Mastiffs

There are several breeds of Mastiff in the dog world but when standing alone it normally refers to the English Mastiff. These shouldn’t be confused with American, Spanish, Tibetan, Neapolitan or Bull mastiffs.

This is a breed that requires training from puppyhood. If you are not committed to teaching proper manners and instilling discipline into puppies please consider something other than a mastiff. This is a massive, dignified dog that is at least 30 inches for dogs, 27 ½ inches for bitches.

With a rectangular body frame the breed shouldn’t have a great deal of leg but powerful bone to hold a massive body. Powerful neck and back muscling as well as broad, solid muscles both front and rear are important to the overall look of the dog. While bitches are somewhat smaller than dogs, there shouldn’t be weakness evident.

This is an ancient breed that dates back to the times of Egyptian monuments and in literature. Caesar described the breed in 55 BC Britain. He was used in dog fights as well as fighting bears, bulls, tigers, lions and gladiators. They have been bred in England for 2000 years as watchdogs. They guarded castles and served as war dogs as well as sporting dogs in fighting arenas.

The Mastiff has served his country in both World Wars, pulling munitions carts on the front lines. At one point entire kennels in England were put down due to the dogs eating as much as the soldiers and today the breed is better established in the USA where in the late 1800s they served as plantation guards.

Despite his fighting heritage this is a docile, good natured dog that maintains the courage needed in a working dog. There is neither shyness nor aggressiveness allowed in the breed, with either extreme penalized. These are massive dogs that normally present themselves with dignity and confidence.

By the show standard they have a minimum size stated but not a maximum their short coat is coarse to shed the weather and should lay close to the body. They may be fawn, apricot or brindle with dark muzzle, ears and nose. Very small amounts of white on the chest is allowed but not encouraged. This is a dignified rather than showy dog.

These are dogs that need discipline and training early on. If it isn’t cute in a big dog do not encourage a puppy to do it. This is true of jumping on people, getting into food and dominating. There are taller dogs but the Mastiff is the heaviest and that packs a lot of power. Mastiffs of 160-230 pounds are not uncommon and in 2004 a Mastiff in weight pulls successfully pulled 7300 pounds. Do not ever underestimate the power of these dogs! The world record holder for size is a Mastiff named Zorba. Tipping the scales at 343 pounds and 37 inches at the shoulder this is a dog that nose tip to tail tip was 8 feet 3 inches. Training training training is critical! Most people cannot out pull them and it’s important to implant the brain with commands that they will obey.

They have some characteristics that eliminate many people from owning them. Size is – no pun intended! – a big one! They slobber. Some drool only when eating or drinking while others are almost all the time but be prepared for doggie drool. They also snore. If you are thinking of keeping a couple of Mastiffs in your bedroom and are a light sleeper you might rethink that idea!

Due to a long history working with people this is a dog that needs interaction. He is still today a devoted protector and is naturally watchful of strangers. This is an intelligent, somewhat independent dog that should be allowed to retain his natural guarding instincts but never taught aggression. They are great dogs with children but at the same time their size must be monitored as well as insuring children don’t antagonize him or tease him into standing up for himself as the child will lose. They are designed to protect, not attack, but any dog that is teased will sooner or later react.

His size and strength makes him not only a big conformation dog and watch dog but useful in tracking, carting, weight pulls and even as therapy dogs and search dogs.

Due to their massive size and power they are not a high energy dog. Laid back and sometimes described as lazy or lethargic and they are happy with a daily walk. Regular brushing, a monthly bath and basic care given to any dogs mean the Mastiff isn’t one for high maintenance.

Due to their massive size there are some health issues owners need to be aware of. Bloat is a killer in a very short time frame. Hip and elbow dysplasia, ectropion, CHD, vaginal hyperplasia, PRA and cardiomyopathy all can affect the breed. Testing breeding stock is important as many of these can be eliminated by not breeding dogs that carry but don’t show the disease.

Ectropion is a defect of the eyelids which causes irritation for the dog. Cataracts, glaucoma, progressive retinal atrophy, retinal dysplasia and dry eye are all issues that can affect the eyes of the Mastiff. The large amount of weight combined with extreme growth in the first year can bring on hip dysplasia, contracted tendons, cruciate ligament rupture, degenerative joint disease, elbow dysplasia, panosteitis, osteochondritis dessicians, patellar luxation, wobblers and spondylosis are but a few of the skeletal and joint issues that can be serious because of the size of the Mastiff.

Epilepsy, heart diseases, cancer, kidney failure and bladder stones can all be factors. While we like to see our dogs happy and healthy there is an increased risk of problems with very small and very large dogs, and it pays to be aware before taking one on. It also underscores the concern for testing for health clearances before breeding to help insure there aren’t genetic weaknesses unseen passed on.

These are truly gentle giants and the heroes within the breed are many. From therapy dogs helping patients to Boomer, who saved his owner from a house fire that took his own. Another Mastiff, Draco, received championships and awards as a therapy dog but his hero award came after dragging his owner to the phone then too the door for police and paramedics to help her. Karma, another Mastiff, “misbehaved” to draw her owner away from doing dishes then pushed her to sit down in a chair – right before her owner passed out. If not for the redirection it could have meant a head injury and seizures. Her automatic knowing something was wrong has led to having service dog training with 100% accuracy on seizures and 98% on asthma attack alerts. Mastiff “Kody” ventured with his owner Erin and a friend to feed horses; Kody at one point grabbed Erin and pulled her sideways just before a tree limb crashed where she’d been standing. Being deaf, Erin didn’t hear the danger.

These are just a few cases where BECAUSE of their size and intelligence the Mastiff has made a difference. As they have throughout history their temperament and loyalty are matched only by their big hearts. For the right home they’re irreplaceable!