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Thoughts on Mastiff breeds?

Hello All,
My first post, though I have been lurking for a bit.

I was looking to get some insight and perspective from those of you with Mastiff breeds. Several years ago, I decided I wanted to get a Boerboel. I had searched for a while and wanted something larger than a boxer, less hyper than a boxer, docked tail, protective nature, good companion, with a look combined between an English Mastiff (larger than I wanted though possessing many of the qualities I liked) and a boxer (smaller and more hyper than I would like). I stumbled across the Boerboel, and started researching. Emailed a few breeders, started following the breeders on facebook to sort of learn more about them as a breeder, as well as to learn more about the breed. I knew when I started looking for dog, that it would be some time (years) before I purchased one due to living in a small house at the time, and already having two dogs (Yorkie and Lhasa Poo). I was essentially just putting out my feelers. Now, my Yorkie, he's 11 and has lately become extremely grouchy, incontinent, and is losing his teeth (which smell bad so I'm assuming there's an infection) - I fear that we will be saying good bye to him within the year, so I've started researching again.

I'm just not sure what breed will be best. I have two small sons, age 4 and 6. I want something good with children, something that is protective but not prone to aggression. Something where size in itself is a deterrent. I get nervous being home alone, and want something that I know will not bark at everything (as my small dogs do) but will alert me if something seems off. Not a ton of shedding or excessive drooling. Something that will be able to go on a walk or jog with me. A breed not prone to roaming out on it's own. Currently, there's always someone home at my house (I work third shift,my husband works during the day) but eventually I hope to get a job in the school system and I am hoping separation anxiety is not too big an issue as the dog will be home by itself during the day. I know many big dogs are prone to hip issues, bloat/stomach issues and some bone cancers, so I'm hoping to avoid most major health issues, and have a decent life expectancy unlike an Irish Wolfhound which only lives 6-8 years. We have a larger house and live on a little over an acre. We get packages frequently so I'm hoping to avoid something that wants to eat the mailman ;) Now, I'm petite, I have two small children, I have not had a larger dog in a long time, as I've had two small dogs the last 10 years. I am planning on and am willing to do consistent training with the dog and socialization. I plan on also doing professional obedience training with the dog. I also prefer a docked tale and ears that are NOT cropped. I also do not want to pay a huge price, I'm comfortable with $1500 but over that, I'd like to stay away from. I would even consider a mixed breed, but honestly - I'm worried about rescue dogs of this size, due to having children in the house. I'd rather have something that I'm getting from a reputable breeder, and know and trust the breeder, and be the puppies primary caretaker after the breeder.

SOOOO all that being said I'm still looking at breeds. I still am in LOVE with the Boerboel, but honestly, I'm a bit intimidated by sheer size and mass...not for myself, but for my children IF it should (god forbid) become aggressive, though I realize that's a risk with any dog. I've also started looking at Cane Corso, Bullmastiff, and (not a mastiff) Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. I also stumbled across "Nebolish Mastiff" but I've really only found VERY limited reading, so I'm not positive it's even a legit present day breed.

I know it seems as though I'm all over the place, but I am just trying to make sure I make a well informed decision. Honestly, ideally I would like to narrow it down to two breeds or so, and then go visit some breeders to familiarize myself with the breed. I can identify dog breeds by looking at them, but reading and looking at pictures is much different than being in front of the real thing. Any input anyone could give would be helpful. I've been reading tons of articles about all the breeds and it sounds like they all have a lot of similarities. I just didn't know if anyone had any input (having owned the dogs) what may work better or what may not work at all for me and my family.

Thank you all!
 

Brinsdad

Well-Known Member
Tail not docked but I love the billmastiff breed , are a guard dog but also lazy and chilled because they were bred to catch poachers so the gamekeeper wanted a dog that could just lay and wait , were also bred to hold rather than attack , but like all dogs of any breed they are only as good as there upbringing just my view of my fav breed but lots of other fab breeds out there


No love like a bully love
 

musicdeb

Well-Known Member
Generally, all mastiff breeds are droolers and they can shed quite a bit.

