Which Mastiff breed/cross for a 3rd dog for homestead?

[BernerMax]

Spanish Mastiffs are a LGD

Oh Ok, its just I have only seen the LGDs from a distance, have no idea what it would be like living with one...Its funny but living in SF so long you see pretty much everything in terms of dog breeds so am much more familar with/ encounter people walking their mastiffs (yeah people keep Dogues, Neos, EMs, there was a female BM I really liked, in downtown SanFrancisco, we are pretty dog crazy around here).... then the LGDs, they are sort of a mystery to me....

 

[ruthcatrin]

Here: http://www.lgd.org/library.htm one of the better resources for LGDs, though some of their links out are out of date.

 

[BernerMax]

Here: http://www.lgd.org/library.htm one of the better resources for LGDs, though some of their links out are out of date.

Ok thanks, I did look at the GP sites locally and have an interview wed night with the Rescue chair here..... but any more insight would be appreciated, is that a Tibetan mastiff on your Signature pic?....

 

[ruthcatrin]

Yup, theres a few more TMs on here, one person with a CO, and a few with Pyr experience too.

Theres a lady in Nevada who breeds LGDs including Spanish Mastiffs, I can dig out her link if you want it.

 

[Primehns]

A bullmastiff won't be able to keep up and let alone the heat! You told me to look at "Dozer bit Rottweiler" i don't know what that is, if you think they are scary, i don't think a Cane corso would be great for you. A rottweiler will get the job done, and has a very intimidating presence, and honestly i'd consider them to be easier to handle than Corso's, depending on the dog you have.Corso, they are known to be more protective, and harder to handle. Especially the Presa Canario, that can have dog aggression against a dog of the same sex, and if one of your males or females are dominant towards the Presa expect a fight out of both dogs. They are by far a hard dog, after owning a boxer and a bermese you will have a tough time with a Presa. They make rottweilers look like first time dogs, from what i was told by a breeder who was and has been breeding for 20 years. I would look into a purebred anatolian, but a great pyr can do just the job, a anatolian should be much faster, and powerful with more stamina.


The Presa Canario will be much more dominant and will require much more than the average Schnauzer. They aren't really pack animals either, a male Presa will probably pick a fight with another male within the household, depending on how you keep your dog's in check, if you let them grow up, both being dominant in one household, expect a fight.


Just from what i've been told after researching the Presa for a year.

 

[Primehns]

well you know a Boerboel was bred to guard homesteads, and are massive. But compared to a rottweiler they need some serious training, and obedience lessons.

 

[DMikeM]

Huh, does everyone name there Rottie Dozer? If the training for a rottie seems complicated then all the mastiff might be complicated. If you get a Farm Dog Mastiff (Boerboel = Farmers Dog) they will all require some training to meet your needs. Olympic sells all the dogs you would need for your ranch although I don't agree with crossing a BB with anything to create a better farm dog or an LGD. Almost all mastiffs want human interaction so if they are going to be homed in the basement I am not sure how that works out. But I have seen some of the top breeders with dozens of dogs and I don't think they live inside with the humans.
Also if Olympic is advertising Black Boerboels as pure then move on to a reputable breeder. As much as I wish there was there is no such thing as a pure breed black boerboel.

 

[DMikeM]

Nah, Boerboels just need normal training by a strong willed person. Standard OB training is enough for them.

 

[thelady_v2010]

Sounds like your female dog does what you need a dog to do? Bark. Patrol. Is it that she isn't scary looking enough?


My Corso is a velcro dog. I think if he had been raised with a yard he could run around in it might be a little different. As it is now, he is never outside unattended and thus he won't stay outside alone (when we take him to a friend's with a yard).

 

[Wingnut]

Mostly I lurk here, but I am a homesteader with 4 Mastiffs, two collies and an aging Corgi. I have had LGDs. We now use Livestock Guardian Donkeys because the Anatolians kept eating our free range chickens. Our Bullmastiff/English Mastiff is the same way. Her prey drive is way too strong to be around the chickens. She is not allowed near them, but about one a week finds its way to her. Very few happy endings. She has also tried to go after baby goats and rabbits. Our Three English Mastiffs are fine as are the herding dogs. My point is, if a dog has any kind of prey drive, it needs to be raised around small livestock from very young or there will be bloodshed. If raised around them, you should be just fine.

 

[Primehns]

Huh, does everyone name there Rottie Dozer? If the training for a rottie seems complicated then all the mastiff might be complicated. If you get a Farm Dog Mastiff (Boerboel = Farmers Dog) they will all require some training to meet your needs. Olympic sells all the dogs you would need for your ranch although I don't agree with crossing a BB with anything to create a better farm dog or an LGD. Almost all mastiffs want human interaction so if they are going to be homed in the basement I am not sure how that works out. But I have seen some of the top breeders with dozens of dogs and I don't think they live inside with the humans.
Also if Olympic is advertising Black Boerboels as pure then move on to a reputable breeder. As much as I wish there was there is no such thing as a pure breed black boerboel.

I agree mike, but if anyone thinks a Rottweiler is too much, i don't think considering a Corso let alone a presa canario is a good idea. You probably know better than i do.

