Mastiff Drool Control
Helpful Tips To Deal With Their Drips

by Ken Alden


Mastiff drool control…is this even a possibility?

You knew what you were getting into when you brought home a Mastiff puppy, but you didn’t realize just how much they slobber on a daily basis. Sometimes it seems like an endless stream of drool with no signs of stopping. You’re at a loss for what to do.

Mastiff Drool Control Tips...

  • Understand what triggers it
  • Keep them out of the heat.
  • Spread out their meal times. 
  • Use a dog drool towel
  • Strap a dog drool bib around your Mastiff’s neck. 
  • If the drooling is particularly serious, take them to the vet.

You might be used to drooling by now, but it’s hard to understand how a dog could simply drool that much! There’s got to be a logical explanation for the excessive drooling in Mastiffs. Read More Below...

Pro-tip: Ever try lifting a Mastiff? Their weight can hurt not only your back but their joints when they hop down from cars, sofas or even your bed. To protect your back and theirs check out the best Mastiff ramps on Amazon.com now.

mastiff drool control


Why Do Mastiffs Drool So Much?

All dogs are capable of drooling, but nothing seems to compare to the drooling habits of your Mastiff. Interestingly enough, this is a pretty common habit among large frame dogs, including Mastiffs, mountain dogs, and large hounds.

There are plenty of reasons your Mastiff may be drooling, both psychological and physiological in nature. It’s most likely as a result of the anatomy of your Mastiff’s mouth and lips as well as the physical size of your Mastiff. There’s also a possibility that your Mastiff is simply preparing to eat.

Anatomy & Size Considerations

All dogs produce saliva, but the amount of saliva each breed produces is usually consistent with the physical size of the dog.

With that said, Mastiffs are capable of weighing up to 200 pounds. With a larger physical size, there’s larger everything, including amounts of drool.

When you think about dogs that slobber a lot, you probably think about larger dogs. But, it’s not necessarily about the physical size of their bodies. There’s one other thing they seem to have in common.

The anatomy of their mouths and lips.

Unlike smaller dog breeds, the lips of breeds like Mastiffs tend to droop and sag much more. With looser lips, they’re unable to hold in the saliva they’re naturally producing throughout the day.

That’s exactly why your Mastiff doesn’t seem to notice when he’s drooling all over the house. He simply can’t control it himself. 

Desire to Eat

There’s also a strong possibility that your Mastiff is drooling when he’s hungry or has a larger appetite. In particular, you might notice that he drools much more as you’re preparing his dinner.

That’s because salivation is a natural response to hunger and appetite, especially in dogs. 

It helps to think a bit about Pavlov’s dog. In this experiment, Pavlov rang a bell immediately before feeding his dog. The dog salivated as a result of the food he was about to eat.

Eventually, the dog began salivating whenever he heard the bell. This proves that your dog might actually be producing more drool because he’s hungry and ready to eat!

When it comes to Mastiff drool control there’s not much you can do to prevent this natural bodily response to hunger.

Physical Environment

Mastiffs are so large that it’s really easy for them to overheat in the hot summer sun. When they overheat, they begin to pant much more and eventually drool in large quantities.

Drooling is a natural response when your dog is exposed to high temperatures, but you should keep an eye on him if he seems to be slobbering more than usual while he’s spending some quality time outside.

When dogs are overheating and drooling in excess, they’re much more likely to experience heat-related conditions. Left untreated, these conditions can be detrimental to your Mastiff’s health.


Pro-tip: Mastiff anxiety, aggression, destructive chewing, jumping up, fearfulness, and other behaviors can be controlled with the right training program.

Here’s a great course that addresses these issues along with many other dog training basics: Check it out now!

When Do Mastiffs Start Drooling?

As your Mastiff starts to get older and bigger, you might notice that he’s drooling much more than he ever has before. That’s completely normal and to be expected with such a large breed dog, so you should be prepared for when it finally happens.

If your Mastiff hasn’t started drooling yet, you might think you’re in the clear and that your Mastiff will never develop this gross habit! Unfortunately, it’s only a matter of time before your Mastiff starts drooling. That’s especially the case when he experiences certain triggers throughout the day. 

Adulthood

If you’re lucky, your Mastiff won’t start drooling until he reaches adulthood. So, you might be able to avoid this for the first 18 to 24 months of his life. 

Then again, his physical size will determine how soon the drooling starts.

As a puppy, he might drool here and there, mostly when he’s hungry or after he’s just had some water. Eventually, you’ll begin to notice that it becomes much more consistent and he drools even without the usual triggers.

