Of course it’s very likely that most English Mastiff puppies won’t get quite that large, 343 pounds is the weight of the largest English Mastiff ever recorded, big boy, eh?  In general, Mastiffs get to be about 150 – 200 pounds.

We have a number of ancient records of these massive beasts from antiquity, mainly from Romans texts, these documents describe the hunting dogs of the native Britons as fleet of foot, savagely fierce, and with very large claws.

It’s been noted that the native British-Celtic tribes used the forefather’s of our modern Mastiff as both dogs of war and as hunting dogs; they probably looked quite a bit different back then, although similar in nature.

Over the years since Roman occupation English Mastiff’s have been interbred with other large breeds, it’s difficult to trace exactly which breeds intermixed.

It is known that Mastiffs can be bred with Great Danes, and have been recently with good success, creating a new variation on both breeds.  The English Bulldog and the English Mastiff have similar roots, although the Bulldog is quite a bit smaller, even though they believe they are big dogs.

Though Mastiffs are very large in size, their temperament is very calm and loving; they are often referred to as the gentle giants of the dog world.  They are intelligent and very “trainable”, which makes perfect sense because in the past a good hunting dog needed to be smart, otherwise they’d be pretty much useless in the field.

This breed is often seen as a great protector, they will often come between a master and stranger through just instinct alone, although they are generally not aggressive towards strangers like some other breeds are. However, give a Mastiff reason to become aggressive and they will, but they definitely have to be pushed.

These big dogs need a lot of exercise, they eat a lot, and they need a lot of room, so if you live in a large urban area this just probably isn’t the dog for you.

But, if you live in a suburb or the country and you have a large fenced-in property then this dog could certainly be a good fit, they are fun, loyal dogs they just need room to roam and be themselves, to express their Mastiff-ness.

If they don’t get the exercise that they need then they can get irritable or even depressed, so don’t be cruel, if you know that you won’t be able to give this dog ample exercise and room to grow then don’t buy one.

English Mastiff puppies should be trained from about the age of 8 to 12 weeks, which is the training age for all dogs.  If purchasing one be sure to deal only with reputable dealers, if something sounds too good to be true it probably is too good to be true, that is how scammers operate.

In older age the Mastiff does tend towards hip dysplasia, eye problems, and hypothyroidism, so be aware and watch for any signs of these disorders as they get a little older.