Greek Sheepdog vs Giant Maso Mastiff - Breed Comparison

Known as the Olympus Dog or even simply as the Greek Shepherd, the Greek Sheepdog is a large to giant molosser dog from Greece. His purpose has always been to guard flocks and livestock from predators and he has been around for hundreds of years, looking much like the Great Pyrenees.

It is believed that the dog was likely bred with a number of breeds – both local and non-local dogs.

Unfortunately there were no records kept of the development of the breed but today the Greek Sheepdog remains a rare and fairly unknown breed outside of Greece.

It's numbers are dwindling in Greece too and since 1998 the Greek ARCTUROS has made attempts to save the breed, starting the Greek Shepherd Dog Breeding Program.

The Giant Maso Mastiff is a fairly new dog breed so you aren’t going to find much history on him.

The breed was only started in 2001 so as to create a mastiff dog that would have fewer health problems and therefore have the chance to live longer. The Giant Maso came about because of a mix between the Old English Mastiff and the Cane Corso Italiano.

As stated, breeding began in 2001 and the dog has inherited intelligence and protective instincts from both these dogs.

The Greek Sheepdog is a large dog, standing at 65 – 75cm and weighing roughly between 32 to 50kg. He is a dog that displays physical strength. He has a large head with brown eyes and a serious expression on his face. He has a thick double coat which is essentially white with red, black or brown markings.

You will also see tri-color dogs. He has floppy ears today but there was a time when the right ear of the male dog was cut off or cropped. The tail is long and bushy and it can be held low but also held up so that it curls over the back.

Temperament:

Maybe because of his size and him being a strong-willed, independent thinker, the Greek Shepherd may not be the best choice for a first time dog owner. Having said that, if you're a strong, firm, patient, kind person, then you'll be able to raise any kind of dog, first time or not.

The Greek Shepherd is a brave, loyal, calm, protective dog and with socialization and training, can make an awesome pet. They are dogs who are a bit suspicious with strangers, not making friends too easily. He loves his human family and wants to be part of their activities. He can't be left on his own day after day as this can lead to excessive barking and destructive behavior.

They've been dogs used to working with livestock and they will certainly need to be taken on daily walks and involved in rough and tumble games as they thrive on activity. The dog won't fit easily into city life where there is just a handkerchief-sized garden as he needs space and activity.

The Giant Maso Mastiff is a large dog breed and can stand at between 67 to 70cm in height and weigh 60 to 90-kg.

He has a big square head with medium sized floppy ears and thick neck covered with loose skin. Muscular, he is a deep chested dog with powerful legs and long tail. The fur of the dog is short and sleek and can be a number of colors such as fawn, an apricot color, gray and black as well as brindle.

Temperament:

Intelligent, protective, self-confident, balanced and calm, the Giant Maso Mastiff may be quite an imposing looking dog but he is gentle-natured towards his family.

The large dog loves to please and receive praise from his human family. He is the perfect friend, getting on well with children in the home as well as with other dogs. Training and socialization is easy for this dog and it is important that he is trained if you want him to be an obedient pet.

He is gentle, intelligent, protective – simply known as a gentle giant, being calm, steady and amicable. This breed loves to please and needs lots of companionship from his human family, loving just to lie close by to them.

He isn’t a particularly active dog, but will still need to join you on a walk every day. It is why the Maso Mastiff can live in the city or in the countryside, because not being an overly active dog, he doesn’t need a large garden.

Your Greek Shepherd is an intelligent, independent dog who likes to show his loyalty and devotion to his owner.

He is a protective dog too and when trained and socialized makes an excellent family pet. These Molosser type dogs are formidable dogs known for their bravery and courage.

They're the type of dogs who like a strong leader-type of owner and when he gets someone who he can look up to as his leader, he becomes a loyal, devoted pet.

Your Giant Maso Mastiff is such a gentle giant of a dog. He is well behaved and gentle so that it almost seems unnecessary to have him trained and socialized and yet doing so will make him even more amicable.

Calm and gentle he makes the perfect pet for families where there are children as well as elderly people. He is quite frankly everyone’s friend, being a loving family pet. If you’re a family more into indoor games and TV watching than an outdoor, sporty kind of family, the Giant Maso Mastiff will suit you.

He will love to settle down and watch TV with you. He isn’t particularly active, although he will certainly need a walk every day.

Those who have owned a Giant Maso Mastiff will tell you that this is an excellent family pet, making a wonderful companion dog.

With good care and lots of love, this dog can live to be between 10 to 12 years of age. He is unlikely to get sick very often, but still it it wise to know of some of the health issues than can occur with large breed dogs like this.

Some diseases to look out for include -

Dilated cardiomyopathy:

This is a disease of the heart muscle. The heart is enlarged and unable to have the right heart rhythm. The distended muscle isn't able to push the blood through the heart chambers to where it is needed. Cause for this dilated heart can be genetic, nutritional, infectious or metabolic.

Because taurine and carnitine are involved in good heart function, and low levels of these amino acids can cause symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy, supplementation is useful, especially if you feel your dog isn't getting in the right kind of food.

Lyme Disease:

Borreliosis, a bacterial infection, causes Lyme disease, transmitted by the Ixodes tick. The tick bites the dog and the toxins gets into the dog's bloodstream, with the bacteria travelling to different parts of the body.

Typical symptoms in a dog includes loss of appetite, fever, no energy, swelling of joints and lameness, but symptoms can progress to kidney failure too or cardiac problems. Treatment will include antibiotics.

There has always been the concern with joint disorders in large breed dogs. Both hip- and elbow dysplasia can occur with your Giant Maso Mastiff, more so if you overfeed him as a puppy and he grows too fast.

With hip dysplasia, the long bone of the leg forms incorrectly. This can lead to pain and lameness with your pet.

Also check out bloat. This is a serious illness when the stomach fills with air and can twist. Gastric Dilatation-Volvolvus, is an emergency situation then which is found more often in large, deep-chested dog breeds.

If you see your dog with a bloated stomach and acting in a strange, lethargic way, get him to the vet immediately as bloat can be life threatening.

Grooming:

The coat of the Greek Shepherd is fairly long so it will need to be brushed at least twice a week to keep it free from matting and tangling. He is an average shedder and the brushing will remove all loose hairs, keeping the coat sleek and shiny.

Diet:

Feeding your Greek Sheepdog requires giving him top quality food as this will ensure he is healthy and can ward off common dog illnesses. If you're going to be feeding him kibble, make sure to go for the top quality brands, and as a treat for your pet you can add in some brown rice, pasta, brown bread, cooked chicken and vegetables.

Dogs are essentially carnivores and he will need to have some raw meat such as beef added into his kibble from time to time. He should never ever be without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Grooming:

As an average shedder, the smooth, shorthaired coat is easy to groom, and a good brush twice a week will be adequate.

The Giant Maso Mastiff has floppy ears and therefore these should be checked for ear infections. Wax build up and dirt will need to be checked and cleaned.

His nails will need to be clipped, especially if they don’t wear down on their own and his teeth will need to be cleaned 2 or 3x a week to avoid dental disease.

Diet:

With a large dog breed puppy such as the Giant Maso Mastiff, rapid growth is a risk factor for developing joint and bone conditions. The growth period can last till 12 months and puppies of large breeds should actually have their caloric intake adjusted during this growth period.

It is important to ensure that your puppy grows at a slow, steady rate. If you are feeding dog food from the commercially manufactured range, if you aren’t sure, speak to your vet about large breed dog foods. You want to be sure that this gentle giant of yours receives the best dog food there is, whether commercial branded dog food or your own home-made food. Good nutrition is imperative for the health of your pet.