Mastiff Lab Mix: why it will win over your heart (14 photos)
Mastiff Lab mix: when popularity and power mix
What kind of a dog is a Mastiff Lab mix, and should you consider adopting one for your family?
Labradors are an extremely popular breed and are often used in crossbreeds to give the puppies their kind nature, high intelligence, and endless friendliness towards people. Traditionally used for hunting, Labradors have evolved alongside people and are extremely people-oriented. This is a dog that has almost no downsides.
Mastiff, in contrast, is a very “serious” breed often used as a guard dog due to their excellent guarding/protecting instincts. Despite that, Mastiffs are still very affectionate and devoted to their owners, just as Labs are. They are also highly intelligent. A Mastiff Lab mix is an outgoing, friendly dog that will love nothing more than their owner’s company.
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Mastiff Lab mix Appearance
Temperament
Some potential downsides to owning a Mastiff Lab mix
Activity levels
Grooming your Mastiff Lab mix
Mastiff Lab mix Appearance
As a crossbreed, a Mastiff Lab mix will inherit some traits from their Labrador parent and others from the Mastiff. Mastiffs are very large dogs: a male can stand up to 90 cm tall and weigh as much as 200lb.
Labs are also fairly large, but smaller than mastiffs, and certainly less muscular. Their bodies are square-shaped, with a wide chest (less muscular than a mastiff’s). They have a wide head and a wide, characteristic “smile” that’s so common for Labradors. Their nose is moderately long, the ears lay flat.
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Lab’s coats are short but thick and can be of various colors such as red, white, tan, and brown.
Slightly shorter than Mastiffs, Lab males can stand up to 60 cm in height and weigh up to 70 lbs.
A mix of the two breeds, the Mastiff Lab mix is a large dog with well-developed musculature and a well-proportioned body. It may have a more square looking head of a mastiff or a more elongated one that’s more similar to a Labrador. It will most likely have very strong jaws like mastiffs have. The nose can be flat like Mastiff’s or can be a little longer. like Labrador’s. The ears are small and hanging, although may stand up when the dog is concentrating on something or is excited.
The tail will be medium-length. The coat can be longer or shorter, but quite thick in any case. In terms of color, Mastiff Lab mix can inherit any of the colors that Mastiffs and Labradors tend to have, including tan, red, white, and brown.
Mastiff Lab Mix Temperament
Mastiff Lab Mix Temperament
When it comes to personality, this pup will be a combination of both of the parent breeds. It’s hard to say what character traits will prevail in a particular puppy. From a Mastiff, it can inherit high intelligence, confidence, endurance, and strength. This is a quiet and very serious dog that at the same time is loving and affectionate with its family members. Your Mastiff Lab Mix may also inherit a good deal of stubbornness from their Mastiff parent, which is why training your Mastiff Lab Mix is so important if you want this dog to be controllable.
From the Labrador, your dog can inherit a stable personality, active and quick reaction, a happy disposition, and general “mildness” of character. This is a smart and obedient dog, happy to please their owner. They are also confident, persistent, and can be a little stubborn. They love playing, hiking, chasing you while you ride your bike and swimming. They may have excellent hunting instincts which you can help them develop if hunting and fishing are some of your hobbies. If not, they will be happy to fetch you a ball or a stick in the park. They never tire of playing. This would be a great dog for more active families ready to spend sufficient time outdoors.
Labradors are also almost never aggressive. This, mixed with the patience and calm confidence of Mastiffs, will make your Mastiff Lab Mix a calm, patient, friendly dog that is a pleasure to have around, provided you spend an appropriate amount of time training and socializing them.
Your dog could even become a great service dog: their Labrador parents are usually excellent service dogs used for search and rescue, seeing-eye dogs, police dogs, and many other purposes.
Training your Mastiff Lab mix
Both Labradors and Mastiffs are highly intelligent dogs, and both are easy to train. Your Mastiff Lab mix can be easy to train too… in theory. In reality, they can be quite stubborn and, if they inherited more of a lab personality, easily distracted. They can think twice before doing what you are asking them to do, even though they understand you perfectly well.
Some potential downsides to owning a Mastiff Lab Mix
A combination of these two breeds can have its downsides as well as upsides. The Mastiff Lab mix’s friendliness and attachment to the owner may spill into neediness. They need your attention, preferably at all times. If they feel lonely or bored, they will hang around you, looking sadly in your eyes, barking or chewing your favorite slippers just so you pay attention. If you don’t like having to be around your dog at all times, this may not be a great breed for you.
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Labs are quite prone to chewing and digging. Your Mastiff Lab mix may also be quite destructive, especially as a puppy. You might have to say goodbye to a sofa or two, and a few pairs of shoes. As well as to your beautiful rose bushes that you’ve been trying to grow for years. Of course, you can try to teach your dog not to chew or to dig, but some dogs can never be stopped from their natural behavior.
Labs (and Mastiffs, to a degree), quite often tend to have large appetites. This does not only mean higher food expenses. It also means they will eat anything and everything in sight, including their food, your cat’s food, your leftovers on the kitchen counter (don’t ask us how they can reach so high – they just can!), and all kinds of edible and inedible stuff outside including poop!). Make sure you are prepared to deal with this food addiction in your dog or don’t adopt a Mastiff Lab Mix.
Because of their love for food, Mastiffs, Labs, and Mastiff Lab Mixes may easily get overweight. They also tend to have quite a few allergies: you may end up having to find a food type or brand that doesn’t make your pup allergic.
If your Mastiff Lab mix inherits more of a Lab coat, you will have to deal with lots of shedding. Don’t believe anyone who says that dogs only shed a few times a year – dogs like Labs shed all the time. If you are not ready to clean your house regularly and vacuum out tonnes of dog hair, this dog may not be the best fit for you.
Activity levels
This is a very well-developed dog physically, with a powerful body and centuries of working dog life in their genetics (on the side of the Mastiff). These dogs have been used for centuries as working and guard dogs. Today’s Mastiff Lab Mix may not have a particular job to do (unless you have a farm or property to protect), but they still need plenty of physical and mental exercise to maintain their best health. This dog will need long daily walks so you have to have at least an hour a day for prolonged walks/game in the park, along with several short walks a day.
This is not a good dog to keep in a fenced-in area all the time. They don’t do well alone and should live near their family at all times.
Your Mastiff Lab Mix may inherit Labrador affinity for water. They adore swimming and can spend hours splashing in rivers and lakes or fetching the sticks you throw for them in the water.
Grooming your dog
As both of the parent breeds, Mastiff and Labrador, have shorter coats, your Mastiff Lab Mix will be an easy dog to groom. Brushing them once or twice weekly will be enough. Washing your dog regularly is a good idea, but don’t do it too often, and always remember to use special dog shampoo and soap – never human. It’s important to check your dog’s ears and eyes and make sure they are always clean. If there are any signs of discharge, pus, or other signs of infection, take your pup to the vet.
Other Mixes:
Cane Corso German Shepherd mix
Sources:
Labrador Retriever on Wikipedia
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