How are Mastiffs with children and other dogs?

Mastiffs and children are a great combination. The only concern is that both the Mastiff and the children must be taught to play carefully together, and not hurt each other. Children can be too rough, and the pup can confuse the children for littermates/peers and play too rough as well.

While Mastiffs are generally easy going dogs, they can have problems with other dogs that are too dominant, and early socialization is very important. A Mastiff will usually take a great deal of bullying before they have had enough, and when they do they tend to react strongly. Also while slow to anger, they are likewise slow to forget.

It is important to remember that this situation can occur with ANY 'new' dog introduced into the family 'pack'. In general Mastiffs do best when they have a dog-pal, if they live as a 'single' dog it is important to not isolate them from other dogs. Otherwise they could develop poor social skills when meeting other dogs. Puppy kindergarten is highly recommended.