Anyone know anything about Mastiff's?
 ...our previous sheepie was over 100 pounds and tall...ours are very small at 65 pounds comparitively.
His choice so far is Mastiff. I joined a Mastiff group to find out the good and the bad but so far no one is admitting to any bad. Anyone have experience with Mastiff's? And yes I know they drool...but it apparently isn't any worse than a wet bearded sheepie. |
|
|
Depends on the kind of mastiff you're looking at  I'm partial to English Mastiffs. They can be over 200lbs!!! They're so laid back (by that, I mean tend to be lazy) too.  I had a neighbor who showed them, and I used to come over all the time while she prepared. They weren't hyper dogs, that's for sure!
I know they're known to be nanny's like our oes' to children. I remember seeing a BREED ALL ABOUT IT on animal planet regarding them, and they said they can be aggressive ...but as you know from our own breed, being alpha is important. The episode said to steer from fighting (he had more than one), this particular breeder suggested they ate separately, but noted that's his own precaution because his dogs were harmless (then proceeded to stick his hand in the dog's food to prove it). I'd be so excited for you!!! That's what I've always wanted, but can't get past the shedding (just my personal preference)! |
| uhhh, I beg to differ....regarding the slobber.....dont get me wrong...I LOVE Mastiffs....but holy cow, their drool and slobber is just gross...its the sticky salivay kind.....and when the shake their heads...it flies....not the same breed, but think of hooch, in turner and hooch ..the movie.....yuck...
I had a friend that had one...Bear...her doggie door to the backyard was basically a dutch door, except the bottom half of the door was just a flap....one time I asked her if she was afraid of someone breaking in....her reply...."Darcy, if you saw a doggie door THAT big, would you want to see what was on the other side???"...she made her point.. But on the lighter side ...good for you!!! The are also callled a nanny dog...good with kids..etc... |
| Oh yes its the English Mastiff I am looking at. And as far as drool....I was told by the Mastiff group that the Turner/Hooch dog was a French Mastiff and the drool was way exaggerated.
We aren't going out too soon to get one...still deciding if another dog is a good idea.... 
Before adding another dog...I want to get the ones we have to behave a little better...Avalon and I might be attending some classes....she seems to have selective hearing when it comes to commands...now if I say the word CHEESE she will do ANYTHING. |
| Hooch is a Dogue De Bordaeux... and I've seen them in person, not sure it was exaggerated.
An english mastiff puppy is in our handling classes and he has a constant stringer of slime hanging out LOL They are adorable, and very nice dogs... very laid back, even as a pup. |
| English Mastiffs have all the orthopedic problems of a larger breed...duh! So be sure you have a strong back or a hoist for later in life when they can't get around well..........which alas, in this breed is about 7 years!
Mostly they are very docile, but curious. They guard to the extent they know what is right and try to intimidate by their size that which is not right. Originally fighting dogs, they don't seem to carry that on, thankfully. Slobber, yep. Look at the mouth, see the gutters? So a dog for a cooler climate, summers can be brutal for them and slobby for you. Any slobbery dog can fling those slobber ropes to the ceiling, even a 2 story ceiling. It will depend on the dog and their mouth formation. Some are drier than others. They aren't a northern dog either, so not an outside dog for winter. They are couch potatoes. There have not been a lot of English Mastiffs about so watch your pedigree carefully. In breeding is common......not what you want to see. They still need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. I can understand your husband's desire for a giant, but remember, the big don't don't live very long and get old sooner. So by 5 years you start to see a slowing down. We know with sheepers, they are still raring to go at 5 and beyond. Would I have an English Mastiff........I would have in a heart beat. I've hand plenty of opportunities for one, but turned them down. I don't want a short haired dog and I've had my slobber dogs, it's nice not seeing silver slime on the walls anymore. EM's face is so ugly it is cute and if ever there was a dog who thought himself a lap dog, this is it! |
| The slobber factor on the breed is high, look at the movie beethoven, even tho that was a saint bernard. Big jowls so hanging bubbles of drool, just wait till they shake, SPLAT!!! Everyone I have seen at a dog show, arrives with bibs on to catch the pools of drool.
