How to Measure a Mastiff

Mastiff dogs include Bull, English, French and Tibetan breeds and have been used throughout history as military, guard, fighting and working dogs. They are characterized by their gentle nature and fierce loyalty and remain a popular dog breed. Measuring the correct size of your mastiff for dog clothes or muzzles is important to keep your dog happy and comfortable. To determine the size of your mastiff you must measure the dog's neck, back, chest and muzzle.

Things You'll Need

  • Measuring tape
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Instructions

    • 1

      Begin by having your dog stand squarely with its head up to measure. Make sure your dog is looking straight ahead and measure from the base of the neck to the base of the tail with a measuring tape. This is your dog's back size.

    • 2

      Determine the size of your mastiff's neck by measuring all the way around the area where your dog's collar naturally rests. This is from about the top of the chest to just behind the dog's withers, or top neck base area, between the head and the back.

    • 3

      Measure your mastiff's chest, or girth, which is taken by measuring all the way around the biggest part of your mastiff's ribcage. This is generally done by measuring from just behind the withers "down and around just behind the front legs and back up the other side" according to information on measuring a dog's chest.

    • 4

      Measure your mastiff's muzzle size by measuring the distance between the tip of the nose and the eye line, the circumference around the snout one inch below eye line, the distance from the eye line to right behind the ears and the circumference of the neck behind the ears. Measure snout width and snout height. Snout height size should be taken with the mouth open a little so the muzzle will be comfortable.