History
The origin of the Korean Mastiff can be traced back to late 19th century Korea. Enthusiasts believe that these dogs were developed by crossing such breeds as the Tosa Inu, Neapolitan Mastiff, Bloodhound, and the Dogue de Bordeaux, though this has never been proven scientifically or otherwise.
Throughout its history, the Korean Mastiff has been most commonly used as a watch and guard dog, show dog, and kept as a pet, proving its superior abilities to provide protection, entertainment, and an enthusiastic friendship.
Today, while the Korean Mastiff has attained an underground popularity as a working, show, and companion dog, the breed remains rather rare outside of its native Korea.
Personality Traits
Best known for its gentle and friendly nature, the Korean Mastiff is a genuinely happy breed. These dogs thrive on strong and dependable
relationships with humans, and often look to their owner for guidance and assurance. This breed is highly intelligent and generally easy to train. As a pet, the Korean Mastiff is obedient, loyal, loving, and very affectionate. The Korean Mastiff is not suited for full-time indoor or apartment living, as it enjoys spending time outdoors, taking long walks, and playing games such as fetch and tug-of-war.
Train-ability
Due to its need for human attention and outgoing attitude, the Korean Mastiff generally responds well to basic training and commands. These bright dogs have the ability to learn to perform most any task their trainer is willing to take the time to teach.
Establishing immediate dominance, trust, and respect is key to successfully training the Korean Mastiff. This breed can be somewhat sensitive to criticism and respond best to positive reinforcement and reward-based training.
Benefits and Disadvantages of the Breed
There are many benefits to owning a Korean Mastiff, such as its no hassle, low maintenance coat. This intelligent breed is obedient by nature, easy to train, and capable of learning to perform many impressive tricks and tasks. When properly socialized from a young age, the Korean Mastiff gets along well with children and other pets, known for its sweet and gentle approach to small children. These dogs are alert, protective, and territorial, making incredible watch and
guard dogs by announcing the arrival of guests and unwanted visitors, and serving as a deterrent to would-be intruders. The Korean Mastiff is obedient, loyal, loving, and affectionate, making an excellent family pet and companion alike.
Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to owning a Korean Mastiff. These active dogs require large amounts of daily exercise and room to run and play outdoors, especially when under the age of two years. Anyone wishing to purchase this breed lacking the adequate amount of time and space to dedicate to the dog is strongly advised against doing so. A Korean Mastiff not receiving the proper amount of exercise and space will often act out by destroying property, chewing, barking, whining, and ignoring basic training such as housebreaking.
Surprisingly, the Korean Mastiff is known to suffer from separation anxiety. Individuals seeking to purchase this breed who travel frequently, have full-time work, or are away from the home on a daily basis are advised to begin researching another breed. During an attack of separation anxiety, the Korean Mastiff will act out of nervous destruction and may destroy property, chew, bark, whine, and ignore housebreaking training.
The Korean Mastiff is known to be somewhat excitable in its greeting and while at play. Excessive barking, jumping, and full-body wags can lead to headaches and accidents. Proper training can reduce these behaviors in this breed.
As previously mentioned, the Korean Mastiff remains rather rare outside of its native Korea and can prove difficult to obtain. Individuals wishing to purchase this breed often encounter such challenges as inability to locate a breeder, extremely high prices, and being placed on long waiting lists.
Common Health Concerns
While the Korean Mastiff is typically known as a healthy and hearty breed, they do suffer from a few health problems, including: hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation - dislocation of the knee, entropian - folding inward of the eye lid, ectropian - folding outward of the eye lid, cherry eye, sensitivity to anesthesia, obesity, and bloat.
Now that you know all about the breed, do you think you are ready to own a Korean Mastiff? Remember, purchasing a pet is a big decision and should be discussed thoroughly and seriously with your entire family.
---------- Post added at 09:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:10 AM ----------
[h=2]
Korean Mastiff AKA Dosa Gae[/h]
History and Origin of the Korean Mastiff
Little information is available on the Korean Mastiff’s history outside of its native home of Korea. From the little information that is known, it is evident the breed was probably created over 200 years ago. Aside from being called a Korean Mastiff, the breed is known by several other names including Dosa Gae, Mee-Kyun Dosa, and Dosa Inu.
Sources say the breed was developed sometime during the 19[SUP]th[/SUP] century from breeds such as the Tosa Inu, Dogue de Bordeaux, English Mastiffs, and quite possibly both the Bloodhound and Neapolitan Mastiff. In South Korea, the Korean Mastiff is the largest and heaviest dog available.
Appearance
The Korean Mastiff has a similar appearance to the Neapolitan Mastiff with the large amounts of wrinkles that they have. The dogs are rather large reaching heights of 24 to 30 inches at the shoulder, and weighing between 145 and 185 pounds. The dogs have a short, very shiny coat that comes in several colors. The coat colors include red, chocolate, and mahogany; a small white patch on the dog’s chest is permitted.
Korean Mastiff Temperament and Personality
The dog’s look should not fool you; although the Korean Mastiffs look intimidating, they are actually a very kind and docile breed. These dogs tend to bond closely with owners and want nothing more than human company. Early socialization is important with this breed, in order for the dog to be good with children and other pets. If socialization is done properly, you will get a good-natured dog that is both protective and gentle.
Due to the large size of the breed, it is important for the dog to understand who the boss is. A Korean Mastiff that sees itself as pack leader will prevent you and your dog from developing a good relationship. Overall, this is a wonderful breed for families because these large dogs like to think they are lap dogs and will “lean” on their favorite people for support.
Health of the Breed
This breed, like many other purebreds, is prone to several health issues. Since the dogs are a larger breed, they are a higher risk of
developing hip dysplasia. In addition, these dogs require a strict diet as to not get bloat. Much like the Chow Chow, the Korean Mastiff is prone to several genetic eye conditions such as entropion and cherry eye. Finally, the breed is heavily wrinkled which means that care should be given to the dog’s skin folds to avoid skin infections. The wrinkles can also leave other organs of the dog’s body vulnerable, so these dogs can become expensive to own.
Exercise and Other Care Requirements
The Korean Mastiff is a large breed of dog that grows very rapidly as a puppy; because of this, strict care should be taken when feeding and exercising the puppy. These dogs should be fed the correct amount of food each day (2 to 3 small meals), and should avoid strenuous exercise at too young of an age so the dog’s bones will properly form. These dogs have a moderate energy level, but they are inclined to be lazy. The best option is to give the dog enough space and time to run around freely on its own; this way the dog can decide when it is done.
Something you may not know about the breed …..
The Dosa Gae is a rare breed in North America with around 100 found countrywide. If you want to purchase one of these dogs, you should be prepared to wait and pay a high price. With so few Korean Mastiffs in North America, most breeders have waiting lists and prices upward of between $1,500 and $3,000.