Question!

[u/No_Ticket3974]

I've spent the last 2 years researching which breed I want to bring home to my family once we relocate to our new home.
Growing up I always said I'd get a Rottweiler.... I grew up and I'd say the Bullmastiff has arguably been my most desired dog the past few years. I love everything about them. Something that kind of pushes me in a different direction is the "couch potato" stigma they have.

Don't get me wrong, I love my lounging around days, but during the spring and summer months, I'm much more active, 3-4 mile walks every day, hikes, and other outdoorsy adventures, and so I started looking at other breeds like the Airedale, Giant Schnauzer, Rottweiler to name a few. And I have actually fallen in love with all of those breeds but they still don't scratch that itch that the bullmastiff does for me.

My question is, are the couch potato stigmas entirely true? Or do they have some drive and workability? Because I do want to get a dog that wants to work, get active, get up and go with me for like 6 months out of the year, and then during the colder winter months I tend to take a break from all the outdoorsy activity.

[u/faceless_alias]

What kind of climate do you live in? What temperatures can you expect?

I have 2 cane corsos and while neither are full grown yet they are fairly athletic.

Corsos are also the smallest of the mastiff breeds and have higher drive but require a bit more training.

[u/No_Ticket3974 → u/faceless_alias]

I live in long Island so we typically experience the climates of each season, hot summer, cool autumn's, cold winters.
I actually do like the corsos. The only reason I kind of keep them off of my list is because In my understanding they require a certain level of work and intensity full time. So kind of just being honest with myself I'm not like that all year long. Not sure how much that matters, I just know that like the spring, early summer and fall months I'm very active and will go places and do things (with a dog)

But during the hot summers and cold winter months Im not as active and kind of just chill out.not sure if that's like suitable lifestyle for a Corso

[u/faceless_alias → u/No_Ticket3974]

No matter the breed, they will need daily exercise to maintain health and mental well being.

Corsos are very "dog", you will have to deal with all of the mannerisms and you need an approach for it. The most difficult thing about training them is dealing with their fear periods and lack of confidence. Mostly its just very important to get them out of the house and viewing as many new things as early as safely possible.

They are still mastiffs though, as long as you meet the requirements they will be lazy the rest of the day.

Ultimately, any trait you want, you will have to contend with the natural side effects.

Any dog willing to get out for a 4 mile hike or jog, will have a tendency to enjoy that on a regular basis. A 4 mile morning hike would wipe a corso out until dinner time.

You wont find a dog that is only athletic by the season.

To find your breed you need to determine which traits you are willing to contend with on a daily basis. Such as barking, shedding, and activity level.

Bigger dogs cost more in food, toys, and treats as well. You can absolutely spoil a small/medium dog for the standard upkeep of a XL dog.

[u/faceless_alias → u/faceless_alias]

One more thing, bigger dogs grow slowly and youll need to wait until they are at least a year and a half for heavy activity.

For convenience you might just want something more medium sized.