10c. How are Mastiffs with Other animals?
Description
This article is from the Mastiffs Breed FAQ, by mmcbee@access.mountain.net (Mike McBee) with numerous contributions by others.
10c. How are Mastiffs with Other animals?
The earliest socialization, at the breeder's, and while a
puppy is very young, influences how a particular Mastiff will
behave with other animals. You want him to learn what YOU
want him to accept while he is still small (this means it has
to be done *very* young!) since a larger dog is much harder
to control, and bad habits are harder to break than good
habits. Some Mastiffs are born with a high prey drive and
these dogs will need special training if a multi-pet
household is to maintain harmony.
A Mastiff who hasn't been exposed to cats or chickens or farm
animals or whatever while young may treat them as prey or
furniture, depending on the temperament of the individual
dog. Some Mastiffs live well with cats, and recognize that
the cats have to feel they are the bosses. Others chase cats
without mercy even if they are wonderful dogs in every other
way. Some dogs that were not raised around horses may sniff
once, then ignore them, others may be afraid of them, others
interested, etc. The point is, *you* need to plan what to
socialize your dog to, so it will know how to behave around
the animals that are or will be part of your household. Then
it is not up to the highly individual reactions of a half- or
fully-grown dog, but your choice.
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