They are a wonderful breed temprament wise but they do have orthopedic problems earlier due to their size and weight. I think the real set back for the breed is a life span around 7ish that would put me off as not long enough for a doggie to capture your heart and then cross the bridge.  |
| Thanks guys for the advice.....they certainly would not be MY first choice in a dog. I would get another sheepie in a minute if it was my choice....oh wait a minute...the last 3 dogs were MY choice Hubby wants a LARGE breed and he doesn't consider sheepies large....and he doesn't want the grooming....he wants this dog to be able to come into the field with him and not have to spend 2 hours grooming to get burrs and the like out of the coat.( We also are not in a real rush to add to our menagerie....just looking...yeah I know...that is how we got Faith...just looking
|
| I am friends with a couple who have English Mastiffs. They are respected breeders of champions. I've been around their dogs many times and they are very sweet tempered, laid back dogs. The drool is off the charts.
All the health issues and longevity issues mentioned by others are true. So, you will want to take that into consideration. But, they are a very sweet and loving breed. They love to snuggle and consider themselves lap dogs. As an example of how laid back they are, my friend told me about the time that she took one of her boys to obedience class and they were having a "down, stay" competition. Her boy fell asleep. "We won", she said, "I had to wake him up to take him home." |
| Thats so funny Beau's mom.
I saw a Mastiff at a dog show who was lying around on the floor after the show. A 4 year old girl (likely the owner's daughter) was crawling all over the dog, who just laid there calmly. They seem like very gentle, laid back dogs. |
| large as in tall or as in overall.. cause there is also the wolfhounds to consider.. they do get rather tall.. not as chuncky.. but big never the less..if i remember rightly they are like the tallest dog breed out there are the irish wolfhounds..
i love wolfhounds.. the ones i have come across are such sweethearts.. =) |
| I remember a Breed All About episode on EMs. The owner had like 5 or 6 of the giants......some Beverly Hills type person. Dogs all over the furniture, towels at hand. One day owner saw a stranger up a tree on the property boundry. Burgler who was afraid to come down and the tree was surrounded by the giants. Little did the burgler know they dogs were just curious and had no intention of tearing him apart. Size and face matter.
Must be a guy thing for big dogs. How much field work is your husband planning? How long will the dog have to walk?? Any climbing?? Heat will be a problem. Most large breeds are from colder climates for a reason, they big guys get hot faster. Perhaps your hubby will wait until Bear tops out, wins all the shows, and breeds a nice litter. Then could keep him in short coat instead of letting the cords develop. Koms are truly a massive dog........not overly tall, but build like an out house. susan |
Tanks wrote: large as in tall or as in overall.. cause there is also the wolfhounds to consider.. they do get rather tall.. not as chuncky.. but big never the less..if i remember rightly they are like the tallest dog breed out there are the irish wolfhounds..
i love wolfhounds.. the ones i have come across are such sweethearts.. =) I think unless the dog is overall massive, the guys I know wouldn't consider a wolfhound a "Man's dog." 
Kind of like men and large trucks. They need something that looks and appears to be the biggest, baddest, and coolest. My husband would say the wolfhound was my dog if I brought it home. |
| Wolfhounds wont cut it with hubby...too skinny a dog. I should have said MASSIVE breed instead of large breed. We have 14 acre field...it is used by a farmer to hay....but the perimeter of the field is grass for walking....no heavy work..just a companion to walk with hubby. We are in Canada...it is usually cold here most of the year...heat won't necessarily be a problem. Long hair breeds in the field are a problem....one day he took Merlin out to the field...20 minutes walk followed by a 2 hour grooming session. Not what hubby had in mind. |
Quote: Kind of like men and large trucks. They need something that looks and appears to be the biggest
Yup that is hubby...everything has to be BIG....he drives an Excursion for commuting to work...he doesn't fit into anything smaller...he is over 6'3"  |
Tanks wrote: large as in tall or as in overall.. cause there is also the wolfhounds to consider.. they do get rather tall.. not as chuncky.. but big never the less..if i remember rightly they are like the tallest dog breed out there are the irish wolfhounds..
i love wolfhounds.. the ones i have come across are such sweethearts.. =) Friend of a friend was walking a pair of wolfhounds in NY. They broke loose and got away. The dogs were found 3 days later out in the country and they had killed a cow. 