The drooling will begin as he grows into his adult body. As his lips and mouth begin to droop, more saliva will be released and the endless cycle of drooling will officially begin.

There’s no telling how much your Mastiff will eventually drool, but the best thing you can do is to be prepared for it when it finally happens!

Certain Triggers

There’s a small possibility that your Mastiff won’t develop a drooling habit at all unless he’s exposed to certain triggers. 

But, when he experiences his triggers, there’s no stopping the drool!

As we mentioned above, many Mastiffs begin drooling because they’re hungry or just drank some water. If that’s the case, you might notice that your Mastiff drools a lot more around dinnertime or when he comes in from his walk.

Dogs also produce more saliva after physical activity and in hotter weather. So, when the seasons start to change and your Mastiff starts spending more time outdoors, he might start drooling more than ever!

If you’re serious about Mastiff drool control, you can attempt to limit his exposure to these triggers.

How Much Do Mastiffs Drool?

The actual amount that your Mastiff will drool depends on several factors actually. It’s almost guaranteed that he’ll drool on a daily basis, but just how much will vary based on his physical size and the triggers he experiences over the course of the day.

It all depends on what you consider to be “a lot” of drool. If you’ve ever had large breed dogs in the past that have been prone to drooling, the drooling habits of Mastiffs might not actually be all that bad.

Quite a Bit!

Compared to smaller breeds, Mastiffs actually drool quite a bit. As we previously discussed, they’re more likely to drool as a result of their physical size and the anatomy of their mouths and lips.

However, it really depends on what you and your Mastiff do.

If your Mastiff is constantly running around outdoors or spending long hours in the summer heat, he’s going to be drooling much more than he would if he were indoors in the winter.

It can also depend on how much you feed him and how often he drinks water throughout the day. If he does each of these things less consistently throughout the day, it won’t seem like he’s drooling all that much.

For the most part, Mastiffs don’t slobber for no reason. As long as you limit their exposure to their drooling triggers, the drooling shouldn’t seem so bad after a while.

It Can Depend

Though Mastiffs do drool a large amount, it eventually comes down to how big your Mastiff is and his drooling habits.

Not all Mastiffs are the same. Some have looser lips. Some drool an insane amount of drinking water. Some barely drool at all.

You can’t control just how much your Mastiff will drool. There’s no way to figure that out until he starts growing and you see firsthand. 

If you’re not ready for a dog that drools a lot, you probably should be looking at other breeds!

Do All Mastiffs Drool And Slobber?

Whether you own a Cane Corso, Tibetan Mastiff, English or Bullmastiff they all unfortunately do. It has to do mostly with the large overhanging jowls that are inherent in the breed.

Though some drool and slobber less (think Tibetan Mastiff) and some do so more (think English Mastiff) were sorry to say expect it to some degree universally.

How To Stop Mastiff Drooling…Can It Be Done?

You can’t physically stop your dog from drooling because it’s a normal response to their actions and environment. However, there are a few things that you can do in order to limit the effect that it has on your home and your daily life.

The first thing you need to think about is why your Mastiff is drooling so much and if there’s anything you can do to limit his drooling habits. After you’ve figured that out, you can treat the drooling as it occurs.

Keeping Him Out of the Heat

When any dog spends time outside, their body responds by panting more than usual. Panting helps a dog cool down and allows them to eventually return to their normal body temperature.

If your dog drools a lot more when he’s outside, it might be because he’s overheating and is desperately trying to cool his body down.

By keeping him out of the heat and spending more time inside when the weather gets hot and humid, you could effectively reduce the amount of drooling and help protect him from heat-related illnesses.

You should try to limit how much time he spends running around outside and give him breaks when he seems to get tired and hot.

That’ll help to protect your Mastiff from overheating and from drooling all over the house.

Spreading Out His Meal Times

It’s natural for dogs to salivate more when they’re hungry or think they’re about to eat. If your dog always seems to be eating, it’s likely that it’ll seem like he’s drooling constantly throughout the day.

To help limit the amount of drooling as a result of being hungry, you should practice meal feedings rather than free-feedings. By doing this, you can schedule your Mastiff’s meals throughout the day and prevent him from having practically unlimited access to food during the day.

This will also allow you to prepare for possible drool cleanup. When you know he’s going to eat, you can be on stand by with a towel or rag to clean up any messes he seems to make.

When it comes to Mastiff drool control this strategy won’t entirely prevent the drooling, but it can help you tackle it as it occurs.

