What do you get if you cross a Mastiff with a Labrador Retriever? A Mastador!
A Mastiff Lab mix, the Mastador, is a lovable hybrid dog. This powerful and large dog would make a good guard dog or a protective family pet. The Mastador may look like a big fearsome dog but it can be very affectionate and playful when trained properly.
This mixed-breed dog is sometimes called a:
- Mastiff Labrador mix,
- Labrador Mastiff mix,
- Lab Mastiff mix,
- Mastiff and Labrador Retriever dog,
- Mastidor,
- Massador,
- Mastadore,
- Mastidoor,
- Mastodor
- or the Mastador Labmaraner mix dog.
The appearance of this crossbreed dog depends on how much it inherits from each parent breed. The Mastador will normally have a solid and muscular body like the Mastiff, a broad head like the Labrador Retriever, and a short-length, shiny double coat.
The Mastador dog is energetic and muscular therefore early behavioral and socialization training is strongly recommended, for this Mastiff mix, to enable it to show its protective nature, in a positive way.
A Mastador puppy is a stunning example of a crossbreed dog.
A brief history of this mixed-breed dog
A Mastiff Lab mix is a cross between a purebred mastiff dog and a purebred Labrador Retriever dog.
When two different dog breeds are deliberately mixed, the crossbreed is known as a designer dog; this huge Mastiff and Labrador Retriever hybrid dog is sometimes nicknamed a ‘Massive-dor’.
Meet the Parents: The parents’ breed history:
Parent 1: History of the Mastiff – purebred dogs
Fact: a ‘mastiff’ is not one breed of dog; it is an umbrella term for a group of dogs with similar sizes and stature. There are at least 18 different types of mastiff dogs.
Did you know that the Great Dane dog is actually a German mastiff?
The English Mastiff is possibly the oldest of the known mastiffs dating back to Julius Caesar times, around 55 BC. While in England he was so impressed with the strength and protective ability of the English Mastiff that he took some back to Rome and began breeding them as guard dogs and fighting dogs for blood sports. They were even used to fight Gladiators.
Fun Fact: The World’s heaviest dog, recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records in the 1980s, was Zorba, an English Mastiff purebred who weighed 343 pounds (156 kilos!).
The Bullmastiff: originated from crossing an English Mastiff with an English Bulldog. After several generations, the Bullmastiff was officially recognized as a purebred in the 1920s, in the UK, as a dog breed in its own right, and then in 1930, by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in the United States.
The Bullmastiff is not as popular as the English Mastiff that ranks 29th on the American Kennel Club (AKC) rankings. It is gaining in popularity as a purebred and currently is ranked the 51st most popular dog in the United States by the AKC.
The Bullmastiff was given the nickname of ‘The Gamekeepers’ Night Dog’ as it was used by gamekeepers on English aristocratic country estates in the UK, as a watchdog to keep poachers away at night, or to catch them!
These two different Mastiffs are similar but with a few noticeable differences:
The Bullmastiff is slightly smaller than the English Mastiff, although both are still huge dogs. The Bullmastiff is more independent, not as needy as and more stubborn than the English Mastiff.
This Mastiff purebred dog is a massive, heavy-boned dog with a symmetrical build and a short, double coat. It is courageous and strong, but it’s a gentle giant that will want to protect all those it holds dear.
It is patient and loyal and will make a great companion or family dog, but it will be wary of strangers.
With its big sad-looking eyes and wrinkled face you will just want to give it a big hug, and probably get a big lick in return!
Mastiffs typically have a coat color of apricot, fawn, or brindle with a black mask, and big feet!
Parent 2: History of the Labrador Retriever – a purebred dog
The Labrador Retriever is the World’s best-loved and most popular dog breed and makes a great family dog.
It has a solid double coat in one of 3 colors; pure black, chocolate brown, or yellow. The Lab is a loveable dog breed for any experience of dog owners.
