English Mastiffs

Hi A.,
I don't have experience with this breed, but I have a lifetime of experience (I'm 53) with dogs. I would like to strongly encourage you to check your local shelters before buying a pedegree. Having had both, I can vouch that the mutts win hands-down over a pedegree. The people at the shelter are very experienced. They can size up a dog pretty quickly. I'm not sure how old your children are--if they are young, you may want to go first without them, to see what's available and get information. I guarantee there will be just the right one for you. Our beloved mutt (and yes, she's so ugly that she's cute!) just turned 16, and has very few health issues. Please also keep in mind that a big dog needs a lot of exercise and room to run, whereas a smaller dog can be more manageable if you have limited time and space. I wish you the best!

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Hi A., I am English and still live here, English Mastiffs are natural guard dogs and have been used as such for a long long time. I would think very carefully before having them with young children as they are very large and are quite clumsy. Why not consider a smaller English breed, we have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, (not to be confused with American Pit Bull). She is three years old and adores our grandchildren 6 and 9 years. She is the second Staffie we have had in our family, I myself grew up with one and I bought my oldest son one when he was 14 months old. They are a people breed, they love children and are very gentle, but would protect you with their life if needs be.
Hope this helps. P. UK

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I was just reading some of the other posts and i saw a recommendation to get a bull mastiff... please, never, never, never get a bull mastiff. They seem to be a great dog, but just recently within the past 2 weeks I had a very close friend who had to put 2 of their 3 dogs down because something in their bull mastiff snapped and he pretty much tore the other dog to shreds. They had to put that dog down because she was so badly hurt and of course the bull mastiff because they, rightly so, didn't want him to do it again.

I don't know the temperament of other kinds of mastiffs, all of the other comments seem to say they are very kind, just be wary if you don't know exactly what he's bred with. When my friends got to the vet, they vet told them that it was pretty common with any dog bred with bulldog that they would be gentle their whole lives until something snaps and they tear something or someone apart.

Just be cautious. Hope this helps.

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We have an american Mastiff (Dry mouth version) and she is WONDEFUL with our kids. We had Daisy first then our boys ages 4&5. She is a great baby sitter constantly wanting to be near them to keep watch. Even though she is a 'dry' mouth there is still some slobber after eating or drinking so you need to be prepared for that. Also, they really need to be indoor dogs. They do not realize they aren't human and develope such close bonds with their people that they feel punished if forced to be outside, plus the extremes in heat/cold here in Indiana can be a bit much for them. I wish I knew how to attach a picture to a message because I have one I could send of Daisy with my oldest at about 18 monthes of age that would make you go out and get a Mastiff on the spot! Again, I would warn there is a lot of drool (with the English esp) and lost hair to deal with, but the loyalty and affection they give more than makes up for it!

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A.,
We had an english mastiff for 9 years (the saddest day of my life)Winston. We had him 9 months before we had children but he was very gentle around our 3 kids as they came. We spent time with dominance training when he was small (it's easy when they are small). Winny did drool but we had towels for him. Our children used him for a booster stool to get on the sofa when they were babies. I have never had such a gentle dog and I have had a dog my entire life. The only time he knocked our children over was with his tail.
I know a lot of people suggested using the humane society however, I would only have a mastiff that came from a breeder who had dog's that were temperment tested. I would want to know the dogs parents and their pedigree. Most reputable breeders of mastiffs do NOT over breed their dog, usually no more that 3 litters in a females life time. We waited 9 months for our puppy, it was like being pregnant. As far as exercise, mastiff's like to play but are generally lazy dog, and enjoy being with the family. We also found to use good quality dog food as it decreased the number of mounds in the back yard. If you have any question's please feel free to email me at ____@____.com

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A friend of mine breeds them and another friend of mine got one from my first friend for her kids. I would be cautious. They are a large breed and are not bred to be quote on quote family dogs. They are mostly guard dogs. Plus, if you do not get them from a highly qualified breeder that really cares about the breed, you can run into a lot of health issues later that are very costly. I would seriously consider getting a different breed dog. Also, consider a breed that does not need a whole lot of exercise like some smaller breed dogs. All bigger breed dogs need lots and lots of exercise. If they don't get it, there can be behavioral prbls. I don't know how many kids you have and how old they are but please think abt the long-term commitment you are making to a dog. In 3 to 4 years, will your kids still have plenty of time to devote to the dog? Or will they be too busy with school and extra-curricular activities? Are you prepared to take care of the dog yourself without your kids pitching in? Having grown up with lots of animals, I always advise my friends: "Don't get a dog for your kids, get a dog for yourself and let your kids pitch in with the care as long as they want to." Then, you are not likely get as frustrated as you could when the kids loose interest and the dog will remain with you vs. going to the pound. All in all there have been studies on breeds for kids and while the popular belief is that labs are the best family dogs, the number one family dog, believe it or not, is actually the miniature poodle. They are loving, easier to train, a family dog, love kids and love to play. Good luck with your search on your forever friend. PS: Please consider going to a shelter or rescue organization first. If you get an older dog, you save yourself the housebreaking training.

