Content
- Spanish Mastiff: origin
- Spanish Mastiff: characteristics
- Spanish Mastiff: personality
- Spanish Mastiff: care
- Spanish Mastiff: education
- Spanish Mastiff: health
Present in the most rural environments of Spain for centuries, we find a historical breed like the Spanish mastiff, known for its imposing physique, as it is considered to be the biggest canine breed in Spain, as well as for his skills as a land and house keeper. However, these are not the only qualities of the Spanish mastiff, since, as we will discover later in this PeritoAnimal article, we are facing a breed of dog that is incredible in every way, and that can become an excellent companion animal, even that we live in the city. So, if you are planning to adopt a dog with these characteristics or if you already live with one and want to know more, here we will explain everything about the spanish mastiff dog.
Source
- Europe
- Spain
- Group II
- Rustic
- muscular
- long ears
- toy
- Small
- Medium
- Great
- Giant
- 15-35
- 35-45
- 45-55
- 55-70
- 70-80
- more than 80
- 1-3
- 3-10
- 10-25
- 25-45
- 45-100
- 8-10
- 10-12
- 12-14
- 15-20
- Low
- Average
- High
- Balanced
- very faithful
- Intelligent
- Tender
- Quiet
- Docile
- Kids
- Houses
- hiking
- Shepherd
- Surveillance
- harness
- Cold
- Warm
- Moderate
- Medium
- thick
Spanish Mastiff: origin
For a long time, the Spanish mastiff has been very present on the farms and more rural lands in Spain. There are doubts about its origins, since on the one hand it is believed that it reached the region through the Celts and Phoenicians; on the other hand, there are suspicions that the Romans used it as a fighting dog, thus descending from the Tibetan mastiff, while others consider all this to be false and claim that the Spanish mastiff is descended from the Molossos or Dogos. What is certain is that already in 1273, year of foundation of Mesta, as recorded in official documents, mastiffs already acted as herding dogs in the Iberian Peninsula.
It is, therefore, a dog rooted in Spanish agricultural traditions, being the main person in charge of taking care of the fields and protecting them from robberies and invasions. Furthermore, he still fulfills this role of guardian in many fields today, due to his protective personality and imposing physique. This combination made it strange to see a farm where there was no family of Spanish mastiffs to guard the land.
But the Spanish mastiff was not just a watchdog, it played the role of lead dog throughout the country through the cattle routes that cross Spain from north to south, guiding the cattle and defending them from predators such as wolves, for example. Currently, due to changes in cattle breeding techniques and the near disappearance of many of the cattle's predators, this function has fallen into oblivion, forming part of the history of the Spanish mastiff. Currently, the main function of the Spanish mastiff dog is as much to take care of land as that of companion dog, since it is not uncommon to see them walking with their caregivers in the city, where this is increasingly frequent.
Spanish Mastiff: characteristics
Mastiffs are dogs cataloged as a giant race, which is more than justified, as males can reach weigh up to 100 kilos! The weight normally varies between 50 and 70 kilos among females and 70 to 100 kilos among males. As it is a giant breed, it must be taken into account that your growth will be slower than that of other smaller breeds, as Spanish mastiffs usually reach their final weight between ten months and two years of age.
But it is not only their size that makes them imposing, but also their defined musculature, as they are strong animals with powerful muscles. As if this were not enough, the Spanish mastiff is considered to be one of the largest breeds in relation to height and weight in the world, if not the largest. This is explained by its weight already mentioned and its height, which can vary between 72 and 80 centimeters.
Continuing the physical characteristics of the Spanish mastiff, we can say that its ends are robust and strong, but still agile. Anyway, many specimens of the Spanish mastiff have an extra toe on their hind legs, which we'll talk about in the topic of care. The head is large, triangular and flat, the ears are drooping and the jaw is marked. Its eyes are usually dark and small, and the muzzle is black. Something characteristic of the Spanish mastiff dog is that its skin tends to hang around the neck, forming a double chin, in addition to the cheeks, making it look like an adorable little grandpa.
The fur of the Spanish mastiff is smooth, dense, semi-long, even if it is a little longer in the tail region, and of thick fur, presenting a woolen underlay during the colder months, protecting it from weather adversities. The most common colors are the solid and mottled, brown or brown, although there may be many other different colors, as the Spanish mastiff breed standard set by CI did not include a number of predetermined colors and patterns.
Spanish Mastiff: personality
When talking about a giant breed used for guarding and defending, we can think that the Spanish mastiff is an aggressive and antisocial animal, which could not be further from reality. Whenever the Spanish mastiff is properly socialized, we will be facing a dog balanced and very affectionate, docile and extremely loyal, considered one of the most peaceful dog breeds in the world. Thus, the personality of the Spanish mastiff stands out for these qualities, which make it an apt animal for any family that can commit to its exercises and education.
Also, the Spanish mastiff dog is very smart and intuitive, which makes training easy, as long as we are constant and patient, as this will also allow us to get the mastiff to learn to control its strength and dose its energy according to each situation.
