Mastiff's....

[dragonflyreptiles]

Who all here has mastiff's?

Im looking at a senior Old English Mastiff and want to know if there is anything I should know about the breed that is beyond common for them. I know most of the common ailments for larger breed dogs but have spent most of my adult like with Rotties and Pitt Bulls.

I really want to resuce this dog as the owner is unable to keep himbut I want to make sure I am not in for a huge amount of surprises health wise for the breed.

He is way under weight as admitted by the owner, he is about 140-150lbs and was aroudn 210 so I know I have a big fight on my hands to get himabck up to weight, he is alo about 10 years old and I know that provides it challenges.

I just want to give this dog a nice time for the few years he has left if I can.

So any info will be of a great help!

here is a photo:

 

[moosassah]

I can speak as the former keeper of 2 great danes. We rescued Jerry, a 150lb male of unknown age. Turned out he was epileptic. We were unable to get any previous vet information. You seem to be in contact with the owner. Get that dog's vet's name & call to speak with them about his health history & future expectations. If the owner can't give you the information he may be hiding something.

Also, my great danes had more & more trouble with urinating the older they got. Big dogs, BIGGER puddles.

If he has any kind of joint or other health issues are you prepared to lift him? After Jerry would seize it would take a minimum of 2 strong adults to roll him onto a blanket so we could carry him out to the truck & then lift him up & in to head for the vet.

Talk to breeders, talk to mastiff rescue groups, talk to a vet *especially before trying to put weight on a 10 year old large breed dog*. Don't get into a big dog unless you're willing to take the extra steps & be prepared for potentially steep vet bills.

That said, you could keep this guy very happy for his last years.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

thanks for the info!

I am in contact with the owner and he has all of his vet records so that does help. The owner fell into a bad situation and has been unable to give him needed attention or feed him well but he has no current medical needs other than getting his shots update next month but I will want him tested for worms.

Im going to see him Tuesday, I didn't think about being able to pick him up as he gets older, Im a big girl but Im not that big so Ill have to really think about that one.

 

[moosassah]

One last rather silly one...unless you happen to have neighbors with no sense of smell...You must be a SUPER POOPER SCOOPER. Break out the coal shovel because they don't sell anything at the pet store that'll save you! LOL. Stick to dog food because you won't be able to stay in the same room if you give him a "human" treat! We still crack up 6 years after losing Jerry at the stories people retell about that dog's Super Power.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

lol

 

[paulnj]

Up until 3 years ago all I owned was rare breed mastiffs(neopolitans, tosa inu, filas, cane corso, dogue de bordeaux and a presa). Mastiff breeds for the most part are more loving of females usually and can be very protective if not properly raised. The biggest problem(besides hips) I encountered was that they get callouses on the knee joints from plopping down on the floor, so just watch for it and keep them softened if they appear.

One last tip for large breeds.... make sure they know your the alpha or life with them becomes a battle.

Giant breed dogs are the best friend you will ever have too! Great for you for wanting to give him a loving home!

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Thanks Paul, Ive worked with alrge breeds, well not that large but I raised, bred and shoed Rotties for a long long time. I just knew there would be a little more challenges with that larger of a breed of dog.

 

[paulnj]

You be fine then! Rotties are derived from mastiff types and have the same mentality

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Cool, thanks Paul!

I really really want this dog and I want him to me MY DOG!

Ive read that the life span is only 10 to 12 years and that scares me a bit to get attached and lose him but I hope it works out when I go to see him Tuesday that he likes me and I can bring him home.

Is that true about the life span?

 

[paulnj]

for the most part yes, but I am sure some will live longer.

I rescued most of my dogs as adults, so understand your concerns. My Tosa Inu(178 lbs) didn't like men, but dealt with me usually He loved my GF to death though. I had him put to sleep when his hips went on him and he started looking unhappy. He was around 10-12 at the time and was abused alot before I got him. He was 112 pounds of skin and bones with a bullet in his hip when I got him, so that could have caused his hips to go 4 years later?

