Need Mastiff Pup Help

[John in Iowa]

I wish I would have found this site sooner, there's been a lot of guessing with my puppy and have been really lost at times. 2 main concerns I have right now is size and teething. Hercules is about 18 weeks and no where near the weight that I've seen on size charts. He's about 62 lbs, but doesn't seem skinny to me at all. These are pics from the last couple of days. He's eating 8 cups of iVet Large Breed Puppy Food a day and did have roundworm when I first got him, but has been clear of it since about 13 weeks.

Second question is about teething. I'm pretty sure he's teething because he's been wanting to chew on his toys non-stop and there has been a little bit of blood on them. I haven't found any teeth yet, but his mouth is looking a little more empty than usual, but that could just be because his mouth is so much bigger than a few weeks ago. My concern is with his lower jaw area, like the dog version of lower lips on the sides, ... it's noticeably pink where I've never noticed it before and starting to have more sag to it ... he's also started drooling for the first time, is this normal? Any advice or recommendations would really be appreciated, as he's my first actual puppy.

 

[Smokeycat]

Honestly ignore the weight charts. These puppies have such a wide range while growing that you need to go by body condition rather than weight. For reference Kryten (EM) was 51 lbs at 18 weeks and was 185 lbs the last time I weighed him.
I don't remember Kryten's lips going pink but they may have. I only found 1 of Kryten's baby teeth. It is also normal for them to start drooling as their lips grow.

 

[musicdeb]

Welcome aboard to you and Hercules who is very handsome. Hercules looks great! Slow and steady growth is key to a healthy mastiff.

Try giving him wet, frozen wash cloth/hand towel to chew on to help with teething.

Avoid excessive exercise, i.e., running, jumping, playing, walking and navigating stairs to avoid injury. The pup can exercise 5 minutes for every month of age at each exercise event. Feed your pup raw chicken feet which is a natural source of glucosamine to help with joint growth.

Feed your pup based on food guidelines but watch his body form. As long as you can feel with little pressure and see the last 3 ribs, he's ok. If that changes, change food accordingly. Here's a chart to help with body form.



Do not de-sex your pup until 18-24 months. Pups need the hormones to grow healthy.

Socialize, socialize and socialize some more for a well-rounded pup. As your pup matures, he may not like strangers/dogs but he should be accepting of them. This may or may not happen.

 

[John in Iowa]

I know the Vet said he's in great shape and I feel that he's a healthy weight, guess I just was looking for a little reassurance ... thanks

 

[John in Iowa]

I'll try the wet washcloth, that sounds like a great idea. I know that everything that I've heard says not to let them exercise too much, but he is very active and loves going on walks around the neighborhood. He seems to be very social, he loves attention from people, other animals and especially kids. He's never been aggressive towards anyone and the only thing I've found that he barks at and doesn't like is the rake for some reason, so now i just bag up the grass as I mow. I thought potty training and other things would be more difficult, but he had it down in just a couple of weeks and has been good for over month ... always goes and sits by the door when he needs to go outside.

I need to figure out the getting fixed thing ... he's not papered and was sold as just a pet, but they said I had to get him fixed before a year old and even my Vet said that with Mastiffs you want to wait until they are older. I think I'll try to contact the people I got him from and ask for permission to wait.

 

[musicdeb]

Sounds like you got a smart and easy to train pup. Yes, please check with breeder. I'm surprised breeder would recommend de-sexing before a year.

Have them watch this: [video=youtube;enPCZA1WFKY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enPCZA1WFKY[/video]

Have them read this: Health Issues Linked to Spaying and Neutering Dogs

 

[TWW]

Frozen vegie's are great also, just plain icecubes.