A Pitbull Mastiff mix is, as the name suggests, a mixed breed of Pitbull Terriers and Mastiff. These dogs are very loveable, friendly, and protective creatures.
Because of Pitbull’s bad reputation, its mixed breeds like the Pitbull Mastiff mix, too have to face some prejudice.
Read through the article to know everything about Pitbull Mastiff mix and see if this is the pet of your dreams.
Before going on to the details, let us have a quick summary of the breed.
Pitbull Mastiff Mix:
Quick Breed Summary Table of Pitbull Mastiff Mix
| Height | 25 to 30 inches |
| Weight | 100 to 150 pounds |
| Lifespan | 8 to 12 years |
| Colors | Black, white, red, brown or brindle |
| Intelligence | High intelligence |
| Breed type | Mixed breed |
| AKC Breed Popularity | Not recognized by AKC |
| Temperament | Friendly, lovable, loyal, protective |
| Daily Food Consumption | 4.5 to 6 cups of food per day |
| Common Health Issues | Hip dysplasia, kidney failure, bloat, cancer |
Facts about the Pitbull Mastiff Mix:
The name Pitbull Mastiff mix can depict a number of crosses. As there are many types of dogs which are called “Pitbulls” and “Mastiffs”. So Pitbull Mastiff mix is not actually a single breed.
But most commonly the crosses are between the American Bulldog and English Mastiff and between American Pitbull Terrier and Napoleon Mastiff.
Having a thin coat, these dogs do not have much grooming requirements.
Pitbull Mastiff mixes are healthy dogs who can live for 8 to 12 years if they have a healthy lifestyle.
These dogs are energetic and giant, so they will need a lot of space to move around.
So, if you feel your house is not spacious enough, then it would be good to drop the idea of bringing the dog home.
About the Pitbull Mastiff Mix:
Though their parents have a history of fights and an aggressive past, Pitbull Mastiff mixes can surprise you by actually showing just the opposite characters. They can be cheerful, loving, and affectionate friends unlike what they are usually thought to be because of their parents’ history.
These dogs are very intelligent and make great watchdogs. If you are afraid of thieves breaking into your house, bringing a Pitbull Mastiff mix can give you relief from these worries.
Bringing this dog home can be a good start towards changing your “couch potato” lifestyle and can actually get you moving. The dog is full of energy and enjoys long walks and playtimes. So, you will never have to worry about your health if you are always moving with your dog.
Bringing your dog near toddlers or other pets can have unexpected outcomes if your dog has not been trained and socialized properly. Pitbull Mastiff mixes are strong and powerful; they might hurt your child unintentionally because of their muscular build. So it is usually advised not to let toddlers around the dog.
Also, they are not known to be friendly with other dogs or animals around them.
Being a giant dog, they are not easy to handle as they need good training, enough exercise, and attention. So, these dogs are best suited to active families and those who have previous experience with dogs.
The Appearance of Pitbull Mastiff Mix:
About the parents, Pitbulls are smaller but muscular, weighing around 85 pounds and Mastiffs are larger dogs that can weigh up to 230 pounds. When these two dogs come together, their result has to be a ferocious and powerful canine. So Pitbull Mastiff mix is a quite robust dog just like its parents, having a muscular built.
A fully grown Pitbull Mastiff mix can weigh anywhere between 100 to 150 pounds and can grow up to the height of 25 to 30 inches. Though you cannot be really sure about the appearance because it largely depends on which of the parent’s genes is dominating in your pup.
There are a variety of possibilities regarding how your puppy will look like when it grows up. It can inherit any of its parent’s features such as it can have wrinkles around its muzzle and head like its Mastiff parent and stiff ears like Pitbulls. Whatever the features might be, your little puppy is bound to grow into a muscular and tough canine.
A Pitbull Mastiff mix can have solid, bi-colored, or even tri-colored coats of various colors such as black, white, red, brown pr brindle.
The dog can even have markings on his face or other parts of its body.
One thing common in both parents is that both of them have short and fine coat type. So you can be sure that your Pitbull Mastiff mix will have a short coat that will be easy to maintain.
