English Mastiff's Appearance - Essay Example

Like all English mastiffs, Ramzee is very powerful, massive, and muscular.  He has a large, heavy, square head with a short muzzle and distinctive dewlaps and flews.  He has medium-sized ears that are pendant and falls just below his cheeks.  His eyes are small and hazel in color.  His teeth meet in a scissors bite.  Ramzee’s tail is set high and curves down reaching to the hock.

            Although Ramzee’s size is overpowering, you can consider him a gentle giant.  He rarely barks but he makes a good guard dog because his nature is to defend his territory and family.  I did not need to train Ramzee because he is a natural guard dog.  He is very friendly but when he senses I’m in danger, I can feel him becoming more watchful.  I always bring Ramzee in public places, such as the park to prevent him from becoming aloof to strangers.  He also gets along well with other dogs in our neighborhood.  My young nieces love Ramzee because he is very playful, intelligent, and calm.  The only thing that my nieces do not like about Ramzee is that he drools a lot, like all other mastiffs.  He also wheezes and snores loudly when he sleeps. 

            Ramzee tends to be lazy at times so I see to it that I take him on regular daily walks after our dinner.  His veterinarian also suggested regular exercises so that he does not gain so much weight.  Most mastiffs suffer from hip and joint problems when they become overweight.

            Let me describe to you now what a typical day is for Ramzee.  Ramzee is my alarm clock.  He wakes me up by licking my feet.  He seems to have his clock because he usually does this every 6:00 am.  His main reason though for waking me up is because he wants to go out in the yard to pee.  After allowing him to do his morning routine in our yard, I give him his breakfast which he eagerly awaits.  I make sure that the dog food I give him is specially formulated for his breed which has the right combination of protein and fats.  I give him three cups of dog food in the morning and another three cups for his dinner.  He easily finishes his food within minutes.  Later, you can see his bowl spic and span as if there was no food there minutes ago.  After finishing his food, he drinks lots of water which makes him drool a lot too.  I usually wipe the edges of his mouth to prevent the food debris from sticking to my pants later on.  After eating, he would once again go to the yard to “empty” himself. 

            Ramzee gets a bath once a month.  I don’t bathe him often because dogs have natural oils that keep their fur shiny and prevent their coats to become dry.   Today is Ramzee’s bath day.  Since bathing is quite a chore for a mastiff because of its size, I take Ramzee to the groomer.  His groomer gives him a bath and a flea and ticks dip.  His nails are then trimmed and his ears are cleaned.  His eyes are also wiped to prevent the build-up of dirt that might lead to an eye infection.  The groomer then brushes his teeth with toothpaste.  Ramzee likes the taste of toothpaste but it makes him drool more.  During this grooming time, Ramzee remains very calm and he seems to be enjoying every moment of it.  But I think his favorite part is the combing of his coat.  I know he likes it so much because I see him closing his eyes, almost falling asleep. 

            After the trip to the groomer, Ramzee and I go back home.  Tired from the car trip, Ramzee goes over to his bed and falls asleep easily.  While I am taking my lunch, I can hear the loud snore of Ramzee which is already music to my ears. 

            Afternoons are usually my playtime with Ramzee.  We go out in the yard and run around a lot.  I usually throw a stick and Ramzee would run after it and give it back to me.  Mastiffs are not hard to train because they are an intelligent breed.

            Dinner for Ramzee comes at around 6:00 pm.  He once again gets his three cups of dog food.  After that, we usually go on a slow walk to the park.  That is where he gets to meet our neighbors’ dogs.  You know that he enjoys socializing with the other dogs because his tail continuously wags.  Sometimes when a stranger approaches me, he would hide behind me but he will give that intimidating growl.  If I tell him it is ok, he would stop growling and just watch the stranger intently.  He seems to be alert as if ready to attack if I give him the go signal. 

            I love Ramzee so much. He is very loyal to me.  I consider him my gentle guard dog.  He is also very affectionate.  I like the way he tries to get attention from me.  If I was asked if I have any regrets about purchasing Ramzee, my answer is “I will even pay more than double the amount I paid for him before!”