Edie MacKenzie On Dogs

Posts Tagged ‘Mastiff’

In setting official standards for mutts, everyone has used the guiding principle that dogs belong to the same species, called the Canis familiaris. All dogs come equipped with the remarkable blend of high intelligence, fierce loyalty, human-like emotions, boundless love, and the ability to smell leftover meat two blocks away.

It is us humans that have established differences among dogs. Some dogs were selected over centuries for astonishing traits of size and temperament. These dogs were bred for high purposes, such as the Mastiff for defending the Roman Empire, the Newfoundland for rescuing sailors, the Chesapeake Bay Retriever for retrieving ducks, and the Saint Bernard for saving lost mountaineers. These are purebred dogs.

To create a purebred, all matters are arranged by a responsible breeder. On the other hand, other dogs, such as strays, neighborhood dogs or most dogs who have ever lived have met and mated as they saw fit, without the help of humans. This is evident by simply looking at them. These are called, simply, “dogs.”

All dogs are capable of the greatest genetic elasticity among mammals, providing a dazzling array of coat types, head types, tail configurations, and placements. Dogs astonish us with their rich diversity, the 250-pound Mastiff and the five-pound Miniature Poodle are members of the same species, a heart the size of a peanut and a heart as big as a fist both beating with love for us, their best friends. Breeders can’t perform this trick with other types of species.

In the last century or so, dog breeders, carefully molding remarkable lumps of canine clay, have turned out an amazing array of more than 450 distinct breed types, although only 146 breeds and varieties are formally recognized by the American Kennel Club. Dogs meeting dogs for entirely unsupervised dates have done it a little differently. For example, Yorkies serenading a song of seduction to strong, silent Shepherd types, and Terriers falling for Chihuahuas. The results of this dizzying merry-go-round of random matches is nothing less than the richest, maddest, crazy-quilt variety of mammals of a single species on Earth: mixed-breed dogs. Surely there are thousands of types of mixed-breed dogs, roughly familiar, and yet each one unique, like snowflakes.

Boxers: A well-bred boxer is a wonderful family dog. They have a coat easy to care for, are not too large, and tend to be well behaved with children. The boxer is an easy breed to train. Although generally friendly, it commands respect because of its size and square face. This is a very jumpy breed of dog, so if you choose the boxer be prepared. The naturally active boxer needs quite a bit of exercise in order to maintain a relaxed demeanor.

Bullmastiff: Bullmastiffs are just plain nice, easily cared for, slow-going, beautiful dogs. Most examples are tight lipped, so the saliva is not all over the place, as is true with other mastiff dogs. Trainers have never had reservations in recommending the bullmastiff to any family that had the space to house them properly.

Doberman Pinscher: The Doberman is a dog that has suffered from an unearned reputation of aggression. The fact is that they are almost everything but. Dobermans train as if there were some genetic predisposition toward the training itself. They are extremely sensitive and at the same time more defensive than the German shepherd dog. They have a very warm and responsive character. They always seem to have their heads somewhere on your body, or at least one part of their anatomy is touching you.

Giant Schnauzer: The giant schnauzer is a large, very classy, and elegant breed of dog that carries itself proudly in conformation and character. The giant schnauzer needs grooming to maintain the coat type, They are a bit stubborn yet are very bright and train well with consistent handling.

The male can appear a little sharp at times, showing his readiness to react to any adverse situation. Trainers who have trained this breed in obedience has found them to be quite responsive to consistent training. This breed may possess enough initiative to run a household. Although they are nice, they are best housed by experienced enthusiasts of giant schnauzers.

Great Dane: There are many problems that life has to offer the poor Great Dane, both physical and behavioral. The sheer size of this breed brings with it orthopedic and systemic medical trouble. When there is an aggression problem in the Great Dane it is further complicated by the dog’s size. Obviously, if you are bitten by a dog of this size you are likely to have severe injuries.

Many trainers have very successfully trained many Great Danes and they are a pleasure to work with. Not a breed for the first-time owner; this is a prince of breeds when the genetics are correct and the dog is in the hands of a capable owner.