Calling all BIG dog owners. Questions.

[Shamb]

Me and my wife are thinking about getting an English Mastiff. I've heard nothing but great things and it sounds like a great family member/pet. For those of you who own large breed dogs are there anything tell-tell signs I should look out for when picking a dog?  any advice or things you would have done differently?  maybe things you wouldn't necessarly know unless you owned one?

What should I be looking for as far as future tempermant/character issues?

I'm waiting to hear back from the lady who owns Central Coast Mastiffs, we may be driving down to Atascadero on the 2nd to get a dog. I just want to make sure i'm doing my homework and know exactly what to expect before getting in too deep.
A dog this size or ANY dog for that matter is a large commitment... not something to be taken lightly. I've owned a much smaller dog in the past so i'm not completely clueless when it comes to dog ownership but have never dealt with anything this large before.

Thanks!

[mudmaster]

Ours isn't as big as a Mastiff, but at 85lbs she is not small either. For us crate training right away was great. We no longer crate her, but when we did she had no problem being in the crate and would even go in herself to sleep. I'm sure you know, but it isn't too early to start training. Socialization is a good idea too. We read some books too and they do help.......

As far as temperament; we watched the interaction of the pups with each other and their Mom.  Ours didn't seem to be a bully and isn't now either. Just an idea, definitely not an expert.

Good luck! Dogs are great fun!

[thebigdogg]

My wife did't want to post anything, but she said she owns me

TheBigDogg

[madhunt]

they eat alot and watch out for hip problems when they get older, english is calmer than the bull, both can be really good dogs

[AaronB]

we had a mastiff (Brazilian)for a little while, he was a great dog but had some issues previous (rescued from shelter)to us. He had an issue with young women so we had to let him go. Other then that he was very loyal to me and was great at "protecting" our family. Would definitly get another one, but starting from a puppy.

[Sparkplug]

Got malmute mix that weighs 130.

Rubs himself on bushes, and tears em up good. Jumps up on chicks, hes big as hell. When he was a puppy it was a nightmare keeping him inside anything. He could power or chew through just about anything. Thank god he outgrew that, because there was literally no way to stop it, short of a super hardcore fence.

Eats a bunch if you let him, but hes on a diet now. Hes biggest around, and he knows it, so he tends to be a bully. Very very protective of any member of the pack.

All in all, wouldnt trade him for a small dog anyday, he loves kids, and people in general, great awesome dog.

[abnormaltoy]

Big dog...big shovel. Hip problems for almost all BIG dogs and in general the big dogs, as lovable as they are, don't live as long. Shiloh Shepherds (a retro GSD breed) tend to buck that generality. Then there is the slobber factor...invest in washable slip covers. Did I mention the big shovel? ( maybe an RC front end loader?)

[Shamb]

 haha....everyone brings up the poop size... that's okay because my wife will be picking them up not me 

.... or at least for the first few weeks until the new wears off and i'm stuck..

In all seriousness that's why i'm doing so much homework.. I want to ensure this is something we REALLY want because it's a huge commitment that unfortunately alot of people overlook and the dog ends up in a shelter or worse..

[Stocker]

Socialization is a good idea too.

With all due respect, socialization is more than a good idea, it is an absolute must.... especially with larger dogs. Start very early and stay with it constantly. Take it with you everywhere you go (as much as you possibly can) and let it meet lots of people and other animals.

[81yota4x4]

I have had a few big dogs from rotties, to my 115lb Bull mastiff out of all the dogs Ive had growing up to this day I would say the most gentle lovable, mindfull, loyal and protective dog was my Bull mastiff. She was protective of our family but only when need be, awesome with small kids, loved to be around people, and other dogs, of cousre thought she was a lap dog. One of the things about dogs of great size is you have give them room but let them know you are in charge. I have known I few mastiff's and they are great dogs if you are willing to take the time to train them and give them the attention and exercise they need. All the dogs I've had were crate trained although as they got older we used there crates less and less. Hope that helps a little good luck on your hunt.

[mudmaster]

With all due respect, socialization is more than a good idea, it is an absolute must.... especially with larger dogs. Start very early and stay with it constantly. Take it with you everywhere you go (as much as you possibly can) and let it meet lots of people and other animals.

I totally agree with you and I guess my statement didn't really articulate it very well 

[BigMike]

[BLACKDOG]

The biggest thing for me is the training.  Beginning as a pup, and moving forward.  For me this is far more important for big dogs than small dogs, simply due to size.  They don't really realize how big they are, and "cute" puppy activity can soon become rude, irritating, and potentially dangerous.  You don't want your 150 lb dog running full speed to the door and jumping up your family and friends. 

Same thing with basic commands.  We have a 70 lb lab, and I can muscle him around no problem.  I'm not worried about losing control over him.  My g/f on the other hand, would have a hard time handling him if he weren't so well behaved when leashed.  The bigger the dog, the more important the obedience, one for your control over him, and two, for the comfort of the people you have him (or her around).

[Rocksurfer]

I had a Tibetan Mastiff and he was a pussycat even let the kids ride him, yes he was that big. I've also had 4 Akita's and a St. Bernard the big thing to watch for on these larger than average breads is their breeding history make sure they have a solid breeding history and that there is no history of hip dysplasia that is the biggest issue with large breeds, of course temperment in most of the large breeds is pretty mello but just make sure of that.

[Shamb]

yea i did a bunch of research last night, read up on OFA certs (which i didn't even know existed) .. pedigree, AKC Certs and such..

