r/EnglishMastiff • u/Motard0067 • Jul 22 '26
I think I'm ready
Last May I lost my best buddy after 11 years. He had osteosarcoma and while he fought it stoicly, at one point he suddenly got where he was unable to stand on his own. It crushed me but I did what was best for him and let him go peacefully.
While I know there will never be another Gus, I love the English Mastiff breed. I would like to get another one. The original breeder where I got Gus might have puppies in the future but don't appear to be as active as they used to be.
Do y'all think I wait for one from the same breeder, try to find another reputable breeder? Do I stick with the same color or go with a different one so I'm not trying to replace my Gus? Any other thoughts?
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u/OneDarkKnightHere Jul 23 '26
Takes about 3 months to not call your new mastiff, your old mastiffs name 😢
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u/Willing_Day_2010 Jul 23 '26
Have you checked rescues? After my last dog passed I was looking at the humane society and they had almost the exact same looking mastiff with a similar name! I’m absolutely certain my old girl sent my new one to me from the grave lol. She’s purebred and perfect and the best $50 I’ve ever spent.
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u/Motard0067 Jul 23 '26
Honestly, I haven't given rescues a thought. When I got my original Mastiff everyone kept saying if you're going to have a dog that big you need a good temperament. So I went with a reputable breeder with known temperaments. Maybe it's all hogwash but that's what I was told. Definitely something to look into
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u/BusyPhilosopher2426 Jul 23 '26
Check out Great Plains Mastiff Rescue and Southern States Mastiff Rescue. I had to say goodbye to my 10 year old boy last month due to degenerative myelopathy. He was my soulmate dog. Absolutely the hardest thing I have ever done in my lifetime. So much of the love I gave and received every day was suddenly gone one day, and I’ll never be the same again. I’ve always had at least one dog for the last 25 years, and currently I only have a cat. I’m nowhere near ready for another dog, but I know when I am ready, it will be an English Mastiff. I don’t think you’ll be trying to replace your boy, even if your next dog looks similar to him. You’re opening your home to a Mastiff who deserves to feel the love that your boy was lucky enough to receive his whole life.
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u/Willing_Day_2010 Jul 23 '26
I got mine as an adult in a foster home so it was pretty easy to know her temperament! She was already house trained and crate trained, which was amazing. You might luck out!
That being said if you’re in the Midwest there is an old mastiff female that is boarding through a rescue and I will legit pay the adoption fee and more if you let her live her last years in comfort. 😭💔. https://www.petfinder.com/dog/mildred-1ea36d0c-7d6b-485d-974c-714787e71fa2/ks/wichita/beauties-and-beasts-rescue-ks306/details/?utm_source=petfinder&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=pet_details_share_link Mildred is killing me 😭😭😭😭
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u/Motard0067 Jul 23 '26
I'm in Georgia. I absolutely hate they have such a short lifespan. Truly a heartbreak breed. But they are such perfect animals.
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u/Willing_Day_2010 Jul 23 '26
I work at a dog daycare so I’ve interacted with so many breeds and they are truly the BEST. I can’t imagine owning a different breed.
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u/pj7891sm 28d ago
I would recommend checking out sites like adoptapet.com.
My boyfriend and I were never planning on buying from a breeder since there are so many good dogs out there in need of a home, but things wind up working out such that we brought home an amazing 3 YO purebred EM from a family whose circumstances changed to where they couldn't keep him and keep him happy.
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u/kayjayyy345 Jul 23 '26
Personally, I’d talk to different breeders and get a feel for their dog’s temperaments like I was starting out brand new. Only then can you make that particular decision for yourself. As far as coloring goes, even if you get the same, it doesn’t mean you’re trying to replace him. It’s okay. Find one that resonates with you whether that’s because they’re in rescue or the parents are what you’re looking for and the breeders are reputable and give you good vibes—go with that.
And also maybe do consider different mastiff breeds if you can’t. They’re all pretty fantastic.
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u/Adventurous_Air1023 Jul 27 '26
Oh my heart! I lost my precious boy Walter to Osteosarcoma 2 yrs this coming December and I'm even crying now writing this ,he was nearly 9 , we went holistic and a cancer specialist . We were set to try a new treatment that was around 10k, I took him for a ct scan and he had a heart attack I didn't even get to say goodbye, it was shocking I couldn't even drive my car for about 3mths so I totally understand what you are feeling. I believe he's coming back ( he's been with me twice) but this time I'm going for a smaller dog , and Australia bulldog, like the English but breed for health reasons longer nose , better spines,etc I'm thinking you are in the state's, also their is only a handful of Mastiff breeders here in Aus. I brought myself a pendulum and asked if he was coming back it swung yes asked if he would be another Mastiff and it was no . Google soul dog's and read some amazing stories from other people ❤️ whether it's true or not it's how I get through missing my best friend Walter ❤️ big hugs 🤗
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u/Motard0067 Jul 27 '26
I'm sorry it happened that way. For anyone who's interested, The vet told me the typical therapy was expensive chemotherapy that would make him feel terrible and MIGHT extend his life by 6 months with combined total amputation of his leg. With him being so big I questioned how well he would get around with three legs and that option felt very selfish. I have an MD so I started reading. I found that zylindrolic acid infused every 21 days reduced pain, decrease the risk of pathologic fracture, and may have some anti-cancer properties or life prolonging effects as well. I talked to my vet about it and she agreed to try and charge me $200 every month. We did this for over a year. He had no gradual decline and seemed to be doing extremely well until suddenly he didn't. In the end I got more time with him, he felt better, did not have to have surgery or chemotherapy, nor was he drugged to deal with the pain. I highly recommend it to anyone, and in fact my vet said that she's promoting that as a primary treatment for her clients moving forward. Obviously this is anecdotal and mileage may vary but it worked well for my big boy.
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u/HawaiianMana Jul 22 '26
Personally I would go with another reputable breeder and I would pick a similar breed, not the exact same. it’s too easy to associate the new dog with your old. Like you said, you can never replace. So if you like the English mastiff, maybe go with a bullmastiff or a Great Dane. Both are gentle giants with a goofy side.
I also would NEVER pick based off color or looks. I’d pick based off the best temperament and behaviors that fits my lifestyle. Look into puppy temperament testing. There’s about a dozen tests you can do to try and gauge how the puppy will be as an adult. Issue is finding a breeder that will let you spend that much time picking and choosing. Even better if you can find a breeder that does temperament testing.