Oh I love Mastiffs! A friend of mine breeds Bullmastiffs (smaller than the Mastiff) They are terrific dogs, but definitely different from Huskies.

Here is a GREAT link that will help you understand them a little more.
http://www.bulldoginformation.com/molossers-mastiff-type-dogs.html

 

Hmm, I can't seem to locate any specific information on English Mastiffs on that page. It mostly talks about Molossers in general.

 

English Mastiff is called a Mastiff http://www.akc.org/breeds/mastiff/index.cfm

I just noticed on the first page I gave you they do not have a direct link to the actual mastiff.......... wonder why? They have all the other breeds in the mastiff family but the mastiff.

 

I don't know much about Huskies, So I can't really compare the two.
The main thing people seem do dislike about Mastiffs is the drool- it is everywhere- (I carry a towel with me at all times to give you an idea) I have found it on the ceiling fans and all over the walls- I think I clean an extra two hours a day for Otis between the hair and the drool and cleaning out his water bowl, which I am doing 3-4 times a day in the summertime.
They require more $$ for everything- things like the vet- medicine is more, anestesia is more, etc. So, be prepared for that.
The big difference I am sure of is the exercise- Huskies require a lot more than Mastiffs do. They cannot take the heat at all and when they do play hard, it is recommended for not more than 15 minutes.


This link has a lot of info:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/mastiff.htm

 

Have you tried the Zoom-Groom? Pretty sure Mastiff coats are similar to bullies since bullies are from the mastiff breed. It works great on Maggie. Although I am sure Otis will have lots more hair because he is about 4 times the size of Maggie

Luckily Maggie does not take after Mastiff's as far as drooling. Only when there are eggs around does she do one shoelace.

 

I had no idea that they were so laid back. And they require such little exercise in comparison too.

The shedding couldn't really be worse than a husky, could it? I mean, huskies can get pretty out of control unless you're on top of brushing and cleaning up after them, as I've found out.

Drool shouldn't be a problem. Carrying around a towel is a great idea, and I could see that working out really well for me.

Money shouldn't be a problem, because I don't plan on getting a Mastiff until I can completely afford him.

I've read that they can be very protective, but not in an aggressive way. I found that really unique. Have you seen anything in your mastiff experience that would lead you to believe that this statement is true?

 

The shedding couldn't really be worse than a husky, could it? I mean, huskies can get pretty out of control unless you're on top of brushing and cleaning up after them, as I've found out.

I don't know exactly how to describe it, but the short hair is worse to me. It kind of floats in the air because it's lighter, doesn't brush off your hands as easily, weaves itself into fabric easier than long hair, and it really clogs my keyboard. Those things aside, feeling a dog's structure without layers of fur is cool.

 

There are definitely little nuances that will be different from breed to breed. With a Sibe and a Mastiff, you are almost in polar opposites as far as temperament and energy typically go - but I don't think there would be any problems with the two sharing a house.

Usually, the first place I look for breed info is on the breed club site. They tend to have the most reliable information for the breed as well as links and such to other sites worth checking out. Here's the Mastiff site if you'd like to check it out:
http://www.mastiff.org/

 

Wow, that link had a bunch of info. Particularly the page that asks "Is The English Mastiff The Right Breed For You?"

Pretty much everything checked off as "Yes." for me.

I think a good breeder is the way to go. I found a couple in Colorado, who don't have any litters right now, but that's not really a problem. They charge around the $900-$1,500 range, which is reasonable, I suppose.

 

Oh, so it's the kind of fur that gets stuck in things. My friend had three dogs with coats like that, but they never, ever bothered cleaning their house for fur. It was kind of gross.

What kinds of things can you do to keep that kind of fur under control?

 

Never personally owned one, just have a few (short hair dogs) that come around. It might be as simple as diet, maybe one of the Mastiff owners can chime in on the hair thing. Every short hair I encounter seems in perpetual slight shed. It could also be I'm used to all the white 2"-4" hairs. Oh, and my vacuum doesn't like to pick up the short hairs.

 

Brushing the dog with a shedding blade will do wonders too. It is like a furminator of the short haired dog world. (Okay, maybe not that good, but still good.)

Blackie is a Lab and has the short/shed everywhere coat and Chloe is a Collie and has the fluffy/shed everywhere coat.
I personally like the fluffy shed everywhere, because you can pick up the tumble weeds of fur that come off of her, but when you brush Blackie you better be outside or that hair is never coming out of the carpet. But since he blows his coat twice a year, the shedding in between then isn't that bad. I'm not sure what a Mastiff would be like.

 

This site is also decent.

http://www.mastiffweb.com/

I don’t own an EM but I do own a Tosa-inu (aka Japanese Mastiff). I was seriously considering getting an EM before and did a lot of research about the breed. (Well, then I changed my mind and got a Tosa, no regret at all.)
Owning a giant breed, especially these molossers is a lot of work. I’m sure you’ll feel the same once you get an EM. It’s a lot harder than you’d think now. Because of their size, everything will double. Food, water, toys and treats, etc… More money to spend. Bigger crate/cages and dog beds are more expensive than smaller ones. Even their poops are bigger. (yuck! I know but it’s true)
Also yes, they drool. A LOT. It’s all over your clothes, furniture, on the floor, walls, etc..
I think constant training is a must. You don’t want a 200LBs dog who doesn’t listen.

Anyway, they will keep you busy for sure. They are awesome dogs who give you a lot of joy. You can wrestle with them without worrying about hurting them. Isn’t that cool?

-naoki

 

Otis' hair is not the sticky, light kind of hair- it doesn't float around. I just run the vacuum every day and get 2/3 to one full canister of hair a day I brush him daily or every other day- it helps. It's just the fact that they are so big as to why you have SOOO much hair come off of them- it's like having 3 dogs shed for that one. I have never found one hair in my keyboard or anything- it falls to the floor/ground after he sheds it. My wardrobe does not consist of one piece of black

As for the protectiveness, like I said I haven't witnessed anything from Otis yet- my old boy Brutus only showed protectiveness towards my girl when she was first born-if someone would walk towards her bassinet he would kindly walk between them as if to say "not too close buddy" but NEVER showed any type of aggression. Their looks are enough of a deterent for people not to mess with you, even though they really are big babies!

Sounds like you are pretty prepared and know what to expect- just keep researching and you will be well prepared!

 

Here's a site that might give some good insight into Mastiffs. I've found Michelle Whelton's breed "critiques" to be pretty accurate.

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/mastiffs.html