All dogs can be aggressive, it depends on the training, care and environment of the pup.

All dogs can be great family dogs but again, depends on training, care and environment of the pup.

You have quite a laundry list of what you want in a pup, I'm not sure you can find the "perfect" pup for your family.

Best of luck to you in your search!
 

irina

Well-Known Member
I would like to add that finding any mastiff puppy from a reputable breeder under $1500 would be a challenge. If you find one, it would likely be from a back yard breeder. And there all bets are off in terms of temperament and health. But as the others said, good luck!
 

fixitlouie

Well-Known Member
I have a cane corso, two pressas and one DOGO Argentino. Not only is it a pups upbringing but its genetic make up. Some dogs no matter what breed no matter what training will either be aggressive or a wimp... I would stop looking at a specific breed and look into a specific trait....I favor my DOGO Argentino for his ability to lay around all day for months on end and hit the woods and catch 7 hogs in 3 hours.. I Love My Cane Corso, she is sweet, great with my kids(I have 7) and sharp looking. My Pressas one a rescue and one still a pup
 

gilles

Well-Known Member
aggressiveness depends a lot on how you raise the pup and also on his genetics. it is not really in the breed itself.....protectiveness is more in the breed.
you can get anything small would be an amstaff, or large (mastiff): Cane Corso, dogo, bullmastiff, Dogue de bordeaux, newfoundland (but it sheds a lot) , st bernard, EM, spanish mastiff (its too big even bigger than EM sometimes) but in any case around little children it must be supervised no matter the breed because one snap is enough.
 

twood71

Well-Known Member
The mastiff family will protect you and the kids, They will naturally as they become confident of their area be off on strangers, so aggressiveness towards strangers more likely than you or the kids.

Always no matter what you get-check out the parents! They will show you most likely how your puppy will turn out. If a parent is shy, nervous or just simply mellow you can expect that usually in the pup when it gets older.

A lot of big breeds to choose from out there, I believe on the mastiff side, you got to love them to want one. Study helps but hands on is the best. I was lucky to know a couple that had a female mastiff that started my love for them.

Good luck!
 

dpenning

Well-Known Member
When I was looking and researching I went to a couple of dog shows so I could actually interact with dogs and watch them in action. It helped me decide on the EM and I found my breeder at one of the shows.
 

DDSK

Well-Known Member
If you suspect your Yorkie has an infection in his mouth causing tooth loss I think you should take him to the vet and get that infection treated.
Mastiff breeds are wonderful dogs but if you are looking for low maintenance especially in the health field you may want to look elsewhere to another breed.
$1500 or even $2500 is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of caring for and properly feeding a mastiff breed.
 

TWW

Well-Known Member
100% Agree.
If your worried about the price tag, please don't get one. There are members here who are currently, 10 to 40 thousand dollars into vet bills and treatments. Even the best breed can and sometime do have a ops or issue.
If you suspect your Yorkie has an infection in his mouth causing tooth loss I think you should take him to the vet and get that infection treated.
Mastiff breeds are wonderful dogs but if you are looking for low maintenance especially in the health field you may want to look elsewhere to another breed.
$1500 or even $2500 is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of caring for and properly feeding a mastiff breed.
 

Harrygto

Well-Known Member
If you suspect your Yorkie has an infection in his mouth causing tooth loss I think you should take him to the vet and get that infection treated.
Mastiff breeds are wonderful dogs but if you are looking for low maintenance especially in the health field you may want to look elsewhere to another breed.
$1500 or even $2500 is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of caring for and properly feeding a mastiff breed.
right on
and when they get older the cost go up Rocky is 11 1/2 the vet bills last mo was over $500
 
Hello all! Thanks for your replies thus far.

I know I am looking for a lot in a dog, and I do not expect to find every quality I'm looking for in one particular dog or breed. I guess I am just looking for experiences and input from those who are more familiar with the mastiff breed to give let me know how their experiences have been with the breed itself.

