COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ENGLISH MASTIFFS

These common statements usually begin with BECAUSE OF THEIR SIZE…

1. “… they must be vicious/aggressive/dangerous”
if sensibly handled NEVER! “Gentle Giants” is accurately used to describe the English Mastiff’s temperament. Most aggressive/vicious behaviour in dogs is through fear. Mastiffs know their size and strength and don’t find the need to scare people/animals with displays of aggression. They will however protect their home and family if threatened. If a foolish intruder is not deterred by their sheer size and ignores the vocal warning, the next defence of the Mastiff is to knock them over and pin them down and hold until called off. They will not bite or maul if raised appropriately.

2. “… they must be unsuitable for families with children?”
NO! Mastiffs adore young children and are exceedingly gentle and careful around them. They will often prefer the company of children over adults and will vigilantly watch over them. They good-naturedly tolerate abuse like ear, tail and whisker pulling, kids jumping on them, dressing them up etc. When playing, they have an uncanny ability to adjust their strength to suit the size of the child.

3. “… they must eat LOTS of food”
NO! When fully grown they will eat as much as your average German Shepherd. Because they are relatively inactive dogs their calorie requirement is quite low.

4. “… they must need a huge yard”
NO! Mastiffs are big lazy animals and are happy to plod around a small yard. The only requirement is a good fence.

5. “… need lots of exercise?”
NO! quite the opposite! They require a daily SHORT stroll. Don’t think this will be the type of dog you can take long walks with. I am always reminded of a story published in a dog breeding magazine about a lady who took her Mastiff on a long walk around the neighbourhood to ‘show him off’ and ended up sitting on the roadside for 2 hours until he was ready to go home!

6. “will hurt other animals cats/dogs etc”
NO! Mastiffs love company and are very gentle with all animals as they are with children. If you can’t be at home with them they need companionship – a cat or dog would be ideal. Our Mastiffs share a home with Jack Russells, goats, and chickens and get along equally as well with each. Our Russells like to snuggle up next to the Mastiffs and sleep.