History and origins of the Pitbull Mastiff Mix:
The parent breeds of a Pitbull Mastiff mix, the Pitbull Terrier and the Mastiff, are not specific pure breeds. While Pitbull is a crossbreed of Bulldog and Terrier, the Mastiff is a giant dog breed that has various types such as the English Mastiffs, Tibetan Mastiffs, etc.
So a Pitbull Mastiff cannot be called a typical designer breed and a variety of results can be expected from such a pup.
Let us have a look at the history of the two parent breeds.
MASTIFF:
Before reading further about the breed, it is important to remove confusion between “Mastiffs” and “mastiffs”. The term “Mastiffs” specifically refers to England’s traditional giant breed, which is also called “ The Old English Mastiff” whereas, “mastiffs” is used to refer to these giant canines found across the world such as the evidence which talk about such fierce canines from Egypt, China, Tibet, and Greece classify these dogs as mastiffs.
We get to know about mastiffs as an old breed from an account of Julius Caesar where he had mentioned about Mastiff-type breeds during his invasion of Britain in 55 BCE. On returning to Rome, Caesar and his army brought the canines back and used them in gladiator battles and to battle with wild beasts.
The two World Wars saw a massive decline in the number of Mastiffs. In England, after World War II, there were only 14 Mastiffs left. The population was restored later by breeders who exported good quality specimens from British stock to the US.
Since then, these dogs have gained a lot of popularity.
PITBULL TERRIER:
Pitbull is a mixed breed made to enhance the efficiency of Bulldogs in gaming. Back in the 1800s, when people of The United Kingdom were indulged in bloodsports involving Bulldogs such as ratting and bull-baiting for entertainment, there grew a need for more game efficient dogs. To fulfill this requirement, Bulldogs were crossed with Terriers to produce a dog which would have enhanced agility that it would get from Terriers along with the skills from the Bulldog parent.
So, the Pitbull Terrier came into being.
Later, people in America brought Pitbulls for using them as farm dogs, protecting livestock and various other purposes, rather than gaming and fighting.
Attempts were made to counter the image of Pitbulls as fighting dogs, such as the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals renamed these dogs as “St. Francis Terriers” in 1966.
Today, though the Pitbulls have been successful in making way to people’s hearts, there are various rules and regulations for Pitbulls at certain places due to their “fighting dog” image.
Is Pitbull Mastiff Mix good with children?
Pitbull Mastiff mix is a large dog, quite large for a toddler. If given training as a puppy, they can do well with children. But, given their large size, accidents can happen.
So it is always better to not leave small children alone with these dogs. Or maybe you can bring a Pitbull Terrier mix home when your child is old enough to keep the dog under control and can stand any chance blows from the dog.
Care of the Pitbull Mastiff Mix:
Now that you have an idea about what is a Pitbull Mastiff mix and its origins, let us have a look at how you would go about taking care of your dog.
Food requirements:
Just like humans, dogs too need to have a balanced diet to lead a healthy disease-free life, especially for such giant breeds who need to maintain their musculature. An appropriate amount of proteins for getting the essential amino acids and dietary fats for getting energy is necessary. So search for a kibble diet that has 25% to 285 of protein in it and a considerable amount of fat suitable giant dog breeds.
Being a massive dog, Pitbull Mastiff mixes have higher food requirements than an average dog. The amount they need depends on their age and current bodyweight.
On average, you can give about 4.5 cups of kibble for 100 pounds weight.
It would be good to divide a day’s food into 2-3 meals along with some saved treats for your pet’s training and playing sessions.
You can serve your dog 3 types of food- raw, homemade, and premium dog food.
Raw food can prove to be highly nutritious and healthy for your dog as it does not have preservatives and there is no cooking involved. But you need to be careful while handling raw food as they can be a source of bacteria like salmonella or E.coli which can be harmful to your dog.
Homemade food can again be considered healthy because, it is you who will be making it, taking care of all the nutrition that your dog needs. But this will need your time and effort.
Readymade dog food is one of the easiest options as it does not require much of your time and effort and also fulfills your dog’s nutrition requirements.
Exercise requirements:
In terms of physical activity, Mastiffs are generally a bit less active compared to Pitbulls. So you can expect your dog to do anything from jumping around in the house to lying lazily on the sofa.
