Q: How Much Should I be Feeding my 4 Month Old English Mastiff Puppy?
by admin ~ April 18th, 2008A: Great question. There are so many variables, it’s hard to give a definite answer, but hopefully I can give you enough information to help you figure this out.
The best way to determine how much your mastiff puppy should be eating would be to ask your veterinarian to calculate how many calories he should be receiving based on your puppy’s age and weight. Most dog foods label how many calories are in each cup of food, so you and your vet can then decide how many cups of food your puppy needs each day. With a giant breed, like a mastiff, you’ll need to be sure to recalculate the totals frequently to make sure you’re keeping up with his growth.
Each dog food brand and type varies in the amount of calories and levels of protein and fat, so depending on the food you’re feeding your mastiff, your puppy might require a cup or two more or less than he would if you were feeding a different brand. Most foods come with a recommended feeding chart on the bag. Giant breeds, like mastiffs or great danes, should never be fed a regular puppy food, so assuming you’re feeding a GIANT breed puppy food (we feed out puppies Eagle Pack Holistic Large & Giant Breed Puppy), check the bag to see the recommended feeding amount based on your puppy’s weight and age. If you want to start out in that range, watch your puppy for the following:
- Weight Condition. As a general rule, it’s better for giant breed puppies to be on the thin side rather than overweight. This can help prevent several serious bone diseases. You should be able to see the last two ribs, and feel the others easily under the skin. If you can see the entire rib cage, your puppy may need to be fed a little more. If you can’t see the last rib or two, cut back a bit.
- Structure. Overfeeding can cause several bone and joint issues. If you know what to watch for, it’s easy to see the signs and adjust your feeding regimen accordingly. Check for straight bone growth. If your puppy’s toes are starting to turn out, front legs are starting to turn out or look bowed, or the top of his back is drastically unlevel (roached top line), these could be signs of overfeeding or an overage of protein, fat or calcuim in your puppy’s diet. Overly knobby joints on the legs or joints that appear to be inflamed are other signs of irregular growth related to diet. If you suspect your puppy may have any of these problems, you should see your vet for a check up and diet recommendations. If caught early enough, some bone diseases can be repaired and deformed growth may be reversed.
- Other Considerations. If you’re using a large amount of treats to train your puppy, or if you supplement his diet with fresh or raw foods, you may need to adjust the amount of dog food you’re feeding to compensate for the extra calories. In addition,some puppies are more active than others, so a puppy that runs around all day will require more calories than a pup that is kenneled while you’re at work and sleeps more.
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Mastiff Personality?
by admin ~ March 27th, 2008Q: I am getting ready to take a job at a youth camp and was wondering if that setting would be good for a mastiff. First, will a mastiff ever be content to be outside a lot (i will be and would love to have a big dog with me) and maybe even sleep outside. Second, will a mastiff do well with a constantly changing huge group of 200 kids every week and the resulting attention? Can they easiily be trained to heel without a collar and obey?
A: Mastiffs are a fun-loving, easy going, social breed. They love to be around people and typically do well around kids (other than the occasional tail whack or accidentally knocking over small children).
1. Assuming the weather is nice in the area you will be (they don’t do well in hot or cold temperatures) a mastiff probably wouldn’t mind the time outdoors, as long as they are interacting with you and not left alone in a dog run all day. English mastiffs do have a reputation for being a bit lazy, so their energy level is probably not up for daily jogging or 5 mile hikes - a more athletic type dog would be a better choice if that is the case. Make sure your mastiff has a soft place to rest outside.
2. Your mastiff would prefer to sleep on your bed, or on top of you on your bed, or on your pillow. This doesn’t leave much room for youRemember that dogs are pack animals, so it is not in their nature to be separated from their pack, even for the night. Rather than leaving him/her outside, a better choice would be to have a dog bed or a large crate in your bedroom where your dog can sleep near you.
3. The typical mastiff loves being the center of attention. As long as you begin socializing your puppy to children, commotion, and change, or choose an adult that likes kids and crowds, you shouldn’t have a problem. Every dog has a unique personality, so ask your breeder/adoption counselor to help you choose a dog or puppy with an outgoing personality, and make sure your dog has a place to rest away from the commotion that is off limits to kids in case he/she needs a break.
