The American Mastiff is the result of crossing the English Mastiff and the Anatolian Shepherd. The founder of this breed, Frederick Wagner, tried to solve the problem of abundant salivation in European mastiffs. The American Association of Dog Handlers recognized the breed to be clean, but the world canine organization does not recognize the American Mastiff as a separate breed.
Features
In Russia, dogs of this breed are not very common, American mastiff puppies are registered in only one organization located in the USA, it includes only 10 people. Therefore, you can buy a real representative of this relatively new breed only from them. Due to the proximity of Ohio (where there is a club registering puppies) to Canada, the breed quickly spread in this country, sometimes dogs are called Canadian mastiffs, but this is not the correct name.
Being born dark, puppies in the process of growing up brighten, the most common colors of the breed: beige, apricot and brindle. There may be white spots on the ends of the paws and under the chin. Dogs are considered large and maintenance in small apartments will be difficult. According to the description the growth of the largest representatives of the breed is 91 cm, and the weight can reach 90 kg, the smallest representative registered in the association was 65 cm tall and weighed 63 kilograms.
The eyes of the mastiff are a bit oval and deep-set, they should be dark just like the muzzle. The ears are hanging and have a rounded shape. The muzzle of the dogs is elongated, but not sharp, but wide. Muscular neck and wide legs are also distinctive characteristics of dogs. Breed short-haired, with a bit harsh coat.
The dog looks a bit like representatives of fighting breeds. The most important feature of the exterior is the black mask on the face.
Despite the impressive dimensions and external similarity with fighting breeds, mastiffs have a calm and friendly disposition. Dogs are not very playful, but you need to deal with them. Walking is a must, but long running is not recommended due to the weak joints of the animal.
Very dedicated in nature, they are more protective. They love to be the center of attention and be useful to their masters. Mastiffs are wary of strangers, in case of danger they will fully protect the person.
With proper upbringing, they get along well with other pets if they do not feel threatened by them. Getting on with kids, but to leave them alone is not recommended because of the large size of pets, they can make an imprudent movement and injure or scare the baby. They are well trained., but do not recognize the rude attitude or punishment, they need to look for the right approach.
Of the minuses can be identified laziness and the desire to dominate, dogs are not very active in nature, they become more passive with age. Attempts to dominate the owner should be avoided, for this a person must show their status in the right way. The dog must see in the owner's host and respect him in order to carry out commands and be obedient.
Content and dressura
It is desirable to keep representatives of such a large breed in areas of private houses, but at the same time create comfortable conditions for them. Dogs do not tolerate cold weather, so for the winter it is better to take them into the house or put a heater in the aviary. In apartments that are quite large in quadrature, it will be easy to keep mastiffs in view of their lazy nature., but regular walks and exercises are necessary to avoid aggressive splashes of unspent energy.
Trying to socialize and educate a dog should be from an early age, since untamed and rude puppy can grow into an uncontrollable aggressive dogwhich will become a threat to people. American mastiffs feel very subtle, so when training, the master's voice should be firm and confident.
If you doubt your confidence, then it is better to transfer the training to the hands of specialists who, without punishment and disrespect for the dog, will teach it to protect the owner, as well as instill all behavioral norms. Mastiffs rarely fight, their protective functions are manifested in an attempt to intimidate and drive away the dangerous stranger from the owner, and not to tear to shreds.
The main components of education are the strength of the owner and the understanding of the dog. Despite the lazy nature, the mastiff will attempt to dominate, which must be properly suppressed.
You can not put emphasis on the protective functions of the dog, if you just need a dog-friend. Then you should educate and socialize your pet in other programs.
Care and feeding
The only feature in the care is the need every two to three weeks trim the claws. These pets do not scratch their claws naturally, like many other breeds, so you need to follow the owners for this. It is necessary to bathe the dog as it is polluted, but not more often than once every 3 weeks, and if it lives at home, it is necessary to wash the paws and stomach regularly, for this it is better to use a damp cloth.
When eating, food can remain in the folds of the mouth and later lead to infections, so you should wipe your mouth and check the folds for cleanliness. The same applies to the ears: it is worth considering the ears for the presence of plaque, wipe with tampons when contaminated. During the moulting, daily combing of the dog is recommended, at other times - 2-3 times a month.
American mastiffs are prone to obesitytherefore, food needs to be carefully monitored. Dogs should not have open access to food. You can feed them with natural food or special foods, the main thing is to ensure that the diet of the animal has enough of the necessary nutrients to develop and maintain health. When feeding with natural food you need to include in the menu:
- meat and fish products;
- cereals and offal;
- fruits and vegetables.
It is forbidden to give the following products:
- fried, smoked, too fatty and salty foods;
- sausage and flour products;
- confectionery;
- beans and potatoes.
With a natural way of feeding you need to buy vitamins for a pet.
It will be difficult to monitor obesity, because an adult eats about 30 kg of food per month. The constitution is considered normal if your pet has two last edges visible when walking.
Purchase
It is not recommended to buy American mastiffs from Russian breeders - the risk of deception is very high. Buy puppies officially only in Americasince it is not known whether other breeders are engaged in breeding this breed. Due to the low demand and small population, the price for puppies varies from 60,000 to 100,000 rubles.
Mastiffs from America live on average from 11 to 15 years. Many representatives of these dogs still have some genetic diseases, the most popular of them is hip dysplasia. You can learn about the heredity of the disease by carefully examining the pedigree, but the risk still remains. With this disease, proper care and treatment is necessary to avoid disability and death of the pet.
The greatest attention should be paid to puppies up to a year: in what conditions they are kept and how they look. It has been revealed that puppies are most vulnerable to infections and diseases, up to one year old, in particular for hepatitis.
Do not buy an American mastiff if:
- you are afraid of big dogs;
- you have no experience of training and communication with large breeds;
- there is no free time or you are not ready to spend a lot of time and effort to bring up and socialize a pet;
- if you like cleanliness and squeamish about salivating the dog;
- active sports can be your hobby, but not suitable for this breed.
About the American Mastiff puppies, see the following video.
