This might be a bit rambly. 
DH has loved Mastiffs his whole life and always wanted one. I like them too, but I'm not so picky about breed. I like that they are gentle, calm/mellow, "thoughtful", and good with children. The size seems like it would be a nice deterrent to "bad guys" although size in a breed it is not my main concern.
I am wondering how you know who is really a good breeder or not-- DH and I no real experience with breeders or with this breed. (Most of our dogs growing up were shelter mutts!
) Speaking of which, we also have little experience with dogs that are so large, which is the main reason we would want the highest quality dog that we can afford (we're not flying to England to get one! Lol.) What questions do you ask, what do you look for? Any tips concerning traveling to acquire a puppy? We might have to travel cross-country. Yuck.
We currently have a newborn (human, lol), so we are planning for the future, and we would need to wait until we are moved out of this apartment before buying a Mastiff, anyway. Plus we would want a good quality Mastiff, so that's a bit of money to save up for that. So I am wondering when is the best time, as far as age of children, to introduce a Mastiff as a family dog? When the youngest is-- three? Four? Or what? We like to make plans in advance, especially me, so I know what to plan for as far as housing, finances, etc, and what to expect.
Also-- what are the real costs of owning a Mastiff? As far as food/doggie daycare/etc.? We like to vacation so doggie daycare/hotel would be a necessity once or twice a year. Is grooming an issue or are they pretty easy to clean on one's own (without the need of paying for grooming?) We would want to do at least a partially raw/home-cooked diet, so I know that would be expensive, but I hope that it would cut down on medical expenses (and, potentially, heartbreak) down the road. What about other costs?
Also, are Mastiffs destructive? I mean, not on purpose, but they're so large, I'm wondering if they would unwittingly destroy a garden, ruin wood floors, I don't know. I'm just trying to anticipate the hidden negatives one doesn't always consider.
What about training? Can we train the dog well ourself if we read enough books and are dedicated to it (we could be, definitely-- well, I could-- DH works a lot so realistically it would be me doing the training) or would it be best to also utilize a trainer or a doggie training school? We have both worked with dog training before, but I think I would be much better at it now than I was then (when I was a teen!)
Anything else we should consider? We are not sold on this breed yet, but it is probably our main contender right now, since it is a long-time dream of my hubby's. I think the cost (initial cost plus feeding) is a bit of a deterrent to me, but other than that I like the breed a lot.
DH has loved Mastiffs his whole life and always wanted one. I like them too, but I'm not so picky about breed. I like that they are gentle, calm/mellow, "thoughtful", and good with children. The size seems like it would be a nice deterrent to "bad guys" although size in a breed it is not my main concern.
I am wondering how you know who is really a good breeder or not-- DH and I no real experience with breeders or with this breed. (Most of our dogs growing up were shelter mutts!
) Speaking of which, we also have little experience with dogs that are so large, which is the main reason we would want the highest quality dog that we can afford (we're not flying to England to get one! Lol.) What questions do you ask, what do you look for? Any tips concerning traveling to acquire a puppy? We might have to travel cross-country. Yuck.We currently have a newborn (human, lol), so we are planning for the future, and we would need to wait until we are moved out of this apartment before buying a Mastiff, anyway. Plus we would want a good quality Mastiff, so that's a bit of money to save up for that. So I am wondering when is the best time, as far as age of children, to introduce a Mastiff as a family dog? When the youngest is-- three? Four? Or what? We like to make plans in advance, especially me, so I know what to plan for as far as housing, finances, etc, and what to expect.
Also-- what are the real costs of owning a Mastiff? As far as food/doggie daycare/etc.? We like to vacation so doggie daycare/hotel would be a necessity once or twice a year. Is grooming an issue or are they pretty easy to clean on one's own (without the need of paying for grooming?) We would want to do at least a partially raw/home-cooked diet, so I know that would be expensive, but I hope that it would cut down on medical expenses (and, potentially, heartbreak) down the road. What about other costs?
Also, are Mastiffs destructive? I mean, not on purpose, but they're so large, I'm wondering if they would unwittingly destroy a garden, ruin wood floors, I don't know. I'm just trying to anticipate the hidden negatives one doesn't always consider.
What about training? Can we train the dog well ourself if we read enough books and are dedicated to it (we could be, definitely-- well, I could-- DH works a lot so realistically it would be me doing the training) or would it be best to also utilize a trainer or a doggie training school? We have both worked with dog training before, but I think I would be much better at it now than I was then (when I was a teen!)
Anything else we should consider? We are not sold on this breed yet, but it is probably our main contender right now, since it is a long-time dream of my hubby's. I think the cost (initial cost plus feeding) is a bit of a deterrent to me, but other than that I like the breed a lot.
