The Spanish Mastiff is an intelligent and protective breed. But how do you know whether you are ready to purchase a pet and if this breed is right for you? This information is absolutely necessary in making the decision to purchase a pet.
History
Like most Mastiff breeds, the Spanish Mastiff is believed to be a descendent of the ancient Molosser dogs. This breed arrived in Spain in the early 1400’s, by way of Phoenecian traders. It was discovered that this large breed had a very protective nature and made an excellent herding and guard dog.
Enthusiasts believe that the Spanish Mastiff played a large role in the origins of the Saint Bernard, though this has never been scientifically confirmed.
Thanks to the many efforts of breeders and enthusiasts alike, the Spanish Mastiff was finally recognized by the United Kennel Club in 2006.
While the Spanish Mastiff is among the most popular breeds in Spain, it remains rather rare outside of its native country.
Personality Traits
Most notably, the Spanish Mastiff is known for its dominance and strong protective instincts. This breed is loving and attached to its owner, but rarely shows affection. Though these dogs often show aggression towards strangers, when in its comfortable home environment, the Spanish Mastiff is typically a lazy and gentle giant. Due to its strong instincts, alertness, and independence, this breed makes an excellent guard and watch dog.
Train-ability
The Spanish Mastiff is an intelligent breed, but can sometimes prove a challenge to train. Its independent and dominant nature makes this breed very stubborn and grow increasingly bored and annoyed with repetitive tasks.
It is not impossible to train a Spanish Mastiff, but this breed requires a strong, skillful, and experienced trainer that has worked with large breeds before, preferably other Mastiff breeds. Establishing immediate dominance and trust is extremely important and key to succeeding in training the Spanish Mastiff.
Benefits and Disadvantages of the Breed
There are many benefits to owning a Spanish Mastiff. This large and intelligent breed makes an impressive guard and watch dog. While the Spanish Mastiff is not an overly affectionate breed, these dogs do care a great deal about their owners and become very attached and protective. While in its home environment, this breed is known as relaxed and somewhat lazy, making a nice house pet.
Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to owning a Spanish Mastiff. This large breed only requires moderate exercise, but does need plenty of room to run and play. Anyone wishing to purchase a Spanish Mastiff lacking the adequate amount of time and space to dedicate to the breed is strongly advised against doing so.
Due to its protective and territorial nature, an untrained Spanish Mastiff can be a danger to other pets, small children, and strangers. This breed is known to show aggression towards strange people and animals when properly trained, therefore an untrained Spanish Mastiff can become nearly impossible to control, due to its massive weight and strength.
This breed can be rather difficult to train and often requires professional obedience training, which can sometimes be rather expensive. Proper training is absolutely required when purchasing a Spanish Mastiff, as this breed can become overly aggressive and even dangerous when untrained.
The Spanish Mastiff is not a Golden Retriever. These dogs do not make the best companions and rarely show affection. This breed is not recommended to anyone wishing to own a family pet or companion.
Often for reasons unknown, the Spanish Mastiff will bark loudly, sometimes at nothing at all.
As previously mentioned, the Spanish Mastiff remains rather rare outside of its native Spain and can prove difficult to obtain. Individuals wishing to purchase a Spanish Mastiff will often encounter such challenges as inability to locate a breeder, high prices, and being placed on long waiting lists.
Common Health Concerns
While the Spanish Mastiff is generally known as a healthy and hearty breed, these dogs do fall victim to a few health concerns, including: hip dysplasia, various heart problems, entropion – inversion of the eye lid, pano-ostiosis – growing pains, bloat, and difficulty giving birth – often resulting in veterinary intervention and c-section.
Now that you know all about the breed, do you think you are ready to own a Spanish Mastiff? Remember, purchasing a pet is a big decision and should be discussed thoroughly and seriously with your entire family.
Sources:
http://www.greatdogsite.com/breeds/details/Spanish_Mastiff/
http://www.loveofbreeds.com/spanishmastiff.html
