Puppy care - Be patient

Be patient. The mastiff puppy will be a "pup" well into his second year, as it takes the very large breeds that long to completely mature physically. Be gentle and firm; insist that your puppy respect you.

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Puppy care - Monitor your mastiff puppy's social skills

Monitor your mastiff puppy's social skills. Because this breed is notorious for its serious attitude and stubbornness, you should not allow any rough play or biting, as this will be an enormous dog when grown. He could hurt you or others without intending to do so.

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Puppy care - Vaccinate and worm your pet

Vaccinate and worm your pet. Also, put your new puppy on heart worm preventative as soon as your veterinarian suggests it. Your breeder should have furnished you with his medical chart, which will be updated by your veterinarian on each visit.

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Puppy care - Feed your pup for optimal growth

Feed your puppy for optimal growth. Diet is vitally important to the growth of this breed of dog. A raw diet is recommended, consisting mostly of chicken, beef, bones, and eggs. It is important that the diet is balanced, and it's also important that your pup does not gain too much weight while he is growing, as that would create hip and joint problems.

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Owner guide - Mastiff’s can reach 200 pounds or more

Mastiff’s can reach 200 pounds or more, make sure you make the decision to purchase a Mastiff puppy wisely.

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Owner guide - Train your puppy to a leash

Train your puppy to a leash as soon as possible. Mastiff’s can reach 200 pounds at adulthood and the last thing you want is to be pulled around by the grown dog.

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Owner guide - Dog toys

Give you puppy several heavy duty dog toys designed for big dogs. This will help keep him from chewing on things he’s not supposed too.

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Owner guide - Provide the Mastiff puppy with a bed of his own

Provide the Mastiff puppy with a bed of his own. This can be as simple as an old quilt on the floor or as elaborate as a high-end dog bed.

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Owner guide - Keep water available for your Mastiff puppy at all times

Keep water available for your Mastiff puppy at all times. Due to their slobbering nature, you will need to change the water several times a day.

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Owner guide - Feed your Mastiff puppy a good quality puppy pet food until he is three or four months old

Feed your Mastiff puppy a good quality puppy pet food until he is three or four months old. After that, switch to an adult food. Mastiff’s should not be encouraged to grow too quickly as this can put stress on their bones and cause health problems later in life.

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Owner guide - Allow your new Mastiff puppy to get used to your home for a few days before training

Allow your new Mastiff puppy to get used to your home for a few days before trying to do any type of training. Many puppies are fearful after leaving their mothers for a new home.

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Owner guide - Buy your Mastiff puppy from a reputable breeder

Buy your Mastiff puppy from a reputable breeder. Be aware of all the conditions in the contract for purchase. Type Mastiff in a search engine to find the many sites devoted to this wonderful dog. Many sites also list breeders that have met the standard for AKC accreditation.

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DOG FAQ - Do Mastiffs Chew?

As for chewing, puppies of any breed need to be given durable toys that they know it is OK to chew. Any time you catch your Mastiff puppy chewing on anything except its own chew toys, take the forbidden item away from it, and give it a chew toy, and encourage the dog to chew on its own toy. Praise it when it DOES chew on its own toy. Repeat as necessary (remember, we told you these dogs are stubborn!)

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DOG FAQ - How much does a Mastiff cost?

The average asking price for a Mastiff puppy is $2000-2500.

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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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