What are the pros and cons of owning a large/extra large breed dog?

Question

I am thinking of adopting a young bull mastiff/akita mix. I have no kids, 1 cat, 1 bird, big fenced yard and reasonably large house. I am near a big park with trails I plan on walking with dog daily and have neaxt door neighbors who have an akita purebred. What kinds of problems have you had with your big dog? What do you think is best food for them? What are your average vet bills? How is your dog with your other pets? Any info you can share would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Well, first you need to double EVERYTHING. Vet bills are doubled, medications are doubled and so is grooming. Food is about the only thing that is not. Everyone thinks big dogs have a need for more food. That's only true when growing. Once they mature they eat about the same as the average dog. They do tend to be lazier if allowed once grown. They require training on a more strict basis and earlier than small dogs. You dont need a huge unruly dog. You need to pamper their Joints until at least two years of age. They are prone to problems. You dont walk them alot when young and you need to make sure they have a bed to sleep on. Mine tend to be huge scardy cats. They look tough but all are really big babies when it comes to confrontation. You have to feed them small frequent meals because they are more apt to get bloat than a small dog. No water at least a half hour before or after meals. Only feed when relaxed and keep an eye out for it. Dont raise bowls either. I hope this helps. Email me if I can answer any more for you I will.
Oh and lets not forget destruction. Boy can I tell you stories about that.

Answer 2

I currently have 4 Newfies. I love huge dogs. You do have certain issues when owning a giant dog though.
I really don't think that I have MORe vet bills than I would if I had a small dog, but the cost of many things is higher. I got Baytril (antibiotic) last year for one of the Newfs and the 35 pound mix we have. The cost for the meds for the Newfs were WELL over $100, while the little dog was $35. Heart worm preventitive costa way more because being over 100 pounds...each one gets 2 pills. Anesthesia is usually more.
At least most preventitive care, like vaccines and well visits are the same for all sizes of dogs.
Pound for pound large/giant dogs usually eat less than smaller dogs. Mine do each eat about 4 cups daily....but so does my neighbors hyper 45 pound mutt. I use a Large Breed Adult food, plus give Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplements.
The other issue is that many people are going to be afraid of your BIG dog. Walking in the park we either draw attention, or people are going out of their way to avoid getting near us. Usually there is a lot more of the later. You must also be ever aware that if your dog does anything wrong, it may be a HUGE deal. Clearly, a bite from a dog like the one you may get would be much worse than from the average Cocker.
Some homeowners insurance policies have special premiums for certain breeds...or dogs that look like them. You may may want to check into that. Akitas can be among the more aggressive of the big breeds.
And big dogs live shorter life spans, are prone to orthopedic problems,can suffer bloat, and require some special considerations when they die....cremation for the huge dogs costs quite a lot!!!

Answer 3

Start with the bad things;
Big dog... Big poop!
Big dog... Bigger vet bills
Big dog... Bigger food bill
The type of food depends on you. More expensive food has a higher nutritional value. Dogs eat less and also produce less waste. The food is more expensive. Cheap food has more filler, less nutritional value. Dogs eat more so they produce more if you know what I mean. Probably the worst danger is bloat. When bigger dogs eat and then exercise they can sometimes get a twist or a knot in their intestine that causes severe pain and swelling. This can be fatal. My big dog is a greyhound, with their narrow waistline it can be even more of a problem. Fortunately, he's a 45 mph couch potato. Bull mastiffs are very dominant dogs. Do you have the dominant personality to be the alpha?

Now the good things;
Big dog... Big love
That prety much out ways the bad things in my opinion. I have an 18 pound lap dog that loves to snuggle in front of the TV. The greyhound likes to snuggle in bed until the Mrs. shows up then he knows it's time to go to the couch. I wouldn't get rid of either dog, they're both great!

Answer 4

Large dogs cost more to feed, more at the vet. Make large deposits in the yard. They can be physically challenging if you need to leash them for walks and baths. They are harder to get rid of if your life style changes. If you become ill or something. Plus a smaller dog if a chewer, will only eat a shoe a large dog can eat a couch. Not all dogs come well trained.

Answer 5

Well big dogs are great. My way of thinking is more of them to love!

Of course their vet bills will be larger. Food more costly, premium diet specialized designed for larger breeds are best.

All dogs come with problems. The main ones associated with the larger breeds are hip displysia and other joint and arthritis issues. Another downfall is that they don't have as long of a lifespan. But with vet medicine and proper care their lifespans are getting longer.

With both large and small breeds come both positives and negatives. It really comes down to what breed suits your lifestyle.

Answer 6

The pros:
Dogs are big, luvy, and sweet! But it depends on the dogs. I would say mastiffs are very sweet dogs. Big dogs are also generally more loyal, or easy to keep track of.

The cons:
The bigger dogs are for experienced dog owners, or people who know a lot on the breed or who have a big house, big yard, and a lot of time. May I also say their doo-doo is quite a bit bigger.


GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

They make great deterrents so none will rob you. But they have a lot of health problems and eat more.

Answer 8

i love my bullmastiff/black lab mix he is 13 he is doing fine

Answer 9

he might eat u when u forget to give him doggy treat