New and Inexperienced.

[Marilyn2016]

Hello everyone,I am a 35 year old disabled lady who wants to get a mastiff pup. I have been researching the breed, but I don't feel I hear enough about what people think from experience with their own dogs. That's why I'm here. I want to know everything I can before the day I research a breeder. Does anyone have any words of wisdom that they wish others had shared with them? I have a very caring and supportive fiance, so I am able to care for myself with help, and we plan to attend as much human, er, puppy training as it takes. I have to live in isolation a lot, and I believe a mastiff might help me live a happier and slightly more active life, even with pain.Thanks for reading. Take care!

 

[Max's mom]

Marilyn, welcome to the forum. There are many different kinds of mastiffs and many owners here on the forum. Each breed has unique qualities and traits. I have an EM and he is laid back, sweet, mellow. He's a great guy. But he is not perfect. He has required a lot of training and we are nowhere near done! He's got some issues with his brother dog and food. He's BIG. STRONG and can be stubborn. Mastiffs need lots of socialization from a very early age or they can be basket cases and fearful when older. You have come to the right place for information. You'll find each breed has it's own little section and lots of neat things...good and bad about each. You find a common theme here. Everyone loves their mastiffs! Good luck in your search for the right dog!

 

[Jaszies_dad]

Jaszie is an EM 5 months old... And can be and has been a handful. Puppy bite stage learning walking etc.. Not saying I'd trade her for anything but I'd suggest maybe looking at an adoptee dog in the 2-3 yr old range

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[angelbears]

IMHO, I would look at an older, already trained dog. Lots of them in rescue and less expensive than a baby from a breeder. The reason I say older is that when they are young, you need to do a lot of lifting. We just got a puppy, 5 weeks ago. He was 18 pounds, he is 45 pounds now. I'm in my 50's and honestly at times it is very hard to keep up with him. We had a medical emergency with him this week. Which meant a lot of carrying him to and from the car. In and out of the vet clinic. Mastiffs have very delicate joints. The first year of their life they really shouldn't do stairs, jump up on the bed, car or do steps. You have to help them do all that.

 

[Yamizuma]

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! You will find tons of great advice and experience here with all the mastiff breeds. Angelbears is one of the really great gurus here, and she makes a good point. Rescues often come with baggage, but puppies are also a challenge. We have one of each, and love both to bits. I have never had a cuddlier big size dog than our Mastiff, and I feel like it is my privilege to get to have her in my life to love. Sometimes I just look at her and can't believe I am hers and she is mine..but I am also a wee bit crazy.


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[Marilyn2016]

IMHO, I would look at an older, already trained dog. Lots of them in rescue and less expensive than a baby from a breeder. The reason I say older is that when they are young, you need to do a lot of lifting. We just got a puppy, 5 weeks ago. He was 18 pounds, he is 45 pounds now. I'm in my 50's and honestly at times it is very hard to keep up with him. We had a medical emergency with him this week. Which meant a lot of carrying him to and from the car. In and out of the vet clinic. Mastiffs have very delicate joints. The first year of their life they really shouldn't do stairs, jump up on the bed, car or do steps. You have to help them do all that.

Thank you all for the advice, and especially for this. Unfortunately, my fiance is dead set against a rescue dog. So, I will be finding a pup, but I hear what you are saying about lifting (which will require help) and the delicate joints of the Mastiff. I will be living in a new home soon, with no stairs, as I have the spine issue. I will have to buy a dog ramp for the car (among many other new purchases! lol). My biggest concern at the moment is socialization. I know those first few months are key. At least, that's in the reading so far. I have had a German Shepherd before, but that's a completely different experience I guess. The chewing and the constant minding are to be expected. Are there any traits of the mastiff that surprised you when you got one?And thanks again for posting!

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

You don't necessarily have to go the rescue route, if you talk to several breeders you can sometimes make a connection with one that might be looking for a home for one of their retired dogs or a young adult that didn't turn out for their program.

 

[angelbears]

Others will have to help you with your concerns on socialization. I'm not big on socializing mine, no matter what breed. We do make frequent visits to the vet, at least weekly, the first couple of months. It is not always for a "official visit" but just a pop in, we get a weight and let the staff pet on them. So that they get used to that process. I hate dog parks, we never do those and we don't take our dogs for walks. I do take a puppy out frequently just to ride in the truck. We most always end up at a drive-thru and they get an ice cream or some french fries.