The Labrador Retriever dog breed is from Newfoundland, Canada, and was used by fishermen to retrieve their fish from nets and catch any that escaped back into the sea. They are good swimmers and have a gentle mouth grip that will not further destroy any prey they are ordered to retrieve.
This dog breed came to Great Britain around 1830, to be used as gun dogs for retrieving waterfowl from land and water, in Scotland and England.
The Labrador Retriever is ranked the No1 most popular purebred dog in the United States by the American Kennel Club (AKC). It’s easy to see why.
The lab is a gentle, fun-loving, and loyal family dog with an easy-going temperament.
A Labrador Retriever Puppy is just adorable, and when trained and socialized it can be trusted around anyone.
Meet the offspring: The Mastiff Lab mix
The designer dog offspring of these two purebred dogs is a Mastiff Labrador mix – the Mastador puppy.
Designer breeds gained popularity in the United States during the 1990s and this increased demand and popularity for cross-breed dogs such as the Mastiff Lab mix.
The Mastador puppy is a hybrid, and as a mixed-breed dog it is not recognized as a breed in its own right, by the American Kennel Club; nor can it be awarded pedigree papers.
As a designer breed from two purebred parent breeds – the Mastiff Lab mix is recognized as a mixed breed dog by several other kennel clubs:
Dog Registry of America (DRA), American Canine Hybrid Club (ACHC), Designer Breed Registry (DBR), Designer Dog Kennel Club (DDKC), International Designer Canine Registry (IDCR).
The Mastiff Lab mix – Colors and pattern
As the Mastadoris a cross-breed dog, its appearance will be more difficult to predict than a purebred dog.
However, considering the parent breeds there are only a few likely coat colors including Brown, Black, Yellow from the Labrador and Fawn, Red, or Brindle from the Mastiff mix. Occasionally, but rare the coat color can be Silver or Charcoal Gray.
The coat of the Mastador breed is likely to have one solid coat color, but if light-colored or brindle it may have the classic black mask and it can have a white chest and white paws.
The Mastador dog is not hypoallergenic and will shed moderately.
What are the main characteristics of a Mastador?
Any crossbreed dog, like the Mastiff Lab mix, could inherit the characteristics and the health problems and health concerns of either parent breed; or perhaps the best of both and be stronger and inherit fewer health problems than their parent breeds.
Fact: Not all mixed breeds inherit 50% of their characteristics from one parent and 50% from the other.
With any mixed-breed dog, you just have to wait and see how it turns out, however you know that this pooch will be a big one!
Mastador puppies are likely to inherit the kind Labrador face and the solid body of the Mastiff, and big floppy ears.
Loyalty and companionship
Any Mastiff mix dog, when trained and socialized properly, makes a loyal and protective companion, but especially when it’s mixed with a Labrador Retriever.
This large dog is courageous, confident, and smart, and also loving and affectionate. It will show great loyalty to their dog owner and family member. It will be a physically active dog and just want to play or hang out with you.
Reputation:
Any Mastiff mix dog has an image of a fierce guard dog, but proper behavior training and socialization will control its protective nature.
The perception changes when it’s a Mastiff and a Labrador retriever mix, a highly friendly, soft-natured, and docile family pet.
The Mastador will act as a family watchdog.
Popularity:
The Labrador Retriever is recognized as The most popular dog in the world, and the Bullmastiff is No 51, according to the AKC purebred rankings.
This mixed-breed Mastador dog is not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as it is not a purebred dog, but this won’t stop this big loveable designer pooch becoming more popular.
Trainability:
Mastiff mix puppies need to be trained and socialized early.
Mastiff Lab mix puppies will be strong and protective so they must learn control and discipline.
The Mastador Breed is smart and tolerant so training should be fairly easy, providing you keep it interesting. They can be stubborn so training needs to be varied and fun.
Positive reinforcement and reward-based training are recommended for this large dog breed as is very confident, and strong-willed.
