I have a mastiff male. Great,but goofy dog.
He's 16 months. I'm guessing he is 150# plus.

I think he's about reached his heighth potential. I've kept him just a tad on the lean side.
He has really started to "muscle up" and fill out the last few months.

Anyone know when the growth cycle for these dogs ends?

at about 87 months

He may not reach full size until he is 3 years old.

Quoted: He may not reach full size until he is 3 years old.

+1

And he might look like this when grown:





I will skip the dogs that weigh twice as me thank you very much.

Feed him a low protein diet, something with 24% protein or less and none of that Iams/Eukanuba cheap crap, go with the premium high quality kibble.

Quoted: He may not reach full size until he is 3 years old.

  Yep, 2 1/2 - 3 years. We have been looking at English Mastiff pups as our Aussie Gunner
passed away this Fall. Something about a dog that can fit your whole head in its mouth I guess..............

Best dog in the world.

You will love him.

Quoted: And he might look like this when grown: img112.imageshack.us/img112/6280/zorba6mw.gif img392.imageshack.us/img392/1425/mackcolour6fx.jpg I will skip the dogs that weigh twice as me thank you very much.

I was going to ask why "Zorba" here doesn't have his tail bobbed.  Not that he should, but with these particularly ugly breeds of dogs it seems people like to cut their tails off.  Then I realized that if a dog like that doesn't want his tail bobbed, then I guess that's just the end of that!

Come to think of it, wasn't there some guy here a couple of years back who was claiming he could defeat any dog in hand to paw combat without a gun or knife?


Owner:  "Here Zorba!  Here boy!

Zorba: *Slobber*

Owner:  "See the crazy man over there?  The one with no gun or knife?

Zorba:  *Slobber*

Owner: "Go eat the crazy man!  Go gitt'im!  Sic'im!

Crazy Man: "Eek!  pwned!"

Zorba: *Munch*

Owner: "Good boy!"

Are they good with kids?

Seriously.

Quoted: Are they good with kids? Seriously.

They are very docile and easy going. If you teach the dog and the kids how to get along, they should be best of friends.

Given their size, they probably aren't the best fit if you're not going to be serious about training them though. You let a dog that size become the alpha, and you have a serious problem on your hands.

The best dog in the world (biased opinion) Bull Mastiiff/Labrador Retreiver cross. Good natured, playfull, topped out at 119 pounds, not too big. No slobber!
Perfect, except for the hair, omfg he dripped hair. But worth it.

High quality kibble??
Got to admit my ignorance.

What "bag" food is recommended?

Quoted: Quoted: Are they good with kids? Seriously. They are very docile and easy going. If you teach the dog and the kids how to get along, they should be best of friends. Given their size, they probably aren't the best fit if you're not going to be serious about training them though. You let a dog that size become the alpha, and you have a serious problem on your hands.

My friend had a Mastiff the size of the one in the pics.   If you valued your life, you didn't touch his kids or make quick movements towards them, he was very protective of them.   The kids would rough house with the Mastiff and wouldn't phase the mastiff at all.

A Coyote went after my friends Boxer and made the fatal mistake of not seeing the mastiff, the mastiff used the Coyote as a rag doll.

Quoted: Are they good with kids? Seriously.

My parents had one with me and my 4 siblings in the house.  Great dogs with great temperments.

We had a bull mastiff for a short while best dog ever! I cannot wait to get another one. LIke everyone has said very docile, he was about 130lbs and would still try to sit in your lap!

How much of a problem is shedding?

(I've always admired these dogs and would love one, but never been around one).

Quoted: High quality kibble?? Got to admit my ignorance. What "bag" food is recommended?

I feed my rottweillwer Purina 1 large breed formula.

Quoted: High quality kibble?? Got to admit my ignorance. What "bag" food is recommended?

Don't feed it food with too much protein (ie. puppy food) is the main thing to worry about, as it will cause them to grow too fast, which can cause problems.

Mastiffs do best on a food that is in the medium range for protein (20-25%), mid range for fat (12-18%) and is well balanced for calcium and phosphorus and high in iodine (3-5%). Feeding your Mastiff puppy foods high in protein, calories and fat will push the growth rate and possibly cause joint, ligament and tendon problems. Feed a good quality premium food, following the recommendations on the bag and adjusting the amount according to body condition. Do not let your Mastiff puppy or young adult get fat and make sure that you can feel the ribs or at least see the last two ribs when the dog is moving. Fat dogs have many problems with bones and joints, heart, liver, kidney, etc.

http://mastiff.org/faq/faq.mv#II20

Quoted: How much of a problem is shedding? (I've always admired these dogs and would love one, but never been around one).

They have a fairly easy coat to deal with, and don't shed any more than any other dog, however given the size of the animal, there is obviously more hair to shed, shouldn't be a major problem compared to longer haired breeds though.