Most others socialize much more and I don't disagree. We are very anti-social. We don't have house guest, if we want to visit with friends or family, we go out to eat. I wish you the best of luck in your search. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need. Someone will try to help.

 

[Smokeycat]

For me the biggest thing about socialization is exposure. I wanted to introduce as many different objects and types of people as I could. The idea behind it was that way if he did come up against something brand new as an adult he would have the skills in place to handle it without it turning into some terrifying monster. I also wanted to avoid any negative association with the vet's office so we went every week just get weighed (and get loved on by the staff).

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[Boxergirl]

Welcome! I'm going to mention a relatively minor thing, but something I never knew until I had an EM. Shedding. In addition to normal shedding (which is pretty heavy), about a month and half before a heat Ella will fill a plastic grocery bag full of hair three times a day. For a month. It came as a surprise to me and I ended up having to buy a Dyson to even half manage the hair. She cycles every five months, so I get that big shed about three times a year.

 

[Hiraeth]

Thank you all for the advice, and especially for this. Unfortunately, my fiance is dead set against a rescue dog. So, I will be finding a pup, but I hear what you are saying about lifting (which will require help) and the delicate joints of the Mastiff. I will be living in a new home soon, with no stairs, as I have the spine issue. I will have to buy a dog ramp for the car (among many other new purchases! lol). My biggest concern at the moment is socialization. I know those first few months are key. At least, that's in the reading so far. I have had a German Shepherd before, but that's a completely different experience I guess. The chewing and the constant minding are to be expected. Are there any traits of the mastiff that surprised you when you got one?And thanks again for posting!

I think you're setting yourself up for a lot of difficulties if you get a puppy. I'm not sure of the limitations of your spinal injury, but I suffer from nerve damage in my spine and shoulder due to a horseback riding fall. I have days where walking is difficult and I cannot bend over or lift anything. Those days, with a Great Dane puppy, were near impossible. Between the energy, the occasional potty training accident, etc, it was very tough to manage.

A big thing to consider is this - if your puppy gets something it shouldn't eat and is carrying it around, would you be able to get up, get to the puppy (who is trying to avoid you) and remove the object before the puppy swallowed it?

Are you capable of taking the puppy outside and running around and playing with him? The days I couldn't do that with my puppy, he was cooped up in the house and it wasn't very fair to him. Fortunately those days were very few. If he jumps on you, could he knock you over and do damage to you? If he did, would you be able to get up? I know on my really bad days, if I got knocked to the floor, I would be stuck there until help came.

I'm not saying it *can't* be done. I think it will require a lot of management and sacrifice on your part AND on the puppy's part. A purebred dog who is 2-3 years old would be a much safer route to take.

 

[al capone]

I have a beautiful Cane Corso, I bought him 2 days before 4 months. I have had one Dalmatia,one Boxer and several GSD. GSD are great dogs,like them very much,but my Cane Corso the best dog I've ever had. They need to socialize,I take him every day to work and take him 2 times a day out for a walk. He sees many people,dogs,smell different things and special hear different noises of all kind. That helps a lot to him not to be so shy .
I'm 52 and have scoliosis,didn't lift him much just a few times. He is 21 months old and I have to go after him when he gets something to his mouth,now he does it few times,no that much as before. I had to play with him when younger and he liked to run,they need to exercise. Now he is happy with the walks,2 miles each time. They're stubborn and you must be patient for them to learn,once they got the track of learning,they learn very fast but need to be motivated much.
They are really excellent dogs,my is by my side 16/7 just for sleeping time. If you are committed to have a dog like that,you can do it. Talk to the breeder or whoever and ask for a quiet dog,I mean not very protective nor dog aggressive,so you can take the dog out with out problem. Very good luck and enjoy your new best friend.

 

[Big Mutt Luva]

I have a 3 yo male cane corso- he is my first mastiff, although u have had large breed dogs for > 20 years. In general I would say he is an awesome dog and it is an awesome breed. He is about 120 lbs, and while he is not the largest dog I've had, he is the strongest and most stubborn. I have neck issues, and have frequently found myself thinking "I'm too old for this dog" just going through the daily rigors of training, getting the dog food bags, going to the vet. As much as I love him, at my age I will probably "downsize" my next dog a bit because of the physical logistics. My husband is quite strong and muscular, but when he has been injured it's a bit hard on me physically, but not insurmountable. I do not consider (in my experience) a boxer, Shepard or Rottweiler to be comparable to caring for this guy. I agree- the various mastiffs are all a little different, but I just wanted to share my experience with you, although it is quite limited.

