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[QueenB]

Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum and figured this would be a good place to ask some questions! I currently have two Boston Terriers (Brindy is my old lady at 16 yrs, and Brody is my baby at 6 yrs). I'm going to be buying a house next year, so I am waiting until then to get my dream dog, an English Mastiff. I pretty much fell in love with them from the second I discovered them. I work at PetSmart in the grooming salon and one of our newest customers is a 12 week old English Mastiff puppy and she has awoken the puppy fever in me! Everytime she comes in I have to muster all the self control I have not to steal her lol. Anyway, I have a few questions that I keep hearing conflicting information about, or I straight up can't find any info.
Firstly, I know I am going to get a male, and I am going to get him neutered once he is fully grown. Some people are adamant that I should get his stomach tacked (or whatever it is they do to prevent bloat) while other people say don't bother, it does nothing. What do you guys think?
Secondly, I've always free fed my dogs, even as puppies but I've been told Mastiffs are chow hounds and their food needs to be regulated. What do you do?
Thirdly, approximately how many pounds of food does your adult eat each month? I'm not worried about being able to afford it (one of the perks of working in a pet store is the employee discount on everything, including food) I'm just curious.
Lastly, some people say training is a breeze, other say their Mastiff is the most stubborn creature they've ever met. Does it depend on the dog, or is there some secret to training them I need to be let in on?
I've already found and spoken to a breeder, so as soon as I'm settled in my new home I'll be putting a deposit down on a new baby! I'm super excited even though I know it will be while before I bring one home but maybe seeing all of you're babes will help tide me over

 

[DDSK]

Welcome to the forum!
There is no love like mastiff love lol.
I have two Cane Corsos I take to be bathed by the groomers at that "other pet place" they are like celebrities there lol.
Free feeding is a no no with these dogs and you may have to stop free feeding your other babies too. In no time at all your mastiff puppy will muscle the other two out of their food.
You might be surprised at how light eaters they can be, my girls go through a 30 pound bag and a flat of cans every two weeks or so, so two 120 pound cane Corsos equal about .85% of a 200 lb English mastiff

 

[QueenB]

Thanks for your reply! I don't think it'll be too hard to switch my dogs to a feeding schedule. My old lady only eats when I'm around, usually when I get home from work, and my boy pretty much just grazes throughout the day but he'll learn to eat when his food is down. I did forget to ask about exercise... I know that you're not supposed to over extend them physically so they don't damage their joints and whatnot, but how restrictive do you have to be? A friend of mine has a Rottie who he would wrestle with and take to the park all day and he started having hip problems before he was two. So should I just keep the rough housing to a minimum and walks short, or no jumping up/ off of the bed and couch too. Bad joints are pretty much my biggest fear and the main reason I'm going to a breeder instead of rescuing.... I just feel so bad when I see my friends dog limping like an old man. He's absolutely the sweetest thing in the world, it kills me to see him in pain especially at such a young age :'(

 

[QueenB]

Sorry, one more thing, I feel like a lot of people have said not to feed puppy food and go straight for adult formula. I feed Simply Nourish to my dogs now, just the normal adult lamb flavored variety. Will that be okay or should I get something thats specifically made for large breeds?

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

1. Stomach tacked? Are you pre-emptively planning a surgery for a puppy? Please elaborate.

2. I free feed my dogs. Hank will be 3 in Jan and is a very healthy weight. He has a visible waistline and you can deff see where his last 2 ribs are. I always save my Mastiffs at least a bite of everything we had for dinner, except for a few things like onion heavy stuff, or things that were spiced a lot. They also get leftovers as opposed to tossing them out. I actually worry that my little one might be underweight lol.

3. That i couldn't really tell you for sure. We live in the country, my wife works in the city and buys the dog food. I just carry it into the house. Doesn't seem like they eat all that much more than the german shepherds or rotties that i've had in the past.

4. They each have their own personalities. I swear Hank appears to be deciding if he will obey sometimes. He had a few stubborn moments but I beleive that with proper training and patince almost anything can be trained past including being "stubborn".

