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Breeding--health and temperment
We believe that in order to be bred a mastiff must meet the breed standard, have a good temperment and be healthy. None of
these requirements outweighs the other. When we breed we are creating a life that we are responsible for and that will become
part of someone's family. We must do our best to ensure our mastiffs will be off to the best possible start. To that end we
do complete health testing. It is not good enough to say Oh that doesn't run in my lines. Until someone invents xray glasses
you do not know what you have until you do the health testing. And you cannot tell how a two dogs being bred will compliment
each other unless you have their health testing.
We do the following health testing:
OFA or PenHip hips and elbows, OFA cardiac and patellar,Thyroid, VWD, Cystenuria, CERF and PRA DNA.
In our opinion there is never an excuse to breed to an ill-tempered dog. There is nothing an ill-tempered dog offers to
a breeding that cannot be found elsewhere. In my experience bad temper comes from bad temper and with a giant breed that is
not a good place to begin.
Buying a mastiff
When your thinking of purchasing a mastiff please be sure this is the right breed for you. This is a giant breed. They take
up a significant amount of room, they drool and they shed. This is no the dog for everyone. If you live in a completely white
house or are looking for a companion to run 10 miles a day with you this is not the breed for you.
If it is the breed for you, check out breeders carefully. Meet people at dog shows. Try to attend some of the larger shows--such
as Bucks in Pennsylvania in May. There you can see and meet a lot of dogs and see what you like. You can also get a feel for
the breeders. You should feel that this breeder is someone you can go back to at anytime during your dog's lifetime for advice.
You should feel that selling you a puppy is almost like the breeder cutting off their arm--they will want that much information
from you.
You may find that going thru the puppy stage is just something you have the time or energy for. Remember that many dogs
come into rescue looking for the right homes. You may even choose this route because you feel it is the right thing to do
and we applaud you! We are very active in rescue in our area and can say in all honesty many mastiffs come into rescue thru
no fault of their own. They were purchased by people who simply did not research the breed. Please contact us if you are interested
in adopting a dog thru rescue or check out the rescue sites at Friends of Rescue Mastiffs (FORM) and the Mastiff Club of America
(MCOA)
FORM
MCOA Rescue links
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Responsible dog ownership
In this age of breed specific legislation it is urgent that we all act responsibly with our dogs. Mastiffs are a giant breed
and you must be committed to training and socializing them properly. It is one thing to have nippy or shy toy dog and quite
another to have that in a 200lb dog!
Mastiffs need positive training. They want nothing more than to please you and I have found them relatively easy to train.
We recommend group classes always so that you are socializing at the same time. But they are a lot of dog and are not necessarily
for the first time dog owner unless you are committed and serious about your responsibility to the dog and to the people around
you.
Please read the Mastiff FAQs on the MCOA website.
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