I even joined the mastiff.org online forum to get some guideance.. especially after I found out that one of the pup's I was going to look at had "questionable" breeding and no OFA certs..

i'm noticing not alot of people take to time to do OFA which kinda worries me.. all the pup's that are OFA certified are like show quality $2000+   .....i'm not rich by any means.. nor am i willing to spend that much on a dog... i think we're stretching it far with a $1500 limit honestly.

So we're going to Sonora (i think) on Friday morning.. then heading to Atascadero afterwards to look at the first dogs we saw. I'm thinking this is gong to be a lengthy process to ensure we don't just jump into it... i really want to ensure it's the perfect dog for our family.

[hansi530]

i have a 140 lbs rhodesian ridgeback and its the best dog i have even owned but very protective on my property but  a great dog

[Stocker]

I'm sure you're well aware of this but I'm gonna toss it out there anyway..... dogs can be fairly expensive to own, especially larger dogs (in part because they eat more). Avoid the standard grocery-store dog foods because their primary ingredients are usually corn & grains. High-quality meat-based non-grain dog food is considerably more expensive but well worth the added cost. Of course there are licensing & vet bills, probably gonna have regular heartworm and tick & flea meds, and of course lots of toys & treats. Frankly I'm amazed at the amount of money we pour into our two dogs.....

OTOH, in the past I've had dogs that only saw the vet if they absolutely had to, never had regular meds, and ate whatever was cheapest -- and they did just fine. 

[Shamb]

that's the difference between a mutt and a pure breed Stocker... lol...


it is amazing how much money people sink into dogs that look a certain way.. but typically have more health problems...

man's best friend right!   

[BLACKDOG]

that's the difference between a mutt and a pure breed Stocker... lol...


it is amazing how much money people sink into dogs that look a certain way.. but typically have more health problems...

man's best friend right!   

Gotta say in my experience that that is 100% true. 

We've got a queensland/corgi mix, a heinz 57 mutt, and a pure bred lab. 
The lab has had more issues (most minor), and has had more vet visits than the other two combined.  And he's only a year and a half old!

[Shamb]

 So i'm going to ask this here because mastiffs.org doesn't want to respond for some odd reason.....

I'm home 3 days a week and my wife is only home one day a week. I come home everyday for lunch around noon for an hour. I'm wondering if this is going to be enough time home to ensure the dog gets attention and doesn't start to pick up bad habits because of being home for so long by them self.

[AaronB]

the more interaction the better. We would take our mastiff out on a daily run. If you have a bike its real easy. just take a leash, wrap it around your seat post and shorten it up to where the dog is basically by your side, then go for a ride. he loves it and is beat tired after.

[Slolyfe]

We had a Neapolitan mastiff and she was great! But was constantly challenging us on what she could get away with. For the first few years we had to be extremely strict but now she is a great dog.

My brother in law has a 6 month old English and already has to have knee surgery due to degenerative joints. He even had him checked by a vet before buying him.

[BLACKDOG]

So i'm going to ask this here because mastiffs.org doesn't want to respond for some odd reason.....

I'm home 3 days a week and my wife is only home one day a week. I come home everyday for lunch around noon for an hour. I'm wondering if this is going to be enough time home to ensure the dog gets attention and doesn't start to pick up bad habits because of being home for so long by them self.

What are your hours otherwise?   Since you're off 3 days, I'm guessing 4 tens? 

I'd say thats enough time, more is better definitely, but it doesn't sound like he'd be by himself for more than 5-8 hours at a time? 

Once you have a routine established, you can leave them for longer spans.  Before my g/f and I moved in together, my dogs would often be home for 24-72 hours alone.  They had food (trained to self feed), and a warm place to sleep, and lots of toys.  I rarely had issues, biggest ones were minor digging.  I did ensure I spent a large amount of time with them when I was home (4 days). 

[Shamb]

 Yea 4-10's, there are some days where i'm unable to come home for lunch which means he'd be home for 10 hr's by himself.. but that's few and far between. We're heading to Sonora this morning to look at the pup's. Tomorrow we'll be on the road early to look at another liter. 

Part of me wants to buy the pup's we see today (if we like what we see of course)   but everything I read says don't. Take some time... look at other liters and get away from the "puppy love" state.

[Rocksurfer]

I used to love those hours, only having to go in 10 times a month was just awesome, here's some pics of my little pony this would have been very early 80's...

[Shamb]

good looking dog! i'll post a pic or two here in a minute, gotta get 'em off my phone.

[Shamb]

 we liked the biggest male, he's playful but chill. we could flip him over, pet his belly and he didn't think twice... after tomorrow we'll make up our mind...
my daughter liked them all, of course.

[Stocker]

Ah man, yer doomed, doomed I tells ya! You'll be lucky to get out of there with just one pup! Just look at those eyes....  (his and hers)


Think of it, with two, they could keep each other company, they would always have a playmate.....


Heheheh my work here is done.......   

[Shamb]

Ive thought about it stocker. Dont wanna get in over my head! We'll see

[johnny_boy02]

One of my ex's families raised english mastiffs. Really cool dogs. Just a few things I remember about them.

I hope you like drool.....
The puppies need more rest than typical puppies because they grow so fast. So make sure you are not over working the pup.

Because of their size training is really important. They can be over bearing if not taught their place. But I dont seem to remember them being hard to train.

Hip problems can be minimized by buying from a good breeder, but always keep it in the back of your head. A ramp of some sort when getting out of the back of a truck or other tall places is a good idea.

It is important to not let them get fat.

Good luck with your pup. i would love to have one but i cant handle the drool.