Snow Mastiff

Snow Mastiff Scientific Name: Canis lupus familiaris Nicknames: Caradian Bear

Physical Description Body Type: Canine Maximum Size: Two meters Colouration: Brown and/or black Biological Information Diet: Carnivorous Habitat: None native Discovery Date: 1521 AN Locale: N/A Related Species: Mastiff Threat: Minor

The Snow Mastiff is a very large breed of dog created by selective breeding and genetic manipulation in the Duchy of Caradia to serve as a guard dog and attack dog for the police force and armed forces. The breed is distinctive for its extremely large size, usually standing 1.5 meters to 1.8 meters tall at the shoulder, though the largest was just over two meters. The breed also naturally has extremely long fur, which was a trait bred to allow it to withstand being outside in the antarctic ice cap for very long periods of time. Due to their immense size, and their having been selectively bred for maximum strength, Snow Mastiffs are very strong. In practice, it is easier to compare their strength to that of a bear than that of other dog breeds. The Snow Mastiff was shown in tests to be able to shove stones weighing roughly 300 kilograms to reach food sealed underneath, and one individual's biting strength was demonstrated as producing around 1100 psi. Additionally, it can sprint at up to 53 kilometers per hour, and its natural thick fur, fat, and muscle act as insulators against gunfire; Snow Mastiffs have been demonstrated to be able to continue charging through fully automatic gunfire for an average of 17 seconds before turning and fleeing, and an average of 21 seconds before collapsing and/or dying.

However, despite the obvious advantages of these animals in a military setting, they were rarely used even in the days of the Duchy of Caradia. They are not wild, and a genetic defect introduced by geneticists to prevent it from becoming a dangerous wild animal causes a large percentage of them to be infertile. They typically have litters of 4 to 7 young, but only one or two of these young will be fertile. Also, because of their large size and mass, they are expensive to keep, train, and breed, and they suffer from health complications because of their size that tend to limit their lifespan to a maximum of 13 years. Despite this, the breed is considered a valuable asset, and, though its numbers were reduced from around 1,600 individuals to less than 300 individuals after the collapse of Caradia, the Republic of Nova Caradia endeavours to keep the breed alive until the republic can spare the resources to fund a repopulation program to allow the breed to be used in a military and police function again.