5. I fed Hank puppy food, that expensive blue buffalo stuff for the first year I think. We have been going through rough times though and can't afford it so we have been feeding costco adult brand food to both Hank who will be 3 in Jan and roxy who will be 1 in Jan. TBH I'm quite astonished with the growth of my little girl and wonder if it isnt the food. She's growing like a weed and keeping a very dainty figure.

Welcome to the forums, loads of good info around here. Good people too.

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

Oh about exercise. I don't "exercise" my pups as it were. They have plenty of play time with other dogs every day and free access in and out of the house through a massive freakin doggie door lol. We do go on the occasional walk but mostly just for the leash practice. I don't typically leash my dogs but we practice in case it's necessary like when we go on vacation and public places

When hank was little he would let you know when he was done with the walk. He would lay down and just be done. I would literally have to carry him home.Thats when he was really growing. He honestly wasn't even all that active until he had gained most of his height and length before he started putting on his adult girth and weight.

 

[TWW]

It depends on the dog if you will be able to feel feed or not.

No clue on how valid stomach stapling is or how much it helps, have always just regulated food as needed and never had bloat issues.

Training wise it also depends on the individual dog, but there all just slow and steady, starting the day you bring them home,
If you take classes, make sure the person has plenty of experience with giant breeds, a lot take there play bark as aggression, it is not but it can and a lot of times scares people.

Another noticeable trait is there readying of people and a lot have a bad habit of messing with people who are afraid of them.

The higher the quality generally the less you actually feed. Amount depends a lot on outside factors, the hotter it is the less mine eats, colder days more.

We walk twice a day everyday about 45 mins each time, along with that he plays a lot in the yard with friends 2 dogs,

 

[Liz_M]

Welcome!


I'm no Mastiff expert, having just gotten my first EM puppy six weeks ago, but I had Rottweilers for 30 years. They're also somewhat prone to bloating and while I'm aware of what to look out for, never a problem. It's been a while since I have researched it but as I recall, bloat may be hereditary and even dogs with stomachs tacked can bloat.


Neutering...not a good idea. At least not until 2-3 years old. Compromises bone development and some studies suggest dogs spayed or neutered before all long bone growth is complete are more prone to osteosarcoma, among other things. This has been known long enough that back in 1999, a Rottweiler pup I bought had a clause in his contract that he not be neutered prior to 18 months of age even though he was long haired and therefore clearly not to be shown or bred. His breeder's concern was osteo.


I have never free-fed dogs. Booker is highly food-motivated and would probably eat until he exploded LOL. Best to keep the pup regulated and lean. I feed mostly raw, so can't help you with amounts. Right now he is eating more than my Lab and my JRTx put together though. I've also read that as once grown, they don't need a huge amount of food as they are generally low-energy dogs.


Mine is definitely mellower than Rottweiler pups I've had and I am letting him set the pace for exercising. He's only 14 weeks old so most of his exercising is done in my (very large) fenced yard. Haven't taken him for walks, just visits to different places for socialization and a few times to doggie day care and sometimes to work with me. There's a river where I can let the dogs go off leash because there's never anyone there, but when I take him along I don't walk with the dogs like usual, I just stand around and let them run and check things out.


Booker is definitely smart! He "gets" things very quickly and is eager to please. We are going to beginner obedience classes and he's doing extremely well BUT he gets bored with too much repetition because I believe he doesn't see the point. "OK mom, I got this already." At that point the stubborn kicks in, he'll just lie down in the middle of heeling and refuse to move. Since we're not going to be in the obedience ring, I don't push it, I just switch to something else so he doesn't get bored.


I bet you can't wait!

 

[QueenB]

Thanks again for sharing all of your experiences. I'm sure as I get closer I will have many many MANY more questions, but thanks for appeasing me.... for now!

 

[tmricciuto]

How exciting for you. I have two littermate girls who are about 6 1/2 months old and completely different personalities. One is the runt and the other is not. I don't remember all of your questions but here goes.

