Spanish Mastiff – Size, Weight, Puppies & Price Guide in India

Spanish Mastiff is a very large and strong dog breed. They are known as Mastín Español in their native place. They are good as guard and companion to us. This magnificent fearless breed does not even care for their lives to protect their property and own people. They have the strength to take over a wolf with its size and strength. People like their noble and calm nature as companion nowadays. They also don’t require lots of exercises and are suitable for moderately active people who can take them for a long walk daily. Although Mastins are in abundance in their native place, they are still rare worldwide.

They have a history of guarding flocks of sheep independently, therefore are independent and not a good choice for novice and inexperienced people. This breed is a delight to keep for experienced dog owners.

Spanish Mastiff Origin

Spanish Mastiff is a very old dog breed. It is mainly a native of Estremadura in  Spain. It’s a presence in Spain is believed to be 2000 years old. It is believed that the Mastiff breed was brought in the Iberian Peninsula by Phoenicians and Greeks. The first mention of the appearance of Spanish Mastiff from the Iberian Peninsula was in Virgilius in 30 A.D. Their importance started to increase around the 10th century when the economy started to depend on the wool industry. The importance of this breed increased even more with the breeding of new kind of sheep called Merino. Spanish Mastiff is the result of continuous selection and improvement of the breed by cattle breeders. At that time sheeps had to be moved from one place to other during climatic changes by transhumans. There was a danger of attack from natural predators in the mountains while migrating and therefore, people needed Spanish Mastiff for cattle protection including themselves from predators. For every 100 sheep there was one Spanish Mastiff.

Programmed breeding only started from 1911 and the first breed standard was written in 1946.

Spanish Mastiff Temperament

They are extremely loyal, loving and protective towards owners that they can lay their life to protect their owner without any hesitation. They are watchful and alert out of their guarding instinct. You will have a great guard dog and companion with Spanish Mastiff. They are wary about strangers without proper early socialization. They love to be with their master so, it is best to keep them with you. They are quick and agile in spite of their heavy build.

They are moderately active when adult. They do well with a long walk daily and a fenced and safe yard for them to exercise when they want.

They are fearless, confident and stable minded. They are calm in nature. They are quite tolerant and patient with children and pets of their pack family. They have a tendency of aggression towards other dogs.

They are independent, intelligent and stubborn in nature. This does not breed for you if you don’t have experience on such dogs. They have worked independently from the starting so, they love to do a job in their own way. They are easily trainable if only you are able to establish alpha position and confidence.

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Spanish Mastiff Physical Appearance

They are robust, muscular and very large sized dogs. They have a massive and wide chest. They are strong boned and rectangular in proportion. They have massive, wide and well-proportioned head according to the body. The muzzle is deep with strong jaws. They have dewlap on the neck. Skin is abundant and loose on the body. Ears are pendant shaped with pointed tips and small in size compared to head. Ears are at eye level and hanging.

They are double coated of short hair with a dense and woolly undercoat. Coat color comes in yellow, red, black, grey and brindle.

Tail is carried low and fringed reaching to hocks.

Spanish Mastiff Size

Height – 28 to 35 inches

Weight

• Male – 185 – 220 pounds
• Female – 145 – 170 pounds

Spanish Mastiff FCI Classification

Section – Section 2.2, Molossian: Mountain type

Group no 2

Date of acceptance – 11/13/1954

Country of origin – Spain

Standard no 91

Spanish Mastiff Grooming

You need to brush your Mastin’s coat at least twice a week with a pin brush. Daily brushing is a better idea to keep your home and your Mastin free from unwanted dead fur during heavy shedding months. You can use deshedders during these months. Check your dog’s fur daily to keep their fur free from ticks and fleas. They don’t require regular baths. Therefore, give them a bath when they either become dirty or are becoming smelly. Brushing and cutting away mats before the bath is recommended.

You should brush your dog’s teeth at least twice a week to keep their oral health up to the mark. If you get the foul smell from your Mastin’s mouth then please contact your vet.

Ears of your Mastin should be checked and cleaned once in a week with cotton balls and dog ear cleaner to keep their ears healthy.

Nails should be trimmed regularly once in a month or when their nails touch the ground and make a clicking sound. You should trim the hair between foot pads regularly to avoid tangling and trapped debris.

As Mastins are drooly, they need to be kept clean by cleaning their drool regularly.

Spanish Mastiff Nutrition

Correct nutrition is an important part of a dog’s life as any other creature for their good health, growth, and longevity. A premium quality commercial dog food tailored for the large breed is appropriate for your Mastin with an additional 10% of diet including organ meats, eggs, cottage cheese, vegetables, and fruits. Care should be taken in caloric and minerals intake in growing puppies for their proper growth. It should neither be too much nor be low. If you make dog food at home then the main food should come from meat including 80% raw meat. Quantity of food should be given around 2.5% of body weight of your dog. Supplements should be added by consulting your vet and it is better to even offer homemade food to your dog by consulting your vet if you are interested in offering homemade food for your dog. Adults should be offered food once daily.

Always keep clean water available for your dog all the time.

Spanish Mastiff Training

Spanish Mastiff used to guard flocks of sheep independently from time immemorial. So, they are wary about strangers. You need to properly socialize your puppy with different people, pets and dogs. Due to their past functions, they are independent in nature and want to do a job their own way. If you are not able to establish an alpha position then they will not listen to you. It is necessary to establish your position and their place in the pack. Also, they get bored with repetitive training. You need to be confident, consistent and firm while training your Mastin. The best outcome will come of your training with positive reinforcement and rewarding by a treat. Clicker training is also well followed by this breed. Therefore, Mastin is not a breed for everyone.

A well trained Spanish Mastiff will be the best pet you will ever own in your life with their stable temperament so, training and socialization play a very important role in shaping the temperament of your Mastin.

Spanish Mastiff health issues

Spanish Mastiffs are commonly prone to hip dysplasia. Other than this health ailment there are other ailments this breed suffers from. These ailments are as follows

• Elbow Dysplasia
• Entropion
• Bloat
• Panosteitis and
• Dilated Cardiomyopathy
• Dilated Cardiomyopathy occurs very commonly in this breed and is a concern within this breed. This condition has taken lives of many Mastins.
• Litter size of Spanish Mastiff is around 5 to 10 puppies.
• Life expectancy of Spanish Mastiff is 10 to 11 years.

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