Considering a mastiff, is it the right dog for me and my family?

[DMikeM]

SeaNile (haha John), Now I get to turn the whole thread upside down. 8 month BB owner here (BB = Boerboel) or South African Mastiff. One of the smaller mastiffs 120 to 180lb but one of the more protective. Less drool less farting very protective of the homestead and family. Very clingy must be close or touching when ever possible. Invisible E-Fence, I seriously doubt it. I watched Jade on Friday poke her nose right into our electric fence wire I heard it zap her and all she did was back up a little and look at me like "why did that happen?". Not allergic to chicken or grains but she has had almost no introduction to corn. So far very little shedding. I bet your wife will fall in love with any mastiff you get. Still a very dominant breed but oh so clownish. If you don't pay attention they will do something to get your attention or at least get a chuckle from you. Oh and from a recent post most mastiffs love kids and will tolerate much abuse, like ear and skin pulling, climbing on and dress up. But whoa to anyone that is perceived as a threat to you or yours.

 

[raechiemay]

I didn't read the entire thread (shame on me) but I have a runty 8 month old female EM. Who's about 80 lbs. She is interesting to say the least. Much more energetic than my previous EM. But will still sleep most of the day. Unless she is unsupervised. Then all hell breaks loose & she puts her mouth on damn near everything. Tables, chairs, fire logs, etc. She has MANY dog approved toys but still goes for the things she's not supposed to chew on. I'm considering crating again just while I'm gone until she quits. I remember this very well with my first EM. I almost swear that in that aspect of behavior, Duchess is Jessie reincarnated. Even though Duchess can be naughty, she's got a heart of gold & will love you to death. Her eyes are very sad looking but they make my heart melt. Can't stay mad at that face. And if you raise your voice in any way, she gets her feelings hurt regardless of whether or not I'm talking to her. Had an ex call not too long ago which ended up in a screaming match (like always) & Duchess actually went into the other room & hid. Needless to say I no longer talk to the ex.

My first EM & duchess were not big droolers. They both had smallish jowls & really only slobbered after drinking water. I have noticed though that Duchess will drool a little if she's watching me eat but I'm not sure if that's coincidental bc she usually will get a big drink of water right before she starts begging.

Overall, I'd highly recommend an EM. They're great dogs.

 

[LadyBey]

Simply put - Mastiffs just rock out loud. I love our two EM's so much. We got hooked when my brother purchased a male EM. Gus was a monster of a pup, just huge - but so gentle and sweet with the kids, and SO intelligent. I did my homework, checked into the breed, spent a few years looking for the perfect female, and found her through a friend three years ago. Medusa is a smaller female, 27" at the shoulder and approx. 120 lbs, and all heart. She has grown up with our three kids, been my best friend and cuddle companion when my husband was hospitalized after a major heart attack. She stayed glued to me and the kids when he was in the hospital, and even braved the horrid stairs (she hated the staircase leading upstairs - scary and narrow) to be with me. Best protector ever - she will not growl at all unless she sees something as a serious threat, but she will stand down if I ask her to as well. A harsh word is enough to correct her - they are so very sensitive, emotionally. I have never had another dog like this breed. We added our male this past spring, and he is a beautiful, loveable goofball. Smart, loyal, protective, and so loving. Yes, there is drool. Mostly after eating and drinking, but anytime we go to the treat cupboard - there will be drool. And its usually strings. I have a feeling he will be a lot more drooly once full grown than she is. Food - yes, expensive, and they eat a lot - but a high quality food will actually last longer than a cheap one with loads of fillers. It is worth it. Vet bills are expensive - but these two have been pretty darn healthy, knock on wood. They will chew. Actually they shred - especially while teething. Once they learn what they can chew and what they cannot chew, they are great about it. They snore as well - but I find that very funny. Drago (male EM) actually groans and moans, and sounds like a cow on occasion. They are big, but such couch potatoes. Fifteen minutes of hard play and our two are ready to chill out for a while. They are big, and clumsy as pups, and sometimes they don't realize their tail is whacking your leg and it hurts...but overall they are the best dogs I have ever owned. I cannot imagine a life without these guys.

 

[SeaNile]

And now, aside from the dog vs no dog discussions comes the question of would an EM be too inactive for us? Our boys, 4 and 8 are constantly playing catch, football and basically spending as much time outside as possible. My wife kind of laughs and says "but wouldnt a crazy lab be a better fit for the kids."

 

[Smokeycat]

If you want a dog that will wear out the kids then a lab would definitely be the one to go with out of the two breeds. My EM puppy has moments where he wants to play or gets excited to the point where we call him the bucking bull but 1/2 hour running around at the off leash will cause him to nap for a couple of hours.

 

[kevinmuaythai]

Any mastiff not just the larger ones are growing very fast! which means a lot! of rest! Even though they'll stay awake longer as they get older, they'll stop playing when they decided and you'll be lucky if they decide to pay attention to things you find interesting. My dog doesn't even seem to like playing, she was raised in the mountains, she would always prefer exploring off trails through rough terrain over chasing a ball. But seems a 1/2 hour to 1 hour is about a mastiffs max play time for the first half year.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Pups and young dogs have their active moments, when the kids will be helpfull wearing the dog out. But mastiffs are not especially active dogs usually.