 

[MountainDogs]

Yup, theres a few more TMs on here, one person with a CO, and a few with Pyr experience too.

Theres a lady in Nevada who breeds LGDs including Spanish Mastiffs, I can dig out her link if you want it.

There's more than just 1 person with a CO on this forum

And I agree about the suggestion for a Spanish Mastiff. Another LGD breed that comes to my mind is the Pyrenean Mastiff (which is not a Great Pyrenees but a separate breed) or the Tornjak.
They are both laid back enough but protective in times of need.

Here's an example of a Pyrenean Mastiff:

And here's a pic of an average Tornjak:

And an example of the Spanish Mastiff:

A Great Pyr x Anatolian mix should do the job as well. From what I understand by reading your posts, the puppies you are interested in seem to be from working parents, so that's really good.
My other advice is, if you end up wanting one of the 3 breeds above, make sure you visit the breeder in person at least once. And make sure they at least x-ray their breeding stock.
These are pretty expensive dogs so it would be a pity to end up with a sick puppy after you payed good money for it.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Sorry! Lol, guess I shoulda said "at least one". We have at least one member with a CAO too, but I've not seen her on in a while

 

[MountainDogs]

No worries! And it's so nice that there are a lot of owners on this board with some pretty rare molosser breeds

 

[BernerMax]

Yup, theres a few more TMs on here, one person with a CO, and a few with Pyr experience too.

Theres a lady in Nevada who breeds LGDs including Spanish Mastiffs, I can dig out her link if you want it.

Sorry had to go to work (am on a quick break after walking my comes-with-me-to-town dog)- sure the link would be great! thanks

 

[BernerMax]

A bullmastiff won't be able to keep up and let alone the heat! You told me to look at "Dozer bit Rottweiler" i don't know what that is, if you think they are scary, i don't think a Cane corso would be great for you. A rottweiler will get the job done, and has a very intimidating presence, and honestly i'd consider them to be easier to handle than Corso's, depending on the dog you have.Corso, they are known to be more protective, and harder to handle. Especially the Presa Canario, that can have dog aggression against a dog of the same sex, and if one of your males or females are dominant towards the Presa expect a fight out of both dogs. They are by far a hard dog, after owning a boxer and a bermese you will have a tough time with a Presa. They make rottweilers look like first time dogs, from what i was told by a breeder who was and has been breeding for 20 years. I would look into a purebred anatolian, but a great pyr can do just the job, a anatolian should be much faster, and powerful with more stamina.


The Presa Canario will be much more dominant and will require much more than the average Schnauzer. They aren't really pack animals either, a male Presa will probably pick a fight with another male within the household, depending on how you keep your dog's in check, if you let them grow up, both being dominant in one household, expect a fight.


Just from what i've been told after researching the Presa for a year.

Oh no Presas. THere are a no go around here. One killed a lady in the hallway(someone was breeding them in a 1 bedroom apartment ) a few years back.
Googling "Dozer bit" will get you a really interest forum discussion from Rottwieller forums. .. If you are interested in Presas you should check it it ... its... sobering....
The male in my household is a sweetie. Not dominant, but he is a male. The dominant female LOVES males just loves them and fawns all over them, sorta embarrasing really...

 

[BernerMax]

I agree mike, but if anyone thinks a Rottweiler is too much, i don't think considering a Corso let alone a presa canario is a good idea. You probably know better than i do.

I was never considering a presa-- and not really attracted to the Rottie although I have heard good things about them being Nanny dogs, but no Cane corso? really? I cant get another female right now ....
Well the LGDs sound promisng (yes the litter in town are working stock raised with goats) -- oops sorry back to work now, more later you guys!

 

[ruthcatrin]

Sorry had to go to work (am on a quick break after walking my comes-with-me-to-town dog)- sure the link would be great! thanks

Here: Home Page

 

[Primehns]

Oh no Presas. THere are a no go around here. One killed a lady in the hallway(someone was breeding them in a 1 bedroom apartment ) a few years back.
Googling "Dozer bit" will get you a really interest forum discussion from Rottwieller forums. .. If you are interested in Presas you should check it it ... its... sobering....
The male in my household is a sweetie. Not dominant, but he is a male. The dominant female LOVES males just loves them and fawns all over them, sorta embarrasing really...

If your gonna get a dominant dog, you can't blame the breed for each incident. The Presa Canario's were mixes! Presa Canario x English mastiffs. And Secondly the guy who owned them was a Con serving time in prison, both dog's were trained to dog fight, and were left with two unexperienced "Friends" of the Con. The dog's got out and attacked someone, and that one incident makes people like you blame the breed. I did research Presa's and don't find anything "Sobering", because i also saw a Cane Corso kill someone ( Maybe that'll change your mind on CC's), but i don't blame the breed on that. Control, socialization, and proper care is necessary for a dominant breed.


I still can't find "Dozer bit" anywhere, if it's some story on a specific rottweiler, don't bother, there are millions of rottweilers in the states, i'm not gonna blame them all for bad ownership, and what one dog did.

 

[Primehns]

And it was actually 2, so much for researching right... Most of the dog's your looking at are more dominant than the Rottweiler.