 

[Big Mutt Luva]

Ok- pardon me- I'm new to this forum and to social media in general. This is the first time I've written in a forum. I see it looks like I wrote an explicitive- I wrote that it was"difficult on" me, but said "hard". Haha.

 

[tmricciuto]

I have two EM girls that are 11 months old. I am a healthy and moderately strong 40 something woman and these dogs can wear me out. When they don't want to move it is almost impossible to make them. And when they want to be stubborn they sure can be. They are the most loving dogs I've ever had, which is good and bad. They like to be physically close and have actually pinned my mom (73) to the wall just by leaning on her. They weren't trying to hurt her, they just had no clue and I had to come and move the one offender. They also are very stubborn and seem to only listen when it is in their best interest.

 

[TricAP]

Welcome to the Forum! Our EM boy is now 19 months old and I'm still waiting for the lazy laid back dog stage. While not as high energy as our boxer was at this age he is much more active than I anticipated. I've been around dogs my entire life and no matter how prepared I thought I was the reality is being owned by a mastiff is nothing like having any other type of dog.

Both my husband and I are in our early 50's and have some minor heath issues that have been challenging when it comes to such a large dog. These big lugs don't know their own size or strength at times. We've both had injuries from him taking us out while playing - not intentionally just a brush by while running by has knocked me off my feet more than once. I've also stepped back and fallen when he comes up behind me and lays down, they are surprisingly quiet and stealthy.

You mention a ramp for getting your future mastiff in and out of a vehicle. We swear by ours but know one that will support the weight of an adult mastiff is heavy in its own right and awkward to use while holding onto the leash. If you get a puppy protecting their joints does mean they get carried and lifted a lot for the first 6 or 7 months!! Especially during the house training stage. Mastiff's do not move quickly to commands and being able to get them quickly outside to avoid accidents is necessary. Some call it stubborn - we prefer to say he "considers" what is being asked of him. He has his own time frame for complying.

They truly are wonderful companions but do take consistent and constant training. They are not a one class and done kind of dog. There is also being able to control one while walking. Even a smaller mastiff at 130ish lbs is no small feat, no matter how well trained you think they are you will come across dogs or situations that can be physically challenging if they want to go in a different direction than you do or don't want to move at all. Just something to consider.

As is the drool factor. Our boy is relatively dry mouthed and we still find puddles to it step in after he drinks or smells food cooking, not to mentions the splatters that end up on walls, furniture, us and everything else in the house. I found a "slinger" on the bathroom mirror this morning - no idea how it got there.

Mastiff's deserve to be forever dogs. Have you considered how you will handle one was they age? What about needing assistance to get up and down if an injury occurs to them. Not all do but it seems many of them need some type of surgery at some point. Please think long and hard about why you really want to add a mastiff to your life. They are a HUGE commitment not only financially, but also physically.

Thanks for doing your research BEFORE getting one. They aren't for everyone.

 

[scorning]

Welcome to the forum! I've always had Danes, they are wonderful dogs but can be a challenge to raise. They need a lot of socialization and training to ensure they are confident in their surroundings, and they can hit a pretty bad stubborn streak as teenagers (I am just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with my 1.5 yro dane). In addition, they are prone to many expensive health problems (bloat, Wobblers, cancer, HOD, etc.) and require special management (food/activity) when they are young (birth - 1.5 years) to ensure they don't develop any bone/joint issues. My dogs have had varying activity level, but most required quite a bit of exercise until they were grown (maybe 2-3 years), and two were very active even as adults. Aside from that, they are wonderful dogs and I can't imagine not having one. They have the best silly and loving personalities, true velcro dogs who want to be with their people all the time. My current dane comes to work with me every day, does nosework, agility, and barn hunt, and in my opinion, is ridiculously handsome. He makes me laugh everyday and gives the best, if someone painful, cuddles.

 

[DennasMom]

Welcome!

I think you've chosen a GREAT breed! I'm going to assume your fiance will be a huge help in the 'lifting' department, so if there are any emergencies, you'll be covered. Also, if you have some good neighbors, that might be good to have as a backup, too. I might not have a constant disability - but with a 165lb dog... there's no way I can lift her by myself. I'd have to design a sling of some sort to drag her into the car if she became ill and I was here alone... or...I'd grab a neighbor. We have lots of dog-friendly neighbors around that I know would help me.