Mastiff breed mix puppies should be trained slowly and never negatively punished, challenged directly, hit, or locked up for misbehavior. Always reinforce change gradually and praise good behavior and learning.
The Mastador is an active dog, so the puppy will need one hour of daily exercise and playtime, building up 1-2 hours a day in adulthood.
Remember, this is likely to grow into a very large dog, so they should not be over-exercised as a puppy while their bones are still growing, as this can damage their developing bones and joints.
Power and intelligence:
Labrador Retriever mixes are intelligent, curious, and energetic.
The Mastador will be a fast learner but could be stubborn and aloof, so they will need to be trained and handled properly to be able to socialize and behave to command in public places.
Mastadors love activity and challenging playtime with their family; Fetch the ball or Frisbee, puzzles, or interactive chewable toys.
This pooch will grow into a powerful and heavy dog so its exercise needs and strength should not be underestimated by any potential dog owner.
Socialization:
Early socialization dog training and discipline are strongly recommended for Mastiff mix dogs.
The Mastador has two high energy parents and one is a powerful guard dog.
Labradors have a soft delicate bite but the Mastiff has a powerful jaw and less delicate, so the Mastador will need to learn to control its protective nature and muscular strength. Gently discipline and obedience training should start early to help this huge puppy to become well–behaved and gentle with other dogs and children.
Purpose:
Mastadors are sensitive and can be quite shy. It’s a loveable brut that will want to please and will be able to follow orders and commands but will need a confident and experienced owner to be able to control it; it’s not a dog for beginners!
The Mastador can be stubborn and may just refuse to walk any further when it’s had enough or stop the task it’s been given if it’s not interesting.
Behavior:
A Mastiff Lab mix generally inherits the best of both.
This lovable and protective dog gets on well with children, but it’s huge and can be clumsy in rough and tumble play. Young children should be careful when playing with this big dog, and not allowed to treat it roughly. It could turn aggressive if mishandled so play must be supervised and respect shown to the dog.
A Mastador is quite docile and not a barker but it will be wary of strangers and therefore makes a good guard-dog.
Physical Characteristics of the Mastador
The Mastador has a deep chest, strong legs big brown expressive eyes, a medium muzzle, with a long tail. It is a large dog, and you can expect both male and female to reach a height up to 28-36” (71-91cm) and a weight up to 85lb-160lb (39-73kg). A Mastador will live on average, between 10-15 years, and a litter size is usually between 6-10 puppies.
Coat: A short, dense but silky, double coat, moderate shedder; not hypoallergenic.
Coat Color: Black, Brown, Yellow, Red, Fawn or brindle, even Silver or Charcoal Gray; Solid color or mix.
Temperament:
Mastadors learn easily and try to please. They are generally friendly with a gentle nature but bore easily and may refuse to cooperate.
They are sensitive and don’t bark much unless provoked or frightened.
They are born protectors and will guard their territory, so they must be trained and socialized early.
How should you train a Mastiff Labrador Retriever mix?
This breed should be trained gently, slowly, and with consistency.
The boundaries need to be set early for this powerful mixed-breed dog. Fun and positive reinforcement and reward-based training, especially small food treats work best.
Never hit or raise your voice to this breed during training as it may challenge or rebel and refuse to cooperate further.
Types of training required: obedience, discipline, agility, and socialization.
So, if you are not going to use a professional dog trainer:
1) Develop basic command words: Stop, Sit, Down, etc. and be consistent each time you use them. This huge dog will try to dominate and this must be controlled early in training.
2) Crate – Buy a crate and gently get this puppy used to going into it. This will eventually become its nest and it will sleep there. You will have to lock the cage in the early days so it knows it has to sleep there and it’s useful to experience for bladder control and if you need to transport it.
