Mastiff Training - How These Big Dogs Should Behave

The Mastiff is the kind of dog that suits you if you believe that size matters. But before making up your mind about adopting a Mastiff, you should be committed to make it go through a training process because it will surely bring you trouble if you do not teach it to behave well.

Mastiffs are trainable just like other dogs, and they are dedicated to their masters. It is almost imperative to train a Mastiff while it is young especially because they are big animals. The secret for a maser training that works, as in any other dog training, is consistency.

What Makes Mastiffs Special

Being big and bulky Mastiffs are not as flexible and swift as smaller dog breeds. They are also even tempered without getting too easily agitated. This characteristic makes the Mastiff prone to become sedentary. As the Mastiff does not habitually run or job on their own, you need to exercise it by taking it regularly to walks in the outside world.

One distinct nature of the Mastiff is its being in need of constant company with people; this will prevent it from becoming anxious. The training that your Mastiff gets is useless if you can't be there to spend time with it because it is what the Mastiff needs the most. Mastiffs are social by nature.

Despite the Mastiff's inborn desire to please its master, it also has its share of stubbornness. This means that you need to be a bit patient when dealing with this giant during training.

Mastiff Training Basics

The first thing to consider when you decide to adopt a Mastiff puppy is its age. You cannot separate a Mastiff puppy from its mother if it is still below eight weeks old. It is during this period of the puppy's young life that it receives socialization and biting inhibition lessons from its mother.

As soon as you find the Mastiff old enough to take home, be sure to give it daily companionship until it reaches three months old. This will form part of your Mastiff's foundation to ensure that it won't develop anxiety. Get a chance to socialize you Mastiff with other dogs as much as possible.

Do not train your Mastiff to be a guard dog. They are not very easy to control when they become angry. Just be content with the fact that its size alone commands the respect of intruders.

Mastiff Training for Obedience

A Mastiff's obedience training is not at all a very complex task. It is usually conducted after the puppy receives its housebreaking lessons. Ten to fourteen weeks is the ideal age for the Mastiff to receive obedience training. When training your Mastiff, always treat it kindly, be considerate. Mastiffs are a bit stubborn, that's why you need to be patient with it. Using the wrong training approach, you might end up teaching the dog to become aggressive instead of being obedient.

As the Mastiff is very big, you don't have to expect it to perform small dog tricks. The type of behavior training that works for a Mastiff is sit, stay and walk calmly on a leash. One of the most important things that you can teach your Mastiff is to teach it not to chase. The Mastiff is so big and strong it's difficult to stop it when it runs.

As a Mastiff is difficult to control, you really need to have it trained so that it can properly behave at your command. Bringing a Mastiff puppy home comes with a silent commitment that you will train, socialize it and nurture it, because its need for a family is as big as its heart.