First Time Dog Owner Wants a Mastiff

[K-Bum]

Hi Everyone!

I have never been able to own a dog before and am now able to own one and I am thinking about adopting an English Mastiff. I was never allowed to have a dog growing up -parents rules- and am now settled in well into my career where I believe I can provide a good stable home for a dog. I was curious what current Mastiff owners have to say about a first time dog owner getting one.

I have taken care of friends dogs, dog-sat, dog-walked, and read almost every book, magazine, ect., about dogs that I could get my hands on. I have always liked the mastiffs I knew and believe that the breed would be good for me. I like walks, not jogs, and like to relax with my pets. I like big dogs and the drool doesn't sound intimidating -I'm tidy but also don't mind cleaning up. I can afford the food and supplies, as I have a good job and no children to pay for. I have never been intimidated by large breeds of dogs and my friends' dogs always liked me and would sit by me when I visited.

I feel like I could be a good pet parent for a mastiff, but want to consult some owners, as I do not have any friends with one. I do live with two cats who I love very much and I am willing to do whatever it takes to get a dog and cats used to each other, so any advice on that would help too. If you have any words of advice for taking care of a mastiff, rescuing one, ect, I would appreciate the wisdom.

Thank you very much!

 

[casMahn]

My first dog was/is a mastiff. I think it is a great first dog. I did hire a trainer to help me learn how to handle her. I am glad I did if nothing more to build my confidence.

I did introduce her to dog tolerant cats quite a bit when she was a puppy and now she has no issues with cats.

As to the rest, I am still new to dog ownership , so I will let the more experienced people answer.

Good luck
Steve

 

[Smokeycat]

My EM is my second dog but the first is only 10 months older so I didn't have a lot of dog ownership when I got Kryten. The biggest thing I learned from training Kryten is that you need to be stubborn & strict but kind because he will try and take advantage of an opportunity given.
I also own 3 cats. The most important thing I've found is to make sure the cats have a safe space to go if they feel the need. I've got a couple of 4-5' cat trees and a couple of rooms where the doors are kept closed with cat doors installed. This gives the benefit of a secure place to hide the cat litter and food away from puppy noses and mouths.
2 of the cats predate Kryten so he was raised from 11 weeks old to respect the boundaries they set. You just need to be vigilant to ensure that the dog learns and accepts those boundaries. The third cat entered the home when he was 9 months (she was 7weeks). She instantly decided that he was her puppy. Even with a 150lbs between the she had no problem ensuring that he knew when he did something that she didn't like.

 

[Harrygto]

welcome good luck on your hunt

 

[Cyndnelson]

Did you write my profile?? Your situation sounds almost identical to mine!

Caesar is our first dog ever (parent rules for us too) and we do not have children. They are a great breed to have. I did my research and for the exact same reasons (big dog, friendly, low energy) we chose the EM. A few more reasons that turned us onto the breed:
- they rarely bark
- they are incredibly social and need to be with people ALL the time (be prepared to be followed into the bathroom)
- they won't take off when the door is open

A few things I know now that I wish I did before:
- don't neuter before 2 years. We did at 8 months and we believe we 'locked' him into a fear stage. Mastiffs aren't known for being afraid, but our guy is super shy and nervous and we think that the surgery did not allow him to fully mature mentally (and physically - he's super small at only 130lbs @ 2 1/2 yrs old)
- socialize, socialize, socialize. But having said that, don't overwhelm him. One new situation per day for about 10 minutes, then give him a break and reward his progress.
- consider how often/where you like to travel. Will he be welcome with family you are visiting? Are you prepared to put him in a kennel? Kennels will not accept intact males and unspayed females which is part of the reason we snipped him when we did. Do you have friends/family who would be willing to watch him if there is an emergency and you need to leave town for a few days?
- transportation. Do you have a vehicle big enough to allow him to sit/lie down properly?
- and something that really surprised me was how many home he is NOT welcome in, simply because of his size and the hair/drool. Our best friends have never invited him into their home even though their dog was welcome at our place anytime. Accept the fact that your circle of friends may change after you get him.
- start training from day one and stick with it. I don't have any other experience to base how fast dogs learn on, but I find Caesar learns very, very slowly. Some commands take months to learn. But stick with it and be consistent and you will see progress.

