Big Dog Owners

[PaulaSB12]

I prefer to see the big dogs, it is the yappy little ones that tend to bite.

 

[punkin]

Cute dog...is he a mastiff? I have a big, black dog (rottie/lab mix) and she is the sweetest thing you can imagine! For some reason, someone at our vet's office put a big "warning" sticker on her file. Everytime I take her in, the vet assistant is very hesitant and scared to approach her. After a few minutes with her, they realize how docile she is and always ask me why the sticker was put on her chart? It's kind of become a joke now, because I have no idea who put the sticker there or why. I've seen poodles and cats that were more ferocious than my dog!

My old vet had a "warning" sticker on my dog's file and no one had any idea why. Nevertheless they did not remove the sticker. I have a very submissive and gentle english springer.

 

[Ilivetogo]

This was my very big dog, Osu. Unfortunately we just lost him this June to cancer. But he was HUGE. When he stood up on his back feet, he was almost as tall as me and I'm 5'8". You can see how big his head is next to my daughter's hand. (she's 16 here - not a small child) And BOY was he sweet. He loved playing with little dogs. As an Akita, however, I have to say being around other BIG dogs was hit-or-miss. You never know if they'll like each other or not. But kids, people, and little dogs he loved!!

.

 

[mickeysgal]

Loving these big dog stories and pictures. Our 5 year old is a 115 lb lab/hound/burmese mtn dog. Biggest baby on the planet - and also very emotionally dramatic and needy. One stern word to him and he is so, so sad and takes it to heart. Our newest dog will literally try to climb on top of him like a ladder to get to me and all he does is stand there. By far the most even tempered dog we ever had.

 

[stichy]

We love big dogs. The bigger the better in my opinion. Our rottie lived to be 10.5 which was incredible considering he had a lot of health problems over his life. We spent thousand and thousands of dollars on keeping that lug healthy. We we lost him DH decided that he can't handle losing the dogs so he wants to down size. Our boxer will be 11 in 2 weeks. We are so lucky to have had her so long. She's lived a very long life for her breed which is very prone to cancer. I think because we lost her brother 4 years ago makes us feel that each day with her is a blessing. We also have a 4 year old rottie/beagle mix. my husband is agreeable to tyring a boxer again but he refuses to get another rott. I'm hoping one day he relents. I have asked for a mastiff before and have been shot down. Maybe when DH passes I can get a dog his size to take over his side of the bed.

 

[PUZZLDY5]

Oh, he's adorable!


DD13 has been begging for an English Mastiff for several months now. I would also like to hear more about this breed, as we have never owned a giant breed before. We do have a St. Bernard mix, but his mom was a Spaniel (yeah...lol) and so he's only about 65 lbs. He's 9 years old, which is old for a St. Bernard, but not so old for a spaniel, so we don't know how long he has left. He's still in good health, though.

Anyway, how much does a 200lb dog eat each month? Just curious. Trying to think of what it would cost to care for a dog like that before we let DD get one. Do they really slobber a lot? Do they shed a lot? They look so gentle; I understand people are fearful because of their size, but they look so sweet to me!

English Mastiff's are big loveable babies. They aren't that expensive to take care of. We go through about 50lb. bag of dog food every week and a half. The most important thing is socialization. If they are not socialized with people and other dogs they can become fearful and overly protective. The vet bills are comparible to other breeds except the frontline and vaccines. That is a little more expensive. They do slobber. Have a rag handy at all times. Their life span is about 8 to 10 years. Our Kira is 7. She is starting to feel her age but still thinks she is a pup. She is very loyal and she loves her family more than anything. We bathe her about once a month only because she likes to play hard in the back yard and get quite dirty. They can be lazy if you let them so for weight control it's important they get regular exercise. I think that's pretty much it. She is awesome and has an unbelievable personality. We choose not to feed her roasts or chickens but we do give her treats like bananas and other fruit. The only thing I have seen her not eat is grapes. She isn't sure if she should play with it or eat it. You won't regret your decision if you choose to get one.

 

[mickeysgal]

The only thing I have seen her not eat is grapes. She isn't sure if she should play with it or eat it.

I always thought grapes were toxic to dogs and that they should never eat them. They cause renal failure.

 

[PUZZLDY5]

I always thought grapes were toxic to dogs and that they should never eat them. They cause renal failure.

OMG! I had no idea grapes did that to dogs. Good thing she won't eat them then.

 

[walden]

OMG! I had no idea grapes did that to dogs. Good thing she won't eat them then.

This is a useful list for all dog owners to have. I'd just add the qualification that it is cooked bones that are dangerous for any raw feeders out there.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1659&aid=1030

These big dog pictures and stories are great. Some of them make my big dogs (greyhounds) look so tiny in comparison!

 

[JessicaR]

This is my other baby, Maggie. She is a Dogue De Bordeaux. (French Mastiff) She recently turned 4. She wanted to know why I didn't post her picture yet? She was mumbling something about being the queen under her breath...

I am enjoying the stories and pictures SO much! Thanks for sharing everyone.

 

[JessicaR]

One more of both sunbathing.

 

[yoopermom]

I love ALL the mastiff breeds, and would love to hear from owners what the personality differences are between them: English, Bull, Dogue de Bordeaux, Neapolitan, Tibetan, (which ones have I missed?).

Someday I'll have one (or more!)

Terri

 

[Fantasmic23]

Cupcake has DEFINITELY got the fur, holymoly... every year during shedding season I'm vacuuming and sweeping daily! LOL She's worth it tho! And yep, one blue eye, one brown Her mom was purebred, got off her leash one day and ended up with a big ol' litter of pups!

Here's a picture of her:

How beautiful!! I have a seven month old Husky (Pure white with ice blue eyes). I just bought a Pet Cyclonic vacuum!

