Does The English Mastiff Drool & Slobber?

Have you been looking to welcome an English Mastiff into your home? Are you still in the research phase asking yourself questions like, how big do these things get? Or, does the English Mastiff drool?

All the Mastiff breeds drool and slobber to varying degrees, however it must be said that the Old English Mastiff is one of the worst for it, probably on-par with the French Mastiff. 

As an owner of this beautiful and ancient breed, you need to come to terms with the drooling nature of your Mastiff. This means accepting it as part of your day to day life and routine. Got some stringy slobber hanging from that kitchen cabinet? Grab yourself a rag. Find yourself barefoot stepping in a puddle of saliva? (Too much?). Grab yourself a towel. Side note, best not wear your Sunday best around the house. 

The amount of drool produced by an English Mastiff is honestly quite a shock, one that never ceases to amaze you. As you would expect, there are certain triggers that lead to the drooling and although impossible to stop entirely, there are some steps you can take to limit the mess.

So as you research this lovable giant, I’m sure you’re keen to understand why Mastiffs drool? And is there anything you can do about it?

Why does the English Mastiff drool and slobber?

The Old English Mastiff (commonly referred to as Mastiff), is an enormous dog. Not only is it tall and long, it’s also full of muscle, sometimes weighing up to 230 lbs. That’s a lot of weight to be carrying around. And although the English Mastiff isn’t actually considered brachycephalic (shortened head) like other Mastiff dogs, this large weight can cause heavier breathing. 

Aside from weight, the facial structure of the mouth and lips have a saggy structure that makes it hard for them to contain saliva throughout the day. The jowls flap loosely which leaves the inner lips exposed, resulting in drool leakage. 

As a side note, there are “English Mastiffs” on the market which do not entirely meet the breeding standard and are sometimes part Bullmastiff. The Bullmastiff is included on the brachycephalic list. This is why it pays to choose a reputable breeder.

Why else might English Mastiffs drool?

Outside of the obvious (size & facial structure), there is a list of common triggers that may cause your English Mastiff to slobber and drool. These are: 

• Anticipation of food
• Excitement 
• Anxiety or Stress
• Overheating
• Motion Sickness
• Mouth or dental issue 
• Pain or infection

Anticipation of Food Causing Mastiff to drool

The Mastiff (like many breeds) is highly food driven. They can go through a serious amount of eating in a day, including breakfast, dinner, treats and chews. You may find that your English Mastiff doesn’t leave your side as you’re preparing its food. At this point, it’s to be expected that as you look down, expect to see a combination of jowl saliva bubbles and the beginnings of a puddle on the floor. 

General Excitement

The rattling of a leash, the putting on of your coat and boots may elicit general excitement from your pet giant. In turn they may clumsily dart their way through to the front door area anticipating its daily walk. 

We must remember that the daily walk is often your dog’s favourite time of day. All those smells that you can’t smell, all those sounds that you can’t hear, your dog takes it all in. The daily walk can provide a lot of stimuli that get your dog excited, sometimes that may include sexual urges from female dogs which can also lead to excess in drool. 

Anxiety or Stress

Much like its continental cousin, the French Mastiff. The English Mastiff is quite a sensitive soul. This takes many owners by surprise due to their confident and intimidating appearance. 

English Mastiffs are prone to anxiety, which may occur from altercations with other dogs and animals or in some unfortunate cases, aggressive humans. 

But it’s not only altercations & aggression that can cause anxiety, it’s also abandonment. The Mastiff is social and enjoys family, leaving the dog alone for hours at a time can lead to stress, which can lead to heavy panting and drooling. 

Finally, your dog may be experiencing stress from physical pain. If you notice any severe signs of injury, you should call your vet. 

Overheating

The English Mastiff is prone to overheating due to its size. Therefore, it’s never a good idea to leave your Mastiff out in the sun for extended periods of time, even if your dog enjoys basking in the sun.

The Old English Mastiff can be prone to heat strokes. Ensuring there is ample shade, access to indoors, a water bowl and a good hose down can all help manage overheating.

Motion Sickness

Car related anxiety may be a contributing factor for drooling, so if you take your Mastiff out on trips you may want to pay particular attention to this. 

Typically motion sickness may trigger drooling due to changes in balance, many of which develop an odd sensation in the inner ear which they may never have grown out of since being a puppy.

