Author Topic: American Mastiffs  (Read 25254 times)

Offline mastiffmommy

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Re: American Mastiffs
« Reply #30 on: June 30, 2005, 12:19:09 am »
I have to admit that I am terribly ignorant when it comes to American mastiffs, I didn't even know that they existed, but I thought that in order to be considered a new breed doesn't the animal have to breed true to type? I mean Strider is a wonderful dog and I love him to death but he is a mutt. Half Irish wolfhound and half great dane. Do you mean to say that I could call him a Dane Hound, breed him and call the puppies purebred because I bred him on purpose? I am not looking to tick off anyone, I am just asking. I thnk no matter if your dog is papered or not, if he/she makes you happy then he/she is perfect.
Stella

Stella, you have a very good point. And noooooo when a "new" breed is introduced, it is either coming from another country where it is and has been a breed for quite some time. Or for years and years certain breeders are breeding on the same two maybe three breeds to "make" something that doesnt already excist in an already registered breed. Actually a lot of our today so called pure breed dogs have a "mixed passed" but if you want to breed for a new breed, there has to be very controlled forms, there has to be a strict breed standard and enough dogs that can live up to that standard and even produce litters that live up to it.

But today it seems like if you mix say a poodle with almost anything, you can give it a name, and make people believe that it is a breed. Not saying those dogs are less in any way, but they are for sure not pure breed dogs.

Marit
what the lion is to a cat, the mastiff is to a dog

GR8DAME

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Re: American Mastiffs
« Reply #31 on: June 30, 2005, 09:08:04 am »
On a tangent, sort of off the "designer dog" topic....Did you know that there are very few acknowledged (AKC) breeds that were developed in America? I can only think of four...The American Stafford Bull Terrier (Am Staff) the Cheasapeke Bay Retriever, the American Foxhound and the Pit Bull, and I'm not sure about the pit. Pit parents, help me out here, is it an AKC registered breed? Does anyone know of any more?
By the way, AKC papers mean very little today, outside of the showring. In order to get a litter registered, all you need is the registration numbers of two registered dogs as Dam and Sire. It's up to the breeder to be honest enough to actually use those dogs for the litter. I have AKC papers on all of my dobermans, and no one even checks if they are alive or dead, their numbers are still current as far as the AKC knows. I could breed two gerbils, put the right registration numbers on the paperwork and call them AKC dobermans. There was a local story on a pet store near me selling AKC puppies that had falsified registration papers and were mixed breeds that they were getting $500 to $1000 for.Some of the "AKC registered" dogs that I've seen are a joke. Nothing near the AKC standard, and NO ONE CHECKS.It is truely a buyer beware situation. I guess the moral of the story is to go to a reputible breeder that you have thoroughly checked out if you want what you pay for. (By the way I am expecting a new AKC doberman litter in a couple of weeks, really small, perfect for apartment living, cutest buck teeth...JUST KIDDING!!!!!LOL)
Stella

Offline GrumpyBunny

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Re: American Mastiffs
« Reply #32 on: June 30, 2005, 09:26:12 am »
Hi Stella,

How 'bout the Boston Terrier?   ;D

Marsi
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GR8DAME

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Re: American Mastiffs
« Reply #33 on: June 30, 2005, 09:38:02 am »
Marsi,
Per the maligned AKC, yep Bostons are American born and bred.
Thanks! Stella

Offline DCMastiffs

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Re: American Mastiffs
« Reply #34 on: June 30, 2005, 04:13:18 pm »
Yep, it's a crapshoot.  Unfortunately, there are MANY unscrupulous breeders out there, just trying to make a buck.  So it falls on the buyer to do his/her homework and find a good one.  Unfortunately, so many people aren't sure of what they should even be checking for, and listen to the breeder, who of course says his puppies are great quality, and healthy.  I was just talking to a guy that has a Mastiff puppy who has hip dysplasia at 9-10 months old.  His breeder told him it was "an excellent quality pup out of champion lines, with good conformation and sound hips and elbows", hich had been "checked".  No OFA/OFEL testing, of course.  This guy believed a shady breeder, paid his money and got an unhealthy puppy. 
  It's always a possibility to have problems from litters where the parents HAVE been tested, and the breeders are actually trying to better their breed.  Anything can happen.  But those problems are drastically reduced when the extra money, time and effort is spent to weed out all but the healthiest of breeding stock. 
  Again, back to the basis of this thread.  I'm sure lots of people have gotten nice pets of the kennel in question.  When you have hundreds and hundreds of puppies, you're bound to have lots of customers.  Many will be happy.  Many will not.  Many will be healthy (just like any mutt, or people, for that matter.  The majority of us turn out ok, no matter where we came from). 
  My personal opinion, any "kennel" who always has puppies available is a huge red flag.  Any kennel who doesn't test its stock for known genetic problems, and just says "Our dogs are healthy, never had a problem yet", is a huge red flag.  Any kennel who breeds mutts and will tell any average Joe who emails that these dogs are registerable (ANY dog can be registered with some of these knock off registries.  Means nothing) is a huge red flag.  Unfortunately, people see what they want to see, and are often blind to logic when it comes to their pets.  The original poster stated she's been to many message boards where people have slammed Flying W.  Think of it this way...if you have 30 well educated (on their breed) people who all have the SAME opinion about someone/thing, and several newbies who have bought a puppy from this place and had it turn out ok (and nothing from all the ones who've bought one that has turned out horrible) who would you listen to? 
  I had a springer spaniel/lab  mix once that was the smartest thing I'd ever seen.  Amazing dog!  Did I go around saying it had no rage syndrome, which springers are succeptible to, and wasn't hyper like labs can be, so therefore it was a better breed?  No, I neutered him and enjoyed my awesome little mutt.

GR8DAME

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Re: American Mastiffs
« Reply #35 on: June 30, 2005, 07:04:20 pm »
GR8DAME is a poke at a breeder of great danes that I visited when I was looking to get my first dane. He had several breeds availible, but according to him his favorite was his grape dames. Needless to say I went elsewhere.
Stella

Offline mastiffmommy

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Re: American Mastiffs
« Reply #36 on: July 01, 2005, 01:24:38 am »
GR8DAME is a poke at a breeder of great danes that I visited when I was looking to get my first dane. He had several breeds availible, but according to him his favorite was his grape dames. Needless to say I went elsewhere.
Stella

hahahahaha, why but why stella did you net get a grape dame lol....... I am sure they are very unusual, you would have been the only one on bpo with one  ;D

Marit
what the lion is to a cat, the mastiff is to a dog

Offline Kermit

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Re: American Mastiffs
« Reply #37 on: July 01, 2005, 03:42:46 am »
That reminds me of all the "rockweiler" owners in the south!