MyDogBreedsBoth Doxiepom and American Molossus are originated from United States. Doxiepom may grow 39 cm / 15 inches shorter than American Molossus. Doxiepom may weigh 36 kg / 79 pounds lesser than American Molossus. Both Doxiepom and American Molossus has almost same life span. Both Doxiepom and American Molossus has same litter size. Both Doxiepom and American Molossus requires Moderate maintenance.
The Doxiepom is a small dog known as a designer breed which has originated from crossing the well known Dachshund dog with another well known pure-breed dog, the Pomeranian.
This has resulted in the hybrid breed – the Doxiepom.
Both these pure bred dogs have their own history each but the Doxiepom is a new dog breed. It is believed that this mix of Pomeranian and Dachshund was originally developed in the United States in the 1990’s and while he doesn’t have much of a history, you can have a look at the history of the parent dog breeds.
Based on the massive dog of Mesopotamia in 5000 BC, the American Molossus is the same dog recreated in the United States by and for the lovers of these giant dogs. The ancient Molossus was fierce to look at, massive in size, courageous and loyal. He was undaunted by any animal and stood up to any man attempting to hurt his master. When Rome fell the descendants of today’s Molossus were scattered and attempts to revive the breed have created carious large dogs. The American Molossus is the first true recreation that hits the mark.
The original Molossus was one of the most primitive of dogs, one of the earliest dogs that men domesticated. Their initials duties were the guarding of herds and homes against all enemies. They were incredibly loyal to their one master and stayed with him and protected him. These dogs also ate carrion and served the villages by eliminating animal carcasses. They could handle any other hunting animals such as wolves and large cats. This dog, although extinct was the ancestor of all the Mastiff-type dogs of today. The Molossus is said to be the ancestor of the St. Bernard, English Mastiff, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Bernese Mountain Dog, Newfoundland, Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, Rottweiler, Rottweiler and the Neapolitan Mastiff. Now these breeds have become the ancestry of the American Molossus.
According to Marcus Curtis, the founder of the new Molossus, the nearest relative of the American Molossus is the Neapolitan Mastiff. The Hines Bulldog, German Rottweiler, American Bandogge, and South African Boerboel together with the Neapolitan Mastiff were used to form the American Molossus. The goal of the founder was to make a great family pet and protector. It was specifically bred to be courageous, loyal and protective.
The Doxiepom is a small dog - a cross between the Dachshund and the Pomeranian, and this means he can have characteristics from each of these breeds.
They’re short dogs, standing at roughly 12cm to 27cm. A full grown Pomeranian Dachshund mix can weigh between 3kg and 12kg.
With a fairly long body from the Dachshund side, he has floppy ears or they can be semi-erect and the tail is long.
You can’t really say what the dog will look like exactly and the coat may be long or short with some of the coat colors being tan, black or brown.
Their dependent nature can mean these little dogs battling with separation anxiety, and he is a dog that doesn’t like being left alone for long periods of time.
He easily attaches himself to just one member of the family while being friendly and loving to everyone else as well.
They’e fun loving, playful dogs and want to be involved in their family’s activities, whether indoors or out. They’re friendly, but are aloof with strangers. He makes a great watchdog too, barking when strangers enter the property.
This is a giant, massive dog in every way and this recently developed standard makes that very clear. The Molossus should be heavy bones, muscular with a lot of loose skin and wrinkles of all kinds, everywhere. He is an intimidating presence, with a massive square head, broad shoulders, height and mass. No, the American Molossus is not athletic, but he certainly is intimidating.
His head is massive in comparison to his body and it must be square. He has extensive wrinkles and pendulous lips and dewlap. The face is all folds of skin and wrinkles. Deep set eyes, drooping upper lids and lower lids as well as an intimidating expression. His brow is well developed with a marked frontal furrow. The nose is large, and the muzzle is about a third of the length of its head. It is short and broad. Everything about the head must be square. It’s neck and body are powerful and muscular. The chest is deep, wide and barrel like. The back is also powerful and muscular. The front legs are heavy and muscular while the hind legs are broad, strong, powerful and wide-stance. Do not remove the front dew claws. His tail is thick and wide then gradually tapers at the tip.
One of the strong characteristics of the the Doxiepom is that he shares a strong bond with his human family.
He is such a amicable little dog, ready to join in with the children in their games as well as in the activities of the adults.
He craves human companionship, and if you provide him with a happy home, he promises to give you devoted companionship throughout his life.
The American Molossus is an intimidating massive giant bred for protection and guard duty. He is incredibly loyal to his family and courageous in his protection of them. They are guard dogs, not attack dogs. Their simple appearance is usually enough to frighten off anyone intending harm on their families. He is in reality a loving giant. He is intelligent and stable with a strong desire to please his owner. He is a calm yet vigilant presence in the home.
