what am i looking for?

hey everyone ima new member here, just joined a few days ago but probly read almost every breed profile and alot of posts so i figure ill double this as my "hi everyone" post and actually get you guys imput on something if you would be so kind so im the current owner of a black lab who is an absolute nut, sounds like a 200lb monster behind closed doors but hides behind me with a "well whaa?! i let u know they where here" attitude lol. and i gonna be moving out into a more rural area here in the next few months and have beeen really looking to get a puppy. i have ALWAYS loved mastiffs, the size and laid back attitude and loyalty have always attracted me to the breed so im leaning tword a mastiff but need your help. im looking for a dog with a laidback personality in the home and a ready to go attitude out of the home, as i plan on doing more hiking and hopefully training a them to be a service dog. im looking for a breed who will stand there ground and protect me and people with me from person and beast and just be my best friend basically. im not looking for 20 mile hikes but id like a dog who can carry a decent sized pack and walk a few miles and be there to stand guard for a few over nighters i wanna do. im in wooded area tho so i dunno if that makes a diffrence and due to my knees being that of a slightly older gentleman almost all my hiking would be done in the summer maby a few occassional fall trips. breeds iv looking into are as follows (feel free to suggest or eliminate if if you think it is right and please excuse the abbrivaations as its 1am and i cant sleep yet alone spell =P 1)neo- i love the working class neo but am afraid with the health and weight it woul be to much on that kind of dog. 2)presa-simply because of the prey drive id be afraid of it bolting even with a well established recall 3)fila- have to many people in and out of my home to risk a PA dog. 4)Italian Cane Corso- really leaning tword this one but not quite sure i know enough about it as iv read they can go either way 5)english or bullmastiff. im alittle fuzzy on the diffrences i believe that the english is a bigger version? i wouldent mind on one these either as i have seen quite a few who look and seem to b very athletic and i think could hold there own on a walk. 6) american bulldog- i love em but think they might have a higher energy level in the house then im looking for and have heard most of em even when properly socialized are still DA. these are the ones i can think of now and have really looked into please feel free to suggest a few more or emilinate i really appriciate the help.

arnt they really hyper? all the boxers iv met have been pretty hyper which is why i didnt even think about looking into them and i was under the impression they arnt very smart either

Id like to avoid dog agression but its really only important it will get along with my other dogs, I know when puppys grow up that is less of a problem and cases of da and pa varry between breed and individual but as for people agression I want a dog who accepts who I tell it to accept much like the corso. I don't want one who's going to attack everyone yet still a good guard dog. Which is also while I ruled out the fila. Don't know if that sounded right or not but of course proper socialization would be givin, really hope I'm not makeing this difficult I just wanna make sure I'm looking in the right direction and don't settle for a breeders profile of the breed and get taken a fool. Does the corso have a medium energy level? I love them and have read a good bit on them but haven't learned everything yet and have only had experience meeting 2 of em who seemed to be polar opposites

come on...the dog he's describing is a "Dosa" Korean Mastiff... nuff said gramer correction

tell me alittle more about the dosa, because i read the breed profile but didnt seem to learn much or enough because i wasnt quite sure why thats the best breed for what im looking for.

Always hard to decide for the "perfect" match. I researched 4 years in order to get the right dog and in the end had it down to 2 breeds, the Alano Espanol and the Swinford. Well guess what, after all I didn't get neither one of them...!lol Instead, I went with a Boar hunter in the Illinois that breeds once a year for his hunting needs, and I am very, very happy with the girl I got!! I do a lot of hiking in southern California, and needed a dog to be the size I believe is perfect for my needs, 75lbs-80lbs. Also wanted a dog that has great prey drive, defense drive, and fight drive. have you looked into the Boeboel, or the Boerboel/Ridgeback cross?

I actually have been looking into the BB and am really likeing what I'm reading especially if I could get one from south africa, iv really narrowed it down to the italian cane corso, the BB or an english mastiff or bullmastiff I really feel they are right energy level for what I'm looking for and almost a perfect size I am looking for a bigger dog and with the deep barks of the english/bull/BB I don't think bears would be a problem at all as I think bears would be my biggest concern

Have to agree with Tosamama. The breeds you mentioned are not really suited for hiking, and if the weather is too hot, the dog may stop lay down and not want to go on until rested. Also, keep in mind that you may encounter a predator (hope you'll never do) but it may happen after you've already hiked 4 miles or so in the heat, will your big dog have what it takes on energy needed to protect you if tired?

Have you thought about a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog? We are bringing one home next year (fiance's dog) and really enjoy them. We have yet to meet one with extreme dog aggression, though I have been told some can be a bit more dominant then others (but this is true for any dog really). They are laidback in the home -- every breeder went out of their way to assure us the dog would be relaxed in the house with proper training, and they are not very highstrung or hyper to begin with. This was important to us because of the baby that will be here, and after owning hyper dogs in the past, it's a trait we didn't really want to deal with again. Also, they are great hiking companions, and can carry packs and such :) From the breed website: The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is an incredible watchdog. They tend to notice everything in their surroundings and are very quick to sound alarm. Faced with a threat, they will stand their ground and put on a show that will intimidate those unfamiliar with the dog. However, Swissys are not guard dogs. A Greater Swiss Mountain Dog should be very bite-inhibited. He should be reluctant to bite, doing so only under the direst of circumstances. The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a very dependant dog and one that needs a good leader to follow... Given a qualified leader figure, the Swissy has a fairly submissive nature and is a willing worker happy to follow through with the tasks at hand. Walking, hiking, back packing, swimming and carting are all good opportunities for exercise to keep a Swissy in good physical condition. I think that they would be a good fit for you and your other dog. I wasn't sure I really wanted one at first, but after meeting them at shows and in breeders' homes, I am really excited for ours and think we made a really good choice. And yes, from what other have said also, a lot depends on your area. Lots of the larger mastiff-type breeds don't fare particularly well in hot weather. We are in MI so it doesn't get too bad here.