Don't be in a rush to get him/her. Do your research, research, research on the breeder. Reputatble breeders breed for temperment as much (or even more) than how they look. We chose the breeder route because we thought there would be less issues than getting a rescue and being an inexperienced, first-time owner that was important. However, Caesar is super shy and timid and not the typical easy-going, nothing-phases-him mastiff I read about in the breed. So here we find ourselves rehabilitating a purebred, breeder bought dog. I don't feel we had enough (or any) support from our breeder once we left her doorstep. We were rushed in choosing him and were not allowed to actually meet the parents (we saw them through a window, but weren't allowed to interact) and I believe Caesar did not come from solid tempermental breeding. Anyway, that's a beef I have as you can tell...

And truth be told, the drool isn't really that bad, really.

All in all, I would choose another English Mastiff any day. I troll breeder sites regularly and hope to add a mastiff puppy when Caesar is getting on in years (maybe 6-8) because it is truly near-impossible to wait for a puppy when you have your heart set on one. This way, we'll still have Caesar while we look and we hope that the difficultly of loosing him will be eased with another EM in the mix.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Jakesmum]

Jake is also my first dog. We did have small/mid sized dogs growing up, but they were family pets and my parent's always took care of them. When I moved out I only had cats and only had experience with cats. Along came my hubby and he had a Rottweiler before he met me, but that was all he had for experience. When we started talking about getting a dog we hadn't settled on any breed and didn't even know about mastiffs, then we met our friends female Bullmastiff and I fell in love instantly. I knew that was the breed for us and started doing my research and looking for a breeder. It took nearly 2 years to get our puppy he was 15 weeks old when we brought him home (he'll be 3 next month) and right from the start he was the best decision we ever made. We already had an older cat at home, it took a while but they are good with each other now (they will be in the same room together), we then brought home a kitten about a year and a half ago and they are best buddies, they sleep together and groom each other. I started training him right from the start and I did all the training with him, we went to puppy classes, intermediate classes and private trainers. He's now a therapy dog and I take him to visit hospital patients every 2 weeks and occasionally to the homeless shelters to visit with the residents there, to see the patients faces light up when they see him and listen to their stories of their own animals and answer all the questions they have about him is the best feeling in the world. I love sharing him and advocating for the breed as they do have a bad reputation. He still isn't perfect (won't come when called if he has his mind set on something), but he's perfect for us. And like Cyndnelson we will be looking to add another one to our family in the next few years, I just can't imagine our lives without one of these guys in it and am hoping it will help to ease the pain of losing Jake when we have to let him go.

 

[Cyndnelson]

Jakesmum "It took nearly 2 years to get our puppy"

I commend you for researching and waiting until the right time to get him. That must have seemed like FOREVER for you. I know it did to us. But I think that is part of the reason he's such an amazing dog. I think we should have waiting longer for a better bred temperment. I wanted to use Caesar as a therapy dog as well, but he is far too skiddish for it even to be a possibility. I love hearing stories like yours. I can't wait until that is our reality as well.

 

[Mag-Pie]

"My first dog was/is a mastiff. I think it is a great first dog. I did hire a trainer to help me learn how to handle her. I am glad I did if nothing more to build my confidence."

Same here. ^^^ In my case it's a Cane Corso, Italian Mastiff. Hiring a trainer, preferably one who is familiar in dealing with large breeds, (and aggressive dogs, as in my case) in my opinion is essential if you are not experienced yourself. I am very happy with the money I've spent on Luthers' training, and I've spend a good amount, and he's still in training... it's a life process.

"The biggest thing I learned from training Kryten is that you need to be stubborn & strict but kind because he will try and take advantage of an opportunity given."

^^^ I've learned the same with Luther. He's always testing my patience, and seeing what he can get away with.

"- socialize, socialize, socialize. But having said that, don't overwhelm him. One new situation per day for about 10 minutes, then give him a break and reward his progress.
- consider how often/where you like to travel. Will he be welcome with family you are visiting? Are you prepared to put him in a kennel? Kennels will not accept intact males and unspayed females which is part of the reason we snipped him when we did. Do you have friends/family who would be willing to watch him if there is an emergency and you need to leave town for a few days?
- transportation. Do you have a vehicle big enough to allow him to sit/lie down properly?
- and something that really surprised me was how many home he is NOT welcome in, simply because of his size and the hair/drool. Our best friends have never invited him into their home even though their dog was welcome at our place anytime. Accept the fact that your circle of friends may change after you get him.
- start training from day one and stick with it."

