Euphrates was bred to resemble a Mesopotamian Molossus, an ancient dog breed known for its imposing stature Kelli Bender is the Pets Editor at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2013.

Originally from the canton of Bern in the Swiss Alps, these dogs are descendants of the Molossus, a now-extinct dog breed from Italy that also created Neapolitan Mastiffs. First used as a general ...