English Mastiff Information, Temperament and Pictures
English Mastiff Information, Temperament and Pictures: Facts and Information regarding health, training, and temperament of English Mastiffs.
Old English mastiffs or English Mastiffs is a large-sized ancient dog breed, This popular dog breed has a short coat that sheds all year round. They require moderate grooming. The origin of this dog breed is in England. They are of Calm and friendly personalities. English Mastiffs are protective of its owner and family. Mastiffs are considered calm dogs which don’t bark too much. This dog breed is one of the largest dog breeds in the world and also English Mastiff is the heaviest dog breed in the world. Here we will know about English Mastiff dog breeds in detail.
Size of English Mastiff
English Mastiffs are massively large in size. English Mastiffs are one of the largest dog breeds in the world and they own a record of Heavies dog breed.
Height of English Mastiffs
Male: 72 cm to 91 cm
Female: 72 cm to 91 cm
Weight
Male: 73 kg to 100 kg
Female: 54 kg to 77 kg
Breed Group
English Mastiff comes under the Working dog’s breed group.
The lifespan of English Mastiffs
The average life of English Mastiffs is 6 to 12 years.
The appearance of English Mastiffs
English Mastiffs have Unique and ravishing looks which makes them very popular and attracts many dog lovers. They have a massively large-sized body. Their body is huge and heavy. They have wide and square Heads. Their ears are V-shaped. They have a black mask at the muzzle area which gives incredible looks and have a black nose. They have a short coat which looks stunning on them.
Coat and Color of Mastiffs
English Mastiffs have a beautiful short and sleek coat which gives them a unique look. Though they have short coats it sheds moderately all year and sheds heavily during the Fall and Summer seasons. Although their coat doesn’t require often washing and bathing they do require frequent grooming and bathing to control shedding,
Regular brushing is also necessary during shedding season. Their Beautiful short-haired coat comes in a few colors: Brindle, Fawn, and Apricot. All of these colors look attractive to them.
History or Past of English Mastiffs
English Mastiff is one of the oldest dog breeds, Mastiffs dogs have been known to exist for thousands of years. It is considered that mastiffs are the descendants of the dogs who were brought to Britain by the ancient traders. Earlier Mastiffs were called Molossus and these dogs were used for guarding.
They were also used for Bloodsports like Bull baiting, Bear Baiting, and as fighting dogs in Britain. It is regarded as the most ancient breed in Britain.
In 1415, when Sir Piers Legh gets injured in the war of Agincourt, he was protected by a Female Mastiff for several hours during the war, after he returned to his home in England and formed the foundation for Lyme Hall Mastiffs.
Dogfighting and Bull baiting get banned in 1835 under the Cruelty to Animal act 1835. After this Mastiffs become less aggressive and calmer and were used for guarding and protection purposes. English Mastiffs were registered by American Kennel Club in 1885.
In the 19th century, John Wigglesworth began breeding this dog breed. WWI and WWII lead to the decline of this breed due and its breeding due to lack of food. Luckily this breed was established again and gains popularity.
Health Condition of English Mastiffs (Health Issues)
Like any other dog breed, English mastiffs are also prone to some health problems. An English Mastiff can live up to 11 years but many of them die earlier due to health problems and diseases. These dogs need regular exercise and a proper diet to maintain their health. Exercise is needed to avoid Lazy behavior in them, however, running and other heavy exercises are not good for young dogs. These exercises can damage the growth plates of their joints.
Only moderate exercise would be sufficient. Initially, their diet should be monitored, and don’t overfeed them as this could also cause some health issues like Obesity and Gastric Torsion. Gastric torsion is one of the most common diseases in English Mastiffs.
English Mastiffs are also prone to a common joint problem called Hip Dysplasia, This disease is most common in large-sized dog breeds like Rottweiler, German shepherd, and Great Dane. They are also prone to Cruciate Ligament Rupture.
Not only joint diseases, but Unfortunately, Mastiffs are also prone to many heart diseases including Pulmonic stenosis, Subaortic stenosis, and Cardiomyopathy. Eye diseases can also be found in English Mastiffs including a Progressive eye disease called Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), Ectropion& Entropion, and Retinal Dysplasia.
A thyroid disease caused due to abnormal production of Thyroid Hormone ‘Thyroxine’ called Hypothyroidism can also be found in them.
Other Health Diseases which are found in English Mastiffs are Cystinuria, Lymphosarcoma, Osteosarcoma, and Osteochondritis Dissecans. Many of these Diseases are Genetic, So if you want to own an English Mastiff dog it will be better if you take him from a well-reputed breeder. Regular Checkups and Vaccination can decrease the chances of many health issues.
The Temperament of English Mastiffs
English Mastiffs are considered to be calm and affectionate ‘Gentle Giants’ which can be great family dogs. They are very loyal to their owners and are friendly in nature. These dogs are social dogs who hate to be alone, they need the company of someone all the time.
If you have kids in your then English Mastiff can be a good breed for you, because they are caring in nature and are not aggressive. However, kids should also know how to behave with dogs. They need moderate Training. They also need Socialization to minimize territorial and dominating temperament.
Besides their calm behavior, these dogs can also be great guard dogs because of their protective behavior. They are very protective of their family and owner and these courageous dogs will never step back to protect them.
They are good guard dogs and can be dangerous to some unwanted beings. These dogs don’t bark much but if they are susceptible to someone then they would bark. Sometimes due to their protective behavior, they can be aggressive towards strangers and other animals which could be decreased by proper socialization.
Some of them often become lazy which can be easily avoided by moderate exercising, Only a moderate amount of exercise is sufficient for them because they are not of very energetic and playful personalities. This dog just needs long walks with its owner.
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