As far as my Yorkie goes (this will probably earn me some poor comments) however, he's almost 12 years old (September) so I really see no point in having procedures and treatments done that are not even guaranteed to be effective. He's 12. He's had a tooth issue for a while now, and the vet cannot say if it will or will not help to have something done. I've watched countless friends and family members spend thousands on their dogs that are essentially at the end of their projected life span, only to gain hope that something miraculous will happen to keep their companion alive, and to be disappointed when things don't work and then they are out thousands and did not prolong or prevent the inevitable. If he were younger - I'd have no issue taking him and having the issue possibly resolved, but he's not. That's just my outlook on life for humans and for animals. You cannot prevent death from occurring. If he starts to show signs of suffering or starts to have difficulty living his daily life, we will probably have him put to sleep. I'm not going to watch him suffer through treatments that may or not help just because I want him to live longer. He's been a good friend and companion the last 12 years, he deserves better than to suffer or live life medicated to the point of no longer having a decent quality of life. That's just my opinion, I realize many will not agree, but I'm a quality vs quantity type of person when it comes to how long life is.

As I said, I've been watching and researching breeders now for a while through social media, but only Boerboel. I've reached out and spoken with a few as well. I guess now I'll start reaching out to other breeds breeders as well. I was just looking to see if anyone could provide me with input on their own personal experiences with any of the above breeds. Maybe someone got one and afterward decided not afterward that maybe they didn't make a good choice, maybe they thought it would work out, but for whatever reason it didn't. Or maybe someone had a breed go above and beyond their expectations. I'm just trying to see what your personal experiences have been with the breed.

Thank you.

OH, and as far as the cost goes, I would willingly pay more than that for a dog/breed that I feel is worth it...my husband would have a heart attack...that is the reason for trying to stay at the lower end of the spectrum. I'm aware vet bills will be astronomical, as well as up keep.
 

twood71

Well-Known Member
Understand your point on your yorkie.

Well I have 2 English Mastiffs, Bosco is 13 months and Brutus is 5 months.

Reason behind wanting one( yes just wanted one at the time) is I loved their look and how they hold themselves when I saw one.

They are not a dog you really whip, I swat at the nose at times is all usually needed, they show their feelings and will easily have their feelings hurt, so is why you really don't need to swat them on their butt. They want your love and respect, it really is amazing how they are with that. Me or my wife or kids can yell at one of them to settle down (which they will ) and with in 2 minutes they will seek you out and bump their nose on you to tell you sorry and check if your still mad at them lol.

I've said this before and will say it again but when I hug Bosco or Brutus it's like they hug you back. I love the size of the mastiff, strong dogs, you will need to watch them outside with your kids cause they will plow over you if your not paying attention. They are tanks!

The Mastiff tends to have allergies and a grain free food usually is required. But a raw diet is best.

Again I say they are protective of their family, they are wary of strangers and tolerate friends.

With trainin they do just fine, they want to please you. They are in the working class dogo so they need a task, even if it's playing fetch.

The gentle giant they call them, personally what I have seen is how gentle they are with the family and if you have other dogs.

People say to socialize them soon, but they will always be wary of strangers.

There is a topic here called "let's have a honest conversation" the couple had a Mastiff and decided to give it to a good home, that be worth reading to give you an idea why it didn't work out for them.

There is a lot of stuff to say about the breeds but, I can't cover itcslk. Just giving you my personal opinion.

Good luck!
 