Upset Stomach

It’s not uncommon for many of the Mastiff family to experience gastric issues such as bloat. This may also induce nausea & diarrhoea. Although this should eventually pass, your Mastiff is likely to drool throughout. This is likely due to the stress caused.

Upper respiratory infection

Excessive drooling may occur when your dog has an upper respiratory infection, either in the throat, nose or sinuses. Key symptoms may be wheezing, coughing and a discharge from the eyes. If this occurs, please arrange a visit to your vet.

Mouth of Dental Issues that cause drooling

Dental issues associated with drooling are likely a build-up of tartar, cavities or excess food build up in the gums which may be a trigger for continuous drooling. However, in rarer cases your English Mastiff may drool excessively if it has a problem with its mouth such as a throat blockage. 

If this is the case, you should check to see if you can identify any blockage. If nothing can be seen but excessive drooling persists. It may be time to consider calling a vet to check for something more serious, such as tumour growths.

How Do I Stop My Mastiff From Drooling?

Although there is no way to stop your Mastiff from drooling entirely, you can learn to identify the key triggers when they occur and how to manage them.

Pay Attention to its health

Loving and responsible owners should keep a watchful eye on the general health of their Mastiff. Everyday issues such as infections, injuries and overheating are of course a no brainer. 

However, owners should also pay attention to the emotional health of the animal. Don’t let the size of the giant fool you, this is a sensitive breed. It does not respond well to negative reinforcement, aggression or abuse which will all cause anxiety.

Keep your home cool

As mentioned, the dog is prone to overheating. We recommend ensuring your companion can come inside whenever it wants, and always have access to cool water, shade and preferably aircon or a fan in summer time. Owners should pay particular attention to overheating as this breed commonly has issues with heat stroke.

Limit vigorous exercise

You may notice that your English Mastiff tends to drool and slobber more when it’s fatigued. Fatigue will likely occur after exercise and some drooling after exercise is perfectly normal, especially as it recovers its breath and brings its heart rate down. 

That said this breed does not require rigorous amounts of exercise, its large structure means that its muscles are very oxygen thirsty. This then results in heavy panting. Being prudent with its exercise limits can help reduce excessive drooling.

Feed Alfresco

Feeding time certainly gets the juices flowing. By relocating dinner time to outside (providing its hygienic), you can limit the amount of mess made in-doors. Additionally, you should leave a water bowl outside. 

A note on hygiene. You may find it strange and intriguing, but the English Mastiff can be a stickler for hygiene, which when you consider their slobbery demeanour is quite ironic. It’s not uncommon for a Mastiff to be put off by a water bowl full of its own slobber. This means you need to stay on top of emptying and refilling its water bowl whenever you notice stringy bits of saliva hanging about.

Drool bibs & bandanas

Investing in high quality drooling bibs and bandanas that aren’t made from synthetic material are a wise option for this breed. These bits of cloth can be life savers when it comes to catching loose bits of dribble. Let’s face it, they also look cool and give bags of personality.

Washable floor mats

Washable floor mats are a good idea to put around the common areas such as food bowls and beds. These mats can help limit the amount of times you have to mop and clean the floor, they’re also interchangeable and quick to clean.

Washable Bed

It’s best to invest in a couple of different types of bed for your Mastiff. One super large, comfortable bed that helps support their heavy frames and joints. And one that’s elevated off the ground, these are great for allowing air-flow which helps cool the dog down. I’ve found that the elevated beds are easily washable, however the same can’t always be said for your everyday cushioned beds, so ensure you invest in a machine washable bed to help keep on top of that slobber.

Face Wipes

There are many pet friendly napkins on the market these days that are great at cleaning the excess drool and leftover food from your Mastiff’s chops. Alternatively, you may wish to choose a basic cloth that you can cycle and wash.

How to deal with hypersalivation

In some rare cases, your Mastiff may suffer from hypersalivation, where excessive amounts of drool are formed throughout the entire day. If this is the case, we recommend booking a visit with your vet to help diagnose the problem. 

One option that a vet may recommend is Cheiloplasty. This is a surgical procedure which is used to treat a type of skinfold dermatitis called lip fold intertrigo which can predispose them to bacterial infections. The surgery is a lip reduction that creates a pathway to keep saliva in the mouth.