Not a typcial thing for a wolfhound to do of course, but they were originally bred to hunt wolves... |
| He's not considering a Neopolitan Mastiff?!!! |
| My husband would LOVE to have a wolfhound, he also really likes the Rodigian Ridgeback (sp?) Not giant, but anything bread to hunt lions counts as cool in hubby's book. |
Quote: he is over 6'3"
that's hot! |
| Really?
Frankenstein is over 7 feet tall I think!  |
Mop lover wrote: He's not considering a Neopolitan Mastiff?!!!
What's wrong with a Neopolitan Mastiff? They're georgeous! |
Quote: He's not considering a Neopolitan Mastiff?!!!
Gosh I hope not.....that is some serious drool on those dogs....but yes he would get one if I agreed..... |
| I think a Mastiff would be a nice complement to OES in the house. They're docile and gentle by nature, but alert when they need to be. They shouldn't be dog or human aggressive and don't have the guarding instinct of a Kom or a Pyr but will protect. Our trainer has the 2 top mastiffs in the country for obedience and they're both sweet, lumbering dogs. Definitely not high energy! I love them too but wouldn't want that drool in the house-- Darcy's right, it is the long, stringy sticky kind. The trainer's mastiffs used to drool on Clyde and getting it out was a nightly chore after class. If he's gonna be an outdoor walking companion though, I wonder how well the coat will protect from the cold? How well they can tolerate? |
| I was looking at Mastiffs and oooh, what about a Tibetan Mastiff???
http://www.akc.org/breeds/tibetan_mastiff/index.cfm |
| OOOH they are beautiful.....I would prefer one of those to the English Mastiff...the black ones look very much like the Newfs.
I can't find any sites that have the weight...I think the English Mastiff is larger than the Tibetan Mastiff. And we would have the coat problem with the burrs in the field I think...altho not as bad as with a sheepie. |
| Yeah, a higher maintenance coat, but probably nothing compared to an OES.
They are beautiful - and look huge! In some of the pictures their heads are massive, like a Newf - males, I'm sure. The AKC only lists Bullmastiff and Mastiff, not English Mastiff specifically. I assume the English Mastiff is the Mastiff - since that is the larger of the two? |
| English Mastiff http://mastiff.org/faq/faq.mv#II06
Bull Mastiff http://www.bulldogbreeds.com/bullmastiff.html Bull mastiff has a pushed in snout and I think a bit smaller than the English Mastiff |
| Okay, thanks. That clears it up. I prefer the English too.
I was looking to find out how much the Tibetan typically weighs, and found this breeder's site. If you look at the information on the specific dogs, it lists height as well as weight. They've got a female who's 25" and 125 lbs. Pretty big! http://www.everestnorthtms.com/Our_Dogs/our_dogs.html |
| Correction: they have a 26" female who weighs 140lbs, though she's not breeding stock. |
| unfortunately hubby would consider that small...since the English Mastiff's can be 200 pounds |
| Lol. Do you know how much food I go through on a 100 pound and 120+ pound dog? Those 2 alone go through 40 pounds in under 2 weeks and that's not even counting the extra food for tiny little 60 pound Lucy! With your other 3 plus something huge, you guys are gonna be doing nothing but feeding dogs!
Another thing to think about: they're heavy when they step on you. 200 pounds will really hurt. Bear likes to do flying leaps onto the bed and then lay down on me and I think he's actually knocked the wind out of me before. |
Sheepie Heaven wrote: Mop lover wrote: He's not considering a Neopolitan Mastiff?!!! What's wrong with a Neopolitan Mastiff? They're georgeous! I agree - I've loved them since Harry Potter . . . I was just thinking about one shake of the head!!!  |
Sheepie Heaven wrote: Friend of a friend was walking a pair of wolfhounds in NY. They broke loose and got away. The dogs were found 3 days later out in the country and they had killed a cow.