 

[MastiffDude]

Hey SeaNile,
We have owned English Mastiffs for 22 years and would never be without one. I think you are doing a GREAT job of considering all the angles before taking the plunge. If your wife will be at home during the day with the dog, the dog will be ecstatic -- they need people almost more than food to survive. As noted in earlier posts, frequent visitors will become known & trusted. We had one Mastiff, "Lilly" who was everybody's best friend and it didn't matter to her who stopped by for a visit. Moose (245#) on the other hand, needed to be introduced to all first-time and infrequent visitors. We had him trained to "Say Hello" which consisted of putting him in a sit, telling him to "Say Hello" and instructing the visitor to extend their hand for a sniff before actually touching him. That worked well and we never had any mishaps.

Wooden floors can be tricky for Mastiffs since the surface is somewhat slippery and their mass makes it difficult for them to navigate. We ended up installing runners up and down the hallways. Lowes or Home Depot sells a variety of runner styles by the linear foot at a reasonable price. We put anti-slip mats under the runners to keep them in place.

Farting can be reduced, along with the danger of bloat by providing raised water/food dishes. We found some wonderful wrought iron stands that are a full 18" tall. They are attractive and heavy enough that they are not pushed around by the dogs.

Drool towels are a must. We bought several packages of white washcloths from Costco. They work great. Are just the right size for a one, or two-time use and can be bleached clean. Be sure to wipe down the walls before the slingers have a chance to petrify, otherwise no joke you WILL have to just about chip them off.

Mastiffs LOVE their family and are great with kids. As noted earlier, the kids will need to be trained too so they don't get knocked down or tail-whipped. Our Mastiffs had enough gumption to play with the kids for a while, then they passed out and the kids played ON the Mastiff.

I think the key question really is if your wife falls in love with the breed or not. Do spend some time around them and let her decide.

Mastiffs DO need extraordinary care -- different than your run-of-the-mill tiny 60 pound dogs, but they give it all back with interest!

 

[DMikeM]

I know that Boerboels are very active dogs. They like to run, play catch (and run away), I try to get Jade out with her flirt pole once a day when I can and she seems to go on for hours chasing it around.

 

[BEAutiful Disaster]

I consider mastiffs to be very family oriented. They do not like to be alone all day. If someone is going to be home with the dog half the day, I think they're great. If you can get through the puppy stages, and work on the training, you'll have a sweet, lazy dog that just wants to be with his family. They are great, very obedient. I will never have another breed of dog.

 

[dpenning]

Daisy is a 13 month old EM. We considered many of the same things you did prior to purchase. She only really drools when eating or drinking or if she is outside playing, it really isn't that bad. We keep her water bowl outside and she has to come through a doggie door to get in, automatic slinger wiper. Not sure how feasible that would be up there though. We have a yard service we were concerned about and weekly housekeepers but she grew up with them so it isn't an issue. We have had some folks come in recently who she has decided she didn't care for (exterminator) so we put her in the crate. Anyone who is a friend though she has been ok with we just bring them in and introduce them to her. They are tough dogs not to love. We live in Dallas and drove to Arkansas to go to a dog show. It was invaluable to meet different breeders and see different dogs. I met my breeder there. She was in Mississippi so we drove out to see her place and flew out and rented a car one way to bring Daisy home. We had gone to see a breeder in GA too. It is no small task but it is worth the effort. Take your wife to a show and let her meet some dogs. She will either fall in love or tell you you are insane.

 

[SeaNile]

Just checking in again to catch up on all the threads. We are still in the consideration phase of getting a dog. Definitely not rushing into this and making a quick decision. Just found out that a friend of a friend has bull mastiff. We will be heading to their place sometime soon to spend some time with dog and get a first hand feel.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Awesome, thats the best way, if you can find one to hang around with.

Thank you so very much for not rushing in and just buying a pup without taking the time to consider!

 

[SeaNile]

I also wouldn't rule out the right rescue dog either. Never done it before and not sure if a rescue is "safe" to bring into a family with two boys, 8 & 4 yrs old.

Just thinking out loud...

 

[ruthcatrin]

I also wouldn't rule out the right rescue dog either. Never done it before and not sure if a rescue is "safe" to bring into a family with two boys, 8 & 4 yrs old.

Just thinking out loud...

It would depend on the individual dog, but I would definetly look at going through a rescue, where the dogs are living in foster homes, rather than a shelter, as the foster parents are going to be able to give you a fairly solid idea of what the dogs actual temperment is like.

 

[SeaNile]

I completely agree. Knowing a bit about the dog, the history and temperment would be very important. Rescue/foster would definitely be the way to go for us. If we decide to do this of course.

 

[SeaNile]

Curious about steps. I've always had an active breed, Irish Water Spaniel and Labs. Our current house is on a unique elevation, pull into the garage and you have to go up a flight of steps to get to the main floor of the house. Out the back door is 5 steps down to the yard. Would having to go up stairs to get into the house really be bad or a struggle or the dog? What about when the dog wants to come upstairs to the bedroom areas, or down stairs to the basement to play with the kids? I would have never thought twice about stairs being as issue for a dog.

 

[ruthcatrin]

For a pup you want to make sure they aren't goofing off on the stairs, no running or jumping up or off them, for the sake of their hips. An adult should be able to manage steps just fine, though if they're not used to them it might take some getting used to. An elderly dog may very well have issues with the stairs.