MyDogBreedsBoth Maltipoo and American Molossus are originated from United States. Maltipoo may grow 31 cm / 12 inches shorter than American Molossus. Maltipoo may weigh 42 kg / 92 pounds lesser than American Molossus. Both Maltipoo and American Molossus has almost same life span. Maltipoo may have less litter size than American Molossus. Both Maltipoo and American Molossus requires Moderate maintenance.
The Maltipoo is a popular dog breed – a cross between the Maltese and Poodle. The dog originates in the United States.
The Maltipoo is a cross breed but it is often referred to as a designer dog because of it being purposely bred. The cute little dog has been created to be a companion dog, suiting allergy sufferers because of him being a low shedder and considered hypoallergenic.
The Maltipoo isn’t officially recognized as a true breed. Some Maltipoo Clubs and Registries have been formed.
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 small Maltipoo stands at between 20 and 35cm and weighs about 2 to 6kg. There is no breed standard for this dog. The coat is fluffy and is more inclined to be wavy than curly. It can become quite long and most people prefer to have him professionally clipped.
Coat colors vary from white to cream, apricot and brown or it can be a combination of these colors. He has a tail which some people prefer to dock, but if not, the tail is long and curls, sometimes over the back.
Owning a Maltipoo, you’ll quickly discover that this little dog is active, feisty, bright and, fun-loving, and your life is pretty much not going to have a dull moment with him in it.
If you’re a first time dog owner you’ll love the Maltipoo as he is pretty much easy going. He makes an excellent family pet as he is even tempered. Make sure your kids have been taught how to treat him – with respect, gentleness and kindness. Never allow toddlers to climb over any dog – big or small.
The Maltipoo is intelligent too and this means training and socialization will be easy for him. Many people use them as therapy dogs and they definitely seem to have an affinity with older people, bringing joy into their lives with their bright nature.
They are dogs that can adapt to life in the city or the countryside, just so long as they are with their beloved human family. They’re essentially indoor dogs but will gladly venture outdoors if it means ball games on the lawn with the children or a walk outside the confines of his home. This gives him the opportunity to smell new aromas, a physically and mentally stimulating game for him.
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.
Your Maltipoo is guaranteed to bring much joy into your home. He is a social dog, loving to spend time with his human family, whether indoors our outdoors. He is an active dog so will look forward to his walk every day.
Treat your little pet with love and good care, after all he has got so much companionship to offer and deserves the best there is to that the 12 to 15 years he has are filled with health and happiness.
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 Maltipoo is such a bright little dog, brimming with energy, but even so, he can get sick, just like with any other dog.
Small dogs are prone to dental problems and gum disease and tartar build up can cause many problems and tooth loss. Any dental infections can lead to infections which can put the entire body in jeopardy.
This is a degenerative eye disorder that can cause blindness and although there is no cure there are things that the vet can do for your pet.
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 Maltipoo is such a sweet little dog – you want to be sure that you look after him as well as can be.
Always take your pet for regular veterinary check-ups if you suspect he is ill. If you get a Maltipoo puppy you will need to take him to the vet because there are a number of vaccines he will need to prevent him from picking up some life threatening canine diseases. Some of these are parvo and rabies among others.
Also, as your Maltipoo reaches adulthood you will need to decide whether you will have the dog spayed or neutered to prevent puppies.
Groom your Maltipoo to keep the coat in tip top condition. Brush him at least twice a week to keep him free of loose hairs. It’s a nice bonding session for your pet too and it gives you the chance to check for fleas and ticks. Most Maltipoo owners take their pets to professional groomers to have the coat trimmed as then he looks and feels more comfortable in warmer weather.
Be careful about bathing him too often as even the mildest shampoos can irritate his skin and it strips the coat of natural oils. Other grooming needs will require you keeping his nails short and cleaning his teeth at least 2 or 3 times a week. Because he has floppy ears, check inside them as they can collect excess wax and debris.
If you are unsure about these kinds of grooming needs, check with your vet or groomer because doing it wrong could cause injury to your pet.
Give your pet a soft, warm, dry bed to sleep in. You can make a soft ‘nest’ on the floor or you can buy a sleeping platform or traditional dog basket.
With a Maltipoo, choose a high-quality small breed dog food if you are going to feed him commercially manufactured food. This is to ensure he remains healthy. Try and keep your diet simple for your Maltipoo to avoid stomach problems.
For variety, add in some chopped boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables to his dry kibble. The amount of food you give him will depend on his size and activity levels but you want to avoid feeding him too much so that it leads to obesity. Obesity can bring on a host of dog illnesses.
As opposed to one larger bowl of food, rather feed him two smaller meals which is far healthier for him. Remember to always have a bowl of fresh, cool water standing close by.
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.