The Mastador is a large mixed breed, the parent breeds are the English Mastiff and Labrador Retriever. The Mastiff Lab Mix is very energetic, loving, loyal, playful, gentle, great watchdog, and a fantastic family pet.
The Mastiff Lab mixed breed is for people who have owned a dog breed before, it is not for beginner dog owners. The English mastiff was and still is breed for protection in many parts of the world, and so is an extremely powerful dog breed to contend with.
Even though the Labrador Retriever is mixed in with breed and may tamp down the Mastiff blood. It is not an automatic guarantee that the Labrador will tamp down the other dogs energy. So for this reason, I ask that you have owned maybe one or two medium or large dog breeds before.
Proper training, exercise, and finally socialization is imperative for the Labrador Mastiff mix. A properly raised Mastiff Lab mix will be east to own for an experienced dog owner.
In this article, we will be going through the parent breeds first, giving you an in-depth look at both parent breeds. Where they come from what they were originally breed for, and finally at the end of the article we will dive into the Mastiff Lab mix. If you wish to skip to the bottom of the article where we have the Mastiff Lab mix go right ahead.
Labrador Retriever
- Weight – 55 – 99 pounds
- Height – 22 – 24 inches tall
- Lifespan – 10 – 14 years
- Major Health Concerns – cold tail, bloat, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), hip dysplasia, retinal atrophy & obesity
- Grooming – 4x weekly during shedding season 2x weekly during the non-shedding season
- Fur or Hair – fur
- Colors – black, tan, white, yellow, & chocolate
- Eye Color – brown
- Exercise – 30 – 50 minutes of long walks or runs at least 2x daily w/ playtime during the day
- Training – The Labrador is very easy to train and very eager to be trained
- Socialization – positive exposure to other people and dogs daily for best socialization
- Temperament – playful, loyal, even-tempered, outgoing, agile, trusting, gentle & smart
- Good in an apartment? – no needs a house and yard
The Labrador Retriever’s is a very popular dog breed in the US and UK. Due to their popularity they are ranked as the #1 dog breed to own. The Labradors birthplace is Canada, and they were bred to help the fishermen and hunters retrieve their catches from the water.
The breeder needed the Labrador to love jumping into the water and retrieve the day’s catch no matter the tempter of the water or outside temp.
This is the reason why the Labrador Retriever’s have a double-layered coat that is also handily waterproof.
The breeder also needed the Labrador Retriever to have a soft mouth in order to make the catch unsellable, they also wanted them to be friendly and docile to family members and strangers alike.
In the 1800s, Labrador Retrievers gained its worldwide reputation when a few nobles visiting from England saw the breed. They were very impressed with their tendency towards being a loving, loyal, and very soft-mouthed companion.
So the English took home a couple Labradors and quickly created their own version of the Labrador. Which, if you want to read more into the difference between the English Labrador vs. the American Labrador.
The English Mastiff
- Weight – 120 – 230 pounds
- Height – 27 – 30 inches
- Lifespan – 6 – 10 years
- Major Health Concerns – urinary infections, bloat, canine cancer, heart disease, & hip dysplasia
- Grooming – two to three times a week
- Fur or Hair – has short double coat fur, and they shed lots!
- Colors – brindle stripes, fawn, or apricot
- Eye Color – brown
- Exercise – 30 – 50 min of long walks or runs at least 2x daily w/ playtime during the day.
- Training – 1 hour daily
- Socialization – taking your Mastiff out on a daily basis is extremely important
- Temperament – courageous, loving, dignified, good natured, loyal, and protective
- Good in apartments? – the Mastiff is built for roaming and protecting its large estate properties.
An encounter with an English Mastiff with their black-masked face and all tan body, can be quite startling if you are not prepared for them. Their fur is short but double-coated, their fur comes in various colors: fawn, apricot, or brindle stripes.
English Mastiff’s origins are so old that they had been used to defend the island called Britannia when Caesar led an invasion into Britannia in 55 BC.
Caesar was so impressed with the mastiff loyalty, ferociousness, and sheer size and will power. That he wrote about them in his journals and eventually shipped them back to Rome.
Where they soon became favorites, everyone wanted them, they were also used in the arenas to fight men and animals.
The Mastiffs, as we know them today, came into what they are today through the medieval ages. They were kept around the castle to help deter thieves and poachers from coming onto your property.
