The Mastador is a cross between a Mastiff (usually the English Mastiff) and a Labrador Retriever. Both types of purebred dogs are very popular in the United States. The Mastiff is a massive breed with a wrinkled face that can trace its roots back thousands of years. Thanks to its protective nature and physical size, the Mastiff excels as a guard dog. The Labrador Retriever is a medium-sized breed that originated in Newfoundland hundreds of years ago to retrieve game from the water for hunters. It is also America’s most popular dog breed.

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As a cross between two different breeds (the term for this is a designer dog), the Mastador may inherit a variety of different features from its parents. Most of the time, these dogs have an athletic build, a square muzzle (short or medium length), and slight wrinkles around the eyes. The double-layered coat is typically short and smooth, although sometimes a little wavy. The coat color can vary between black, brown, brindle, or yellow, sometimes mixed together in various patterns.

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3 pros and cons of owning a Mastador

Mastador Size and Weight

The Mastador is a large dog with a big, muscular frame. Females will be slightly smaller than males on average.

Mastador Common Health Issues

As a designer dog, the Mastador has a chance to inherit some of the health problems from either purebred parent. These can include obesity, cataracts, pulmonary stenosis (a narrow or stiff pulmonary valve in the heart), hip or elbow dysplasia (which causes the joint to become temporarily dislocated), retinal dysplasia (folds, lesions, or even the outright detachment of the retina), and general bloating (which might not sound serious but can put significant pressure on the dog’s organs).

The Mastador is also prone to developing cancer, epilepsy, diabetes, and additional heart problems later in life. Unfortunately, since the odds of these conditions are a bit unpredictable, it is extra important that you choose a healthy dog from a good breeder whom you can trust. A healthy dog without any serious conditions stands a good chance of living between 10 and 15 years old.

To sum up some of the most common health problems:

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• Obesity
• Cataracts
• Cancer
• Heart Problems
• Bloating

Mastador Temperament

The Mastador is a sweet, friendly dog that should integrate well into a family unit. Many people keep it as a guard dog since it does have the tendency to become very protective of its owner in the presence of unfamiliar people. The Mastador should ideally receive proper socialization from an early age to familiarize it with strangers. If it’s mishandled by its owner at all, then the dog can easily develop aggressive, fearful, or anti-social behavior as a full-grown adult.

Despite its large size, one of its more appealing traits is that the Mastador can do very well in indoor settings. However, it is never a good idea to keep this dog cooped up in small apartments for long periods of time, since it needs a large yard or open space to exercise and explore for at least part of the day. Another issue is that the Mastador does have the tendency to find its own entertainment if it’s ignored by its owner for long periods of time. This can result in some annoying or unwanted behavior. Make sure you are able to satisfy its desire for physical and mental stimulation before purchasing this dog.

How to Take Care of the Mastador

Since it does require quite a bit of maintenance and care, the Mastador is best paired with an experienced owner who’s very attentive to both its emotional and physical needs. Once you decide that this hybrid is right for you, then the best places to obtain it are high-quality breeders and rescue shelters. There are unlikely to be many Mastador rescue groups, but you might be able to find one with a Labrador or Mastiff rescue organization that takes in mixes. Starting as a puppy, the dog should receive regular checkups at the vet to screen for potential health problems. If you need any special tips about its care, then you should consult with your vet as well.

The Best Dog Food for Mastadors

Depending on its size, age, and activity level, the Mastador may need as much as 3 cups of high-quality dog food every single day, preferably formulated for a large, energetic dog and divided into several meals to prevent bloating. This mix has a tendency to gain weight, so you should be extra careful about its calorie intake. It is never a good idea to overfeed your dog, even if it’s begging for food.

The Mastador is a lot of dog, and it obviously eats a lot of food. So owners need to put a lot of care into selecting the optimum dog food with adequate nutrition. Mastadors’ big hearts can unfortunately be likely to succumb to heart problems, so read up on legume-free dog food and the link between legumes and heart failure.

At A-Z Animals, we choose Diamond Naturals Light Dry Dog Food Lamb Meal and Rice Formula with Lean Protein from Real Lamb as the best dog food for Mastadors.