I am waiting till the girls are a year or before their first heat to get them fixed and while they are in there I am getting their stomachs tacked. The tacking doesn't affect the bloat, but it does keep the stomach from twisting after bloating and that is deadly within hours. You can give an EM GasX for bloat. It is preventative and worth it to me.

I do not free feed, and feed Earthborn Holistic Meadow Feast at this point. My girls don't do well on grain or chicken. I am switching to raw in the new year. Right now both girls eat 3 cups a day, it's a better quality food so they eat less and they go through a 28lb bag every 2 weeks.

I take mine on short walks but let them play as much as they want in the back yard. My bigger girl has much more energy than the littler one so I walk them separately and walk her farther. Once they are no longer at my side or start getting distracted we turn around and by the time we are home they are pooped. So you just have to take the puppy at it's own pace. I also am making a flirt pole for the girls to help with energy. We started out with 5 min walks when we first got them at 12 weeks and have moved up from there.

Both are very smart, but Sage (bigger one) is much more interested in pleasing her hoomans. She stays by our side and will listen well to commands. They are both very smart and pick up the commands quickly but Bella is more independent and just does what she wants. I can motivate her with food and am starting to let her miss out on treats if she doesn't come when called but she is definitely more stubborn.

They are great pups and I wouldn't trade them even though they drive me crazy and are coming full force into their drool.

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[Oscar'sMom]

Yay puppy fever!

I've contemplated stomach tacking when we get our boy neutered since he'll already be under...but then again I may not have him neutered unless there is a need. He's only 14 months so nothing to worry about for a while.

I feed around 7 am and 6:30pm 3.5-4 cups at each meal. He eats TOTW high Sierra but are looking at switching to Earthborn. I would love to feed raw but am unable to transition for now. My guy has grain issues and he's never tried chicken since so many mastiffs have trouble with it.

I am overprotective of my EM on exercise. We didn't do much vigorous exercise when he was younger and still don't. He gets regular walks and plays in the yard a little but he's a lazy fella and especially considering how hot/humid it's been lately. He has a ramp to get in the car, isn't allowed on the furniture...and my bf and I carried him up and down the steps until he was around 6-7 months (when I couldnt lift him haha . Maybe a little excessive but we lived in a row home and went up and down a lot. Since we go our boy we bought a house wth a first floor master and a fenced in yard!

Oscar was a breeze to train and is very treat motivated. He is stubborn when he wants to be but he'll knock someone over for a taste of beef liver or carrots! He is the best thing that ever happened to us and I wouldn't trade him for the world!

 

[Yamizuma]

You've got lots of great advice here! Welcome!

Your dog will be its own furry self, but your interest in advance is a great sign that you'll be looking to get him the best possible start.

I've had dogs that self feed just fine, and others who would have eaten themselves to death had that been allowed. Timed feeding has one really big advantage in that if you ever have a serious medical problem, especially requiring emergency surgery, you can know with certainty for the vet when the dog last ate and how much.

Our girl has been on big dog food since she was a wee 10 weeks old. She is a DDB, allergic to wheat and chicken. Her little big brother the terrier cross has skin issues, so we feed Acana Pacifica. She eats surprisingly little as an adult, is in great shape, but much smaller than an EM.

Our friend's neo got the stomach thing done while they were spaying her. Ours did not, but the vet is very close by and DH works from home, so...

Best high-reward puppy training treats for her - nothing from the pet store. Mostly too dry, too big, too many things I don't want her eating. Home made liver treats, tiny pieces of high-quality all beef hot dogs and tiny pieces of processed cheese slices. (They were great for teaching her to "leave it" and take treats gently because they kind of stick.)


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[tmricciuto]

Another great thing about timed eating is you know when they need to poop. 20-30 mins after they eat.


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[DennasMom]

I've always started with a portioned pseudo-free-feeding.... I measure out 1-2 cups in the morning (depending on size/age), and add a cup at lunch and add 1-2 cups at dinner (to make dinner about the same size as breakfast started out). That way, I can monitor the total amount eating, but there is no push for the dog to eat quick - before mom takes the dish away. If the dog is a food-hound, they finish their meals and wait until the next meal time for more. If they like to graze, they have that option, too. We've never raised a food-aggressive/resource-guarder, so... maybe this is a good thing?