The Mastiff were also used in the English wars against the French as guard dogs, war dogs, & big game hunters.
The Mastiff Lab Mix
- Weight – 85 – 170 pounds
- Height – 28 – 36 inches
- Lifespan – 7 – 10 years
- Major Health Issues – hip and elbow dysplasia, bloat, urinary infections, heart disease, canine cancer, & progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
- Exercise – 30 – 45 minutes when fully grown
- Grooming – brush for 20 – 30 minutes every week.
- Colors – black, brindle, brown
- Eye Color – brown
- Training – train them for thirty minutes each day
- Socialization – take her everywhere you go
- Temperament – kind, gentle, watchful, funny, protective, & loving temperament
- Good in an apartment? – no, they need a house with a large yard
The Mastiff Lab Mix is a giant sized dog breed, they can be just as big as the Rottweiler Mastiff mix. But despite his/her size, Mastador can be a sweet-natured loving family dog, with a gentle nature to the family.
The Labrador Mastiff mix also has a flip side to their sweet side, they have an excellent protective nature they can also guess who belongs around the house and who does not. If a stranger or someone they don’t like approaches, they will charge at the person or start barking ferociously to get your attention.
When you first get your new puppy, there can be no off in days in training for this breed. They are very active in mind and body, so constant training and exercise through all weather is expected.
You will also get a constant push of the boundaries to check and make sure that you still want to be the alpha/leader. If not, they are more than willing to take over from a weak pack leader.
So train, socialize, and exercise on a daily basis! If you do not keep the Mastiff Labrador Mix on their toes by keeping their body and mind active and engaged. They will not respect you or your leadership, which can be dangerous to someone if not well trained.
In this last part of the article we will be going through the training, exercise, socialization, temperament, and finally health issues of the Mastiff Lab mix.
The Mastiff Lab Mix Training
As I have said above, the Lab Mastiff mix needs consistent training and it should start when you get your cute puppy. The sooner you get the little puppy to realize that you are the pack leader and not the puppy the better your life will be.
Now when I mean training I mean positive reinforcement of training only, through out the dogs lifespan. We want them to know you are the pack leader but not through you being iron fisted. They love it when you are gentle and soft but stern, but will retaliate if they feel like they are being several abused.
The Mastiff is an alpha dog breed that will become pack leader over you and or the family. If not properly trained at an early age where they are in the pack.
Constant obedience training that is positive reinforcement is the key to keeping the Mastiff Lab mix happy and content in their place throughout their lifespan. As a puppy, train daily 15-25 minutes daily, with play-breaks in-between the seasons.
In training, always have the puppy complete the order no matter how many times you have repeated your self. They can become stubborn, when they do become stubborn, continue to repeat the command.
If you are using a treat don’t give it to them but rather a pat on the head and a good boy/girl. They will test you and your resolve in training them esp during puppy and “teenage” stage of life.
As the puppy becomes an adult, make the training longer than the play time until you can go through at least 30-40 minutes of proper training without interruption.
One key to making the dog comply with your commands is to keep switching up the training habits. Make them fun and entertaining, Mastiff Lab’s are extremely smart dog breeds, and love it when new ways of training come about esp if food is envolved.
The Lab Mastiff Mix’s Exercise Requirements
The exercise of the Mastiff Lab Mix breed is essential, they must receive an hour of walking or jogging every day. They are not the breed who finds walking down to your mail box and back satisfactory.
Suppose you don’t give them the proper daily exercise that they require, which is an hour or more a day. Then the Mastiff Lab mix may become frustrated and could act out with some destructive behaviors:
- digging holes
- being aggressive/territorial to anyone
- protecting everyone in the house
- escaping for long journeys by him/herself or traveling with other packs.
If you are an active person who is often outdoors, then Mastiff Lab Mix is probably a good choice they need plenty of regular exercise along with a large amount family activities. If you are a busy person and or someone who is gone from the house for long stretches of time.
You can still own them just make sure to take them for a 30-60 minute jog before you go to work, then a half-hour brisk walk during lunch, and of course, another long walk after work.
The Lab Mastiff mix is an all-weather dog which means even if it is freezing rain, snowing, or raining cats and dogs. They need a long jog/walk, and this is not optional; this is a must-do if you really want this dog.
