about the 30th year A.D. Virgilius in Georgics shows the way of the Iberian mastiff's nourishing so as it would be the best guardian and defender of the herd. Succeeding records we can find in works dating the first century of our era. The Roman agronomist, Kolumela, the author of work from the sphere of agriculture pt. "De re rustica", said about mastiffs:"...being suitable to cattle mastiffs are white in colour mostly for to distinguish them better from wolves with which they have to fight in darkness of dawn". The meaning of the word MASTIF can descend from two sources. First, it can come from the "masuentus" that is gentle, domesticated, or from "mastibe" what means - the shepherd of herd. Both sources derive from Latin, which can make up the confirmation of pre-Christian pedigree of Spanish Mastiff.

The role of  mastiffs grew up indeed in the 10th century age, when the best organized guided farming of animals in Europe became the pedigree of sheep in Spain, and the state economy based on production and elaboration of wool. The top of development falls on the 12th century, when started the breeding of the new genre of sheep - merinos. Those animals usually spent winter on the south of Spain, moving at the beginning of the summer to the mountain slopes of the north. In 1273 Spanish nobles called to life the organization called "La Mesta". The protection of  large herds of wandering sheep was their main problem against wolves, bears and different robbers. The migrations of herds became the measure on a big scale. The historical sources quote, that in 1526 about 3,5 million sheep were safeguarded by "La Meste". The wandering herds of sheep were accompanied by about. 40 thousand shepherds and on every hundred sheep fell at least one mastiff for shepherd's defense as well as dogs favoring the herd. Those migrations lasted sometimes even two months covering about 850 km. Such enormous migrations made on Spanish culture a mark and we can read about Spanish Mastiff in literary works as well as admire it on paintings of Velazquez. By then, these dogs characterized as resistant towards climate conditions as well as by the large dose of independence and instinct of defender, which permitted them almost independent fulfilling their duties.

The first of the most thorough descriptions of the Spanish Mastiff dates in 1740. Alfonso de Herrera in "Agricultura General" published: "if it is only possible, one should try to find mastiffs of the following size and appearance: the head has to be large, so as it would make up one third of the size of the body or at least it would seem to be like this. The muzzle should remind human face, the muzzle has to be large and very wide. The loose lip ought to be large, very large and hanging loosely ears. Eyes shiny and alive, as if they would throw sparks, dark and not bright in colour. Barking loud and terrific, chest and shoulders are to be wide, the neck thick and very short, the torso short and square, not too long. The front paws have to be strong and hairy enough, long fingers and clearly distributed. Should tread on whole paws. Bitches should have strong muscled abdomen and evenly disposed nipples(...). The mark of a good dog is if when a puppy, it can be lifted being kept for ears with hands. The dog which would bear it without yelping is the best." Next information comes from the year 1864. In Spanish hunting periodical we read: "A good mastiff has to possess a powerful figure and hard hair, massive head and neck, a muzzle of an average size, a strong chest and wide, large paws, a very piebald colour. While hunting a big animal, they are used in chasing instead of dogs alano because they reveal great strength and fight with wolves willingly, and will even kill them."

Spanish Mastiff has always been a versatile dog, it looked after herds before thieves and wolves, together with hunters took part in hunting as a chasing dog as well as from respect on its size and strength was also able to serve as a military dog, draught - and defense. Technical and economic progress changed the migrations of herds into transportation them by railway. The population qualified abandoning shepherding for new fields of industry. The result of that was that herds of sheep bred in different way became smaller and smaller, so large shepherd's and defensive dogs lost fundamental tasks for which they were bred. The part of barrister of flocks turns into defense of farms, they were also used to chase on large animals.

The breeding of Spanish Mastiff as well as many other pastoral dogs and combative dogs was held regarding the psychical qualities and usage of the animals. Colour and size usually were skipped, as they did not also try to get rid of such defects, as for example front occlusion and appearance. Nothing strange, that Spanish Mastiff was not in type homogeneous dog. Even in the year 1913 Marquess de Monstera distinguished three types of Spanish Mastiff, distributing them into Spanish Mastiff, Mastiff from Navarra and Mastiff from Leone. However, he divided Mastiff from Navarra yet on Mastiffs from Aragon and Mastiffs from Catalonia. These dogs differed between themselves with the length of hair, colour and size hesitating in border from 50 to 75 centimetres. The  first attempts of planned breeding of Spanish Mastiff fall on year 1911 when the Royal Company of Support in Spain Dog's Races comes into being. The animal register of raising became open, to which all dogs of thoroughbred had to be written down. It was not given however any of raising recipes and the clubs of breeders of races were not allowed on creation of their own principles of breeding. This caused the total extinction of 11 Spanish races of dogs of 19 originally existing and happened in the course of only 70 years.

In 1946 the standard of Spanish Mastiff was confirmed. In the seventieth the dropout of shepherding and the decrease of the number of wild animals, particularly wolves, led to the situation, in which the large mastiff started being useless. Many specimen became simply killed, others were castrated. To tell the truth, if there hadn't been the group of enthusiasts moved more by passion than knowledge, we would be able to see neither on exhibitions, nor on mountain slopes representatives of this beautiful race. After the crisis of the seventieth the raisers of Mastiffs organized the club of the breed. Associacion Espanola del Perro Mastin Espanol (AEPME) - became officially qualified to life in 1981. The revision of pattern was one of first achievements of this organization, on basis of which mastiffs are grown at present.

Today's situation of Spanish Mastiff is satisfactory enough considering the number of representatives of this race. However it often happens that they differ in type really largely. This results from earlier negligence the breed and later creation of planned pedigree. Still the kingdom of Spanish Mastiff is Spain, but we can fortunately meet more and more enthusiasts and good breeding in France, Holland, Slovakia, in Poland, the USA and at least two specimens reached even to Cameroon.