Quoted: Quoted: High quality kibble?? Got to admit my ignorance. What "bag" food is recommended? I feed my rottweillwer Purina 1 large breed formula.

That stuff gives my dogs the runs. YMMV.

Quoted: High quality kibble?? Got to admit my ignorance. What "bag" food is recommended?

Check out This Web Site and read the different articles about dog food for large and giant breed dogs.

It's a Great Dane website, but mastiff's are also a giant breed and not a large breed dog so the majority of information would pertain to mastiffs.

Click Here for a quick jump to high quality dry kibble

We almost got a Mastiff, but ended up with a female Dane & she is only 140lbs & eats about 8-10 cups of dry www.canidae.com/ and/or www.chickensoupforthepetloverssoul.com/ as they both are sold locally at a feed store & she loves them both. We mix them up so she does not get tired of one brand/flavor or the other & sometimes even mix them togeather.

While I am a proud owner of a black lab and a golden retriever, I have always had a soft spot for mastiffs.  I guess if I were to get one I would need to buy a bigger truck.

Quoted: I feed my rottweillwer Purina 1 large breed formula.

Compare Purina 1 :

Lamb, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, oat meal, fish meal (source of DHA), whole grain corn, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), poultry by-product meal, non-fat yogurt, animal digest, dicalcium phosphate, potassium chloride, calcium carbonate, salt, choline chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, brewers dried yeast, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.
K-4163


to Canidae:

Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Brown Rice, White Rice, Lamb Meal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Herring Meal, Flax Seed, Sun Cured Alfalfa Meal, Sunflower Oil, Chicken, Lecithin, Monocalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Linoleic Acid, Rosemary Extract, Sage Extract, Dried Enterococcus Faecium, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Extract, Inulin (from Chicory root), Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Fermentation Solubles, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (source of Vitamin E), Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Cobalt Amino Acid Chelate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (source of B2), Beta Carotene, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Iodate, Folic Acid, D-Biotin, Sodium Selenite, Papaya, Vitamin B12 Supplement.

Or even better, Eagle Natural:

Lamb Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground Yellow Corn, Oatmeal, Chicken Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Corn Germ Meal (Dry Milled), Brewers Dried Yeast, Anchovy & Sardine Meal, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, DL-Methionine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Pantothenic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Choline Chloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Rosemary Extract, Inositol, Dehydrated Kelp, Polysaccharide Complexes (sequestered) of Zinc, Iron, Manganese, Copper and Cobalt, Potassium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium, B. Subtillus, Bacillus lichenformis, Bacillus coagulins, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger.

If we had a local store that caried Eagle Pack without a doubt that's the brand of dog food we would go with.

Great Danes have a short lifespan (from what I understand all Giant breed dogs have short life spans) and the quality of food can really help them live a full and long life compared to eatting lower quality food.

Quoted: Are they good with kids? Seriously.

My brother has a  female Neopolitan mastiff and it's great with the kids. It's not as big as the other types of mastiff, maybe 100 pounds or so. Shorter and stocky with a big head.

Quoted: Great Danes have a short lifespan (from what I understand all Giant breed dogs have short life spans) and the quality of food can really help them live a full and long life compared to eatting lower quality food.

Great Danes - average under 10 years www.dogbreedinfo.com/greatdane.htm  From what I hear from people who own them, about seven years is typical.

Mastiff - about 10 to 12 years www.dogbreedinfo.com/mastiff.htm

Most large breeds run about the same. One exception is the Shiloh Shepherd which is about 12-14 years.

Quoted: Quoted: Are they good with kids? Seriously. My brother has a  female Neopolitan mastiff and it's great with the kids. It's not as big as the other types of mastiff, maybe 100 pounds or so. Shorter and stocky with a big head.

I read an interesting NY Times story about people who live in NYC who are into big dogs (where there isn't a lot of room for them). One comment one mastiff owner made was that you have to be comfortable with slobber dripping from the ceiling.

I couldn't keep a straight face with this guy hanging around (and "out") all the time:

Quoted: I couldn't keep a straight face with this guy hanging around (and "out") all the time: img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/Dwoog34/Doofus.jpg

Not to mention trying not to crap yourself when you see this:

lol

My cousin had a 3 yr old Mastiff that went 175 - 180 lbs or better. Unfortunately, he developed bone cancer and died recently. He was easy going, inside the house dog & great with thier 2 yr old. not aggressive at all.

Quoted: Not to mention trying not to crap yourself when you see this: img500.imageshack.us/img500/6567/mastiffrussell5lg.jpg lol

 He looks like a big, slobbery, deadly clown!  Certainly more than enough to make a home "invasator" think twice!

I have a 14 week 47lb Shiloh Shepherd and my breeder recommended EAGLE PACK large breed puppy.   The only place I could find it was at a local horse feed store.  It's only around $34 a bag, which is just about average in price for quality foods.  I've had him for over 5 weeks now, feeding him 6 cups a day and we're still on the first bag.  So it's coming to about $1 a day to feed him.  Not bad.  

