Kyi-Leo vs American Mastiff - Breed Comparison | MyDogBreeds

The Kyi-Leo first came about in the 1950s in San Francisco, USA, with the crossing of two dog breeds – the Lhasa Apso and the Maltese.

Because this is a mixed-breed dog, it isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club, but it is recognized by some of the other dog associations such as the American Rare Breed Association or ARBA as it is known. Today the dog is looked upon as a designer breed.

The history of the American Mastiff is entirely tied to the old European Mastiffs but in particular the English Mastiff. The developers of the American Mastiff crossed the English Mastiff with the Anatolian Mastiff at the Ohio kennel, Flying W Farms. The founder of this breed is Fredricka Wagner. Because of this the English Mastiff and the American Mastiff look very much alike. The difference between the two is that the American Mastiff was bred to have less health concerns than the English Mastiff and without the drooling. In 2000 the CKC acknowledged that the American Mastiff and the English Mastiff were separate breeds.

The Kyi-Leo is a small dog standing at 20 – 30cm in height and weighing in the region of 4 – 6kg.

He has a long, silky coat which is essentially black and white or grey/silver and white or even gold and white. He has frail legs which can become injured or broken in vigorous rough and tumble games.

Temperament:

You can certainly describe the Kyi-Leo as a sweet, quiet, non-aggessive playful dog, and for anyone who wants a splendid pet and companion, this dog makes a great family pet and he won’t cost you an arm and a leg to feed either.

He also has an acute sense of hearing and this turns him into an excellent ‘alarm’ watch-dog. It is also a dog, that while he will love to join you on a walk, he isn’t a dog that is going to demand a lot of exercise.

He responds well to his human family, is easy-going and gentle, tending to be cautious around strangers. You can trust him to be an awesome playmate for children. In this instance, it’s the children who should be warned when playing with a dog like this as, because of his fragile build, he could easily be injured by children who haven’t been taught to respect animals.

Even though he is such an amicable pet, it will still be of benefit to you and him to have him trained and socialized. Then he responds well to basic commands such as sit, stay and lie-down.

Dogs who spend time with their family, pick up on the ‘culture’ of the family and they learn how to behave. Dogs who are left on their own and never socialized can become nervous and aggressive towards people as they never got to learn how to behave – they weren’t socialized.

This crossing of the English Mastiff and the Anatolian Mastiff resulted in a Mastiff with a much drier, less drooling mouth than the other Mastiffs. This is a giant, massive dog – powerful and muscular. With a wide head that is rectangular rather than square. Their eyes are dark amber, and their ears are high on their head and rounded. With a medium size muzzle, black mask and heavy head, the American Mastiff is a handsome dog.

Their chest is broad, deep with ribs that extended backward. He has strong legs that are parallel and wide set. He also has a long tail. Puppies of the American Mastiff are born almost black and as they grow their coat color lightens. In addition, it is important that they have a wrinkled forehead as well and a scissors bite is preferred.

The Kyi-Leo is everything you want in a family companion – active, playful, loving, gentle, happy and balanced.

He loves his human family but tends to be a little bit wary around strangers, gradually warming to them.

He may be small, but he is robust and alert, and he is also capable of making you a good watchdog.

The Kyi-Leo is an all-round great little pet to have.

A love of children and devotion to his pack (family) is bred into the American Mastiff. He is non-aggressive unless you threaten his family or his children. Then he becomes courageous, protective and defensive. This is a gentle giant most of the time, however due to size and the need for strong leadership, the American Mastiff should be socialized and trained early. If they are socialized and trained they will be calm, gentle dogs. They will remain protective and alert, but they will be friendly with strangers. They love to please their people and being highly intelligent they learn fast.

Your Kyi-Leo is such a feisty, robust little dog who is not likely to cost you much in terms of health care. With his frail legs, it is a good thing to know that you need to be careful with him in terms of back-and joint problems.

There are actually knee joint issues which are fairly common in small dogs, one of which is patellar luxation.

Patellar Luxation:

This is where the kneecap pops out of the thighbone, causing the dog to skip or hop. Some joint issues are genetic and may require surgery. Make sure to keep your pet’s weight under control to remove additional stress on the joints.

Pancreatitis:

This is another dog illness you want to be careful with. Acute pancreatitis -inflammation - is when the condition comes on suddenly while chronic pancreatitis is when pancreatitis occurs over a period of time.

With acute pancreatitis in dogs you’ll see symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, tremors and reluctance to eat. Pancreatitis can be brought on by too much fat, especially rancid fat, some anti-biotics, a low protein diet or a sickness such as diabetes.

If you suspect pancreatitis in your dog, get him as quickly as possible to the vet.

American Mastiffs seem to have fewer health issues than other larger giant breed dogs. However, they can experience allergies as many large, wrinkled dogs do. They also might have a tendency toward eye issues, hip dysplasia, cancer and heart disease. Bloat might be the most life-threatening issue many American Mastiffs experience.

Exercise and Interaction:

The Kyi-Leo doesn’t require vigorous exercising. One walk a day will keep them happy. There are pet owners who believe dogs can be permanently outside dogs where they can do their own exercise.

Everybody who knows dogs, knows they are social creatures who will simply lie at your backdoor just waiting for some response from their beloved human family. Every dog, regardless of breed or size, needs exercise and interaction with their humans every day.

Dogs left alone in the yard day after day are loney, frustrated and bored, and when they start digging or barking, irresponsible owners will ill treat them. These kind of people should never own a dog.

Diet:

The Kyi-Leo has a sensitive stomach so he’ll need good quality food to avoid digestive problems. Ideally home-cooked food such as softly boiled chicken, brown rice and raw or cooked vegetables added into top quality kibble is the preferred diet.

Fresh, cool water needs to be constantly available.

Grooming:

Brush the long, silky coat at least twice a week to ensure it remains free of knotting. Brushing keeps the coat shiny too.

As a long eared dog, ears should be checked and cleaned regularly too. Air doesn’t reach the inside of their ears and the warm dampness in the ears are a breeding place for infection.

Nails should also be trimmed when they become long because left uncut they can hook onto things causing injury ad pain.

Small dogs are more prone to tartar formation and loss of teeth. You’ll notice that something isn’t right because your lively little dog will be lethargic, he may not want to eat his food and his face may be swollen. When you suspect dental problems, get him to the vet.

Giant breeds like the American Mastiff are known for growing rapidly as a puppy and therefore proper feeding and nutrition is essential. The slower your American Mastiff grows, the better. Make sure your puppies get enough phosphorous and calcium in their high calorie diet. Free feeding is not recommended. Feed puppies up to 4 small meals per day and feed adults twice a day.

Health issues

As previously mentioned this breed is a fairly healthy one, There, are however, certain evaluations you should do with your American Mastiff puppy to be sure she is in good health. These tests would include an elbow and hip evaluation to check for dysplasia. He should have an ophthalmologist and cardiologist examine him as well. Most American Mastiffs will not have any problems, but these evaluations will help to prepare you if they do. The wrinkles in your dogs; face, around the eyes and muzzle must be kept clean as they can become infected if you don’t.

Exercise and games

Unlike the way he looks, the American Mastiff is not a couch potato, but neither are they a high energy, exercise machine. They do well living in apartments or homes, with or without a fenced in yard. They need a long walk every day. They need mental stimulation through exercise and games. Make sure they learn to love to play so that they don’t become lazy as they age.