need advice

[lovemybostons]

I posted my situation in dog general but then thought this site might be better. I have two female boston terriers, both under two years old. Allie (the oldest and first one we got) is very dominant and protective of all the toys and wants all the attention. Maci is mainly submissive although there have been a few small fights, not bad though. My husband is wanting a mastiff and I am afraid for my boston's safety. I have never had a big dog but he has. I know you are only suppose to have one alpha female and that's definately Allie so we would probably get a male puppy. I am concerned that there may still be problems with the dominance issue. Allie and Maci are both small so when they get into it they really can't do much damage to each other. However, if Allie made a mastiff mad she could really get hurt or worse. Does anyone have any experience with bringing a big dog to a small dog household with a very dominant female? Any insight or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Jessica

[rotten_two]

here is what i advise -- being that i am a big dog person. from what i know about mastiffs they are pretty laid back even kind of oafy in a good way. you seem apprehensive about the mastiff and how he might interact with your current dogs. please do some research before you actually commit to a mastiff. get some books, talk to breeders, go to dog shows and ask lots of questions. arrange for your dogs to have a playdate with a mastiff if you can -- gauge your own and their responses. ultimately you have to be comfortable with the dog or the situation will not work. the process may take a while so please put forth the effort. if you find you cannot handle the idea of introducing a big dog talk it over with your husband maybe he would compromise with a med sized dog more suitable to your comfort level. if you get the dog and realize you can't handle it then it is really too late! if you decide you can handle the mastiff you need to go to a reputable breeder -- more research. are your females spayed? they probably should be and so should the mastiff. if you would like any assistance in choosing books to read or finding dog shows near you feel free to pm me. hope this helped.

[lovemybostons]

Yes, you did help. We wouldn't rush into getting a big dog. This is something we have been discussing for some time. I know it is a big resposibility and we need to research more. My girls aren't spayed yet but we are making the appt. for it soon. I know I need to get it done but I'm nervous something could happen to them. As you can probably tell they are just like kids to me. :)
Thanks for the advice