Not a typcial thing for a wolfhound to do of course, but they were originally bred to hunt wolves... these dogs were considered so spectacular that the romans took them back to fight lions in the arenas... but they are also the some of the most loyal and loveable hounds about.. if that aitn a mans dog.. dotn know what is.. ALTHO a recent survey suggested that men that owned toy or small breed dogs were more secure with themselves and men that owned huge or vicious dogs werent so secure in their masculinity.. makes ones wonder.. =P |
| Sure does sound like a man's dog! I think they're kinda ugly (sorry!), but Craig loves them.
What you said about men and little dogs sounds like a women's magazine article.... "what your man's dog says about him". I can just picture it. |
| don't know if the OP is still coming to look at this thread, but i've owned EMs all my life. i'm on my fourth one now.
they are wonderful dogs. you should go to Mastiff Club of America and read the FAQ there to get the straight info on the breed. slobber is very manageable, once you learn to anticipate when it will happen. have towels around the house and at the ready. always wipe mouths after they drink or eat, and it will be minimal. some lines have heavier undercoats and shed more. others have almost no undercoat and hardly shed at all. some can be shy/fearful/aggressive. the temperaments from show lines are often not too good. dominant dogs are showier in the ring, and produce more dominant puppies. you don't want a dominant mastiff! trust me! still, of all the molosser types, they have the most stable and docile temperaments. i'd stay away from the other molossers. neos and bullmastiffs both are much more aggressive, in general. a well tempered mastiff is a wonderful, unforgettable dog, great with kids, and completely reliable, with loads of common sense. sure they cost a bundle to feed and maintain, but they are so worth it. they are very human, unlike any other breed i've owned. also, some here are reporting them as dying young. certainly that is true of some lines, but there are also some very long-lived and healthy lines. go to a breeder who does health testing on all her dogs, going back several generations, and who has long-lived dogs. all of my current dog's grandparents died at age 13 and were healthy all their lives. don't go for the biggest mastiff you can find--even the small ones are HUGE. a smaller mastiff will be healthier, sounder, and live longer. |
| I have an english mastiff and I wouldnt trade him or the slobber for anything in the world. My husband had a friend with 2 and we use to visit them before we got ours. My husband wanted one and I thought he was NUTS. I hated the slobber dogs we visited. Then one day my husband said he was going to pick me up from work. Guess what was in the car? A puppy. Well guess what, I feel in love and would never give him up. I will have mastiffs till the day I die now. We also have a chihuahua and Bert (mastiff) protects Oscar (chi) with his life. At the dog park if Oscar barks for whatever reason, Bert speeds over to his brothers side and defends him. The slobber is unreal, gets everywhere and you will find it in the most unusual places. But those mister clean pads you get at the store clean up dried slobber great. Bert had his 1st knee surgery at 3 so get health insurance, a knee is $2500+ and once they have one knee they will most likely end up needing the other one done. Bert is 180 lbs and eats about 20lbs +/- a week. They are very gentle but their tails are like whips. they love kids but kids dont like the tails. I am not kidding those things hurt. They are smart, very smart. Bert will pee on command and he picks up on stuff super fast. GO TO TRAINING. They are big and their pull is even bigger. If they pull you on a leash you are going down. Unless you like sharing your couch and everything else with a dog then they are not for you. They are not outside dogs, they like to be with people, Bert follows me everywhere. I cant even get up to get a drink without him right there.
