Should I add an english mastiff to the mix?

I have a 1.5 yr. old lab/rott mix who is wonderful and loves all other dogs. I have just acquired a pit mix who is also wonderful, but only 10 weeks old. He had his first puppy class last night and did great. There was a puggle, min pin, and a st. brenard. He loved the st. brenard they played well together and the SB could handle the rough play. My mix can handle the rough play, but i am really nervous about the pit in him. Would a larger dog help take out the dog aggression? I have always wanted an english mastiff, and if i have to go through the puppy stage i would rather go through it once than twice. Also, my lab is the oldest spayed female: so she should be leader of the pack, if i decide to do this should i get a male or female mastiff? They will all be spayed or neutered.

probably no. who is top dog?alpha?you?okay...if you can afford another dog...god bless...however, most dogs (and bitches) change temperment slightly as they age.if your first dog can be alpha dog then let it be...teach the young squirt , now, who is boss dog and hopefully he won't outgrow your original dogstick with female spays if possible.

if you are looking for another pup to entertain your mix, a mastiff isn't a great choice. They are great dogs, but the energy level doesn't stay high for very long and their endurance/stamina isn't going to be close to what your current pup is like. If you want to get it a playmate, better to go with a sporting breed. They would get along great and just run each other out. A pointer of some sort would work wonders. And since your current pup is a male and you already have a female, I would get a female. That would allow for your lab/rott mix to be a 'mom' to the 2 pups, and since they would be different genders the likelihood of them fighting for dominance will be lower. Hope this was helpful and good luck with your doggies!

Who doesn't love a St. Bernard...the big hairy lovable giants?!?! Sounds like a larger breed might be a good idea as a play mate for your puppy. Only for the fact that your puppy is a large breed. I wouldn't worry about aggression with your pit mix... aggression is a personality trait, not a breed trait. So as long as your puppy shows no sign of aggression with other animals (or food) then you should be ok. As far as sex goes... it doesn't really matter with puppies (because they don't care) and over time as all three live together and the pups mature, they will naturally figure out who is the alpha female and male.

As time goes by you will have some that will jockey for alpha position. You must remain in that position , especially with such large dog's. I have a chow, a dalmation, three rotties, and one olde english that lives in the house. Whenever there's a control issue come up I stop it instantly. I rescue dog's and there's rarely any problem even with my pen dog's. The puppies are usually the the exception, and I never allow them to harm one another. You should have no problem's as long as you maintain control. Never hit. On my property all I have to say is (Allright, WATER Gun) and that stops them in their track's. That's a non violent way I handle thing's that could be a problem. That's sound's a little radical, but tap water and a child's water pistol never hurt anything. I'm glad to see you spay and neuter, you have healthier, happier, less aggressive pet's. Good luck with whatever your choice is. Treat that pitt with love and a gentle manner and you should have no problem. Good luck.

No, a larger dog will not take the aggression out of another dog - you'll just have a larger problem. Also, your lab mix female will not necessarily be pack leader, dogs work this out themselves. You also need to be very careful that she doesn't think she's pack leader, you have to be.Your pit mix will not necessarily get aggressive as he ages - you're already socializing him, which is great. If you get him neutered as well, there's no reason to anticipate problems. As for getting a mastiff, they're wonderful dogs and if you can handle training 2 puppies at once, then go for it. But don't get a mastiff thinking it will keep down aggression on your pit mix. You need to be sure that you are always the pack leader for these dogs. Since all of your pets are going to be spayed/neutered, I don't think it matters so much if you get a male or female mastiff, as does the temperament of the puppy you choose. Make sure the puppy has a stable temperament, don't get the strongest willed out of the litter. Do you know how to do simple temperament tests on puppies? If so, you might want to try that before you select your puppy.

You're not going to have much luck trying to make a female the "Alpha". It just won't last very long once the males grow out of puppyhood. You'll never see a female leader of the pack in nature(canids) This pack behavior comes from wolves & they will not tolerate a female leader.