rightpersonformastiff

Are you the right person for a Mastiff?

The first thing you need to know before deciding on a Mastiff is that it's
a long term commitment. They form a strong bond with their family and
don't adjust well to being bounced from home to home. Any unforeseen
problems aside, if you aren't sure if you can make an 8-10 year
commitment (maybe longer), you're probably not the right person for a
Mastiff.

Mastiffs have special nutritional needs. They grow rapidly and
therefore need high quality, expensive food and vitamins, not to
mention the vet bills. So before deciding on a Mastiff please make
sure your budget will support the extra expense.

Mastiffs are huge dogs and although are generally calm and quiet, still
need room to move. If you have priceless pieces of art or floor plants
either get rid of them or be prepared for huge, strong, constantly
wagging tails to destroy them!!!!!! Also at around 6-8 months old most
Mastiff puppies go through their "terrible two" stage. They have
separation anxiety and will chew. Your house will have to be Mastiff
proofed. I suggest buying a wire crate and crate training from an early
age.

Mastiffs are very sensitive to their people. They love to make you
happy & get their feelings hurt very easily, but they're also free thinkers
and very strong willed at times. You will need to use a firm voice and
mean what you say. Remember your dog could weigh in excess of 200
lbs. You can't beg them to behave themselves. No I don't mean for you
to scream at or beat your dog, just be firm. If you aren't willing or able
to do this then you're probably not the right person for a Mastiff.

Mastiffs don't do well if they're left alone for hours at a time. They need
human contact to grow into well adjusted adults. I realize people have
to work, so find a doggy daycare and enroll them at least once a week
(more if your budget will allow). Also I suggest enrolling them in at least
a first level obedience or breed handling class. If your puppy is going
to be shown, get them into a handling class as soon as possible.

Now on to the really fun stuff. Mastiffs shed, slobber, fart, and snore.
The shedding can be controlled by proper grooming and nutrition. The
slobbering, well that's just a given. Keep a dishtowel handy and
understand you will never have a clean shirt again. Females do slobber
less then males. The farting, get used to it. They will fart in front of
anyone and at the worse possible time. As for the snoring, buy
earplugs.

Now if u can get past all the things listed above you are the right
person for a Mastiff. They are the most lovable, loyal, and funniest
dogs. They are a constant source of smiles and laughter. Not a day
goes by that they don't bring a smile to our faces. A Mastiff will enrich
your life in ways you can't possibly imagine. We personally love our
slobber stained shirts!!!!!!!

Mastiffs are extremely gentle by nature. They would much rather bark a
warning, but will not hesitate to jump to the defense of their family.
Although they should be show or obedience trained, no protection
training is needed or recommended.

Click here for information on breed standard.

Mastiffs are truly Gentle Companions and Loyal
Guardians

First I can't stress it enough -- Mastiffs grow rapidly and therefore need high
quality food. We feed our Mastiffs Eagle Pack Brand Foods. Don't ever feed
your mastiff puppy a food w/ more than 24% protein. Doing so raises the risk of
developmental issues. Most puppy foods(even large breed formulas) are way
too high in protein.     Do not use vitamins with high amounts of calcium.
If you feel you need to use supplements,
Vita Pet Plus from NaturVet, or Wholistic Canine Complete Joint Mobility are
our recommendations.
We feel that Mastiff puppies should be switched from puppy food to adult food
around 6 - 12 months of age(the age varies as each dog is unique). If you can't
get Eagle Large/Giant Breed Formula they should be fed a very high quality
adult food w/ protein content around 22-24% and fat content around 13%-15%
from weaning.

Mastiff puppies don't do well on stairs. Running down stairs can cause
ligament injury.   Jumping from high places should also be discouraged.
Although it may be tempting & cute for your Mastiff puppy to play rough w/ your
older bigger dogs, it should be discouraged. Again Mastiff puppies are easily
injured.

All living things need regular exercise. You will get many conflicting opinions
on this subject as it relates to mastiffs.

My suggestion would be to use common sense.   All puppies grow & mature at
different rates. Take your adolescent mastiff for a walk. If possible give them
off leash time & let them move at their own pace.   Watch for any signs of
fatigue. Don't over do it. If a mastiff puppy gets too tired it will lay right down
& you will have to carry him home (not to mention the injuries that could be
caused by pushing a mastiff puppy).   Start out by going very short distances &
work into longer walks.

Our goal is to breed mastiffs that are physically able to run & play. All of our
adult dogs, weather permitting, receive regular exercise which consists of a
run(or walk if that's what they choose to do) of 1-3 miles/ day. Again this varies
depending on what they as individuals, are capable of doing. Our puppies, as I
suggested, are just walked until we feel they are ready for a more structured
exercise regimen.

Never "force" your Mastiff puppy to grow. By forcing I mean overfeeding to try
to get them to be "big dogs" now. Growing too quickly can cause skeletal,
muscular, and ligature problems. At around 3-6 months of age some Mastiff
puppies may seem to be a little stiff or lame. This is probably due to a growth
spurt. It can also be caused by Pano.   At this time your puppy is a little fragile
and prone to injury.   Again be very careful on stairs & don't over exercise.

Don't worry if your dog doesn't weigh as much for their age as a growth chart
says they should. With proper nutrition they will grow to the size they are
genetically destined to be. Mastiffs grow & mature until they are at least 3
years of age so let them grow at a healthy rate. It is worth the wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mastiffs suffer from something, ironically called, Happy Tail. This is when the
end of the tail splits and bleeds due to the constant wagging. To prevent this
try to keep them from hitting their tail on hard surfaces. Don't get them excited
in their crate. If they do get Happy Tail put bag balm or something similar on
the crack and wrap w/ gauze and medical tape(do this under supervision as
they will chew the gauze off and swallow it).   If the end of their tail ulcerates
call your vet immediately.

Mastiffs, as other large breeds, are prone to bloat. One way to help prevent
bloat is to not feed or water heavily before or after exercise or excitement.
Talk to your vet for more info on this problem.

Good health & temperament are extremely important to us!!!!!

Our puppies will be up to date on shots and worming, and will be vet checked
before going to their new homes.

Contracts available upon request.

We stand behind our dogs and are here for you. If at any time you have
questions regarding any aspect of puppy rearing or health issues, please feel
free to contact us. We'll be happy to help you. Even if you have gotten your
Mastiff from another breeder or a shelter please feel free to email us w/ any
issues you may have. We will do our best to assist you as we genuinely love
this breed.

Health Information

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Are You The Right Person For A Mastiff