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We had a wonderful mastiff, Niko, who was 4 years old when our son was born. Niko was great with both our kids with one exception. Because he was so big, he occasionally knocked the kids down. I don't know how old your kids are but we probably won't get another mastiff until our kids are a little older and less likely to be bowled over! (We lost Niko to bone cancer last year). Good luck!

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i know two people with babies and young children and mastiffs. the only problem one of my friends has with hers is that he likes to eat things like socks. he is still a puppy even though he is hughe so he should grow out of it. they are great with kids and low maintenance. they also dont need a whole lot of exercise like most large dogs. they dont want to run very much and get tired easy but they do love to play. even as a small puppy my small dog wore him out.

Hi. I would check out this website since you are looking for a dog:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/abc.htm

and this one:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/mastiff.htm

I don't think I would have an english mastiff around kids, maybe a bull mastiff...they seem to be a lot more gentle and laid back...

Good Luck!

A.,
My friend has 2 english mastiffs and 2 children. A 4 yo boy and a 1.5 yo girl. Although their dogs are very large and do spend a lot of time outside running the yard, they have had no problems between the dogs and children. They have had the dogs since they were pups (before the kids) and also bred them for awhile.

I have an 8 month old English Mastiff. He is the second Mastiff that I've owned. I got the second one because my first one died. My husband knew how much I loved Baxter, that he surprised me with Boris. I wouldn't trade him for the world. Boris is an outside dog. He is definitely in the puppy chewing phase. He took an unopened bag of mulch and played with it like a toy. I now have mulch all over the yard. The breeder had 4 indoor mastiffs. They are very gentle, clumsy yes, but they love people. Boris is not aggressive. He barks at strangers and strange dogs, but he is basically a big baby. Baxter (my first mastiff) hardly ever barked, you knew if he barked, to go look. He does chase the cats because they run. The one cat is his best buddy. They do slobber after they have had a drink, so be aware of that. He has knocked my 2 yr old over, but because he wanted some attention. It wasn't in any way on purpose. Baxter let the kids crawl all over him. The are very smart dogs, although sometimes you would think they are stupid. It took me 2 days to train him to sit. He has since then learned to shake, lie down and roll over. We are currently working on having him sit and stay. He took to walking with a leash after 2 trips down our driveway. Our first mastiff was very lazy. I don't think they need much exercise esp. for an extra large breed. But then, mine have been outside. One thing that the other posts haven't mentioned is how much they eat. I don't think he eats any more than the Weimareiner (sp.?) we just had. I feel that he needs just as much care as any other dog. From experience with my mom's lab, Boris is much more laid back. Even as a puppy. I don't remember if the negative posts have had a mastiff before, but I would definitely recommend getting a mastiff. Just remember that they do get huge.

If you'd like a large and beautiful dog, you may want to consider adopting a retired racing greyhound. You have to take special considerations with them (special collars, not having a small dog as well,) but the ones I have met are sweet dogs who are very friendly with kids. Plus, you don't have to worry about puppy troubles.

I honestly don't have any experience with mastiffs, but if I were to choose a dog I'd likely go for the greyhound.

My boyfriend has a 250 lb. four year old English Mastiff and he is one of the most gentile dogs I have ever seen around children. I have a 4 year old daughter that bosses him around and tries to braid his hair and Ben will just let her do it. At the same time, is very protective and he will guard you from anyone he doesn’t like until he is comfortable around that person. I have never had any concerns about Ben being around any child. From what I have read and what I have seen personally from Ben, the breed seems like a great one to have around kids.

lol...I totally read the subject as "English Muffins" and then "We are seriously considering this bread as our pet". I was confused to say the least!

I worked at the humane society for a summer and had contact with two mastiffs. They were great, huge, but gentle. One thing to keep in mind is that when you go through a breeder, you are much more likely to get inbreeds with behavior problems. See if you can't find a rescue instead! Here's a link for a rescue search:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&a...

As for knocking kids down, my 50 lb beagle/lab does that, I think any dog that is bigger than a child will do it, si don't worry too much.

We have and English Mastiff named Luther. He is 6 years old and we love him! He is so gentle and protective of our children. He loves everyone and is truly a gentle giant. When the children were smaller they would climb all over him. He is the best dog that we have owned and we would definitely get another one.

He does slobber after eating and drinking. We have drool towels handy when this happens.

Good luck!

We own a mastiff. Before we got her, we fell in love with one
that we were sitting for. We had tried several other types of dogs. Nanny is very gentle. My baby wasn't quite a year old when we got her. He would take her chew bone right out of her mouth. She had no response. He fell on her several times- still does. He also uses her as a step stool. All of the other kids love her too. The only problem is sometimes if she is excited she'll bump into the toddler and knock him down. I just wanted to add my 2 cents....good luck.