Shrike,
Thanks for this info!!

Quoted: Quoted: Not to mention trying not to crap yourself when you see this: img500.imageshack.us/img500/6567/mastiffrussell5lg.jpg lol  He looks like a big, slobbery, deadly clown!  Certainly more than enough to make a home "invasator" think twice!

They were supposedly trained to protect the grounds of english land owners by knocking down intruders and standing on their shoulders in order to keep them pinned to the ground.

Edit: That's the bullmatiff.

Quoted: High quality kibble?? Got to admit my ignorance. What "bag" food is recommended?

Iams is good. Avoid the inexpensive no-name stuff especially with a large dog. With good food they eat much less and crap much less. Unless you own a front loader or live in the jungle that is important.

Quoted: Quoted: And he might look like this when grown: img112.imageshack.us/img112/6280/zorba6mw.gif img392.imageshack.us/img392/1425/mackcolour6fx.jpg I will skip the dogs that weigh twice as me thank you very much. I was going to ask why "Zorba" here doesn't have his tail bobbed.  Not that he should, but with these particularly ugly breeds of dogs it seems people like to cut their tails off.  Then I realized that if a dog like that doesn't want his tail bobbed, then I guess that's just the end of that! Come to think of it, wasn't there some guy here a couple of years back who was claiming he could defeat any dog in hand to paw combat without a gun or knife? Owner:  "Here Zorba!  Here boy! Zorba: *Slobber* Owner:  "See the crazy man over there?  The one with no gun or knife? Zorba:  *Slobber* Owner: "Go eat the crazy man!  Go gitt'im!  Sic'im! Crazy Man: "Eek!  pwned!" Zorba: *Munch* Owner: "Good boy!"

We learned the hard way to bob the tail early. Our half Great Dane/ half Mastiff got the tip of his tail damaged in a door and we could not keep it healed up. He would sling blood everywhere. When he was about 2.5 years we finally had to pay for surgury to have it lopped off. It was for the best but would have been easy as a pup.

Quoted: Quoted: Not to mention trying not to crap yourself when you see this: img500.imageshack.us/img500/6567/mastiffrussell5lg.jpg lol  He looks like a big, slobbery, deadly clown!  Certainly more than enough to make a home "invasator" think twice!

My home security when we had the 160Lb Dane/mastiff was to leave the exterior man-door to the garage unlocked at night (garage was the doghouse). All other exterior doors were bolted. The poor shmuck who was trying doors was in for a shock. I also kept a spare garage door remote next to the bed for bumps in the night. BTW my dog was as black as coal.

Quoted: Iams is good. Avoid the inexpensive no-name stuff especially with a large dog. With good food they eat much less and crap much less. Unless you own a front loader or live in the jungle that is important.

Iams Large breed:

Chicken, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Chicken By-Product Meal, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Fish Meal (source of fish oil), Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of vitamin E, and Citric Acid), Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Natural Chicken Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Potassium Chloride, Brewers Dried Yeast, Salt, Flax Meal, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of vitamin B1), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Choline Chloride, Minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Carbonate), DL-Methionine, L-Tryptophan, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Rosemary Extract

Is the food you are using made of human grade ingredients - and it must be stated on the bag (human grade or human edible or organic ) it can not just say "quality" ingredients...that means nothing.

   *   Meal - is the operative word. It must have a protein source listed as the first word on the list of ingredients AND and it must be listed as a MEAL, not as "whole" or byproduct. The words whole meats, or whole lamb, or whole chicken only means you are paying for water and the food actually has much less meat/protein in the food, and should really be listed further down on the list, in short you are feeding a grain based food which is NOT at all desirable. These are the terms you want to see listed first:
         o beef meal
         o pork meal
         o turkey meal
         o lamb meal
         o chicken meal

   * You want a food that has more than one protein source in the diet - proteins are:

             o beef
             o pork
             o fish
             o chicken
             o duck
             o turkey
             o venison
             o rabbit
             o eggs

   * You want a food that has sequestered or cheated minerals for bio-availability to the dogs system.

   * You want a food that says it is naturally preserved and also there is no synthetic preservatives listed on the package such as (BHA, BHT, Ethoxiquin).

   * You want a food that says balanced omegas - not just omegas…they must say balanced so you know it is in the correct ratio so there are no skin problems later on.

   * You want a brand that has Probitoics listed in the food and he should say one of these on the bag and label.
         o friendly bacteria
         o probiotics
         o friendly yogurt like cultures
         o friendly microorganism
         o beneficial bacteria
         o lactobacillus acidophilis
         o yogurt culture


   * You want whole grains, but not listed as the first ingredient - whole brown rice, whole corn (yes, I said corn - see the Myth of Corn article)

What should I expect to pay for a mastiff?

All our previous dogs have come from the pound.

ETA: is the top pic on P2 a bullmastiff?