Believed to be a descendant of the
now-extinct Pugnaces Britanniae, as well as the
ancient Alaunt and Molosser dogs, the English
Mastiff is great and noble breed. Recognized as
Britain's oldest breed of dog, it's said that he
was originally developed and bred to hunt wolves
in the dense English forests. Later, he would
impress the Roman warriors and be further
developed to take part in the blood sports of
ancient times. While he was once called upon for
lion, bear and bull-baiting, the Mastiff of
today is well known as a loyal companion and
intimidating guard dog throughout the world.
It's said that the foundation sire of the
Mastiff breed belonged to one Sir Peers Legh
and, when wounded in the Battle of Agincourt, it
was this "masty" (powerful) dog that stood guard
and protected his master for hours while the
battle raged. Upon Legh's death, this loyal dog
was returned home and would go on to become the
foundation dog for Lyme Hall Mastiffs and, in
time, his descendants would play an important
role in the foundation and standard of today's
English Mastiff dog.
Like many breeds of dog, the Mastiff has endured
his share of struggles throughout his
development; originally bred as a blood sport
dog, his primary purpose was for the
entertainment of the people, when these massive
dogs would be pitted against bulls, bears, lions
or other dogs of a particularly vicious nature.
His very place in the world was severely
threatened when Parliament passed the Cruelty to
Animals Act of 1835, which prohibited acts of
cruelty, such as baiting animals. Coupled with
the hardships of war, this magnificent breed was
almost extinct by the end of World War I.
Dedicated breeders crossed what remaining
Mastiffs they could find with other breeds such
as the powerful St. Bernard dog, preserving the
English Mastiff gene pool to the best of their
abilities. However, by the end of World War II,
the breed was almost obliterated once again.
Luckily, by this time, Mastiff dogs had made
their way across the ocean and into America.
American-bred Mastiffs and the English-born dogs
would be crossed with other close relatives to
the Mastiff breed, such as the Bullmastiff, the
Great Dane and the St. Bernard, thereby
preserving the breed and creating what we
recognize, today, as the English Mastiff breed.
The English Mastiff is one of the world's
largest breeds of dog. While not as
tall as breeds like the Great Dane or Irish
Wolfhound, pound for pound, he is a massive
giant; sturdily built and powerful, it's no
surprise that this great dog's ancestors
were once used to fight lions and bears.
The Mastiff is one of the giants of the dog
world.
English Mastiff can be found in either
black or a beautiful fawn color with
traditionally dark face mask. The
puppies may seem awkward and gangly at
first, but the breed grows and develops
quickly, the body becoming large and square
with good depth of chest and powerful,
well-spread legs. The Mastiff's head
is massive in size and covered with many
folds of skin, making him an easily
recognizable breed. Male Mastiff dogs
must be a minimum of 30 inches tall at the
shoulder, while their female counterparts
must be at least 27 1/2 inches. Adult
English Mastiffs have been known to weigh in
at up to 200 pounds!
The Old English Mastiff is a highly
respected guard dog, not simply because of
his sheer size and intimidating bellow of a
bark, but also because of his protective
nature. It's said that one of the
natural traits of a Mastiff dog is that he
will position himself between his master and
anything that he feels may be a potential
threat and his loyalty has been recorded
throughout history. The Mastiff is a
fierce protector that has an inborn desire
to protect both his Master and his home.
Additionally, despite his massive and
intimidating size, the Mastiff is known to
be an excellent family pet when raised
properly; good natured and usually very
gentle with children, this loyal dog has
earned a place in the hearts of nearly
everyone who has the good fortune of meeting
him.
The English Mastiff needs a moderate
amount of exercise in order to keep him
limber and from becoming obese. A
fenced in yard is a particularly good idea,
especially if you have a Mastiff puppy, as
they do enjoy the opportunity to run and
gambol about in brief spurts of speed,
though Mastiff puppy owners should limit
running in order to avoid joint troubles and
injuries. Adult Mastiff dogs can often
be maintained with a couple of lengthy walks
during the day, giving them ample time to
stretch and investigate the world outside
their homes. Dog parks are another
excellent idea, though be forewarned that
many people and other dogs are usually
intimidated by the large Mastiff dog and may
be frightened.
Grooming the English Mastiff puppy is fairly simple
and not very time consuming. For most, this will
simply involve brushing him a couple of times a
week, using just a soft-bristled brush and
possibly wiping him down with a soft cloth to
add extra shine to his coat. This will not
only make his coat gleam with good health, but
it also removes dead skin flakes and shedding
hair, keeping it where it belongs instead of on
your furniture. This hands-on contact is
also good, because it gives you the opportunity
to examine your four-legged friend more closely
and discover any problems that may be arising.
English Mastiff puppies, as well as their adult
relatives, will probably require a couple
of baths a month. Those facial
wrinkles can make him fairly grubby and the
breed is prone to rolling in all kinds of
wonderful smelly things that they can find in
the yard. Making it a good
experience at a young age is essential - be sure
to keep it fun for your English Mastiff puppy
and fill bath time with lots of treats and
praise.
Due to his immense size as an adult, it's
imperative that English Mastiff puppies
learn at least basic obedience at an early
age. Using positive reinforcement such
as treats and praise work well with this
often stubborn breed and will encourage your
English Mastiff to cooperate with you.