Because the Molossus is so large, it is recommended that the puppy be socialized and trained professionally. It takes a strong owner to handle this breed. They need to know the rules and have the rules consistently applied. The owner must be the pack leader.
The Doxiepom is a little dog who isn’t going to cost you a lot of time at the vet, however there are some typical dog illnesses that you will do well to know about.
Generally the Doxiepom has a lifespan of about 12 to 16 years and with good care, your pet can reach this age too.
As far as health problems go, your dog could be affected, although it is unlikely, as he is a robust dog breed.
Your pet could inherit health problems more common to either of the breeds. Little dogs suffer with their own set of heath problems and these could be back problems, dental- and eye disease and allergies.
A common health problem with a small dog like this is obesity. They don’t need a lot of food but because they’re so friendly and entertaining, some owners over-feed them.
Like all Mastiffs the American Molossus faces a variety of potential illnesses, some brought on by its size, some not.
This could easily be a function of its massive size. It is a degenerative disease and can cause the dog to become lame. In many cases the vertebrae can fuse, or severe pain can result. This is mostly seen in older members of the breed.
Male Molossus can contract this inherited metabolic disease primarily. It can be life threatening and very serious as it affects the kidney and the bladder.
This is essentially Cervical Vertebral Instability (CVI) and is caused by the pressure of the nerves in the neck and cervical spinal cord. This compression can cause deformity, pain and abnormal stance/gait. IT has been attributed to the nutrition needs and rapid growth of the Mastiff breeds.
Like all giant Mastiff breeds the Molossus can have skin issues from the wrinkles, dysplasia in the joints which we will address below.
The Doxipom has moderate grooming requirements, shedding somewhat throughout the year, so brushing him twice a week will keep the coat shiny and healthy.
If your pet has turned out to have more long hair than short, he may require some professional grooming. His nails will also need clipping and his ears will also need to be checked for infection.
Small dogs often battle more with dental and gum problems, and plaque and tartar buildup results when food gets trapped between the teeth, leading to gingivitis which can lead to premature tooth loss. Keeping the teeth clean is therefore important.
Small dogs have quicker metabolisms than big dogs and they also mature faster than the larger dogs. Smaller dogs actually require more calories per kilogram than big dogs because they burn up energy faster than larger breeds.
It is therefore important to feed your small dog the right amount of food to support their growth rate and to maintain weight in adulthood. Homemade foods for your Doxiepom are always wonderful, but of course many people who work make use of some of the good commercially manufactured dog foods out of sheer convenience.
Go for the better quality brands which have top ingredients in them so as to avoid deficiencies.
Raw meat should also make up part of the diet – fish, chicken and red meat. Always make sure your pet has access to fresh, cool water.
Remembering that this is a very, very large dog you need to be careful about nutrition and how fast your puppy will grow. American Molossus puppies need four meals a day until 12 weeks old. Then until they are 6 months old feed then 3 times a day. Finally, from 6-month-old puppy to adult – feed them twice in 24 hours.
At one year either feed them once or two small meals.
Many people feed their Molossus eggs, vegetables, fruit, and cottage cheese as ten 5 of the total for the day but avoid other table foods. The Molossus can become very picky about what he eats if you feed him too many table scraps.
In addition to the health problems listed above, the American Molossus is also susceptible to: Ditichiasis – Eyelashes that are in the margin of the eyelids and can cause eye irritation. May require surgery to correct.
Could cause blindness if not removed. Ectropian/Entropion: Eversion and inversion of eyelids which cause ocular irritation.
This is a degenerative disease which causes the dog to go blind. It is a disease the affects the retinal visual cells, first causing night blindness then day blindness. A DNA test is available for detecting PRA in all Mastiff breeds.
Common in large breeds and especially in giant breeds like the Molossus. Multiple forms and causes but all can cause pain and lameness.
Do to wrinkles and loose skin – check often for moisture and infections.
The is a problem based on a variety of possible causes. It happens when the puppy is between 6-16 months of age. Lameness occurs over time in one limb or in all. It can be intermittent and might be caused by diet, genetics, stress, autoimmune or metabolic issues or infection.
This issue is developmental as the dog’s toes turn either inward or outward, then as the condition advances the dog suffers fever, pain in all joints, lethargy and the inability to stand. This happens when the dog consumes too many calories for his activity level in the development times.
The American Molossus is not a couch potato. He needs to be walked at least twice a day and loves to play fetch. He will be greatly benefited by obedience training. Do not overdo it with exercise but make sure they don’t just lay around.