Ill have to look into a swiss mountain dog, the only thing that would steer me awaY is the reluctaqnce to bite, I already have a dog who is all bark I would like one who is willing to bite should the need arise (which of course I hope it wouldent). About the predators in my area I think its mostly bears are the biggest problem but I believe there are wolves in the area to but can't be certain on that. And the tempature is mild so it wouldent be a problem I mean we have warm summers cool falls and cold winters we don't really get the extreames to the point they'd affrect the dog like arizona would with the heat which is nice.

... then i would also suggest the central asian ovcharka. big (males about 120lbs +), defensive, courageous, used to protect against wolf and bears! in short, type of dog you don't want to mess with...lol

i never even thought of an anatolian sheperd, iv met two of em who where both amazing dogs the one was imported and the other a rescue and they where both good with other dogs and people but they guy said he wouldent reccomend coming in his car or house lol, and thats a good point i couldent imagine carrying out a big dog should something happen, gonna have to give this some thought with the breeds you guys have suggested one thing about the OCA if it grows up with my lab would DA be an issue? i mean i really dont have a problem with it not liking other dogs as i myself am not a fan of strange dogs. i just wanna make sure it can get along with my lab

I honestly don't know if hunting is allowed or not but don't. See my animal going after anything simply because unless a strong recall and leave it command are established the dog wouldent get any off leash time, unless I know there aren't many people on the trail I don't allow off leash simply because I don't trust people yet alone their dogs and would rather avoid any kind of conflict that may arise. Atleast this is how I am now depending on how the trails are where I move my views might change but the dogs obidence would be the biggest factor which is why I want a loyal guardian who won't leave my side my lab is all over the place and loves smelling everything twice which I don't mind because he has a strong recall but id also like a dog who is content with being at my side and moving at my pace if that makes any sense

[quote1303014765=gsicard] [quote1303004285=gsicard] Sounds like you should really look closely at the Cane Corso, Broholmer, Vizla, or Rhodesian Ridgeback. From what you described the Cane Corso seems to be a good fit. If there are any other particular information that may help us in the selection process please share it. Somethings that may help: You said you are moving to a more rural area - are there predators? Where - location, terrain, climate etc? Do you have a size restriction? About the dog being hyper in the home - that is stritly a matter of training. When the dog is inside it must know that that it is in its quiet place and hyperactivity is not tolerated. Easily trained so don't let that sway your selection too much. Seems like a Cane Corso may do it based on available info. Good luck. [/quote1303004285] MrNiceGuy, I don't know if you just missed this post or chose to ignore it so I'll bump it because others have asked the same things. I happen to put then in ONE post. regards [/quote1303014765] Nope didn't miss it or ignore it, lol iv actually answered it a few times maby I wasn't specific enough? Climate is normal? I mean in the summers we get upto 90 and in the winters we get around 0 for the most part its days in the 80s andof course depending on the day would restrict my activty as I don't wanna hike when its 90 out. Terrain is gonna be mostly wooded areas, due to being in pa there will more then likely be hills but most of em arnt that bad. Predators, umm I actually haven't looked into that however I have heard there are bears and possibly wolves but have yet to contact the wildlife department as the area I'm moving isn't set in stone yet. And as for size, no no real restriction id be lieing if I said I wasn't looking for a bigger more imposing dog to guard the house when I wasn't there since my lab is more of an alarm system then an actual attack dog which is all well an good with some people but with a hungry predator it might b enough. I am however looking into the cane corso pretty seriously or a boerboel which seem to have an energy level and size I'm looking for. Hope I got everything its gettin alittle late and I'm alittle sleepy so if I missed anything ill look over it tmw

I think this guy could realistically get away with a bullmastiff or english mastiff or whatever. This mentality that they're incapable of doing this or that is really the reason the breeds are in a bad way. We all get mad at the show breeders for ruining breeds, and then we're like "oh no, don't take a bullmastiff hiking". Really you guys are the culprits. Take them hiking more, everyone who has a bullmastiff should take it hiking and do as much with it as possible. I know pure bullmastiffs that have worked as boar hunting dogs, basically I think we all need to expect more from dogs and they'll improve. Casual hiking doesn't require the stamina of a rhodesian ridgeback. I think getting a bullmastiff would be a great idea. [QUOTE]1)neo- i love the working class neo but am afraid with the health and weight it woul be to much on that kind of dog. Not athletic or laid back enough for your requirements.[/QUOTE] Wait, neos aren't laid back enough? What do you want them to do? Smoke a bong? The above about bms applies to neos as well, get whatever you want, I'm sure if you raise a neo, em, bm or whatever hiking they'll be able to cope with it.