When we had more than one dog, our 'grazer' did NOT leave any food in his dish (other than 2 pieces of kibble... I guess to "share" with his new house-mate?). He still maintained his figure, though... I think due to burning calories from the stress of having the new house-mate around (they didn't hit it off as well as we'd hoped).

With Denna, we switched to raw food when she was about 6 months old, and she NEVER leaves food in her dish. Good thing - since I'd have to put any leftovers in the fridge. If she does leave food... I know she's not feeling well.

We did all-positive/clicker/marker training with Denna, and couldn't be happier with how that all went. It really does make you stop and think about how to communicate with your dog - and also helps them stop and think about how to listen to what you're asking. Win-Win! Denna still does like to contemplate a command before executing it... most of the time she decides she wants to do what I ask. If I have treats, she's much less likely to take her time about it, though. She works for food, not for free.

I'd say all-in, the EM is very likely to eat less than a smaller "working" breed... mainly due to their lower energy expenditure rate. Although, Denna has always loved to go for long walks... I let her tell me how long as a puppy - I didn't want to overdo it. But if she doesn't get in a walk at least 3-4 times a week, she gets a little depressed and pouty.

For food - I've never fed it, and I'm not really familiar with it... but the Simply Nourish looks ok. 1.2:0.9 Calciumhosphorus is a good range. I'd stick with the adult variety. Dogfoodadvisor gives it 4 stars which is pretty good.

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

You have a point there are some advantages to timed feed especially the emergency point. My pups are uber spoiled though, they have 1 3/4 acre fenced to themselves, a doggy door that's large enough for an adult mastiff to pass through without having to duck, and if anyone notices their bowls empty they get filled. The neighbor has free roaming goats and pigs and the occasional peacock that jumps into our yard. And they basically have their own room with a futon bed all to themselves. Our cat has her own room and a bunk bed. I wish i was one of my animals... My wife makes me share my room with her =(

 

[TricAP]

Welcome to the Forum!

There is a TON of good advice if you take the time to read past threads.

We always free fed our dogs kibble and never had an issue for well over 30 years...until Angus, our now 14 month old EM. That boy has no control and will eat any and everything in sight. Strongest food drive/motivation I've ever seen in a dog. He's sell us all out for a piece of homemade beef jerky! So his meals and our older girls (boxer and chi) went onto a schedule of 2 times a day. Angus got one at noon also until we switched to raw for all of them when he was about 7 months old. Puppy food isn't recommenced for giant breeds - look for an all life stage limited ingredient kibble if that is how you want to go. Check with your breeder to see what they feed also. Mastiffs can have extreme sensitivities to chicken and grains in kibbles. Our boy did but he LOVEs his raw chicken and no problems with it all all.

As far as stomach tacking - anything I've ever read or been told by a vet doesn't conclusively say it will help. Yes on waiting to neuter until at least 18 months to 2 years of age if then. IF you can find a vet that will do a vasectomy then even better. These big guys need their hormones more than originally thought. But they have an incessant drive to procreate so you have to be very diligent if you keep him in tact.

Training - it is a daily commitment, not a take a class and be done type of dog. Our boy "considers" commands and whether they fit in with his plans. Consistency is key for everyone in the household. Our EM has not been nearly as difficult when training as our boxer was - she tested our patience on every level! Stubborn has her picture next to it. Each dog no matter what breed has their own distinct personality. Mastiffs can be master manipulators with their adorable big drooling wrinkle filled faces. They are huge emotional babies that can be crushed if yelled at or spoken to in a harsh way.

Spend some time reading the threads here - so much great information! And most people more than willing to help answer questions. There truly is nothing like being owned by a mastiff.

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

Welcome to the Forum!

There is a TON of good advice if you take the time to read past threads.