I know this comes a little late (I saw you posted in Dec.) but feel free to email me if you have questions. Oh and try the mastiff rescues, they always have dogs that need good homes. |
| Put it this way...my neighbor is burying their 14 year old small dog, "Pretty Girl" this evening. Seems the neighbor to my south, English Mastiffs (whom he gives the run of the neighborhood) attacked and ripped out the dogs throat. So I would suggest you google "english mastiff kills neighbors dog" and you will see, not stories about killing dogs, but killing people. Your certainly naive, if one tells you different. This dog growled at me one night, as well. |
| Any dog should not be out running on their own? $300.00 fine to start here. |
KimbofromKS wrote: Put it this way...my neighbor is burying their 14 year old small dog, "Pretty Girl" this evening. Seems the neighbor to my south, English Mastiffs (whom he gives the run of the neighborhood) attacked and ripped out the dogs throat. So I would suggest you google "english mastiff kills neighbors dog" and you will see, not stories about killing dogs, but killing people. Your certainly naive, if one tells you different. This dog growled at me one night, as well.
The problem is your neighbor, not the breed of dog. |
Look, your Mastiff and Paula's Bob can be friends! |
| My ex cared for his friends Mastiff for a week (and he likes big dogs) he was always thrilled to get home to Chopin, those things are sweet, I'll give them that, but its hard to get past the insane drool and ugg do they smell (it was an English Mastiff he was watching) The fur is not soft like Sheepies but instead its poky and (shudder) no I don't think I'd opt for a mastiff--I could deal with the slober I guess but how on earth can you cuddle with that smell??? |
| I agree with ButtersStotch!
Stephanie! I haven't seen this picture for a long time! I hope you don't think it's real.
Ps: It would be so cool though. |
Prof. Boni wrote: Stephanie! I haven't seen this picture for a long time! I hope you don't think it's real.
Ps: It would be so cool though. I'm not sure if it's real or not, but someone emailed it to me a while back. This was the story attached: Hercules: The World's Biggest Dog Ever According to Guinness World Records Hercules was recently awarded the honorable distinction of Worlds Biggest Dog by Guinness World Records. Hercules is an English Mastiff and who has a 38 inch neck and weighs 282 pounds. With "paws the size of softballs" (reports the Boston Herald), the three-year-old monster is far larger and heavier than his breed's standard 200lb. limit. Hercules owner Mr. Flynn says that Hercules weight is natural and not induced by a bizarre diet: "I fed him normal food and he just "grew"... and grew. and grew. and grew. Kell: Slightly Smaller, But the World's Heaviest Dog Hercules' sheer volume may have won him the Largest Dog world record, but the Heaviest Dog title still rests with Kell who weighed in at 286 pounds in August of 1999. This English Mastiff, however, only has a 32-inch neck – far less than Hercules' 38-incher. Think about that for a second though - 32 inches is a standard waist size for a man! Proud owner Tom Scott said Kell is two years old and is expected to continue to grow for the next two years. Kell needs to be fed 100lb of beef every week, and drinks gallons of goats' milk to stay healthy... |
| Here's what Snopes has to say and show about the real Hercules and the doctored photo
http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/hercules.asp |
| The dogs are not violent, I'm with butterscoth on that, I've never seen a mean Mastiff, they've all been very gentle and good natured |
| Okay, My best friend likes the "giant" breeds too and they got a female mastiff, her name is Fiona or Fi Fi for short. Lovely dog, but let me tell you, they do smell if you are used to a sheepie it is big, the drool is also an issue and they do shed, they can also become very territorial as Fiona has, she is not dog friendly anymore, was when she was younger, but not really so much now. They have a short life span, 7 or 8 years, they can have health issues, but then, so can most pure breeds. But the after math, is more than I want to clean up. Huge poops! Almost everyone is scared of that large a dog too. So I think for me the biggest deterrent is the huge poops and the wet mouth/face with drool and yes the smell.
