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Is The English Mastiff Dog Right For You? |
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When people conjure up a picture of the English Mastiff type of dog when they think about "Mastiff,". There are in fact many types of Mastiff but the English variety is the most popular.
The English Mastiff is a breed of dog with a large body which descended from the ancient Alaunt through the Pugnaces Britanniae or the War Dog of Britannia.
In this breed is found the qualities which are generally found among most of the Molasser type breeds.
Body
English mastiffs are gifted with a large body, a broad skull which forms a head with a square appearance. In terms of mass, it is among the largest dog breeds.
Only a few breeds are taller, namely the Irish Wolfhound and the Great Dane. These two breeds, however, aren't as robust as the Mastiff.
The American Kennel Club has set a standard height for the Mastiff.
The males stand at 30 inches at the shoulder, and the females stand at 27.5 inches minimum. Dogs of this breed can weigh no less than 150 pounds and as much as 250 pounds for males and120 to 220 pounds for females.
With their massive bodies, they are generally seen as figures of power and strength. Their bodies are formed with great deapth and breadth, especially between the forelegs.
Coat
Mastiff coats are usually short and close-lying. A few Mastiff breeds, however, do have long hair. Sometimes, these long-haired Mastiffs are called Fluffies.
The color of their coats are generally apricot to fawn, silver-fawn, fawn, or a brindle. Kennel clubs specify that for a standard Mastiff appearance, the dog's muzzle, ears, nose, and around the eyes should always be with black shades.
Attitude
What the Mastiff is known for is the breed's dignity and courage.
Dogs from this breed are calm and affectionate to their masters, but are very protective. The English Mastiff, in particular, is a very good guard dog.
Dogs of this breed display extreme courage and loyalty and are known to stand in the way of a perceived stranger and its master whenever it feels that the latter is threatened in any way.
Though they are not aggressive, the warning they make should be taken as a signal for the stranger to back off.
In the case that the stranger does not, these dogs are known to take defensive action - not even larger animals are known to deter it from its desire to protect its master.
It is because of this natural protectiveness that English Mastiff Dogs also have the reputation of being among the world's top guard dog breeds.
Owner Responsibility
However, this is not a dog breed that can be tamed by just about anyone. First-time dog owners should reconsider their choice if they are planning on taking care of this proud breed.
English Mastiffs naturally desire to follow someone whom they can accept as higher in order and stronger than them. This being so, they need a master that is confident and consistent in the rules that are imposed.
Still, through proper training and socialization at an early age, and with the right master, English Mastiffs are good natured, gentle, easy going, and calm. In spite of its size, it can do well indoors as long as it is taken out on regular walks daily.
So with this being said, is the popular English mastiff right for you and your family?
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Brindle Mastiff Grooming Tips |
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No doubt about it. Mastiffs, and other Molosser type breeds, are a sight to behold with their large bodies. Molosser types are, in fact, among the largest breed of dogs in terms of mass. Generally, they give off an impression of power and strength - no matter from which angle one decides to view them.
The standard height (at the shoulder) for this breed, according to the American Kennel Club, is 30 inches for males and 27.5 inches for females. And with their massive bodies, they can weigh about 150-250 pounds for males and 120-200 pounds for females.
Also notable about them are the variety of colors that they come in. The mastiff colors are typically fawn or apricot, and sometimes you may get a black colored mastiff, or a brindle mastiff. The colors are easy enough to imagine.
The brindle, on the other hand, is a pattern coat coloring found in some animals. To make it easier to imagine, the brindle is sometimes described as tiger stripes - just that the brindle is more subtle than an actual tiger's coat.
Grooming Tips
In any case, taking care of your mastiff's coat might be a concern for you now if you're worried about your dog's appearance. Don't worry too much about it, though, since grooming a Mastiff should be simple enough.
Save for a few Molosser type breeds, most Mastiffs have a short coat. And short coats are easy to brush. You can save yourself the trouble of bathing your pet mastiff for times when it gets very dirty. Other than this you'll only have to worry about regular nail trimming, ear cleaning, and dental care.
Brushing
As with every thing you need to do for your pet, you should also start getting that mastiff used to being groomed. Start as soon as you take it home.
Not only is brushing your dog regularly a good way to spend some quality time, it also has its uses. It removes loose hair and dead skin cells. It also distributes skin oils and helps ensure that the coat is shiny and pleasing to look at.
When brushing your pet, remember to avoid brushes with long or sharp bristles. In the beginning, despite your best intentions, you may notice that the puppy or the young dog might be uncomfortable with it but it will soon get used to it and will learn to patiently sit still for a while as you brush its coat and clean its eyes and ears.
Baths for your Mastiff
Finally, it is actually rare for a Mastiff to need a bath. The time when you will need to give your brindle mastiff a bath is when they are exceptionally dirty (don't be fooled by their coat pattern!) or if you are perhaps entering them in a dog show.
When you start out, the mastiff puppy will fit into a tub and you'll have no problem. But as the months go by, you'll quickly notice that you will need to move out to a bigger space - like out in the yard.
Make sure you wear clothes that you won't mind getting wet because there will be a lot of shaking, and general movements of your big wet dog. Also be sure to gather everything you need before starting to bathe your pet - you don't want to leave it alone for a minute only to find that it has made a mess.
You will need a lot of towels, cotton balls to put in its ears and keep the water out, and of course a dog shampoo.