This. ^^^ Absolutely. I can relate to each one of these points. My lifestyle has undergone a complete change with Luther in the picture. LOL.

You've mentioned in your post that you're thinking of adopting a Mastiff. Well, just as Cyndnelson also mentioned the benefits of going the breeder route "because we thought there would be less issues than getting a rescue and being an inexperienced, first-time owner that was important", please keep in mind that adopted/rescued dog will probably have "issues" and will require a ton of work to get him rehabilitated, this takes having great patience and time. This is what I am dealing with, with my CC. Every day I learn more about him, and about new things that need to be worked though... I'll admit, for me it's a steep learning curve.

I am aware that most Cane Corsos are "too much dog" for the average person. This is a serious working dog with tremendous strength. Very few people really have the knowledge, facilities, or skills necessary to manage this breed. I am 5'7†and 120lbs, Luther probably weighs as much as me now, if not more. And just managing his sheer physical power is a challenge for me, but I'm up to it.

As for cats, I have 2 of my own, and as what others have already mentioned, with a bit of training, and patience they can coexist peacefully.

Welcome, best wishes, and good luck!

 

[gilles]

just be careful , you have to start discipline early, no nibbling and play biting with you is allowed after 3 months, be firm and do not give up for those sweet eyes....this does not mean that you cant love him but just do not spoil him , set the rules from the start and you will have a wonderful companion.

 

[babyjoemurphy]

Here is our experience.
My husbands family raised EM's when he was in his younger years till he was about 17. The death of their boy broke their hearts and that was the end. They did shows, and did one litter.
My husband always taked about mastiffs and I was all 'ya whatever, a dog is a dog"
About 10 yrs ago I started researching mastiffs. My kids where no longer crawling, big yard and I love dogs. I went to breeders houses, talked with my in laws and then decided that I would love to get one.
It took another 7 yrs.
After our boy (shepx) that we rescued from SPCA passed I was lost and lonely so I started looking at EM's. I knew I wanted to adopted a mastiff that needed a new home/SPCA.
In came Murphy (RIP). We adopted him from a very loving home that had job changes and they didnt feel daycare 14 hrs a day was good for him since they are family dogs with huge bonding.
He came with his already set in spoiledness which was fine with me. He fit right in and the first thing he did when he came in the house was jump on my bed. Something he wasn't allowed to do previously.
All was good till the lunging started after a week of being here. He started to lunge at EVERYTHING that had wheels. I wasn't prepared for that. We had a trainer come in and he had no problems, husband had no problems.......it was ALL me. I am a high strung girl and he picked up on it. It was recommended for me to go into meditation but due to illnesses in my family I never had the chance. He passed 1 1/2 yrs after we got him.

Well I could never be without a mastiff now. Now we can absolutely buy a pup and our boy now cost us near as much as a new pup but I am all about helping dogs that need homes. Puppies will always get a home. Older dogs have a better chance of going to the SPCA. The day I found Linc on an ad is the day he came home. What a difference a puppy is to an established adult.
Linc was 5 mos old.
I love love Linc to the moon and back and he is an amazing boy. He is now 9 mos old.

If you are going to adopt/rescue a mastiff do realize that they will come with their previous owners rules. You will have to work hard and train and socialize socialize socialize because chances are they are in need of a forever home because lack of the above or the previous owner didnt do their research as to what a "mastiff" is, costs, and size.
But mastiffs are amazing. And well worth the effort.
As for cats. Murphy didn't get along with our cat, but Linc has learned not to mess with the little thing with claws. They tolerate each other

Oh my that was long winded

 

[K-Bum]

Wow, this all great stuff guys I'm glad that I'm on the right track. Much of what you said is stuff I've already learned on my research hunt. I'll definitely come back to this forum when I get closer to finding a dog -the area I'm looking in doesn't have many rescues. Thank you all very much!