Whichever trait you discover, you need to give them at least an hour of exercise a day to maintain good health and keep them mentally stimulated.
You can take your dog for morning and evening walks, take them to a nearby park or playground. Playing games occasionally such as a game of fetching or tug of war can be a nice way of mental stimulation.
To prevent your dog from being bored, you should try dividing the whole day’s activity into 2-3 sessions of 20-30 minutes. That will keep your dog from being bored and keep him engaged thereby preventing inculcation of any destructive habit.
You need to keep a few things in mind regarding your dog’s exercise. Your dog should not overdo, especially as a puppy. Also, it is better to avoid exercise just after a meal, or else your dog can suffer from gastric torsion.
Training requirements:
For the best training results, you need to keep two things in mind.
First, training should be started as soon as you bring your dog home. Proper training from puppyhood can help not just your dog, but also you, as it is easier to manage a little puppy than a giant dog like this one.
Second, positive reinforcement is the best way to make your dog learn better and faster. If you punish them, then they can show unwanted aggressive behavior which, if continues, will be difficult to manage.
It is important to be a very confident trainer with these giant dogs. Having Mastiff genes, your dog can be dominant at times, so you have to be confident as well as patient while dealing with such dogs. Because of his stubborn nature, he can try to take over you but you need to be firm and that too without punishing.
For obedience training and socializing, you can start taking him to dog parks and try introducing new people and animals in his surrounding from an early age.
Grooming requirements:
Pitbull Mastiff mixes do not have much grooming requirements. These dogs have short coats that need quite low maintenance. Once a week brushing of the coat will be enough. At times of increased shedding, such as during changing seasons, you might have to increase the frequency of brushing.
Bathing can be done only when required. You need not bathe him unless your dog starts smelling or his coat looks dirty.
It would be good to invest in some good quality shampoos suitable for your dog’s skin type that will also keep the skin’s natural oils intact.
Oral health is another important aspect you need to take care of. Brushing his teeth twice or thrice a week can be enough to keep away dental problems.
Next, you need to make sure that your dog has clean and dry ears, especially for dogs who have dropped ears. Periodic cleaning of ears is a must to prevent moisture and infection in the ears.
Along with this, you should also keep a check on its nails.
Common health issues:
Having a higher genetic variation, being a crossbreed, Pitbull Mastiff mixes have a higher chance of leading a healthy life. Yet, like all other dogs, there are possibilities of inheriting certain health issues from either of its parents.
- Hip dysplasia- just like any other large dog, Pitbull Mastiff mixes are also prone to having joint problems like hip dysplasia. This can be prevented by giving your dog sufficient nutrition and enough exercise.
- Obesity- these large dogs are big eaters and therefore, you need to keep a check on their diet and exercise. Enough diet and poor physical activity can lead to weight gain or obesity. This condition too can be prevented by giving your dog a healthy lifestyle.
- Kidney failure- Pitbull Mastiff mixes are susceptible to having kidney failures. If there is an entry of toxins into their body through any means, such as toxic food products, dental disease, etc. and thereafter if these toxins are not released by the body, then it can lead to kidney failure.
- Tumours- your dog can even get tumours in his body, about which you cannot do much, except for providing the best medical facility and your love and care. Mostly, older dogs are prone to tumours but that does not mean a young pooch is always out of danger.
Summary:
Bringing home a Pitbull Mastiff mix can be great if you are an active family. It can fill your home energetic vibes.
Your dog might not do well in the presence of any unfamiliar dog or even with another pet. So, maybe you will have to drop the idea of bringing another pet if you already have this dog at home.
Your Pitbull Mastiff mix will enjoy playing with you, jumping around the house, and also some occasional cuddles and will definitely become your best friend.
Dr. Aram Baker has been with Santa Clarita Animal Hospital since 1995 and his special interests include behaviour medicine and dermatology. He graduated from the Cleveland Humanities Magnet Program in Reseda, CA and attended California State University at Northridge where he received a Bachelor’s degree in biology. He went on to pursue his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis. He also spent time in the zoological medicine department at U.C. Davis during his Junior and Senior years. He is dedicated to caring for all pets big or small, young or old with compassion, patience, kindness, and love.