If a list is ever formed for a great companion dog that can also guard you the English Mastiff would have to be at the top of the list. Now this dog breed with the huge body build and what appears to be brute strength would make any burglar think before approaching your home. Not only that the English Mastiff is a very gentle dog when it comes to his family so you have a great guard dog and companion in this breed of dog.
The English Mastiff is a giant sized dog that is very powerful dog that is huge in size. For some people that do not know it this breed is also the worlds record holder in dog weight. While this dog is an ancient breed the gentle dog that we now know was not always so gentle. Because of the large size they were frequently used as dogs for wars, fighting dogs in sports arenas, and as bait at times for various hunting of large predators.
The English Mastiff is very territorial and also very defensive of the people they see as there owners. I know that for my pet I have to warn people that are coming up to him to walk slowly so he doesn't jump into defense mode. Which is a good thing for me because at times I have my children with me, and I know that he will defend them. However, for all this defensive nature that he has towards strangers he is a perfect gentleman with my kids and even other people kids. With the English Mastiff being so gentle with kids is another reason why they are a great companion dog and him wanting to protect the kids and family is why they make a terrific dog for protection.
The downside with these dogs are that they only live roughly nine to eleven years old which doesn't seem fair when you are so attached to the English Mastiff dog that you have. To help him reach this good life for your great big companion you will want to have him on a veterinarian recommended diet and maintain a healthy level of exercise. Getting your huge behemoth of a pet to exercise though can be hard at times because you will probably find that they can be a lazy dog from time to time. The other thing that you will notice is that your friend will drool quite a bit. To help combat this you will want to designate a towel to wiping off the drool at the water bowl!
While your English Mastiff has a huge body he also has a gigantic heart to equal his body size. You will want to fill your English Mastiffs heart with all the love that you can provide. The more love and affection that you give to your English Mastiff the more loyal of a companion and guard dog you will get.
Jimmy is an avid dog person and has 4 dogs and 2 cats of her own. For more great information on
training Mastiffs click here helpmymastiffbehavior.info.
