I wanted to write a little bit about my good friend Moose. Moose is my 2 year old english mastiff. Moose weighs in at around 150 pounds. He’s a big gentle lover, and I honestly think I want an english mastiff for the rest of my life – they are just that amazing as pets. Sure, they present many unique challenges due to their size and stubbornness, but I think they are well worth the added effort & training and make for my ideal dog breed. Here are just a few of the reasons I think english mastiffs are so great, and why I think you all out there should seriously consider an english mastiff for your next dog…

1. They are lazy, and super low energy!

I think english mastiff’s are the perfect dog breed for folks with a sedentary lifestyle; especially people who work-from-home like me. My english mastiff needs 1 or 2 short walks a day; where each walk is no longer than a mile. Seriously, otherwise he will just lay down in the middle of the sidewalk and just pant. He is a real couch potato most of the time, great office dog.

That said, he does still occasionally get the ‘zoomies’ as I like to call’em; that wild puppy energy where all of a sudden he needs to run around. It’s adorable. He runs out of gas after about 5 minutes of crazy running around the house.

2. With english mastiff’s, couch space is more important than yard space.

I’ve heard people worry that such a big dog would require an immense amount of space – but that is not the case. In my opinion english mastiff’s can be perfectly comfortable in a smaller living space (like an apartment for example, if your landlord lets you have such a big dog!). For me, what turned out to be far more important was the amount of couch & bed space we had. What my buddy Moose likes to do most is just lay around and watch; he’s big on watching.

3. They are super friendly (when well socialized) & gentle

It’s crucially important to socialize your english mastiff. They are natural guard dogs, very protective of their family unit, and can become ‘too serious’ about that job if they are not socialized well. By ‘too serious’ I just mean, like other guard dogs, they can be hyper-alert & responsive to unknown/surprising sounds and sights. Moose is a pretty serious guy when he thinks there may be a threat to his family-unit; the rest of the time he is a goofball.

We wish we did MORE socializing, but even without a ton of socializing Moose has turned out to be one of the friendliest guys I’ve ever met. Never aggressive towards strangers. Always willing to give kisses, sit for praise, and lean against you till you rub him. His only problem is he gets SO EXCITED when he meets new friends. Often times other dogs aren’t prepared for his energy level. He could be very tired, wrapping up a walk, and then all of a sudden there is someone with a dog walking by and he is suddenly full of energy all over again – but only while the new friends are nearby.

I never worry about Moose being aggressive with strangers, only if they come across as a threat would I be concerned (like a shady looking, hooded, guy walking by the house might get a serious stare from Moose). But most people, the vast vast majority, like 98% of people, Moose would love to just run up to and get them to pet him. When we go to the dog park Moose just goes from group to group getting all the back scratches and chin runs he can get. People are constantly surprised by how gentle he is for being such a big guy.

4. You will get non-stop compliments!

I’ve had dogs my whole life; I like to think I’ve been on my fair share of dog walks. But trust me, it’s different with an english mastiff. We get funny looks all the time, and we know why – it’s because of our big handsome puppy! Sometimes cars will stop right in the middle of the street and start yelling out to us asking about our pup. It’s really wild. You get use to their size, but once you bring them out into public you realize that for most people you see – he’s likely one of the biggest dogs they have ever seen in real life.

You also are going to get more than a few comments about how much he must eat:
“how much food does he eat?”
“invest in dog food!”

I usually respond by saying ‘since he’s so low-energy, he doesn’t actually eat a ton’. One big bowl of food a day, plus snacks, and he is all set.

5. They are human-sized cuddle buddies.

Laying on a couch with your mastiff, or in bed, is not the same as with other dogs. My buddy Moose is about 150 pounds; he is substantial. I can throw some bodyweight on him and not worry that he will be hurt; he’s a strong and durable guy. He’s a big soft heat generator; and sometimes – like when you’re sick, he can sense it and will get even lower energy than normal and that’s when you’ll really appreciate having a dog that is such an effective cuddle buddy.

6. Their bark is ‘other-wordly’

After hearing my dog bark, my neighbor called it ‘other-worldy’. I think that’s an apt description. I have likened it to a bear roar. It’s very low, and deep, and rumbling. It doesn’t sound like a dog. When you walk by houses with a yapping dog you hear that screech in their barks; and you can tell it’s a small dog. When someone drops off a package or something, and knocks on the door suddenly – surprising Moose – he will leap to the door and give it a couple nice, heavy, ‘whoooof, whooof, whoooof… wufff. wuffff’. I’ve never seen mailman scamper off so fast as now that I have an english mastiff.

For the most part, english mastiff’s are pretty quiet. I can attest to that. I didn’t hear Moose bark for most of his first year. Pretty much he only barks when he thinks someone, or something, is a threat to the household. Like if someone get’s to the door without him hearing them coming, and he get’s surprised by a knock or a doorbell ring. The other time we heard him is when he sees someone out the back door – like a neighbor doing yard work or something – and that might get a bark or at least a low growl. It’s nice getting notice when something is going on back there. Fortunately Moose is quite far from being a yapper. He only barks when there is something he wants to scare off. Hardly ever.

7. Someone would have to be crazy to break into your house if you have an english mastiff.

Moose is a big guy, just standing normally – his back comes up to my hips. I can pet his back without bending down whatsoever. I can stand him up on his back legs and he’s easily as tall as me (6 ft).

There’s this idea I’ve seen floated around that you never see the aggression and violence that your dog is capable of until the moment you need it, and something instinctual just kind of clicks in. I think there is something to that. Moose has on rare occasion given me glimpses of what he might be like as a real opponent, and I think he’d be terrifying. He’d be a snarling hell-hound. He’s a hell of a wrestling buddy when he’s not using his best weapon against me (his massive jaws!). I think if he ever felt like my wife or myself were in trouble, then he’d do anything for us. I feel alot safer knowing he’s guarding the house at night. Likewise, when I’m out of town it’s very comforting to know he’s looking out for my wife and holding down the fort. An english mastiff is one of the best security systems you can have.

I think just the fact that people know we have an english mastiff is itself a disincentive for anyone to try and break in. We walk him up and down the block every day; people know he is around. Just that alone I think is enough to make someone think twice before picking your house, your family, as a target. Why would they choose the house with the 150 pound dog? That’d be crazy!

That’s all for now

I could go on and on about my puppy, but that’s it for this post. I’m sure it won’t be the last time I write about this majestic & loyal dog breed.