karennj

Well-Known Member
I have a 8yr old female swissy and I can tell you they are amazing dogs but their
watchdog temperament varies pretty dramatically. They are VERY good with children and are very rarely aggressive. They can have a high prey drive so if you have cats you need to do some training. They are "the poor mans horse" and are built to pull a lot of weight so training is critical unless you want your arm pulled out of the socket. They are very aware of things out of the norm and will bark at something out of place until you come and remove it. The standard is for them to stand about 10ft away from strangers and bark but if the person were to walk towards them they will back up. Most people however will not try to move toward a swissy standing guard on their property. They are NOT guard dogs, they are watch dogs. The problem with that is they can bark excessively especially if you live on a busy street. I love my girl. She is a therapy dog and a total sweetheart but will run any wild animals off our property (we have bear, bobcat, coyotes) and will stand her ground, hackles up barking at anyone who tries to walk up our drive. The great thing is she is not even 1% aggressive. Pups will cost you anywhere from 1500 (from a less reputable breeder) - 2800 (for a showing/testing breeder). Females have a very high rate of spay incontinence. I would never get a female again. They can be prone to bone cancer and bloat is a concern. They also are very slow to housetrain with the males usually getting it faster (but no where near as fast as a lab for example). They have a double coat so they shed a lot. They shed year round. They are a dry mouth breed only dripping a bit of water after drinking. Some can be pretty skittish. For example many will go scrambling at a sudden loud noise and many are very afraid of vacuums.

Sadie has been one of the best dogs I have owned but the barking is just too much. I get it, she is a watchdog but she has known my neighbor for 8 years and still barks at him EVERY time he is outside until he goes out of view. I live on a very quiet street (on the cul-de-sac) and she still finds things to bark at a few times during the day. I cannot leave her outside when the neighbors are out in their yards. I seriously considered getting another swissy but decided my neighbors would kill me if I got another one. They are pretty tired of her barking as well. I went with a Dane instead.

Message me if you have any questions.
 

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I have a 8yr old female swissy and I can tell you they are amazing dogs but their
watchdog temperament varies pretty dramatically. They are VERY good with children and are very rarely aggressive. They can have a high prey drive so if you have cats you need to do some training. They are "the poor mans horse" and are built to pull a lot of weight so training is critical unless you want your arm pulled out of the socket. They are very aware of things out of the norm and will bark at something out of place until you come and remove it. The standard is for them to stand about 10ft away from strangers and bark but if the person were to walk towards them they will back up. Most people however will not try to move toward a swissy standing guard on their property. They are NOT guard dogs, they are watch dogs. The problem with that is they can bark excessively especially if you live on a busy street. I love my girl. She is a therapy dog and a total sweetheart but will run any wild animals off our property (we have bear, bobcat, coyotes) and will stand her ground, hackles up barking at anyone who tries to walk up our drive. The great thing is she is not even 1% aggressive. Pups will cost you anywhere from 1500 (from a less reputable breeder) - 2800 (for a showing/testing breeder). Females have a very high rate of spay incontinence. I would never get a female again. They can be prone to bone cancer and bloat is a concern. They also are very slow to housetrain with the males usually getting it faster (but no where near as fast as a lab for example). They have a double coat so they shed a lot. They shed year round. They are a dry mouth breed only dripping a bit of water after drinking. Some can be pretty skittish. For example many will go scrambling at a sudden loud noise and many are very afraid of vacuums.

Sadie has been one of the best dogs I have owned but the barking is just too much. I get it, she is a watchdog but she has known my neighbor for 8 years and still barks at him EVERY time he is outside until he goes out of view. I live on a very quiet street (on the cul-de-sac) and she still finds things to bark at a few times during the day. I cannot leave her outside when the neighbors are out in their yards. I seriously considered getting another swissy but decided my neighbors would kill me if I got another one. They are pretty tired of her barking as well. I went with a Dane instead.

Message me if you have any questions.

Thank you so much for your reply, all that information was extremely helpful and answered many of my questions/concerns. I think I will have to rule out the Swiss. My little Lhasa that I have right now is very much a watch dog and the barking drives me batty some days, on one hand it's great getting alerted, on the other hand, I don't need to be alerted to the same neighbor everyday when I let her out. She is great in the fact that she is very protective of the children and me. Anytime someone comes in the house that she does not know she will position herself in front of the kids - Lord help you if you try to get between her and her babies. We also have friends that come over with their baby (6 months) she sits right next to him and won't even let the baby's father near him. It's terrific that my Lhasa is so vigilant but sometimes she's a bit overkill at times. I'm hoping that a larger breed will display similar protective instincts, but will be a bit more...discriminating...in who they're protecting from whom.

Thanks so much!