L |
1st Time OES Mommy wrote: Prof. Boni wrote: Stephanie! I haven't seen this picture for a long time! I hope you don't think it's real. Ps: It would be so cool though. I'm not sure if it's real or not, but someone emailed it to me a while back. This was the story attached: Hercules: The World's Biggest Dog Ever According to Guinness World Records Hercules was recently awarded the honorable distinction of Worlds Biggest Dog by Guinness World Records. Hercules is an English Mastiff and who has a 38 inch neck and weighs 282 pounds. With "paws the size of softballs" (reports the Boston Herald), the three-year-old monster is far larger and heavier than his breed's standard 200lb. limit. Hercules owner Mr. Flynn says that Hercules weight is natural and not induced by a bizarre diet: "I fed him normal food and he just "grew"... and grew. and grew. and grew. Kell: Slightly Smaller, But the World's Heaviest Dog Hercules' sheer volume may have won him the Largest Dog world record, but the Heaviest Dog title still rests with Kell who weighed in at 286 pounds in August of 1999. This English Mastiff, however, only has a 32-inch neck – far less than Hercules' 38-incher. Think about that for a second though - 32 inches is a standard waist size for a man! Proud owner Tom Scott said Kell is two years old and is expected to continue to grow for the next two years. Kell needs to be fed 100lb of beef every week, and drinks gallons of goats' milk to stay healthy... Here are some links you can also read about this: http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/b ... st_dog.htm www.zimbio.com/Hercules,+the+World's+Biggest+Dog (this link doesn't want to come up all the way!) If you google "Hercules the biggest dog" a lot of information comes up. |
| It doesn't even seem to have "biggest dog" in the Guinness World Records:
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/sea ... String=dog Or maybe I just can't find it. |
I believe you guys! I don't really want to research about the dog... I just wanted to give a picture to go with the topic!  Maybe that's just a really small horse and really short people!
Hey, I didn't realize Fang from Harry Potter was a Mastiff. He was cute! He does seem like the perfect dog for a big burly man. |
| You just made me curious! |
| Nope, no biggest ...but they have a tallest dog... A Great Dane
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/rec ... iving.aspx There is another dog that claims to be the world's heaviest. But it is unclear whether the dog is still alive. A Mastiff: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/443886.stm |
| My friends have a Tibetan Mastif named Ruben and he is the most incredible looking dog! Finn is going to stay with them for a couple of days at the end of the month so I can go to Miami , I hope I can get a picture of the two together, Rube is pretty impressive with long hair like a lion's mane. Of course I am completely in love with my sheepies, so nothing compares! |
| i actually own three mastiffs, i have a puppy 10 months at 180 pounds, they are messy yes, but once you have one you will have trouble owning another breed again. these dogs live for you and your family, it's hard to explain the loyalty of these giants. my puppy is at work with me today and he just wants everything to be okay. |
| I have know experience with the breed other than a friend has one. He will stop by when in the neighborhood and Obe is in heaven. They run, play get nasty dirty, Obe's neck is a slobbery mess his beard is wet (soaked) from drinking water, they love each other. We give plenty of room when they are romping around because they could take you off your feet in a second. Both are goofy giants.
Then... they are tired and lay on the porch and sleep. Wonderful!! |
| We have an English Mastiff & we absolutely LOVE HIM! I have had soooo many different types/ breeds through my years. Grew up in a large family of 5 kids so we always had different dogs running around through our years. Cons: yes they drool, but I have actually found it to be very managable & Trust me I am as girly as they come haha it grosses me out but our Duke only drools when we are walking him during summer & even then it's a "light drool" I learned early on he eats & drinks outside haha & we wait a few min to let him in as to avoid slime everywhere. There are "drool rags" at the front door & back door. One in the car (just in case) & I always carry one with me on trips to the dog park. I don't want to be rude & have him slime someone so every 5 to 10 min I give his jowels a quick rub to dry him out He has hardly ever drooled on my walls or the furniture we may have just gotten lucky and maybe he is just not a heavy drooler? Another Con: That TAIL!!! Ouch it is pure muscle & sometimes Duke has "accidently" swatted my husband in "the wrong spot" haha & he winces in pain for a few moments. I have two small children & two young nieces (youngest is 4) & they have learned to anticipate & managed to mostly avoid the swat of that tail. My dog Duke is WONDERFUL with all the children. Con: We are having an issue with Duke