4. My great danes and mastiffs are all voice trained. It takes time and you have to be committed to enrolling in a good obedience class and sticking with it. Mastiffs are intelligent and very trainable, but they can have a bit of a stubborn streak so consistency is key and frequent practicing is a must.
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Can English Mastiffs Live Outside?
by admin ~ March 27th, 2008Q: Can english mastiffs live outside? I’ve been told they are inside dogs but we live in Arizona and have always had outside dogs.
A: No, they really don’t do well outside. They overheat very easily, and the summers in the desert can kill a mastiff if they are left outside.
You may also want to consider the fact that dogs are pack animals – it is in their nature to live in families. When left alone in the backyard while your family lives inside, giant breeds can become very destructive as an outlet for their frustration - they want to be with their pack but are forced to be separated. Most people that attempt to keep giant breeds as backyard dogs end up turning them over to shelters after having their yards, plants, a/c units, sprinkler lines and even stucco and siding destroyed, or due to constant barking.
They make great pets if you’re able to spend a lot of time training, exercising and socializing, but they definitely are a lot of work in that regard and I would never recommend keeping a mastiff or a great dane outdoors only.
Mastiffs are typically calm dogs as adults, and they are relatively easy to house train. If you really are committed to wanting a mastiff but have never had indoor dogs before, I would check with a mastiff rescue to see if they may have an adult that would be a good match for your family. By eliminating the difficult puppy training phase, you will probably have a much easier time training and adjusting to an indoor dog. You can check out www.petfinder.org or www.azanimalassistance.com for information on adoptable dogs.
Filed under: Care/Grooming, FAQ | No Comments »
Picky Eater
by admin ~ March 25th, 2008Q: My 4 month old mastiff puppy is a picky eater. Any suggestions?
A: The first step is to ask your vet how many calories your puppy should be getting each day based on her weight and age. Once you’ve established this, you can check your dog food bag to see how many calories are in each cup, and determine how much your pup should be eating. Often times we think they should be eating more than they actually should.
If you’re having trouble getting your puppy to eat enough food, it could be anything from illness to pickiness, so if your puppy is acting lethargic other has any other symptoms of illness, you should see your vet immediately. If you’ve ruled out illness, it may just be that your puppy doesn’t like that particular food. You may want to try out a new brand and see if your puppy’s appetite improves. If you want to stick with the same food, you can try adding a small amount of chopped veggies or fruit to the food, or a teaspoon of plain low-fat yogurt or low-sodium chicken broth. Sometimes just adding some fresh scents will help to jump start the appetite. You can also try working on a new trick like “sit” or “shake” and use the food as a reward during training.
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Q: What’s the best puppy food for great dane puppies?
by admin ~ February 3rd, 2008A: We feed our great dane and mastiff puppies Eagle Pack Holistic Select. They’ve conducted feed studies on several litters of giant breed puppies with no reported cases of HOD, OCD or Pano, and our dogs love it. Eagle Pack Large & Giant Breed Puppy is available in our i-tails.com online store.If it’s not available in your area, look for a super-premiun food without by-products, sugar, or high levels or salt and corn. Premium foods typically have extras like probiotics, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, and glucosamine in addition to better quality meats (chicken meal vs. chicken by-product) and grains. Look for human grade ingredients and all natural vs. artificial colors and preservatives.
Giant breed puppies should never be fed a regular puppy food. More information is available on our giant breed nutrition page.
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Q: Is there a “super growth” formula that I can feed my mastiff to make him grow larger?
by admin ~ February 3rd, 2008A: No. Actually, by over-feeding a giant breed puppy, you can cause painful bone diseases that can leave your puppy/dog permanently disfigured, and can even cause death. When mastiff puppies are fed a diet too high in calories, fat, protein or calcium, the extra “food” promotes rapid bone growth but the muscles can’t keep up, causing a host of issues.
Genetics are genetics - your dog will grow to be the size he is meant to be regardless of how much you feed or what type of food you feed. The difference is, with proper levels of fat, protein and calcium, your puppy will grow at a slower rate, reducing the chances of developing hip dysplasia, Pano, HOD and OCD. It will take him a little longer to grow to his full adult size, but be patient and it will be worth it in the end! More information is available on our Nutrition and Feeding page.
