English Mastiff

The English Mastiff is an ancient dog breed. It is a huge and powerful dog with gentle and loyal personality. There are TOP 10 interesting facts about English Mastiff. 

  • 1. Ancient history: This is a very old dog breed and we can not be sure about their certain origin. They were found in Britain when the Romans invaded the island. We do not know how they got into Britain, one theory suggests that they were brought here by Phoenician traders as early as the 6th century before Christ, but their history might be much older. It is believed that they were developed from the ancient Alaunt and Molosser dogs and there is an evidence of Mastiff like dogs from mountains of Asia dating back more than 4,000 years 
  • 2. Original purpose:  we don't know how the dogs were used before they were discovered by Romans but since then they were used for guarding sheep and personal protection. They were most likely used as sheep guardians before the Romans came and it is believed that the British people are responsible for creating the Mastiff we have today. 
  • 3. Fighters:  there is also one sad reason for which English Mastiffs were used and that is fighting. For a long time English Mastiffs were bred forso called dog sports like bear and bull baiting and one-on-one arena fighting. They were four legged gladiators. Luckily since the 1835 all of this is illegal in Britain and most of the English Mastiff today are either companion dogs or guard dogs. 
  • 4. Giant:  this is a true dog giant actually one English Mastiff called Zorba held the record for the world's largest dog. He was forty seven inches tall which is 93 centimeters and weight incredible 343 pounds which is 155 kilograms. According to the breed standard every male Mastiff should be above thirty inches or 76 centimeters and female above 27 inches or 68 centimeters. The weight can worry a lot and there are quite big differences between males and females but commonly it should be between 120 to 230 pounds which is 55 to 105 kilograms. 
  • 5. Family companion:  despite its big size and some undeserved bad reputation the English Mastiff is sensitive loyal protective noble and loving family pet. The socialization is extremely important because you definitely do not want to live with 200 pounds dog that is not well socialized, but if you will socialize your Mastiff properly you will have amazing companion by your side 
  • 6. Puppies:  English Mastiffs ares low to mature, well they will be larger than most adult dogs even when they are just six months old but they will not reach their complete physical and mental maturity until they are approximately three years old. Because they are growing for such a long time you shouldn't go for a run with them or let them jumping up and down because there is a big risk of joint damage. They can play naturally but very long walks or vigorous exercise is not recommended until they are about 20 months of age. 
  • 7. Litter:  I just talked about English Mastiff puppy so let's stay at this topic. You already know that this is one of the biggest dogs in the world but not only their size is one of the largest they also have one of the biggest litters,typically there will be between ten to twelve puppies in one litter which is a lot, but biggest documented litter was 24 puppies. Sadly only 20 of them survived past the first week. 
  • 8. protectors:  English Mastiffs are natural protectors they bark only rarely so they might not let you know when something suspicious is going on around your home but they will definitely monitor the situation by themselves. They can be very decisive when they or their family is in danger This dog is alert and suspicious towards strangers and it can take a while for them to make new friends
  • 9. Maintenance:  English Mastiff sheds quite heavily but the maintenance is pretty simple. Weekly brushing is definitely enough but during the shedding season you can brush them daily to minimize the shedding. As you can probably imagine Mastiffs are sloppy drinkers and they drool a lot. Just like with all dogs you should regularly check their ears and nails and clean them or clip them if needed. 
  • 10. Health:  Just like most the giant dog breeds the lifespan of English Mastiff is not the longest only between 7 to 11 years This breed commonly suffers from hipdys plasia and gastric torsion occasionally from cardiomyopathy obesity allergies entropion hypothyroidism Tell me in comments what do you like the most about the English Mastiff and what is your experience with this dog breed .