pulling on his leash right now (serious issue) my hubby has to walk him mostly with me at his side. We are quickly getting rid of this nasty habit as he is still a pup well sorta (13 months) & we are waiting til he is at least 18 months to neuter him. Recommended time frame for these dogs to avoid health problems down the line. So we can't take him to any obedience classes as of yet either. I also have not had an issue with shedding. I brush him about once or twice a week & I actually find his grooming to be very minimal & my dog does not stink at all for some reason. I am not sure why. I only bathe him every 4 to 6 months. My dog Duke lives here with us, all these children around us, 3 cats, I he grew up with the other 2 are kittens (brother & sister) we just rescued & he is sooo completely gentle with all our pets including my house bunny. Yup he snuggles with my kittens & house bunny. These dogs are sweet, docile, laid back, affectionate & love to just be near you. I will FOREVER for the rest of my life never be without another English Mastiff. When my hubby suggested one I said "no way I want a maltese" haha then one day we went to "just look" at some puppies & that was IT. I picked him up, fell in love & have never looked back. I do not care if they do not have long life spans, every day with him is a gift. I hope you decide on one! We plan on adopting a few more within the next few years as soon as we move to a bigger house |
| I have a 5 month old English Mastiff and I LOVE him. Mastiffs are drooly, grunty, snorey and gassy. Their gas can literally clear the room and if you don't keep towels around to wipe their face after drinking then the drool may end up on our walls or tv or anything they put in their mouth. However these are gentle giants, great family dogs, very tolerant of children and gigantic. My 5 mo old is already 75lbs and is father is 285. |
Guest wrote: I have a 5 month old English Mastiff and I LOVE him. Mastiffs are drooly, grunty, snorey and gassy. Their gas can literally clear the room and if you don't keep towels around to wipe their face after drinking then the drool may end up on our walls or tv or anything they put in their mouth. However these are gentle giants, great family dogs, very tolerant of children and gigantic. My 5 mo old is already 75lbs and is father is 285. I wondered initially if the drool would bother me but it doesn't at all. If you wipe right after drinking and after they are playing with other dogs the drool is totally manageable |
WizardMerlin wrote: Quote: Kind of like men and large trucks. They need something that looks and appears to be the biggest Yup that is hubby...everything has to be BIG....he drives an Excursion for commuting to work...he doesn't fit into anything smaller...he is over 6'3" Erm I am 6'3" and fit in one of these, and have covered a fair portion of Europe in it too.  yes Archie does fit in the passenger seat ( and across me - but shhh don't tell the traffic cops!) As for the generalisations about dogs and men I always laugh when I see a 230lb bloke with a rat on a string If he wants a big dog they can get seriously big so he should be happy with that one got almost to 350lb imagine lifting him into his truck, he'd need a tailgate lift!  |
| I own a mastiff. They are a lovvvely breed, so regal. There's slobber, tons of hair, and big paws all over the place but seeing her lovingness and her joy with kids just makes it all worthwhile. They are really good with kids if socialized as a pup. They poke and prod and shes totally fine with it. Surprisingly, with their size, they need to be inside dogs. They love their family and should be with them. And they are lazy and love to snore in their naps but they also like lots of land to romp on. Also, all of the mastiff breeds are "leaners" and will lean on anyones legs and beg to be scratched behind the ears. So if you or anyone living in the household is frail or has old injuries then life with a mastiff can be challenging. History: English Mastiffs are bred for wandering a large plot of land for royalty and taking down any intruders, not biting but gripping them and pinning them till an officer or guard would come arrive to the tresspasser. Also bred for a regal loving companion for the royal families. But now the breed is ultimately loveable and almost useless as a guarddog. The almost is that if the family was threatened, I believe this dog would step up. In the end, loveable creatures that are chill and would love to be with the family every moment of their life. |
| I love the neopoliton mastiff I would have one if I had space I think they are well cute x |
| We have an 8 year old English Mastiff and our friends had her brother. I would never have another type of dog. We have had her since my son was 6 months old and our youngest is 2. She has never been anything but wonderful with children and our kids have put her to the test with the pulling, climbing, pinching, etc. the poor dog. You will absolutely have what we call "slobber bombs" on your walls, furniture, etc! |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|