Pro-tip: Mastiff's (and their owners) love dog crates…and for good reasons. Crates keep dogs from mischief while you're away, are perfect for house training, for traveling by car, and provide the dog a place to de-stress. Check out the best Mastiff crates on Amazon.com now.

My Mastiff Drooling More Than Usual…Why?

As we already discussed, there are many reasons your Mastiff might be drooling more than usual. Here are some of the most common reasons that Mastiffs drool more than normal.

  • Hot and humid weather (overheating)
  • Fatigue after playing
  • Hunger and appetite
  • Drinking water

If your Mastiff is drooling when he participates in these activities, it should be completely normal and there isn’t much for you to worry about. If other symptoms begin to develop, you might want to consider bringing him to the vet to get checked out. 

However, there are some circumstances that warrant some concern. You should always be looking out for these if you notice your Mastiff is drooling more often or in larger amounts. Here’s a brief list of conditions and events that may cause excess drooling in a Mastiff.

  • Anxiety
  • Pain
  • Mouth infections
  • Heatstroke
  • Motion sickness

If you believe that your Mastiff is drooling in excess as a result of any of the above, you should immediately consult your veterinarian. These conditions can be serious and can severely impact the health of your beloved dog!

Mastiff Drool Control Cleanup Tips

Though it’s impossible to entirely prevent your Mastiff from drooling, there are some ways you cleanup your Mastiff’s drool when it gets too much. Cleaning up drool is a bit gross, but it’s much less disgusting than accidentally stepping in a pile of drool on the carpet.

The most common ways to clean Mastiff drool are by using dog drool bibs or dog drool towels. These are cost-effective methods of cleaning up your Mastiff’s drool and will eventually become part of your daily routine as a Mastiff owner.

Mastiff Drool Bibs

Dog drool bibs are exactly what they sound like.

When you use a dog drool bib, you simply tie it around your Mastiff’s neck in order to catch any drool as it comes out. This can help prevent the drool from accumulating on your nice floors or on your furniture!

The best part about these bibs is that you don’t have to keep them on your Mastiff at all times. If he doesn’t drool much normally, you can put it on him when he’s doing the activities that make him drool the most.

That might mean putting it on right before you serve him a meal.

In reality, there’s no need for you to use a dog drool bib while he’s outdoors. It’s completely normal for dogs to drool outside and there’s no real need for you to clean it up. 

You can also use a bandana instead, which you can keep on your Mastiff all day. You’ll catch his drool and he’ll look dapper at the same time!

Mastiff Drool Towels

When it comes to Mastiff drool control if your dog won’t let you put a bib around his neck at dinnertime, there is another approach you might want to consider. You can invest in a dog drool towel.

These towels do exactly what you think. When your dog drools, you can use these towels to clean up his mess without ruining any of your good towels. These towels are also usually super absorbent, so you won’t have to touch your dog’s drool with your hands!

Your dog will appreciate not having to wear something strange around his neck and you won’t have to worry about accidentally stepping in a puddle of drool on your way to the kitchen.

It’s truly a win-win situation.

Rugs & Mats

Rugs and mats can be a great addition to your home and people won’t even notice that they’re there to pick up dog drool!

Think about where your dog drools the most.

Most likely, he’s drooling before he eats and after he drinks water. Instead of putting a bib on him or actively cleaning up after every meal, you can just use an absorbent rug or mat to collect the drool in the locations it happens most.

Every few days or weeks (depending on how much he drools), you can wash the mat or rug and replace it as soon as it’s clean.

There are plenty of rugs and mats that are for sale by pet store chains that you can put around his food and water bowls.

Mastiff Drool Control...Final Thoughts

There’s no doubt about it. Your Mastiff will drool, and likely a lot. Though there’s no telling just how much your Mastiff will drool over the course of his life, there are plenty of steps you can take to reduce how much he’s drooling and how you’re cleaning up after him. Take a look at these top three tips to controlling your Mastiff’s drool.

  • Understand that your Mastiff will drool and that there’s no way you can completely stop the amount of drool coming out of your Mastiff!
  • Try to limit his exposure to his drooling triggers (schedule his meal times, keep him out of the heat, etc.)
  • Figure out a Mastiff drool control cleanup method that works best for you (dog drool bib, dog drool towel, or rugs and mats).

Return to the top of this Mastiff Drool Control page

About Author


About the Author...

Ken Alden, a dedicated Mastiff owner for over eight years, is acclaimed for his expertise in care, grooming, and training. Read more About Me and my dog Shadow.

More Articles About Caring For Your Mastiff...


  1. Mastiff Guide Home
  2. Mastiff Care Info & Guides
  3. Mastiff Drool Control