Happy Grooming your Brindle
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How to Find Good French Mastiff Breeders |
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If you're looking for a healthy French Mastiff pup with a good temperament, then your best bet to finding one is through reputable French Mastiff breeders. Without any leads to start with, then it might be a bit difficult to locate one near you.
There are a good number of people out there who are selling French mastiffs but, sadly, not all of them are breeders with excellent methods. The truth is that some of them are only out to make a quick profit from unsuspecting buyers.
What Separates a Good Breeder from the Rest?
Good breeders know all about the breed of the dogs that they are taking care of. This means that they've taken into account the health issues that that specific breed possesses. Knowing this, naturally, they have also taken measures to reduce the chance that your puppy has inherited these health problems through proper breeding methods.
Those who only claim to be expert breeders don't bother with this. The puppies that they sell were only produced through convenience breeding. Convenience breeding, as opposed to selected breeding, means that the parents of the pup that will be given to you weren't selected based on any criteria. Chances are, neither of the parents are champions, or worse, neither of them have been tested for any health issues. You will be kept in the dark on the chances that your French mastiff might be afflicted with, say, heart problems a few years from when you get it.
Where to Find Good Breeders?
Given that the parents of healthy French mastiff puppies are probably both champions, one good place to start looking for a good breeder is in dog shows. In dog shows, you will be able to see the best representatives of the different breeds.
And, even if you don't find a French mastiff from among the competitors, chances are at least one from among the dog owners there can lead you in the right direction.
Now, you might not be able to talk to the owners of the dogs participating in the contests, but it will be your best opportunity to ask how you can contact them at a later date to arrange for a possible meeting.
To find a dog show in your area, you can check your daily newspapers for notices or invitations. You can also check out the websites of kennel clubs for a list of dog shows in areas near you.
By the way, breed clubs can also point you in the right direction. If there are no dog shows being held in the near present, or if there simply aren't any near your area, then you can go directly to a breed club and ask about their breeder referral program.
The good thing about breed clubs is that most of them follow a Code of Ethics. Here, details on the health and temperament issues on the French mastiff that they consider important will be discussed so it is recommended that you read through it.
Since you've looked up all sorts of information on the web, you may also try to find personal websites of breeders. Currently, there are many reputable breeders who keep websites detailing their experiences with pet dogs from the breed of their choice.
How do you know if the breeder is reputable through the website? Well, if you examine the content, the main reason should be to educate people on the many different aspects of the breed they're raising. Beware if the website is primarily trying to sell puppies, it is likely that the person behind it is a breeder you can't trust.
With the three resources mentioned here, you should be able to find some reputable French mastiff breeders out there. And when you find one, be sure to learn everything that you can about the puppy you're getting so you can be a good master to it and raise it properly. You never know, you might get a potential champion and it would be good to properly train and groom it as soon as you can! |
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Mastiff Sale – A Few Things to Consider Before Getting that Puppy |
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These days, you can find a mastiff sale just about anywhere - from the large number of online ads to pet shops. Concerned parties, however, warn against the hasty purchase of a mastiff pup, especially if you are not sure of the background of the place or person you are getting the puppy from.
If you do get a mastiff pup from an untrustworthy source, beware. Chances are the puppies that come from this source are poorly bred. This means that it will be very likely that the puppy you are going to raise will end up with various health problems and might have a poor temperament.
If things are this bad, is there any way you can find out if the source is trustworthy? Well, it is actually up to you to find out if the source of the puppy you're getting is a good one. Don't worry though; there are signs which you can spot with enough patience and asking of questions.
Pet stores; Should you even consider pet stores?
Rephrasing this question, would you buy from someone who treats puppies like mere goods or merchandise? If you answered no to that one, then the answer is the same for the first question.
Avoiding pet stores, when buying a mastiff, comes with a good reason. Puppies from pet stores were probably raised by backyard breeders or puppy mills. As a result, the puppies don't have any pedigree. Worse, these pet stores will not able to give you any information on the health of the puppies.
What to Expect from Breeders
Just about anyone can call themselves a breeder. This is why you are on the lookout for a responsible breeder in the first place. Still, there are things that irresponsible breeders don't bother doing that are necessary for reputable mastiff breeders.
It is during accomplishing the steps leading to the purchase of the puppy, that you'll be able to determine if the person you're dealing with is a reputable breeder.
For starters; if you consider the price that you're paying for the puppy, you should be able to gain some information. Low priced puppies are more likely to be poorly bred. Now this does not mean that you should be looking for the most expensive pups out there. This just means that considering all the things necessary to raise dogs, the price of the puppy should just be about enough to cover that.
Secondly; if you ask about information on the health tests of the puppy's parents, a good breeder should be able to tell you the results. Some breeders may tell you that it's unnecessary to do health testing, but responsible breeders know that it is necessary to reduce the chances of producing a puppy that will inherit its parents' health problems.
Finally; a good breeder will be asking questions about you before they give the puppy to you. The sale of the puppy is not the only goal of a reputable breeder, so you can expect to be asked about your lifestyle, your home, and your family. This is because good breeders try to determine if you are the right master for the mastiff puppy. You might be even asked to sign a contract. In case you cannot take care of the puppy anymore, it will still be your responsibility to inform the breeder. Because he cares deeply for the puppy, he will then take back the puppy from you and try to find another owner himself.
If your source has met all of this, then you can be more or less sure that you will be getting a good mastiff puppy. With confidence, you can now go ahead and complete that mastiff sale. |
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