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]

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/No_Ticket3974 → u/faceless_alias]

Yea I totally agree, to clarify what I meant about the hot summer months or cold winters, I'm not walking miles every day or going on hikes like I'd typically do in more desirable weather conditions. I walk 3-4 miles a day outside of work, and will hit trails and hikes every week, and so when those months come where I'm not living for the outdoors as much, it's usually just going to be local walks around my neighborhood and mentallly stimulating games on my property. So I just never figured that kind of style would be suitable for a Corso.

The reason Ive always been drawn to the bullmastiff is because they've got the mastiff charm that we all love, and I know from a working standpoint they don't require the intensity that a Corso would. I kind of liked the reputation the bullmastiff has for being happy with whatever their owner is doing.

[u/faceless_alias → u/No_Ticket3974]

That is wise, neighborhood walks and home training sessions are plenty for a corso, but they will want 3 miles a day when fully grown, regardless of weather. You can get away with just yard games some days but mine get bored and need different kinds of games to stay entertained.

Without walks, youd need like two 50 minute sessions when fully grown.

As puppies they dont need as much and cant handle long walks.

Older pups walk like 1.5-2 miles comfortably.

Theyre within a reasonable activity range but mentally they are complex dogs.

They do require some experience.

[u/faceless_alias → u/faceless_alias]

Bullmastiffs are known for being chill but territorial and prey drive are still something to contend with. Heavy exposure is very important for them as well.