Scottish Terrier vs American Mastiff - Breed Comparison

The Scottish Terrier is also known as the Aberdeen Terrier but people who love and know him refer to him fondly as the Scottie.

These little dogs were originally bred to hunt vermin on farms and their actual origin is ancient. It is believed that the first descriptions of these dogs date way back to 1436 with there being 2 varieties - a rough-haired Scotch Terrier and a smooth-haired English Terrier.

In 1881 the Scottish Terrier Club of England was founded with the Scottish Terrier Club of Scotland being founded in 1888. Scotties were introduced to America in the early 1890s.

The history of the American Mastiff is entirely tied to the old European Mastiffs but in particular the English Mastiff. The developers of the American Mastiff crossed the English Mastiff with the Anatolian Mastiff at the Ohio kennel, Flying W Farms. The founder of this breed is Fredricka Wagner. Because of this the English Mastiff and the American Mastiff look very much alike. The difference between the two is that the American Mastiff was bred to have less health concerns than the English Mastiff and without the drooling. In 2000 the CKC acknowledged that the American Mastiff and the English Mastiff were separate breeds.

The Scottish Terrier is a small dog, fairly robustly built but with short legs. He has a wiry, weather-resistant coat and a soft undercoat. The coat is essentially black but there are other colors too such as a wheaten shade, grey-black and brindle too.

The ears are erect, the eyes small and bright. The tail isn’t docked but is of medium length and is nearly always held up, without curling over the back.

Height at withers for both males and females should be roughly 23 to 26cm and weight in the region of 8 – 10 kg.

Temperament:

The Scottie is a an independent, robust breed. He is playful as a puppy, but as he matures he becomes more dignified and dour. He is stubborn, but being a terrier he is alert and makes a good watchdog. For a small dog he has a powerful bark.

He is smart too. Have him trained and socialized if you want him to be obedient.

Brave, loving and loyal, he can fit into life in the city or the countryside so long has he has his human family close by. He doesn’t take kindly to strangers and he he slightly aggressive with other dogs he doesn’t know. He makes a great playmate for children but he certainly doesn’t like being prodded, sat on and poked by small children.

This crossing of the English Mastiff and the Anatolian Mastiff resulted in a Mastiff with a much drier, less drooling mouth than the other Mastiffs. This is a giant, massive dog – powerful and muscular. With a wide head that is rectangular rather than square. Their eyes are dark amber, and their ears are high on their head and rounded. With a medium size muzzle, black mask and heavy head, the American Mastiff is a handsome dog.

Their chest is broad, deep with ribs that extended backward. He has strong legs that are parallel and wide set. He also has a long tail. Puppies of the American Mastiff are born almost black and as they grow their coat color lightens. In addition, it is important that they have a wrinkled forehead as well and a scissors bite is preferred.

The Scottie is strong willed and independent, and training and socialization is important if you don’t want your Scottie believing he has the final say.

These dogs are stubborn and dominant and will need a strong, firm but kind owner. They’re aggressive with other dogs, but get on well with their human family.

When you bring one of these distinctive looking dogs into your home, he’ll be a loving, loyal friend.

A love of children and devotion to his pack (family) is bred into the American Mastiff. He is non-aggressive unless you threaten his family or his children. Then he becomes courageous, protective and defensive. This is a gentle giant most of the time, however due to size and the need for strong leadership, the American Mastiff should be socialized and trained early. If they are socialized and trained they will be calm, gentle dogs. They will remain protective and alert, but they will be friendly with strangers. They love to please their people and being highly intelligent they learn fast.

Your Scottie is looked upon as being a generally healthy dog breed, but as with any other healthy dogs, he can succumb to some of the conditions and diseases that dogs get -

Von Willebrand's Disease:

This is an inherited blood disorder where the blood doesn’t clot properly. The dog will bleed excessively after an injury. Fortunately, while there isn’t a cure, dogs can lead normal lives.

Cancer:

Scottish Terriers are more prone to developing cancer than other dogs. Bladder cancer, lymphosarcoma and malignant melanoma are just some of the cancers they can get. Some cancers are treatable and there is a good success rate in dogs receiving chemotherapy.

When you brush your Scottie, look out for new, unusual lumps that could be indicative of cancer.

Scotty Cramp:

Scotty Cramp isn’t serious but uncomfortable for your pet. When your dog becomes worked up, you’ll see him arching his spine and he walks around for a few minutes with a stiff unnatural gait.

Obesity:

Obesity is regarded as a serious disease as it puts strain on the dogs joints and also creates back pain and digestive disorders.

American Mastiffs seem to have fewer health issues than other larger giant breed dogs. However, they can experience allergies as many large, wrinkled dogs do. They also might have a tendency toward eye issues, hip dysplasia, cancer and heart disease. Bloat might be the most life-threatening issue many American Mastiffs experience.

Exercise:

Scotties were once bred as working dogs, and they will certainly require daily exercise and stimulation. He will love a walk but you can’t expect him to run with you as he has short legs.

Grooming:

The Scottie sheds, so he will need to be brushed at least twice weekly. He will require quite a bit of grooming in terms of having the coat professionally trimmed and clipped.

His eyes and ears will need to be checked as well as his teeth. He can’t tell you if he has terrible toothache and while brushing him, check the teeth. Trim his nails too.

Diet:

It is always recommended that you feed dogs according to size, age and activity levels. Dogs are individuals and they don’t all need the same food.

The quality of the dog food you provide makes a huge difference on your dog’s health. It always pays to go with the better quality kibble available to dogs. Your Scottish Terrier will be depending on your for quality kibble with the right blend of vitamins and minerals.

Dogs thrive on simplicity and consistency and you want to provide him with some home-made food too that gels well with his digestive system. A little bit of raw meat occasionally can also do him the world of good.

Make sure he always has cool, fresh water to drink.

Giant breeds like the American Mastiff are known for growing rapidly as a puppy and therefore proper feeding and nutrition is essential. The slower your American Mastiff grows, the better. Make sure your puppies get enough phosphorous and calcium in their high calorie diet. Free feeding is not recommended. Feed puppies up to 4 small meals per day and feed adults twice a day.

Health issues

As previously mentioned this breed is a fairly healthy one, There, are however, certain evaluations you should do with your American Mastiff puppy to be sure she is in good health. These tests would include an elbow and hip evaluation to check for dysplasia. He should have an ophthalmologist and cardiologist examine him as well. Most American Mastiffs will not have any problems, but these evaluations will help to prepare you if they do. The wrinkles in your dogs; face, around the eyes and muzzle must be kept clean as they can become infected if you don’t.

Exercise and games

Unlike the way he looks, the American Mastiff is not a couch potato, but neither are they a high energy, exercise machine. They do well living in apartments or homes, with or without a fenced in yard. They need a long walk every day. They need mental stimulation through exercise and games. Make sure they learn to love to play so that they don’t become lazy as they age.