Most people will tell you that there are 3 types of people when it comes to animals: those that don’t really like animals, dog people, and cat people. Really, I think that this generalization is much too broad. There are people who love ALL animals; people who only like smaller pets like hamsters, guinea pigs, etc.; people that only like birds; and many other types of people when it comes to their animal preferences.
I typically fall into the category of people who love all animals – while allergic to cats, we still have 2 of them, and I’ve always enjoyed small animals as well (as of this writing, we have 8 rats and 2 fire-bellied toads). But truly, my first and primary passion is, has been, and always will be dogs.
In a previous life I’ve been part of the management team at 2 different pet stores, and was offered the job of director of a small animal shelter almost a decade ago (which I did not take). Ever since my childhood we have had dogs – a Golden Retriever when I was a child & a Clumber Spaniel when I was a teenager. As an adult, I have rescued various dogs, including both of our current dogs. Earlier this year, Jen & I determined that we would no longer adopt mixed breeds from shelters, but would only adopt dogs from rescues who foster animals – for a variety of reasons that I will write about in the future.
This meant that when we were ready to make our most recent adoption, we were only considering pure-breed rescues – for me that meant that we only had one type of dog to consider, and that was the giant of the dog world, the English Mastiff.
When people talk about “big dogs” or “large breed dogs” most everyone is talking about Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, maybe even Rottweilers – all of which are big dogs. Very people people even have the giant breeds enter their consciousness. Mastiffs, Great Danes, and Saint Bernards are like shadows in the mind of most dog enthusiasts. Everyone knows that they exist, but few people ever actually encounter them, and even fewer ever form a relationship with them. Mastiffs in particular look more like small ponies than large dogs, and most people are awe-struck when they encounter them. But when it all comes down to it, they are ALL DOG. Many people have “their breed”, and after being owned by many breeds (both pure & mixed) throughout my life, I’ve definitely found my breed.
If you’re wondering what it’s like to own a mastiff, I guess I would say that I’m the wrong person to ask – this is still new to us as well, but I can say that you’re certainly in for a ride. Mastiffs are amazing animals, and Sarge is the most personable dog that I have ever met. It takes some time to get used to the slobber & their size, but if you’re looking for a dog that just wants to hang out and relax with their family, there’s nothing like a mastiff cuddling with you on the floor.
This doesn’t mean that you should run out and adopt a mastiff if it sounds ideal, or take the decision to adopt a giant breed dog lightly – there are giant expenses to match their size. Everything costs more – vet visits, medications, collars, toys & of course food, just to name a few. With any animal you need to make sure that you have the financial means to provide for them, and this is especially important with this gentle giants who will require more of your finances than most breeds. The key to finding the perfect dog for your family is to research – read everything you can on the internet, talk to rescues, talk to breeders – and meet as many dogs as possible of any breed that sounds appealing to you. Find your perfect dog – but for us, mastiffs will be our chosen breed going forward.
As we have new experiences with Sarge, I will document them in an attempt to help you to understand the different aspects of mastiff ownership – the joys as well as the problems…stay tuned…
