Are English Mastiffs Good Guard And Protection Dogs?

Do you want to know if English Mastiffs are good guard and protection dogs?

Yes, English Mastiffs are good guard and protection dogs who can protect you and your family should the situation arise.

English Mastiffs are extremely patient, reliable, and easy-going dogs. They are very sweet-natured and love spending time with their owners.

Although they are not known as guard dogs, they will defend their family if they feel threatened. Someone searching for a guard dog probably won’t look at an English Mastiff. They generally aren’t known as guard dogs because of their size and breed disposition.

However, if you take the time to get to know an English Mastiff you will note that they have some guarding instincts built into them.

Since you’re reading this article we assume that you are considering adopting an English Mastiff as your next pet.

Since you love dogs so much, it makes sense why you would also want one that has guarding instincts as well especially if you have family or a property that needs extra pair of eyes.

If this sounds like something that interests you then continue reading to discover more about whether or not an English Mastiff is the right fit for you as a guard dog.

are english mastiffs good guard dogs

What Makes Good Guard Dogs?

When looking at the qualities of a good guard dog you want to look for a few things.

Size: First, you want to make sure that the dog is on the larger side. You don’t want something that is not going to scare an intruder away. You want to make sure the dog can take on a human if the situation arises.

Strength: A guard dog needs to have some strength and confidence so that it can stand its ground against an intruder and scare them off.

If the dog is too cowering in fear the intruder will just push them out of the way and get what they are after.

You also want to consider if the dog is naturally aggressive. Although aggression can be trained out of a dog, it is easier to adopt one that already has a little aggression built in.

An aggressive guard dog will deter most burglars from trying to enter your home, and if they don’t they will be prepared to fight back.

Confident: A good guard dog should be confident and should not back down from a fight. They should know they are strong and they should be confident that they can take on a challenge when needed.

Appearance: A good dog should look fierce and should look intimidating. A person should be intimidated just by looking at their face and size.

Are English Mastiffs Good Guard Dogs?

As we mentioned above, yes English Mastiffs can be a good guard dog. However, they are not known as guard dogs.

They are very sweet-natured and make excellent family dogs. In fact, this is one of the reasons that they are so popular.

However, looking at them it does make sense why they don’t have guarding instincts. It would be incredibly difficult for an English Mastiff to fend off a burglar given their size and strength.

However, they will defend their family if they feel threatened. You can expect them to bark at any intruder with a loud bark that can be heard throughout the neighborhood.

In fact, they are very alert and make excellent watch dogs because they are very vocal if they hear or see something that they don’t recognize. They will bark to let you know that something is wrong, which is one of the features that owners love about them.

Why Are English Mastiffs Good Guard Dogs?

We have discussed a few reasons why an English Mastiff would make a good guard dog. However, if you are looking for a guard dog you want to make sure that it has all of these qualities.

It is important to know why they are good guard dogs so that you can make the decision as to whether or not you want one. An English Mastiff is a large dog that has a strong protective instinct toward its owners.

They also have a loud bark that will frighten anyone away, regardless of their size. They also have a thick coat that not only keeps them warm, but it also makes them look larger.

When someone sees an English Mastiff barking it is intimidating, and they are also prepared to fight if they are provoked.

This means that they are not just barkers, but are also fighters. This is the combination that makes them a good guard dog.

Are English Mastiff Naturally Territorial?

The English Mastiff is certainly not a naturally territorial dog breed. However, this breed can be very protective of its owners.

Therefore, if someone enters your house uninvited, the English Mastiff may growl at them and try to keep them away from you.

If you want a dog breed with naturally high territorial instincts, the Rottweiler or the Doberman may be better options for you.

Both of these breeds have a high level of territorial instincts and will scent-mark their territory to let any other dogs know that this is their spot.

Will An Untrained English Mastiff Protect Their Owners?

This depends on your definition of protection. If you are looking for a dog breed that has a high level of training and will always obey you and do what you tell it to do, the English Mastiff may not be the best option for you.

This dog is extremely sweet-natured hence if you want an English Mastiff to defend you, your family or your home, you should get your dog professionally trained.

They are also a very large breed that can cause a lot of damage if it gets out of control. If you have children in the house and you want to be sure that your dog won’t accidentally hurt them, then you will need to train it from a young age how to behave around them.

This is especially important if you have very young children or toddlers who may not know how to behave around a dog.

Male vs Female English Mastiff: Which Is A Better Guard Dog?

The female English Mastiff is likely to be a better guard dog than the male. The female is more protective than the male because she also wants to protect her puppies and her family.

Whereas, the male-only cares about protecting his property and his owner. The female English Mastiff will do her best to protect her owner and her puppies from harm.

Meanwhile, the male English Mastiff will do his best to protect his property. If you have a male, he may be better at protecting your house while a female might be better at protecting you and your family.

Also read:

Is Cane Corso better for you than English Mastiff?

Will Bullmastiff protect you and your family?

List of the best low-energy Mastiff dog breeds

Are Cane Corso good guard dogs?

Should you get Tibetan Mastiff as a guard dog?

Conclusion

If you are looking for a guard dog, the English Mastiff might not be the best option. They are not particularly aggressive and have a very loving disposition.

Instead, an English Mastiff is the perfect dog for those who want a dog to protect their family but don’t want a dog that is going to fight for their family and bite someone.

A Mastiff will bark at anything that it doesn’t recognize, and it has a protective instinct toward its owners.