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Mastiff

dignified / good-natured / courageous
Working Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

30 inches & up (male)

27.5 inches & up (female)

Weight

160-230 pounds (male)

120-170 pounds (female)

Life Expectancy

6-10 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    80% 80%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    20% 20%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    80% 80%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    20% 20%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The gigantic Mastiff is a member of a canine clan as old as civilization itself. The Mastiff, a large, heavy-boned dog of courage and great strength, is placid and dignified, but also a fierce protector of people they love. A face-to-face meeting with these black-masked giants can be disconcerting for the inexperienced. A male stands at least 30 inches tall and weighs more than a full-grown man. The deep and heavily muscled rectangular body is covered by a short double coat of fawn, apricot, or brindle stripes. The head is large and enormous, with a furrowed brow highlighting an alert, compassionate face. Mastiffs are gentle friends and guardians who respond well to careful training.

Mastiffs are fiercely loyal to their families, and their instinctive fear of outsiders necessitates early socialization and training. Mastiffs make wonderful pets, but getting a robust giant-breed dog is a big commitment.

What To Expect When Caring For a Mastiff

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

The Mastiff Club of America (MCOA) offers comprehensive information on breed health. Seasonal allergies, eye anomalies, heart illness, cancer, eye and hip dysplasia, von Willebrand's disease, degenerative myelopathy, and epilepsy are all detected by responsible breeders. Hygromas'harmless natural 'cushions' that protect the Mastiff's elbow joints when sleeping on rough surfaces'are prevalent. Don't let the vet drain them. Finally, Mastiffs can suffer from bloat, a potentially fatal illness in which the stomach abruptly expands and twists. Owners should educate themselves on the symptoms of this condition and what to do if it occurs.  
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Ophthalmologist Exam
  • Elbow Evaluation
  • Cardiac Exam

Grooming

The Mastiff's short, dense coat is simple to care for, requiring only a light brushing every few days. More frequent sessions with a firm, toothed comb are recommended to remove dead hair during periods of severe shedding once or twice a year. The ears and deep wrinkles around the Mastiff's head, eyes, and muzzle should be inspected and cleaned on a regular basis, and the nails should be kept short. Mastiffs finally drool! Most owners keep clothes on hand to clean'slingers from their Mastiff's face as well as their own and visitors' clothing.  

Exercise

Mastiffs, which were bred to be guardians of 'hearth and house,' have relatively modest activity requirements and can live contentedly in an apartment. Free play and daily walks mile or two for older Mastiffs benefit them physically and psychologically. Owners must be careful not to overtax developing puppies and young adults by allowing them to run up and down stairs, jump from heights, or go for long walks. For a 2- to 3-month-old puppy, start with little more than half a block. Mastiffs are also known for plopping down on walks when they are fatigued or overheated. As a rule of thumb, don't walk them any further than you can carry them back!    

Training

Obedience training and early socialization are'musts' for Mastiffs. Mastiffs are fast to learn and eager to please. However, the repetitions in a typical training class will quickly bore them, causing them to snore. Make eye contact with your Mastiff; they communicate a lot with their eyes and are quite good at understanding your facial emotions and body language. Use positive reinforcement and praise'you might easily harm their sentiments by raising your voice. Hold several short sessions throughout the day to keep things interesting and varied. Mastiffs can be educated to flourish in practically any field if they are treated with love, inclusion, and respect.

Nutrition

Proper diet is crucial for fast-growing big breeds like the Mastiff from puppyhood up to 2 years of age. It is best to grow slowly and steadily. Mastiff puppies and young adults are prone to skeletal diseases if fed a densely caloric diet without an acceptable calcium/phosphorous ratio. Most breed experts recommend that puppies start on an adult dog food formulation with no more than 26% protein and a calcium/phosphorous ratio of approximately 1.2:1. To avoid excessive weight gain, it is advisable to serve planned meals rather than free-feeding.  

History

We can prevent confusion in tracking the history of this magnificent breed by distinguishing between mastiffs, with a lowercase “m,” and Mastiffs, the traditional enormous breed of England, also known as the Old English Mastiff. Mastiff dogs have been known all throughout the world for thousands of years. Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, and Tibet all have evidence of ferocious enormous canines known as mastiffs. Tibetan Mastiffs and Neapolitan Mastiffs are two instances of old breeds that have survived to the present day.

The Mastiff as we know it first appeared in medieval England, when it was utilized as a big-game hunter, estate guardian at night, and war dog. In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, he refers to them as “Alaunts” (a French breed name) and describes them as “as great as any steer/To hunt at the lion or the deer.” Mastiffs fought alongside the British against the French in 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt, which Shakespeare immortalized.

England emerged triumphant but weakened after the end of World War II. Only 14 Mastiffs were thought to have survived in the entire country. The Mastiff population was regenerated with the assistance of American breeders who returned to the mother country specimens from good British stock. Mastiffs today are more docile and sociable than their forefathers.