 

[Fantasmic23]

OK so I had a Vet visit today with a new Vet. I walked in with this guy -

The place took cover and ducked. There was a Dalmatian puppy whose owner asked the Dr to contain my dog before he would walk by us. Then the nurse asked me if he was going to bite her? Really?? Finally a sweet teeny tiny Yorkie befriended my baby.

Big dogs get such a bum rap.

What a sweet boy! I'll bet he's a great cuddler! I have a seven month old Husky. Though she's affectionate, she's not really a cuddler. She'll cuddle and snuggle for awhile ... And then she's off!

 

[hedgehog2owl]

Last time we took our GSD to the vet I asked them to clip his nails and the tech handed me a muzzle and asked me to put it on him. Poor Skippy! he looked so sad with the muzzle on, like "Wahddid I do?" He started giving everyone those sad eyes-you know which ones I mean- and the vet tech took him to the back room and closed the door while the vet examined our other dog.

2 minutes later, the door opens and Skippy bounds in, muzzle free, all smiles, tech behind him, scratching his ears "whos a good boy?" yeah. he figured out pretty quick Skip didn't need a muzzle. I bet it was the eyes.

Our other dog is a dachshund...and they SHOULD muzzle him when they clip his nails, not the other way around. That dog hates to have his nails done.

 

[hereyago]

People are just ignorant. I for the most part have always had the big breeds.

Years ago, I had a rot/hus mix-he was such a handsome dog, and thought everyone should pet him. Anyway, I had taken him to Banfield-Petmsmart vet to get him "altered". That same evening I had to pick him up to go home. He was groggy from the meds-think big dog drunk. This lady comes in and swoops up her min pincher. I said, my dog doesn't want your dog, he wants to go home and sleep off the meds. and his best friend was actually a min pincher.

One time, we had same dog and his best friend -min pin- and his "mom", we took them to get the pictures taken with Santa. My dog is lying down, his best friend is resting on my dog's front paws and my dog opens his mouth-this lady is screaming, he is gong to eat that poor little dog and then Nikita gave Tizzy a kiss.

I currently have a GS puppy and a kitten. So, pup weighs over 100lbs and the kitten 6 lbs. They had a vet check on the same day. So DD takes the cat to the "cat side" and I take the pup to the other side. Vet lobby is very small and pup is going crazy he can't be with his brother. the kitten is crying. A man comes in with his cat. He doesn't know the kitten and pup are togehter and tells dd to hold on tight to carrier because that "dog" wants to eat her cat. DD12 is like" that is his brother".

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

My Maverick (my avatar pic) is five months old and already weighs 50 pounds so he is going to be a BIG dog....when I took him to the vet for the very first time, she guesstimated forty pounds....what a surprise but he is wonderful (if he would only stop nipping...not an aggressive dog and stops if he thinks he is hurting me but thinks of me as a big chew toy.)

 

[laurie31]

English Mastiff's are big loveable babies. They aren't that expensive to take care of. We go through about 50lb. bag of dog food every week and a half. The most important thing is socialization. If they are not socialized with people and other dogs they can become fearful and overly protective. The vet bills are comparible to other breeds except the frontline and vaccines. That is a little more expensive. They do slobber. Have a rag handy at all times. Their life span is about 8 to 10 years. Our Kira is 7. She is starting to feel her age but still thinks she is a pup. She is very loyal and she loves her family more than anything. We bathe her about once a month only because she likes to play hard in the back yard and get quite dirty. They can be lazy if you let them so for weight control it's important they get regular exercise. I think that's pretty much it. She is awesome and has an unbelievable personality. We choose not to feed her roasts or chickens but we do give her treats like bananas and other fruit. The only thing I have seen her not eat is grapes. She isn't sure if she should play with it or eat it. You won't regret your decision if you choose to get one.

Wow, that sounds great. Well, except for the slobber - lol. But thanks. That's the insight I wasn't getting from googling.

 

[SandrA9810]

This was my "big meanie"...

She was a 35lb sammy mutt. Sweet as can be, but she was very fearful of men with facial hair. That is until she got to know them. It always made me laugh to see grown ups walk to the other side of the street to pass her.

I love big dogs and most of them are just lovable and sweet and try to pretend they're small enough to be a lap dog.

Of course a lot has to be said about the owner and they way they raise the dog. But it was a jack russell that jumped up and bit my mom in the leg (horrible owners). Most the pits I've met have all been very sweet dogs. It's sad that people get afraid of a dog because of a misconception.

 

[clh2]

Yeah we aren't dieting. Eat a carrot, NOT!

When it was finally over we made a deal - no more Vets and scales and hell yes we'll stop at BK for a burger!

I'm laughing at the carrot comment...my dog LOVES carrots. Our baby enjoys almost any decent treat - except the junk handed out at as a treat at a local pet store chain.

Why is everyone assuming that a big dog is mean??? that is just crazy - especially at a vet's office. I would also assume that your vet requires all dogs to be on leashes - so any other owner that has full control over their dog should be able to keep their dog away from yours. To be honest - I am far more cautious about little dogs than big ones. I even don't mind petting pits or rotties - after a proper introduction from the owner, of course.

My DD gets running shoes at a small family-owned store that lets a great dane have the run of the store. This dog has a fan club of little people. The store is in a strip mall, and the door opens all day with little kids coming in and wondering if Porsche is in that day. The dog just soaks up the attention. Quite honestly, in the hour that it took for the store to fit my daughter's shoes - I got interrupted with petting the dog about 10 times.

This does remind me - I haven't seen our neighbors St. Bernard or Newfoundland in a long time. Been a hot summer, they probably haven't been out much. I should stop over sometime.