Owning A Bull Mastiff

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By Kim Kline


Urban Tonka
What a face
What a face
Halloween 2007, Tonka as a Liger
Halloween 2007, Tonka as a Liger
Tonka and boys
Tonka and boys
Tonka, 2yrs old
Tonka, 2yrs old

Tonka

For anyone who is thinking about becoming a Mastiff owner, I think you should take the leap. I become one about 2 years ago and have loved every minute of it. They are amazing animals that so full of love and affection. They are amazingly smart animals. They are a huge responsibilty though. Their size is a pretty intimidating factor. There are lots who will look at your mastiff's size and instantly become scared or apprehensive. It is not fair, but it is a fact. Tonka, my bull mastiff, has brought so much laughter and fun into my familes life.

Owning a Bull Mastiff is a blessing and a bit of a curse. Mastiff’s are known as the “Gentle Giant.” They are wonderful dogs who are loyal and protective of those they love. They crave human attention. They are known to drool and snore. They are often viewed as being intimidating or scary because of their size. They must be trained at an early age.

I have a 2 year old Bull Mastiff , whose name is Tonka. What else do you name a female Mastiff. She does have many names that she goes by, Mama, Big Mamas, or I-lean. She is currently weighing in at a 137lbs. It is almost exactly 2 years ago that I brought her home from the breeder. She weighed 12lbs at 7 weeks. She has become such a integral part of our family. She is fantastic around my boys, very gentle. She does not know her size tough. She thinks she is a lap dog at times. That can be very interesting. She holds true to most of the behavior that Mastiffs are known for. She loves her people. She can be protective. She seems to not like men with sunglasses and hats on. She definitely craves human attention. She is never very far from one of us. She even lays at my feet under my desk. She is always looking for an invitation to join me on my bed. She takes up most of it when I let her. She snores when she sleeps and drools when she eats. I was lucky enough to have a good trainer for her when she was a puppy. He set her on the path to be such a good and well behaved dog. Thanks B!

She does get a bad rap at times because of her size. When I walk her people either move out of our way because of her size or they are comment on her size. She has been called a horse, a tiger, a pony, and a lion to name a few of the comments that I hear. Her bark is loud and deep when she hears things that she is unsure about.

She has been so much fun these past 2 years. She is funny and smart. She is crazy at times. She loves water, whether it is the hose, sprinklers or jumping off our dock at the river. She is always there for a hug or a paw or a huge lick. I would not trade any of the time with her for any other dog. She is definitley a blessing in my families life. Our life is that much fuller because she is a part of it. 


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Pam Roberson profile image

Pam Roberson  says:
12 months ago

Tonka is beautiful! I love Bull Mastiffs, although I'm not brave enough to have one of my own. It's all I can do to handle my 80 pound lab who thinks she still fits perfectly in my lap. ;)

I love that halloween picture of Tonka dressed as a lion! :) Nice hub.

Kim Kline profile image

Kim Kline  says:
12 months ago

Thank you so much. She is so amazing. Thank god she has no clue how big she really is.

She also sits on my lap as well. So Funny!!

Em Writes profile image

Em Writes  says:
12 months ago

Tonka really is a gorgeous girl, and it looks like she is very well loved. :)

Sherry Balcom  says:
12 months ago

Aww I love it. She reminds me of my rot that we had. The bigger they are the smaller I think they feel. :-). I bet her tail gets her into trouble that was one nice thing about the rot they did have a short tail.

Sherry

Linda Aldleen  says:
12 months ago

Tonka is a great name for her! I have friends that had Mastiffs and they are incrediblely sweet animals! Their only problem is thinking they should be lap dogs!

Melissa Ragonesi profile image

Melissa Ragonesi  says:
12 months ago

I knew that I liked you for a reason! Your a dog lover. I am amazed at the people in the world that don't like dogs... She is much bigger than my pup!

Jennifer Hartman  says:
12 months ago

Those pictures are great. I loved your article and video. Good job

Jack Simmons profile image

Jack Simmons  says:
12 months ago

Very nice article. The pictures are wonderful and tell a great story by themselves.

Kevin Jackson profile image

Kevin Jackson  says:
12 months ago

Kim I love this hub. I've watched the video several times. Your dog reminds me so much of my old lab, makes me miss him all over again. Good Hub! I've joined your fan club, I hope you'll visit my hubs and join mine.

All the Best

Kevin

Jody Heckenlively profile image

Jody Heckenlively  says:
12 months ago

137 pounds??? Wow that's a big dog! I can see from the video that she's full of bounce and loves to play. Do your kids ride on her back?

Bill Beavers profile image

Bill Beavers  says:
11 months ago

Fantastic Hub. I have small dogs. I understand small dogs. Large dogs are beyond my ability to exercise them. It's great to see a happy dog because it means a loving and caring owner is close by and in their life on a regular basis.

Janet Kelly profile image

Janet Kelly  says:
11 months ago

Hi Kim, Nice hub. The pictures of Tonka as a pup are wonderful. I have only known a couple of this bred and they are scary big. Thanks, Jan

Jennifer Bhala profile image

Jennifer Bhala  says:
11 months ago

What a wonderful article and video. The pictures are so cute. We do not have a bull mastif but a cross pug/blue healer we saved from the pound.

Shayne Hall profile image

Shayne Hall  says:
11 months ago

Hi Kim,

Always nice to find & connect with dog-lovers of any kind. Never owned a mastiff before, but I do prefer larger breeds. I've got a 70-lb red Amstaff named Neo. At just 70 lbs he intimidates a lot of people who just don't know or trust dogs (especially his breed) so I know what you're talking about there. If people only knew they're just big sweet babies when they are raised in a good home and trained well. If you're interested ou can see a pic of Neo on my personal blog www.shaynhall.com. Looking forward to seeing more of Tonka!

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