Rescued dogs are usually more loving IMHO, due to appreciating the love the rescuer gives them.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

OK, well I will deal with his life span if I get him.

I feel really bad for his owners, the husband was trasnfered to NC and then quickly lost his job due to cut backs, not being from here and no money to move back to their hometown he took a job making much less money and the dog (bailey) has been the one to suffer from the lack of income.

he did tell me that Bailey loved all women but was a little odd about the men he chose to like or totally dislike.

 

[paulnj]

I would go hungry before any of my pets did, but that's just me(and I have)

Sounds like a typical mastiff too me

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Think about it Wendy... those dogs eat A LOT!!! Didn't you just give up one of your dogs? I know you have a very soft heart when it comes to animals, but sometimes we gotta just say 'no', girlfriend.

 

[Haroldo]

Like Paul, I'd have to agree that some of these large mastiff breeds tend to be problematic if you don't assert yourself as Alpha early on. We work with Perro de Presa Canario (Presas) and have been for quite some time. While they are "house pets" and are quite sociable with people they know, for strangers, they can be quite dangerous. Not to scare you, but recently someone was "caught" lurking around one of our buildings by one of our 90# females. Needless to say, things could've gotten very risky for this young fellow. Moral of the story, get a good trainer early on that specializes in the type of "behavior" that'll be most suiting for everyday life with you. In our case, the dogs are trained for protection. In your case, it might be you'll want a more social dog all-around. What i've also noticed in this breed, as well as the South African Boerbull Mastiff, is that there are somewhat more dog aggressive than other "fighting breeds," so that might be another consideration. Good luck finding a suitable breed/dog.

 

[paulnj]

As marcia states.... 15-20 pound of food is average weekly

Haroldo... boerboels are the holy grail of dogs to me

 

[moosassah]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the calluses on their knees/elbows. Both Boo & Jerry slept a twin bed or the e-n-t-i-r-e couch!

It helps to elevate their food and soak it in water. Read up on "bloat" which just so happens to be what killed our Boo when she was 8 years old .

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Think about it Wendy... those dogs eat A LOT!!! Didn't you just give up one of your dogs? I know you have a very soft heart when it comes to animals, but sometimes we gotta just say 'no', girlfriend.

We placed Snow ball in a new home, after she had her puppies she became very agressive and killed 2 of our cats. Then when we would let hte puppies out with her she would try to bury them and grab them by the head and shake them. So we placed her in a home with no other animals.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Like Paul, I'd have to agree that some of these large mastiff breeds tend to be problematic if you don't assert yourself as Alpha early on. We work with Perro de Presa Canario (Presas) and have been for quite some time. While they are "house pets" and are quite sociable with people they know, for strangers, they can be quite dangerous. Not to scare you, but recently someone was "caught" lurking around one of our buildings by one of our 90# females. Needless to say, things could've gotten very risky for this young fellow. Moral of the story, get a good trainer early on that specializes in the type of "behavior" that'll be most suiting for everyday life with you. In our case, the dogs are trained for protection. In your case, it might be you'll want a more social dog all-around. What i've also noticed in this breed, as well as the South African Boerbull Mastiff, is that there are somewhat more dog aggressive than other "fighting breeds," so that might be another consideration. Good luck finding a suitable breed/dog.

This dog is 10 years old so Im hoping he doesn't haev a lot of bad training or agression habits.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

As marcia states.... 15-20 pound of food is average weekly

Haroldo... boerboels are the holy grail of dogs to me

Hmm I would have though 50lbs or more, my pitt puppies go through 15-20 lbs a week between the 2 of them and they are only 9 weeks old.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the calluses on their knees/elbows. Both Boo & Jerry slept a twin bed or the e-n-t-i-r-e couch!

It helps to elevate their food and soak it in water. Read up on "bloat" which just so happens to be what killed our Boo when she was 8 years old .

lol

Bloat is a problem with Rotties to so Ill be careful about that if I get him.