Perhaps one of the best ways to teach your
Mastiff puppy is through routine and
repetition; make a routine and stick with
it, teaching your dog what you expect of him
on a daily basis, making sure that you are
consistent.
Like any breed of dog, the English Mastiff is
subject to a variety of health concerns. Your
best bet is, when deciding to choose a new
English Mastiff puppy, check around with several
breeders and ask about the various health issues
that can affect these beautiful little dogs. A
reputable breeder should be well-versed in the
health concerns and should be able to give you
more details, as well as showing you the sire
and dam of your potential puppy. Some of the
health problems that can affect English Mastiffs
include:
-
Hip dysplasia
-
Obesity
-
Bloat
-
Hypothyroidism
-
Vaginal dysplasia
The English Mastiff dog is a wonderful
breed who is quick to win over the heart of
most who are lucky enough to meet him.
The perfect mixture of loyalty, dignity and
unwavering calm, he is a prized guard dog as
well as a dedicated family pet.
However, the English Mastiff is not for
everyone and, due to his huge size and loyal
disposition, it's imperative that you give
serious thought to getting one of these
gentle giants; English Mastiff dogs are
difficult to rehome as many are intimidated
by their size and appearance, often passing
them up for adoption in favor of smaller
breeds.
The Mastiff is a wonderful breed though
not for everyone. A giant breed of dog
requires more room and one must be ready for
the whole king-size aspect - large dogs make
large messes and require large amounts of
food. Additionally, giant breeds do
not usually live as long as many other
breeds and can be prone to health conditions
such as bloat and hip dysplasia. When
in doubt, contact your veterinarian and talk
to several breeders for more information on
this wonderful breed.
There are a wealth of resources online that can help you learn
more about the English Mastiff dog breed. We've compiled a list of
English Mastiff information sites to assist you in quickly locating quality
information about the English Mastiff dog breed, while avoiding the
"garbage" sites that are nothing more than poor attempts to
capitalize on the popularity of dog breeds in general. If you know
of a English Mastiff information site that offers unique, quality
information and photos of the English Mastiff breed, please contact us
with the URL and a brief description so that our editors can
consider it for inclusion in our list below.
English Mastiffs are a very photogenic dog breed. By looking at
English Mastiff pictures, you can usually gain more insight into what these
dogs and puppies are like as a breed, and this can help you decide
if you really want to become a English Mastiff owner. The following
sites below offer pictures of English Mastiff dogs, English Mastiff puppy
photos, funny English Mastiff photos and more. Enjoy!
Now that you have decided that the English Mastiff is the right breed
for you, it's time to start the process of finding a responsible
English Mastiff breeder from which to buy a healthy, well-socialized puppy.
Not all breeders are alike; there are good breeders - and bad
breeders. Don't be in a hurry to buy the first English Mastiff puppy you
find at the cheapest price available! To buy a puppy from a
responsible English Mastiff breeder, you may need to pay more and wait
longer. The additional money and waiting time will be well worth it.
Buy a puppy in haste from a newspaper ad, pet store or "backyard
breeder", and you'll likely also purchase a great deal of additional
expense and heartache, since you will likely end up falling in love
with a puppy with health and behavioural problems that will likely
need special care, plenty of veterinary visits, regular medication -
or even euthanasia. But do your homework and find a responsible,
caring English Mastiff breeder who home-raises their puppies with love,
screens their breeding dogs for health problems, offers a health
guarantee and post sale support, and who genuinely loves the
English Mastiff breed and is in it for the love of the breed, rather than
profit, and you can be fairly well assured of getting a healthy,
happy, long lived and affectionate family companion that will
provide you and your family with many years of joy, laughter and
companionship.
Further information about choosing a responsible breeder...
Here are a few breeder directory sites that we recommend. These
sites attempt to screen advertisers to ensure that the breeders
listed are responsible and sell healthy, home-raised English Mastiff
puppies to carefully screened buyers. There are many, many sites now
online that advertise dog breeders - many are a Mecca for puppy
mills and backyard breeders. We recommend that you steer clear of
these resources in favor of sites that are more selective in the
breeders whom they allow to advertise.
We Highly Recommend:
English Mastiff clubs and rescues web sites can help you learn even
more about the English Mastiff dog breed, help you locate a responsible
English Mastiff breeder, or help you find a English Mastiff dog or puppy in
need of a second chance for a loving, forever home. We've compiled
the following list of English Mastiff clubs and English Mastiff rescues web
sites for your convenience:
Choosing a name for your English Mastiff puppy can be a daunting
task! There are so many names to choose from that it can take a lot
of thought and research to find just the right name for your
English Mastiff. Usually, it's best to get to know your puppy for a few days
or weeks. Often your puppy's personality will help you decide on
just the right name to choose. Does he have a sense of humor? A
serious side? A goofy way of cocking his head to one side? A strange
love of cantaloupe? By observing your new English Mastiff puppy over the
first days or weeks, you should at least have a clue about what type
of name you want to give. There are a ton of dog names and pet names
web sites on the internet. Some are wonderful information resources,
while others, unfortunately, are just "garbage" sites set
up with the sole purpose of cashing
in on visitor hits for this popular subject.
We recommend the following sites to assist you in choosing a name
for your new English Mastiff puppy. These sites offer inventive, unique,
original and creative pet names suggestions that have helped
thousands of new puppy owners in selecting just the right name for
their new baby!
English Mastiff Dogs: 
