DOG FAQ - Can mastiff dogs be outside dogs?

The Mastiff is usually a quiet, calm dog. They rarely bark unless provoked. Mastiffs are great outside dogs that need exercise.

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DOG FAQ - What is the height of a mastiff?

Mastiff's can average 27 1/2 inches to 36 inches in height and weight 120-230 lbs.

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DOG FAQ - What is the biggest mastiff?

The largest dog ever is Hercules! He is a 282-pound English Mastiff with a 38-inch neck!

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DOG FAQ - Does the Mastiff Shy?

Because of their great sensitivity, Mastiffs who are not throughly socialized when young can very easily become shy of strange people, places, and animals.
Shyness can be both inherited and/or the result of inadequate socialization. This is why puppy kindergarten, obedience classes over an extended period of time,
and visits to parks are extremely important to the development of your Mastiff. If you do not have the time to do these things with and for your Mastiff, you need to think over whether you are in a position to do right by a dog, at least at this point in your life.

A shy dog is an uneasy, unhappy dog. If your dog is more shy than the average, then it is more important than ever to get the right amount of gentle, gradual socialization with lots of positive reinforcement for all its friendly, confident, non-shy actions.

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DOG FAQ - Are the Mastiffs protective?

Mastiffs are protective. However, many people do not understand the difference between protection and aggression. If a dog growls when there is no danger, that is aggression, NOT protection. A protective dog has the judgment to see when there is a real risk of danger, and therefore, if you have a truly protective dog, you may never know it till you are in danger.

The protective instinct is shown in subtle ways, such as the Mastiff tending to stand between their person and a stranger. Many people who have kids discover that they can't spank a kid in front of the Mastiff -- it looks worried and gets in between the parent and child! Couples who sometimes play-wrestle together have reported their Mastiff trying to stop them for fear it is a fight.

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DOG FAQ - Are Mastiffs good guard dogs?

Mastiffs are excellent guard dogs. They go to the door and bark, their hackles stand up, and they look formidable, but Mastiffs, as a breed, are not trigger-happy. They have a gentle, rather than an
aggressive, nature.

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DOG FAQ - Are Mastiff Fighters?

Mastiffs, with their gentle natures, do not have the instincts that dog fighters are looking for. Their
protective instincts make them actually the opposite to the aggressive fighting personality. However, Mastiffs will, at times, fight among themselves, or with other dogs, for the typical canine reasons such as pack dominance and sexual competition. Two 190 pound adult male Mastiffs in combat for pack leadership can be next to impossible, as well as exceedingly dangerous, to separate.

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DOG FAQ - Are the mastiff easy to train?

Both easy and difficult. Mastiffs are smart, and live to please. However, they go through phases where they are also stubborn, and these phases can last anywhere from a few weeks a couple of times in puppyhood to (in some cases) the lifetime of the dog.

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DOG FAQ - What are Mastiffs good for?

Mastiffs excel as companions, family members, therapy workers and as watch dogs. Mastiffs have also done well,when properly trained and conditioned, at carting, tracking, obedience, conformation showing, search andrescue, and weight pulling. They are also great foot warmers and couch potatoes.

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MASTIFF AND CHILDREN

Mastiffs are excellent dogs around children, and seem to have a special sense of the fragile nature of small children. Mastiffs are very tolerant of the abuse that small children can inflict upon them, including pulling their ears, sitting on them, tugging at the tails, etc.; and they love to lick the faces of children. They will become protective of children in the house; often wanting to place themselves between children and strangers that may come to the house. Mastiffs will never intentionally hurt a child, but because of their size you do need to be careful with small children that may get bumped by a Mastiff walking by, or swatted by a Mastiff’s wagging tail.

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TRAINING

The training of your Mastiff, you should begin as soon as you acquire the dog. You can do the training yourself, or you can hire a professional trainer to do the work. Local dog training classes are usually available; they will be listed in the newspaper, or your veterinarian can recommend a trainer.

Obedience training sessions should be short, but frequent; ten to fifteen minute sessions, two or three times a day will be sufficient. If your training sessions are too long, your Mastiff will become bored. The best training time is before meals. If you work with your dog before it eats, it will begin to associate it meal as a reward for the training sessions.

Before giving a word command to your Mastiff, speak its name to get its attention; then speak a one-word command such as sit, stay, or heel. Do not get impatient, you will probably have to repeat the command many times. Never use negative reinforcement; do not call your dog to come to you for punishment because this will teach your dog not to come on command.

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FEEDING

Feeding : The amount of food that Mastiff eats and the number of times per day that Mastiff is fed changes as it matures. As a puppy, it should be fed small portions frequently. While it is young, the puppy’s activity level is high and you will want to be sure that it is eating enough to develop properly and steadily gain weight. Basically, a Mastiff should be fed four times a day until it reaches three months of age. Between the ages of three to six months, give the puppy three meals a day, the portions being slightly larger than before. After six months, there should be two meals a day; and at one year of age, there should be only one meal. You could also feed your dog some dry biscuits in the morning and evening if it is having only one meal per day.

Once the Mastiff becomes an adult, it’s important to keep in mind that it does not need to be given as much food; obesity can be a problem if not monitored closely. When your Mastiff is a year old, you may decide to feed it in the evenings when your family has its meal. The Mastiff’s meal can also be divided into two smaller portions, one given in the morning and one at night. Never over-feed your dog; since it will not turn down food, it’s up to you to monitor its eating habits and provide a reasonable amount. Remember to keep a bowl of fresh clean water near your Mastiff’s food bowl at all times.

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