English Mastiff

Friend has 2. Bitch was a rescue and is great with family but you would never ever walk into their house unannounced. She is fine when introduced but not one to trust. The dog (who is huge) is the soppiest dog out, although disconcerting when he gets up on his back legs to say hello!
 
The only thing i cant tolerate about them is the facial goo. Gooey mouths, gooey eyes. Lovely dogs but a big powerful breed and not for the faint hearted. If you have never had a mastiff/bull type breed, probably best to try and spend a few hours with some to see if you are cut out for them lol they are BIG and heavy and eat a lot.

http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/dogs-101/videos/english-mastiff/
 
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I've had a dogue de Bordeaux mastiff..half the size of the English,at 52 kilos( female).She was one of the best dogs I've ever had...faithful,trained to CDX,fantastic with my kids,and other animals.Offlead was a doddle..she never strayed far from my side..
Downsides..ate a sack of kibble every three weeks,plus extras ( boiled meat and veg.
She was prone to skin allergies,food allergies,( which is typical of mastiffs generally I was told)
Coats ,collars and leads all cost a fortune for her size..
sHe drooled when excited or hungry...
She shed a lot..we still had her sharp short hairs around years later.
hEr vet bills were treble a normal dog..
She didn't tolerate heat very well.

I think the English mastiff are very similar...but double the weight ,so multiply on for the costs.
You HAVE to go to a breeder who health tests for the hips,shoulder ,heart and eye issues such as entropy,ectropy. etc...
tHey don't live long lives...my breeder said you get the dog to three and its your perfect dog,but anytime after eight it's an old dog...so treasure them whilst you have them.
 
One of my favourite dogs in the world is my friends English Mastiff. 14 stone of lovable lump with a wicked sense of humour :) He's got a slightly longer coat and it's like velcro to clothes. He is HUGE, his head is so big that he can't even fit it through the dog flap that my rottie could run through. He eats a lot and walking him is, well interesting - he's an old boy now but proceeds at a stately pace in whatever direction he wants to go and you are the midget on the lead who has no option but to go with him. The same when he decides to have a lie down. You just wait until he chooses to move - it's not like you're going to win the tug of war is it? :) His temperament is stellar with people and dogs but they are a guarding breed and can be protective so training while important for all dogs is imperative for a dog that size. The other thing to take into account is transporting them anywhere - he just fits into my estate with the back seats down but it takes 3 strong people to lift him in or out. Him and small children are also interesting, he doesn't bounce around or jump but it can be like skittles, even his tail can take out a toddler... Apparently as a pup/young dog the house suffered badly!

But...I'd never have one - mainly because of the drool (it turns my stomach, dog drool) but also because the are so large in everyway. The car I'd need, the space for a bed, the vet bills and insurance and as Bellasophia said, the short life.
 
I got my dad a Bull Mastiff puppy for his 50th birthday, and she is the best dog EVER. She is the soppiest madam and loves cuddles more than anything. She follows and plays with my young nephews and is an absolute saint with them.

Mastiffs really are great family dogs, but beware of their size as they are clumsy oafs! So children and anything sat on coffee tables will probably get knocked over... They bond very strongly with their family and are generally very wary of strangers. Fairly easy to train simple things to, but they can be stubborn and lazy. We taught Hera to 'check for zombies'!

When I first started seeing the OH (and I still lived at home) he came round and the dog hid from him (after making a huge racket when he arrived!). When we settled in the lounge, she came to sit with us. She was fine with him there, unless he moved, then she would jump up and bark at him lol.

But it only took a few 'meetings' before he was one of her pack and she started to dote on him like the rest of us!

Honestly, amazing dogs. If OH and I didn't both work full time and didn't have the cats to think of, I wouldn't hesitate to get another one.
 
That video's fantastic :p.

I've always fancied a Mastiff but my OH isn't keen on bull breeds, we are however the proud fairly new owners of a Newfoundland so are learning about keeping a giant breed. The slobber is bad, but frankly isn't as bad as a lot of people make it sound. Yes I have to wipe the walls around where he sleeps, but I've not found any on the ceiling yet!

They make a huge mess, cost a bomb to feed and the price of vaccination and worming is absolutely extortionate, they take up all the space on the floor and look at you with innocent eyes when you try in vain to move them so you can open a cupboard, but if it's the dog that you want then it's 100% worth it and I don't regret getting our boy for a second.
 
I can't say much on EM's but I'm pretty experienced with giant breeds having had Great Danes all my life and my OH has a Dogue De Bordeux.

Giant's will cost more... it's all relative really, they eat more, need more meds and leave bigger gifts. However, I have always found them extremly loyal and intelligent... Just because they don't fetch the ball like a lab doesn't mean they are not intelligent... they know that you will only thow it again so train you like a child... you threw it. you pick it up. Giants have expressions like no other, will generally join in with conversations grumbling and chuntering away. They like any dog, can be destructive... but being so large can cause more destruction... my friends dane ripped the whole arm of the sofa (I'm not talking the fabric, it only had 2 legs left when she got home). However not all are, my current Dane had a taste for expensive boots as a pup but nothing other than that. Some dogs slobber...some don't so much. You can always buy a bib.

One word of warning... The will steal your heart and then break it. No Giant will live a long life but they will change your life for ever!
 
Shoei is right,they do leave bigger gifts...this brought back memory for me..We took our dogue to USA for two years.Whilst out in the beautiful park land ,surrounded by walkers,she crouched to poo.I had a plastic shopping bag to hand and put it on the floor behind her. I bagged up her parcel and suddenly, there was a round of applause and we saw a large group of admirers clapping...one exclaimed" how did you train her to do that" ? Lol.
 
A gamekeeper near me had several as he was plagued by salmon poachers. The only breed that has had me very nervous in spite of half inch steel bars between us!
 
I have a Bullmastiff and I love love love her, she is the best dog ever and now I have discovered this breed I will never have anything else.

If you hanker after an English mastiff but the practicalities the size brings put you off consider a bullmastiff.
 
I have an English mastiff x DDB I can't fault them tbh, I did extensive research on both breeds (previously I had a cane Corso but wanted something with a lower energy and prey drive) and my boy is exactly as described- loyal to his family, friendly, amazing with kids and protective of them too (while I'm walking him with the pram he will always position himself between strangers and the pram but would never go for anyone unless my daughter was under a real threat) a bit dim on the old obedience training but still well behaved, they will laze around the house sleeping all day between walks. They are not by nature aggressive dogs nor are they what many people mistake as 'gaurd' dogs- they are watch dogs by which they will watch over your property and family, should you have an intruder they by nature will pounce and pin down not attack and I found this to be very true when I took my boy on at rising 2yrs I had him less than 48hours, arrived home from work to find my door wide open (I live on a busy terraced Street) immediately panicked thinking my dig had gone and house burgled but no he was sat square in the doorway watching over the house making sure nobody would enter till I got there! (I'm still to this day amazed by that aswell as confused about my door being open lol) so in all the slobber is a small price to pay for such a wonderful breed 😀
 
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