The Old English Mastiff: A Thorough Description of This Dog Breed

Ah, my love of dogs and all the different breeds just keeps growing. We recently made a new addition to our family - the Old English mastiff . Don't confuse this breed with the Bull mastiff; they are entirely different. Other names used are the English mastiff or the mastiff. No matter how you call it, it is definitely a breed all its own.

Our puppy is only eight weeks old, so I'm still in the learning phase of this new relationship, but I have done my share of research on the breed. I strongly believe that you must know the history of a breed before you make that decision to purchase one. Especially if the cost is more than the average dog, which the Mastiff is. Prices usually range anywhere from $500 up to $2,500. It depends on the lineage of the dog and the breeder. Of course, always research the breeder, too. Make sure it's not a puppy mill, where they will overbreed and actually damage the genetics that are passed down.

The first thing to discuss is the physical description. Just the size of the dog is overwhelming for most people. At eight weeks of age, our puppy, Gus, is at a staggering 25 to 30 pounds. His paws are the size of my palms and my arm easily fits into his nippy mouth. His father is right around 200 pounds while his mother is closer to 180. Not small by any reasonable description. And he'll only get larger. We are just at the beginning of this long and enjoyable journey!

The mastiff is one of the heaviest breeds around today. It is very normal for males to weigh in excess of 160 pounds and females in excess of 150. As for their height, males will be at least 30" at the shoulders while females will be at least 27". It is an intimidating breed just to look at. It is very massive, muscular and powerful with a square, heavy head and a short muzzle. By breed standards, the face should have a black mask enveloping the eyes and nose. The eyes are small and usually are dark or hazel colored. The teeth meet like scissors, with just a slightly undershot bite. He'll stand with a high, strong tail that comes to a point. You'll want to watch out, just the tail can hurt when he wags it against you! This breed has a short coat, if it's long or wavy then it's a fault. It can be apricot, brindle or various shades of fawn. The coat is easy to groom, usually just a brushing with a stiff bristled brush and then a rub down to make it gleam will do. Of course, the occassional bath is necessary, but don't over bathe or you'll dry out the coat and skin.

Many people are frightened by large breeds. This one is no exception. He can be very intimidating. He is a fiercely loyal dog that was once used as a fighting and guard dog. I'll get more into his history later. He will protect his family and territory when necessary, but in general, he is a gentle giant. It is a Mastiff that is featured in the "Henry and Mudge" children's books. This series is actually a pretty good description of how the dog behaves. He is naturally confident, always watchful and wonderfully patient. He is a dignified breed that is intelligent and learns quickly. It is not necessary to use negative behaviors, such as spanking or hitting, to train this dog. Gus has been very quick to learn the word "no" and has figured out quickly what is appropriate for chewing on and what is not. It is a breed that finds barking unnecessary in most cases. When Gus barks at this point in his life, it is in play and for no other reason.

The breed, by standard, is calm and steady and very docile. He is a good breed for children, but might not be great around toddlers. He tends to be clumsy and being so large, might accidently knock the toddler over. Constant supervision is required if you do have a toddler around this dog. He loves to please and craves companionship, so do not leave this dog outside in the backyard alone. It could damage his temperment, not to mention the fact he'd probably tear up the place trying to get in to be with the owner.

He can be a very dominant breed and must be dealt with consistently. Once the dog learns that the owner is the alpha, he will work hard to make the owner happy. He is a good guard dog and might even act aloof around strangers. Socialization is very important starting at a young age in order to keep him from being over-protective and to teach him how to react to strangers appropriately. How the owner responds to a person, for example, a stranger at the door, will be how the dog reacts. If the owner is receptive to the stranger and allows the person in, more than likely, the dog will allow it also. Just keep in mind that this dog is very brave and loyal and will defend itself and the owner if need be.

Most of the time, this breed will not attack an intruder, but will keep them at bay. Formal training is not even necessary with the Mastiff. It has been bred into them and comes naturally. They will be possessive, so again, always work on socialization.