Now, when talking about the temperament of the Spanish mastiff, it is important to take into account that we have to be careful about what they consider to be their territory, since, as we saw earlier, it is a guardian breed par excellence, which is why can attack those they consider to be intruders.. For this same reason it may be that our mastiff barks when it hears noises, especially at night, when silence reigns and sounds stand out. Due to this characteristic, we can sometimes have problems with neighbors due to barking, but with the proper techniques and the help of training professionals (if necessary), we can eliminate this inconvenience and enjoy the company of our pet.
If we can train our Spanish mastiff well, he can be an ideal companion anywhere, even if he still needs a lot of physical activity if he lives in a small space; if we don't have a patio or a garden, we'll have to give the mastiff more hours of exercise, daily walks and games to keep it balanced and healthy. If we do that, the lack of square meters will not be an excuse for not being able to have a Spanish mastiff in the city.
Spanish Mastiff: care
One of the main factors that we must pay attention to in relation to basic care is the feeding of the Spanish mastiff. We need to be careful as they are anxious and very greedy. Therefore, we need to ration the amounts of food and avoid giving them habitually industrialized treats. This is important to prevent them from becoming overweight, which would be very harmful for their health, especially for their joints, and could lead to more or less serious complications. Instead of ready-made snacks, we can opt for pieces of chicken liver, an excellent food to give them as a reward.
Among the care of the Spanish mastiff, we also find the hours dedicated to exercise. As stated in the previous topic, he needs to exercise enough to release all his energy, as otherwise they can become anxious and even very aggressive. Therefore, we recommend several daily trips and times for games, which can be shared with the little ones in the house. In this sense, for the full benefit of both parties it is necessary to teach them to play in a respectful way and thus avoid possible scares and damage, both for children and for the animal. Thus, it would be important to educate our mastiff as a puppy to prevent it from biting when playing, for example.
Another of the cares of the Spanish mastiff dog is to keep its fur brushed and clean, both dirt and parasites such as fleas and ticks, which can transmit different diseases to our animal, in addition to the feared mosquitoes, which carry diseases as dangerous as leishmaniasis and heartworm. For this reason, it is necessary to use anti-flea products such as pipettes, collars or pills. To select one or the other we will have to take into account our particular needs, see which method is best suited to them and consult the veterinarian, as some animals may be allergic to some components.
Spanish Mastiff: education
In order to avoid problems during its adult life, it is very important to start the socialization process of the puppy Spanish mastiff as soon as possible, as that way we will get it to learn to relate to other dogs, children, new environments, etc. Due to its large size, this point is crucial in its education, since not taking care of it can make the animal afraid of strangers and attack as a form of defense, for example. If we have adopted an adult Spanish mastiff, we can also socialize it with a little more patience, being very constant and understanding its personality based on previous experiences.
Due to its origin as a guard and work dog, the Spanish mastiff is loyal, protective, docile and balanced, that's why educating is very simple whenever the technique of positive reinforcement is used, in addition to the constancy and coverage of their play and energy expenditure needs. Either way, he's an ideal dog to perform various canine skills and tricks, as this helps keep him stimulated both physically and mentally.
One of the main conduct problems of the Spanish mastiff is its possessiveness, especially with food and with people. As we said, they are very greedy and anxious animals, which, if not properly educated, can develop resource protection disorder and present aggressive behavior to defend what they consider to be theirs. On the other hand, especially among puppies, it is common to confuse a more brusque play with aggressiveness. Remember that Spanish mastiffs can bite if they do not have varied and adequate toys or if they are not properly trained.
Spanish Mastiff: health
After reviewing all the characteristics of the Spanish mastiff, let's address its main health problems. In general, they are a strong and robust breed, but this does not exclude the possibility that they may suffer from various diseases. Some are linked to the type of breed, as they are gigantic sized puppies and are likely to suffer from hip dysplasia. For this reason, since a puppy, it is necessary to carry out frequent reviews and diagnostic tests, such as radiographs, in order to assess the state and evolution of his joint.Our veterinarian can suggest tests such as PennHIP or recommend us the use of chondroprotectors, which help to lubricate all the joints, preventing our pet from suffering discomfort. In turn, there are exercises that can help animals affected by dysplasia.
Another common disease among the Spanish mastiff is entropion, in which the eyelid edge bends in the eye, causing damage to the eyeball and causing complications ranging from irritation or difficulty opening the eyes, to damage to the corneas and loss of vision.
Sometimes, tutors who have lived with a Spanish mastiff dog say they are dogs that end up going crazy. This belief is related to the psychological problems that many of them develop due to loneliness and lack of affection to which they are subjected. Such cases were mainly observed among mastiffs who guard land not frequented by people with some frequency. However, if we pay attention and affection to our Spanish mastiff, it will be far from looking like this myth of aggressive or crazy animal.
As with other breeds of dogs, frequent visits to the veterinarian are recommended to prevent and early diagnose Spanish mastiff diseases, as well as follow the vaccination schedule and carry out deworming (both internal and external) as often as necessary according to the product used.