The Mastiff Lab Mix Socialization
Any puppy no matter, if it’s an ankle bitter or medium sized dog need socialization! All dogs need frequent bouts of socialization with other dogs, humans, animals, objects, noises, and smells.
For a healthy, well-adjusted dog no matter the breed, socialization, training, and exercise are the key to having a loving and respectful relationship with your dog.
To socialize your Mastiff Lab Mix, take her/him out into the city where they can smell, hear, see people, cars, and other objects. The objective in doing this is so that the puppy will not freak out from hearing a loud noise, person, or object.
You want your puppy to be, well behaved, well trained, and well socialized with all animals, people, and objects.
The Lab Mastiff Mix Temperament
I have already gone through just a little bit of the temperament of the Lab Mastiff Mix, but there are several things I do wish to go over. Make sure that you are getting the right dog breed for you and or the family!
If you plan on getting a dog but ultimately plan on keeping it in the back of the house with little access to the family, then skip this dog and get a goldfish!
The Lab Mastiff mix has a need to be with the family, not alone somewhere on your property! But with the family doing whatever they do! If you do get the Lab Mastiff and leave them all alone, they will become frustrated and maybe aggressive.
But if you give the Lab Mastiff Mix great training, socialization, exercise, and most importantly access to the family. The temperament of the Lab Mastiff will be extremely easy to predict!
They will be:
- Loyal
- Loving
- Alert
- Protective
- Soft
- Playful
- Eager to please
The Mastiff Lab Mix Health Issues
- Hip and Elbow dysplasia – Happens to any dog breed that gets overbred without healthy standers.
- Bloat – Bloat happens when a dog has just eaten and is taken out and is run about for a while. This is a deadly condition if not take to the vet immediately. There the Veterinarians will cut into the stomach and untwist the stomach.
- Urinary infections – Very common in the Mastiff if you don’t catch this in time it can be a serious problem! Since it can lead to an even worse infection
- Heart Disease – this is a massive problem for Mastiffs! And maybe passed down to its offspring
- Canine Cancer – Much like the Rottweiler bone cancer the Mastiff can have cancer so make sure to give your dog frequent checkups.
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) – This is a painless process of going blind
- Ear Infections
- Gum Infections
The Lab Mastiff Mix Grooming
Now for the final section of this article! Grooming, a lot of people ask “How much does the Lab Mastiff mix shed?” My answer is boatloads! You’re gonna need to brush and vacuum almost daily if you don’t want hairy floors.
The Mastiff Lab Mix has a double coat so during the winter and summer your brushing routine should be brush every few days. But during the busy seasons of Spring and Fall your Lab Mastiff mix is going to be shedding thousands of hair on what seems like a daily basis.
So make sure to brush your dog on a daily basis sometimes you will just have to brush once a day other days you’re going to have to do multiple brushings a day.
Give them regular bathing once every week or two, if you give it to them more than that, their own body oils will have a tougher time trying to keep the skin from flaking so much.
The Mastiff Lab Mix Conclusion
The Mastiff Lab mix is a great dog if you wish for a large size dog breed, that has a strong protective nature when new people come to the house. But on the flip side is a calm, loving, caring, gentle giant to the family members.
He or she will need plenty of exercises throughout the day so before deciding to immediately go shopping for a Mastiff Lab Mixed breed think about your daily schedule. And see if you will have time to properly raise and keep a Mastiff Lab Mix happy and fulfilled for the next decade.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
We here at Labrottie give the Mastiff Lab mix 5 stars! All in all the Mastiff Labrador Mix is the perfect companion dog for anyone experienced with a large dog!
All that the owner has to do is give the Mastiff Labrador Mix the proper amount of exercise, socialization, and positive reinforcement training.
To make them an outstanding dog! A Labrador Mastiff mix or any dog without any of these most important qualities, a dog will become unstable and unresponsive to you or anybody else.
Interested In the Mastiff But Not the Mastador?
If you think the Labrador Mastiff Mix is a little to tame for your taste. We have a close cousin called the Rottweiler Mastiff Mix that you might be more interested in.
Have A Mastiff Lab Mix? Or a Dog and Want To Share It with the Labrottie Nation?
We have a fan photo gallery, and if you would like to have your dog added to our fan’s photo gallery here is our email!
Have A Puppy And Need A Name?
Happy Tails
The LR Nation Team