We always free fed our dogs kibble and never had an issue for well over 30 years...until Angus, our now 14 month old EM. That boy has no control and will eat any and everything in sight. Strongest food drive/motivation I've ever seen in a dog. He's sell us all out for a piece of homemade beef jerky! So his meals and our older girls (boxer and chi) went onto a schedule of 2 times a day. Angus got one at noon also until we switched to raw for all of them when he was about 7 months old. Puppy food isn't recommenced for giant breeds - look for an all life stage limited ingredient kibble if that is how you want to go. Check with your breeder to see what they feed also. Mastiffs can have extreme sensitivities to chicken and grains in kibbles. Our boy did but he LOVEs his raw chicken and no problems with it all all.

As far as stomach tacking - anything I've ever read or been told by a vet doesn't conclusively say it will help. Yes on waiting to neuter until at least 18 months to 2 years of age if then. IF you can find a vet that will do a vasectomy then even better. These big guys need their hormones more than originally thought. But they have an incessant drive to procreate so you have to be very diligent if you keep him in tact.

Training - it is a daily commitment, not a take a class and be done type of dog. Our boy "considers" commands and whether they fit in with his plans. Consistency is key for everyone in the household. Our EM has not been nearly as difficult when training as our boxer was - she tested our patience on every level! Stubborn has her picture next to it. Each dog no matter what breed has their own distinct personality. Mastiffs can be master manipulators with their adorable big drooling wrinkle filled faces. They are huge emotional babies that can be crushed if yelled at or spoken to in a harsh way.

Spend some time reading the threads here - so much great information! And most people more than willing to help answer questions. There truly is nothing like being owned by a mastiff.

The intact male, incessant drive to procreate thing. OMFG. I've never had a dog so obsessed. When the neighbors bitch is in heat it's a constant battle to keep Hank under thumb. I tried to put him in a bathroom once cause I really was just done with the nearly constant whining, and he almost dug through the drywall and then literally bit the door handle off to get out. Once he broke a window. He's popped out 85% of the screens from my windows. Not trying to scare, just something to consider and keep in mind.

Sometimes when I tell Hank to do something, Just like TricAP said, I can literally see him consciously considering the command. There have been a few times he's totally ignored me and even fought the leash (after i went and got it). Typically leash = god mode. My 6yo sister could walk Hank with a leash normally. He just has to test me every so often I guess. I'm always happy to go get the leash if needed lol.

 

[Smokeycat]

One thing I've learnt from feeding my two dogs is that how much food they need is completely independent of their physical size and activity level. It is completely their metabolism that dictates how much they need. Kryten (190 lbs EM) eats about 3-13kg bags of food each month, equals around 85 lbs. Which thankfully is a decrease from over 4 bags a month like he was for about 6 months. Kryten has a very high metabolism as he is also very lazy. A 5 minute walk might be all he is willing to do some days yet he remains very lean.
Kryten now regulates how much he needs to eat but as a puppy he just ate anything he could get as fast as he could.
The main problem I have with stomach tacking on a male dog is that they have to open the abdominal cavity and that isn't something I want to do just for a preventive surgery. If there was another reason for them to go in I would likely consider having it done.
He has been a mixed bag when it came to training. Part of the problem I think was how easy my other dog was/is to train. Just by comparison nothing came as easy to Kryten. The other thing was in hind sight some of the problems were caused by the fact he has elbow dysplasia and some of the moves asked for caused him pain so he refused to do them without a lot of prodding and treats. It wasn't that he didn't know what was being asked he just didn't want to do it. One thing that I did learn quickly was to make sure that he knew I was more stubborn than he was. He will still occasionally try to do things his way rather than mine but a simple 'excuse me' said in the right tone gets compliance along with a sheepish look.

 

[karennj]

I tacked Bear when he was neutered. I didn't tack my swiss mountain dog and I regret it all the time as she has bloated a couple times but I was able to manage it immediately at home. The dogs that I know that were tacked after bloating, the tack remained when the dog bloated again (it is common for them to bloat again). One dog bloated another 5 times and the tack held every time. If your going to do it, do it when you neuter so they don't have to go under more times than needed. For me, tacking is totally worth it. It is a piece of mind. Yes they can still bloat but the tack should keep the stomach from twisting.