This legume-free recipe with lamb instead has taurine and L-carnitine for a healthier heart and clear eyes. It’s formulated to help maintain a healthy body weight, with 18% crude protein that satisfies the Mastador’s major appetite. Additionally, the probiotics ease digestion for this breed that can experience bloat.

Try out Diamond Naturals Light Dry Dog Food Lean Protein Lamb and Rice Formula, available on amazon.

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• 3,035 kcal/kg (275 kcal/cup) Calculated Metabolizable Energy

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Mastador Maintenance and Grooming

Despite its tendency to shed, the Mastador’s short and stiff coat should stay clean naturally and does not require a lot of grooming or bathing. Weekly brushes should suffice to keep it clean. Other aspects of the dog’s maintenance will require more care, however. The Mastador will absolutely need regular ear cleanings to prevent infections. You should also brush its teeth a few times every week to reduce the chances of gum disease and bad breath.

Mastador Training

The Mastador is a quick and eager learner that takes well to human commands. Since it has a slight stubborn streak, this dog does best with a firm and strong leader who will take control and provide clear guidance. But owners should not be too aggressive, since this dog might respond poorly to overly harsh training methods. Ideally, puppies should receive early socialization and behavioral training between the ages of six and 18 weeks. This should hopefully break some of the bad behavioral tendencies that may develop as a full-grown adult.

Mastador Exercise

The Mastador is a very active mix that requires about an hour of exercise every day, preferably in the form of walks, fetch, play time, or even swimming. But because of the enormous size, it may not do so well with high impact or strenuous activities. This dog does have the ability to scale small fences, so if you want to leave it alone in your yard, then the fence should be at least 6 feet high. It also should not be left outside in very hot or cold weather for prolonged periods of time.

Mastador Puppies

Potential owners should be very careful about where they buy their puppies. High-quality breeders are ideal since they tend to select only the healthiest parents to breed from. Low-quality breeders and puppy mills, on the other hand, might not have the well-being of the dog in mind. So it’s worth paying a little extra for the guarantee of better care. More than most types of dogs, Mastador puppies are full of energy and curiosity, so they need steady guidance during their socialization and training in order to prevent them from misbehaving and developing bad behavioral habits as a full-grown adult.

Mastadors and Children

The Mastador is a good family dog that should develop loving, protect relationship with children. However, parents should be careful about introducing this dog into a home with younger children, since the dog’s enormous size could easily overwhelm them.

Dogs Similar to the Mastadors

The Mastador is obviously most closely related to its parent breeds, the Labrador Retriever and the Mastiff. It also bears several similarities to the following hybrids:

• Aussiedor – As a cross between a Labrador Retriever and an Australian Shepherd, the Aussidor is a medium-sized dog with a real motor. This makes it a very good companion for owners who love to exercise and play. Another appealing trait is a large number of coat colors and patterns that can arise, including a sort of brindle pattern.
• Borador – This mixture between a Labrador Retriever and a Border Collie is high on energy and sweetness. Its intelligence, athleticism, and affectionate nature should endear it to owners who are seeking a close canine companion. It tends to have a black and white color.
• Spanador – This is a cross between the two most popular breeds in the United States: the Labrador Retriever and the Cocker Spaniel. Like its parents, this dog is intelligent, sweet-natured, and very lovable.

Famous Mastadors

Perhaps the most famous Mastador of all time was a dog named Spike. Rescued from a shelter as a puppy, Spike went on to play the title character in the popular 1957 film Old Yeller, which is about a boy and his dog growing up in the Texas after the Civil War. Spike also appeared in The Micky Mouse Club, Lassie, The Westerner, The Silent Call, The She-Creature, and A Dog of Flanders before passing away in 1962. His owner was actor and dog trainer Frank Weatherwax.

Popular Names for the Mastador

If you need some help naming your dog, then you might want to consider the following options:

• Bella
• Charlie
• Luna
• Lucy
• Duke
• Zeus
• Cooper
• Max
• Moose
• Beau

Last update on 2022-07-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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