
The Iranian Sarabi dog, also known as the Iranian shepherd dog, Persian mastiff, or Iranian mastiff, is a breed of livestock guardian dog from the East Azerbaijan Province in northern Iran, taking their name from the Sarab County.
Sarabi dogs have been used for centuries by local shepherds to protect herds of sheep and goats from bears, wolves, jackals and other local predators. Persian mastiff is calm, controlled, independent, powerful and protective, the breed is also used to complete in staged dog fights.
The breed is considered one of the oldest and most powerful indigenous dog breeds in Iran, the larger and heavier an individual dog is, the greater its value.