3) Potty training – Can be hit and miss for any new puppy who gets easily excited and lacks control, however, products are available, such as mats and odor sprays to attract puppy go to the same spot each time. Eventually, the puppy with your help will learn where and where not to go. They will eventually become creatures of habit and regulate their need and place to use.
4) Walking on a leash – Understanding voice commands and road awareness is important for this strong puppy’s safety.
Health problems and health issues
What health problems can a Mastiff Lab mix suffer from?
Hip Dysplasia (and elbow dysplasia) – common in many large breeds. Hip dysplasia is a malformation of the hip joint, where the ball at the top of the leg does not fit properly into the socket and the ligaments attaching it are weak. This allows excess movement of the fitting which can eventually lead to stiffness and pain for the dog.
Bloat – any large dog that eats quickly or drinks a lot before exercising can suffer from bloat. This dangerous excessive gas build-up can cause the stomach to twist and damage other organs.
Cataract eye disease – is a clouding over of the vision.
Other Eye problems like Progressive Retinal Atrophy – a group of degenerative diseases that affect photoreceptor cells in the eyes, seriously affecting the dog’s vision; eyes should be checked regularly by a vet.
Brachycephalic syndrome – breathing difficulties, due to the shape of its nose and restricted airways; Pugs and Boxer dogs have similar problems.
Other health issues include ear infections, bone cancer, and heart problems
How do you care for a Mastador dog?
Exercise needs
A Mastador is outgoing, but not overly energetic so its exercise needs are low. They will enjoy walks and freedom to play. One hour a day of exercise is enough for an adult.
Feeding
Feed as a large-sized dog, around 3 cups of Kibble dry formulated food per day, fed twice a day and slowly to prevent bloat.
Grooming needs
The Mastador has a short but dense double coat and only sheds moderately, so you can be the groomer and brush every 2-3 days.
Bathing
This large dog does not need regular bathing, only when required. Certain dog formulated shampoos have a double effect of cleaning the coat and protecting it against fleas and insect bites.
Cleaning teeth, nails, and ears
As with all dogs, their teeth need to be cleaned regularly to prevent a build-up of plaque. Chewing breaks down plaque, so use doggie chew-toys, bare-bones and soft toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Nails grow quickly and need trimming regularly, say monthly, and their floppy ears need to be checked for debris that could cause infection.
What’s life like for a Mastador?
Lifestyle
This breed is affectionate and loves company. It is a great family dog and will be happy living in an apartment or house with a big yard as long as it is with you
They can be stubborn and aggressive until trained. They will chew things if bored or left alone for long periods of time, so keep stimulated and busy. Chew toys can help with boredom.
This breed is a natural watchdog that will act on instinct to be very protective of its family.
Positives and Negatives of ownership
Positives
- Protective and loyal companion
- A big family dog
- Intelligent, affectionate and tolerant
- Easily trained
- Needs to keep active and stimulated
- Generally healthy, low maintenance
Negatives
- Mastiffs reputation of aggression
- Destructive if left alone, will bite and chew things
- Needs company
- Strong and powerful needs supervision with small children
- Wary of strangers, may bark
- Can be a couch potato
- Stubborn and aloof
Commonly Asked Questions:
Q: What’s the proper name of the Mastador dog?
A. It’s a Mastiff Lab Mix also referred to with different combinations of the parents’ breed names; Labrador Mastiff mix, Labmastor, or Massif Lab.
Q. How much does a Mastador puppy cost?
A. Buying from a reputable dealer will cost between $900-2000, depending on age. An alternative is to contact a rescue center to adopt a puppy or adult. The cost of adopting a rescue dog is much less than from a breeder.
Warning: If considering any Mastiff mix rescue dog it is important to find out as much as possible about the circ*mstances behind why that dog ended up in a rescue center – abuse, neglect, personality, behavior, or any details of the temperament or health issues of the parents.
Food costs around $40-50 per month for an adult and given their possible health problems you must factor in Vets fees and accessories from a retailer like Amazon.
