What is this Subreddit's views on Mastiff's and Akitas?
Posted Mar 6, 2020, 2:50 PM UTC
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You don't see PR campaigns and social media shitstorms lying about those dogs nature's. Akitas can hurt people, so can mastiffs. They have been known to and you need to manage their behavior accordingly. Luckily, they're not popular breeds so they're not swarming around in children's playgrounds or on school property
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I do not speak for this sub as a whole (I’m no mod just somebody who comments fairly frequently) but this is my opinion.
Mastiffs were bred for guarding, not bloodsport. Therefor with a person capable of training and handling one I’m completely ok with them. In fact I’m rather fond of English mastiffs and wouldn’t mind getting one years in the future.
Akitas were bred as a hunting dog and have a high prey drive. They were not bred for bloodsport but again this is no beginner dog.
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I have met some really nice English Mastiffs. I helped to rescue a Dog De Bordeux (French Mastiff) for another group and he was a really nice dog (but my experience with the breed as a whole is limited)
I've not really had positive experiences with Akitas but that was more due to the owner's showing serious management skills for the dogs understanding their breed traits and not allowing interaction.
I think it's important to note that is likely why they aren't seen very often. Their owners understand the strict management that Akitas require (territoriality to strangers and dog aggression) and avoid situations where they would encounter triggers.
I know that Akitas have been involved in fatalities involving humans.
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Akitas are known dog killers, I stay far away from them. They, at least from my experience, have high prey drive and shouldn't be trusted around small dogs, animals or children. They should be treated like German Shepherds. Beautiful dogs, but absolutely should not be owned by anyone but the most experienced handlers.
Which speaking of, I'd love to hear everyone's opinion on German Shepherds. I actually don't have anything against them despite my username, but I do find they're going the way of the pitbull, with "tough guys" getting them because they're a "man's dog" and ending up with vicious, neurotic messes.
English Mastiffs... my father owned a female one named Duchess. She was meant to be a guard dog but she was the sweetest dog in the world. I don't know much more about them than that, as they're not common to see where I live.
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I love GSDS. But when they are good they are amazing but when they’re bad, it’s a nightmare. Most of the GSDs I’ve met were wonderful and sweet dogs, loyal and gentle. But their owners were super responsible about managing them. Unlike pit owners
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Yeah, I think I'll stay clear off of Akitas too, they're beautiful dogs but just not worth the risk. Mastiff's on the other hand are I think in my opinion more manageable and more tolerant so I think I'd go for them
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Never seen an Akita around before, they're really uncommon. I don't mind Mastiffs that have the right owners. French mastiffs were really popular for a while in my area, a lady in the same office block bred them at her farm and always had her French bulldog and her mastiff puppy with her at work. I really liked her dogs, they were very well behaved.
Other Mastiffs I've encountered on walks have lunged at my dog, always with young men who struggled to control them. I'm not against them but I've never seen them in off leash areas, so it hasn't been an issue.
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I wouldn't have one around kids or cats. It would always be on a leash. I think they need a lot of exercise.
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That depends on what Mastiff breeds we’re talking about. They vary pretty wildly in terms of prey drive, dog aggression, their guarding instincts, etc.
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I'm personally nervous about having any large dog breed around smaller pets, even really docile ones because accidents can happen. But Mastiffs seem like nice dogs from what little experience /knowledge I have of them. I don't know much about Akitas, but some people in the comments said they're an aggressive breed, so I don't think I'd be comfortable around any breed that has a specific history of aggression. I guess I'm not really qualified to answer this question consider my lack of knowledge of both breeds. lol
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I can’t speak for the entire sub but Mastiff type dogs are some of my favourite breeds. This is the case where responsible ownership and breeder vetting is needed, as a dog as large as the various Mastiff breeds can cause some harm in the wrong hands.
As for Akitas, I’m not as wary about them as Pits. They are quite rare and expensive, so people who buy them generally know what they’re getting themselves into. While they were used for dog fighting in Japan, their foundation stock was used for hunting, so not as bad as Pitbulls. I’m more inclined for them to be restricted rather than outright banned.
Yeah, it's the same with me tbh. I always wanted to get a mastiff type dog and will be getting one in the future as soon as I'm able to move out, but I've owned a pitbull in the past and it was not a pleasant experience to say the least, so I'm still a bit worried since all I see are good things about Mastiff's on the internet just like pitbulls, so I thought maybe the media are trying to hide stuff about them too, but I'm more inclined to believe that the they would be a much more stable dog than a pitbull after reading all the comments on here
Is there a reason why you are choosing another higher risk dog, when the first breed didnt work out so well? (not being rude.. Actually curious!)
Well from what I've heard and from what I've read from the comments I think Mastiff's are much more manageable than a ticking time bomb pit bull or a very dominant Akita. So the Mastiff is a easy choice, but I still need to do more research and it's gonna be a while till I get one. So I'm just doing a little bit of homework on the breed till then.
I guess I meant more like... Why not get a golden retriever or a beagle lol totally gaurenteed to have a loving animal. What qualities are you hoping for in a dog?