People that like a perfectly neat house may not want this dog around. It is known for it's drooling, wheezing, snoring and for being stubborn. Keeping a "dog towel" in every room is needed. Even at eight weeks, the drooling has already started with Gus. He will get a drink, which is often, and then a trail of drool will follow. Luckily, in our house, it's all tile and laminate, so clean up is easy and quick.

Unfortunately, like most breeds, there are health concerns. The main ones being bloat, where the stomach flips, and hip dysplasia, which is very common in all large breeds. To help avoid the bloat, feeding small meals two to three times a day is good. Large meals may bring on the problem, so avoid that. Other health problems are CHD - congenital heart disease. This is a malformation of the heart or other vessels. Then there is gastric torsion. This sounds to me a lot like bloat, but is described as distension or gas in the stomach. Ectropian is also found in the breed. This is the lower eyelid turned outward. PPM, or persistent pupillary membranes, which is the membrane that is over the puppy's pupil and should dissolve by 4 or 5 weeks of age. If it doesn't dissolve, then he could end up with vision problems. A problem some females might have is vaginal hyperplasia. This occurs during the estrus (heat) cycle. The tissue swells up and protrudes from the vulva. Finally, PRA, or progressive retinal atrophy can affect this breed. This is a genetic or inherited visual problem. If the breeder is reputable, this can be narrowed down by selective breeding. That's why it is so important to choose your breeder carefully. Go in armed with questions and be knowlegable before you purchase. Poor breeding will more than double the dogs chance at getting any of these health problems, or even others that I've not listed.

So, you live in an apartment? You can still have a Mastiff, if, of course, your landlord will permit it. These dogs can handle living in a small area. As long as the owner commits to daily exercise. They tend to be lazy dogs and will just sprawl out and sleep all day if you allow it. So, you must be proactive in leashing your dog and taking him for a long walk. He must stretch his legs and exercise his mind. He'll be less destructive if you do this several times a day. He has to get his mental and physical energy burned up somehow. If he doesn't, don't get mad at the dog, get mad at yourself when he destroys your sofa. Keep toys and rawhides around to keep him busy, too. Just like with humans, dogs need exercise and a mental challenge!

Are you interested yet? Well, learn some of his history then. We all want to know where we come from, or at least we should. It's the same with dogs. Learn about the history and you learn about your new friend. While researching this, I found some conflicting dates. On one hand, I found out that the Mastiff was brought to Britain around 43 AD, but then other reports say 55 BC. So, it's hard to say when exactly the breed was brought to the island, but it was indeed brought by someone. Some think it was Phoenician traders in the early 6th Century BC. Because records are not always well recorded that far back, it's hard to determine the exact date. Just accept that it was a long time ago.

Early Mastiffs were used mostly as guard dogs, this could be for people or for sheep. They were also used by the Romans as Gladiators. Try to imagine this fierce looking dog, far from the lazy dog we know today, standing in the great Roman arenas fighting off bears, bulls and other dogs. No telling what else they were forced to face. But these ancestors of our dogs today were tough, no doubt.

The first recorded Mastiff to enter the New World, was on the Mayflower. Yes, we usually think of pilgrims on the Mayflower and we have our visions of Thanksgiving. But, someone brought this dog over and introduced it to America all that time ago. Sadly, by the end of World War II, the breed was almost extinct in England. So, in order to revive it, the breed was taken back to England from the United States and Canada. Luckily, it no longer is close to extinction in that part of the world.

As my journey with my new companion develops, I must keep in mind of his many talents he's displayed over the years. He is an ancient dog that has been a watchdog, guardian of sheep, he's done police work as well as military work. He's a hero. He's involved in search and rescue efforts while also being an athlete at weight pulling. No wonder the AKC placed him in the working group. He is a well rounded dog and I expect to enjoy him for the years to come.