We were looking for a big couch potato, and now that she's over 3 years old (almost 4), she finally fits that expectation. I was amazed at her energy levels as a puppy, though... even through her second year, she was gung-ho for long walks (2+ miles) at a jogger's pace (for me, trot for her). She still likes the long walks, but if we don't go, she's content to nap the day away. For a few days, anyway... then she starts to get a bit depressed and pitiful... not pushy anymore, but the guilt-trip is also effective at getting me up & moving. HA!

We did a few puppy classes and a puppy playgroup for her early socialization, and then went on for her Canine Good Citizen certificate, which was a first for me, and very rewarding! We did all-positive clicker-based training, which she excelled at, and was very fun for me, too.

Now her "socialization" includes tailgates at college football games (LOTS of loud people around), camping trips with friends, and treks to a dog park (maybe 3-4 times a year... or less, we have a canine flu and some rat-poison issues going around here lately). But, her regular social time is mostly just games with her two adults in the house & yard, and sniffing the bushes in the neighborhood while out walking.

I agree with Smokeycat, though, socialization is more about instilling confidence in the pup in lots of different situations with lots of different objects, so they don't FLEE (or attack) the unknown. It's not really about getting out with other dogs for tea-time. Many mastiffs are very happy to be loners in the dog world - as long as they have their people nearby. They do NEED their people though! You can "socialize" at home by introducing new stuff every day (umbrellas, loud noises, new toys, etc.)... and then take one day a week to get out and explore new places, situations (crowds, pet store, parks, water, forest, etc.) and walking surfaces, etc.

I'll just put in a plug for your local shelter dogs... most of the dogs surrendered to shelters are there due to landlord/housing/moving issues, and not behavior problems. I follow a local group that focuses on senior dogs... at least half of them are looking for a new home because their long-time human has entered a retirement home that doesn't allow pets, or they've passed away. I'm not sure a senior pet would be the best match for you - they often come with their own set of age-related disabilities... but just throwing that out there... if you think a puppy would be too much on your health and your home, there are many very healthy, well-adjusted dogs in shelters or foster care waiting to be rescued.

Good luck in your search - and let us know what you end up with - hopefully we'll be seeing you around here soon with LOTS of Puppy Pictures!

 

[Marilyn2016]

Thank you so much for the feedback everyone. I am carefully considering my options. I most certainly will rely on the help of my partner, and I am considering all the issues people have mentioned.. My next question. I don't worry about (someone had mentioned chasing after the dog if it has something in its mouth). I can make it to the dog, however, I wonder how you actually get the beast to open it's jaws? I'm confident about doing it, but lately some friends have warned me that you don't want to have a 200 lbs dog angry at you, or unwilling to give you whats in his mouth. Now, I'm sure I'll learn some of this stuff when i meet other dog owners, and once we have classes. However, has there ever been a battle of the wills with anyone and their mastiff? Have you ever had to fight to get something dangerous out of their mouths? I want to be as prepared as can be. I know handling them, bathing, brushing teeth, nail clipping, etc. all get them used to your touch. Although, I have heard about the stubborn streak. So, how do you convince a giant to let you look in it's mouth?Just curious. Thanks for reading!PS- I love all of your photos !

 

[Bob Felts]

My pup Thane and I have gone around and around with this. Keep in mind that usually when pup won't leave it, he is playing a game of keep away, not setting you up for dismemberment. When you command your dog (drop it or leave it) you MUST follow through. Or you train Dog to disobey and ignore your commands. 200 Lbs. of willful bratty disobedient dog is a huge problem. Also keep in mind that you will have developed a bond with your dog. Unless something is wired wrong in Dog's head, or you have utterly failed to train him / her to obey, you should not have to fear what your dog might do to you. Thane snoofled up a cold soda can after I dropped it the other day. My problem was the whole can disappeared and hid mouth, and I couldn't see he still had the can. Fortunately I got the can back before he punctured said can, and washed my living room down with a spray of root beer. He was playing a playful keep-away, but dropped it before I had to get stern with him. If not, dog will let his master take it from his mouth.

Having a Mastiff has been a constant battle of wills. The trick is to ALWAYS follow through on his obedience to you. If you get an English, stick mainly to positive training. By experience, yelling or shouting just makes your dog shut you off. Never strike your dog to train him. One day when he is 200 Lbs. he very well may strike back at you or another on a bad day. These dogs can crush a man's arm with a single bire. NEVER allow friends or family to correct your dog by yelling or striking him, if at all. My Father-in-law tried to correct Thane once by giving him a light kick. He is still regretting that almost a year later.

Good luck. I think it is great you ask these questions now.
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