Spanish Mastiff

Grooming Tips

Beyond regular weekly grooming, the occasional bath will keep your Spanish Mastiff clean and looking his best. Grooming can be a wonderful bonding experience for you and your dog. The strong, fast-growing nails should be trimmed regularly with a nail clipper or grinder to avoid overgrowth, splitting, and cracking.Check the ears on a weekly basis for signs of infection, irritation, or wax build up. Cleanse regularly with a veterinarian-approved cleanser and cotton ball. Brush the teeth at least once per week to prevent tartar buildup and fight gum disease. Additionally, nails should be trimmed once per month if the dog does not wear down the toenails naturally.

Exercise Tips

The Spanish Mastiff is not an overly active breed but these dogs do need a daily walk in order to meet their exercise needs. This breed is most active as a young adult so it may need additional exercise for the first few years. Exercise can also come in the form of indoor activities like chasing a ball rolled along the floor or learning new tricks. Certain outdoor activities like swimming, hiking, or retrieving balls can provide a good outlet for expending energy. Training for dog sports like agility, obedience, and rally can also be a great way to give your dog exercise.

Feeding Tips

As a large-breed dog, the Spanish Mastiff should be offered a commercial diet specially formulated for dogs of its size. If your dog is particularly active you may want to consider an active breed formula to ensure that his energy needs are being met. It is very important that you feed Spanish Mastiff puppies a large-breed puppy formula to prevent them from growing too quickly.If you get a Samoyed puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.Older dogs are not known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.Treatscan be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about whichhuman foodsare safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s weight or diet.Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.

Health Tips

As a large-breed dog, the Spanish Mastiff is prone to a number of musculoskeletal issues including hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. It is very important that this breed not be allowed to grow too quickly as a puppy because it is likely to suffer from pano-ostiosis, or growing pains, and the fast growth can predispose the dog to musculoskeletal issues later in life. Other health problems known to affect the breed include heart problems, entropion, and breathing problems.Working with aresponsible breeder, prospective owners can gain the education they need to learn about specific health concerns within the breed.

Trainability

The Spanish Mastiff has natural protective instincts which is why it was used for so many years as a guard dog and livestock guardian. These dogs are gentle by nature and they form very close bonds with family but they sometimes develop a willful, independent nature.It is also worth noting that it could take 3 years or more for the Spanish Mastiff to outgrow the puppy phase, so training can be challenging. Your best bet is to use positive reinforcement training methods and to maintain a firm and consistent hand in leadership over the dog. This breed will sometimes ignore commands so they are not recommended for inexperienced dog owners. Early socialization and training is essential for this breed.

The Spanish Mastiff has long been used to guard the Merino livestock as they are moved from one pasture to another. In ancient times he often accompanied them on his own, without guidance from a shepherd. Today, the breed is also useful as a protector of farm and family. The Spanish Mastiff was recognized by the United Kennel Club July 1, 2006.