Adding possibley another OEM

[Drakey]

OK, as you all know I am new here and I won my first Mastiff Homer.  I am not new to big dogs though.  Used to have Newfies but they always lived outside.  Homer is a inside boy!  I have said since day one....if he continued to be this good next spring we might get a female.  Well...I have had a lady contact me locally ( 2hrs away) who has two 5 month old girls left that have not sold.  She said she is reducing them only to good approved homes for $250 each.  They were $1000.00. I am like WOW!  Thats a great price and parents are nice and OFA certified ect ect.  Thing is...Homer is 4.5months old.  He is my dog.  Follows me everywhere and is sooooo laid back.  I can not ask for a better pup.  If I bring in another one now basically same age as him....do I lose our bond?  Will he start to follow her and not me so much and I can see him being more active due to play.  I figure its best to wait till spring when they can romp outside and he is older and our bond is more established.  But, I hate to pass up this quality of a OEM at this price!  Any suggestions? I don;t want to lose what Homer and I have and my mom and hubby both say it will change him and they will prefer each other more than me.

[FXgirl]

I don't want to burst your bubble but your nice little puppy will soon be a teenager which pretty much guarantees he will rebel.  The puppy stage is easy...just wait til the hormones kick in.  Teenage dogs are much like human teenagers.  They are trying to find themselves, they test limits, blah blah blah. 

I personally would re-examine a "quality" OEM at that cheap of a price.  Sounds too good to be true.

I think you still have puppy fever!!!

[Drakey]

First off let me correct my type-o!  I own not Won my Mastiff!  Ha ha.  Secondly, no I do not have puppy fever....thats why I feel I should wait till Homer is grown.  I raised all three of my Newfies together from puppies and it was easy....but they were also outside in my privacy fenced yard I had at that time.  I never went thru any teenage years with them....and Homer acts just like them.  I have raised dogs in the past and I also managed a shelter and worked for a vet so I am not new to dogs or teh "teenage" years at all.  I just wanted a opinion from someone who has raised two OEM together inside from pups.  As for the price.....we are in a rural area.  For example..My sister lives in Boston and Labs sell for $800-1000 there.  Here they sell for $150-300.  Most Mastiffs in my area sell for around $700-800 and they are quality.  Locally you can not sell for bigger prices cause no one here will pay that.  Unless you will ship a dog ( which I will not do) you wil lbe stuck with a entire litter at a big price.  My friend used to raise them and got out about a year ago...champion bloodlines on both parents sides and she got $500 out of them most of the time.  In my area right now nothing is selling at all.  You can get Tcup Yorkies and Poodles for around $300 right now here and usually they are $800-1000.  Small dogs here are popular ...big dogs are not.  And I worry at that price some idiot with no knowledge will get one and it will end up in a shelter.  I have seen it happen many times when I managed one. 

I can not see Homer rebeling....he might....but I doubt it.  He is a exceptional pup.  My male Newf was the same way and we never had any teenage years with him.  This is why I am hesitant to get another....I think it will make Homer tend to act more like a teenager.  Been thru those teenage years with my labs I use to raise....I don;t wanna go there again!  LOL

[yellow_dog_mom]

First off let me correct my type-o!  I own not Won my Mastiff!  Ha ha.  Secondly, no I do not have puppy fever....thats why I feel I should wait till Homer is grown.  I raised all three of my Newfies together from puppies and it was easy....but they were also outside in my privacy fenced yard I had at that time.  I never went thru any teenage years with them....and Homer acts just like them.  I have raised dogs in the past and I also managed a shelter and worked for a vet so I am not new to dogs or teh "teenage" years at all.  I just wanted a opinion from someone who has raised two OEM together inside from pups.  As for the price.....we are in a rural area.  For example..My sister lives in Boston and Labs sell for $800-1000 there.  Here they sell for $150-300.  Most Mastiffs in my area sell for around $700-800 and they are quality.  Locally you can not sell for bigger prices cause no one here will pay that.  Unless you will ship a dog ( which I will not do) you wil lbe stuck with a entire litter at a big price.  My friend used to raise them and got out about a year ago...champion bloodlines on both parents sides and she got $500 out of them most of the time.  In my area right now nothing is selling at all.  You can get Tcup Yorkies and Poodles for around $300 right now here and usually they are $800-1000.  Small dogs here are popular ...big dogs are not.  And I worry at that price some idiot with no knowledge will get one and it will end up in a shelter.  I have seen it happen many times when I managed one. 

I can not see Homer rebeling....he might....but I doubt it.  He is a exceptional pup.  My male Newf was the same way and we never had any teenage years with him.  This is why I am hesitant to get another....I think it will make Homer tend to act more like a teenager.  Been thru those teenage years with my labs I use to raise....I don;t wanna go there again!  LOL

In Idaho, as in all states, because of the economy, high quality dogs are being sold at incredibly affordable prices. Excellent Bred dogs are also being taken to the shelters. There are plenty of BPO members (I am one of those rescue queens) who work rescue and will attest to this fact. I would check out the puppies and not allow the price to deter you. You can always ask Ms Dog Breeder for references as to who purchased the rest of the litter.
If you truly want another puppy, can afford to take care of the puppy, have the time and energy, I would definitely investigate further.

I have chronic puppy fever...Chanti lly struggles daily to get out of my arms, and wonders endlessly, "WHY is MOM always smelling my breath."   

[Binky]

I would definitely check them out if you feel that you can handle two pups at once. I can certainly deny having puppy fever at the moment as Sophie is going through her terrible teens, but if you are planning to add another anyway, getting a great deal on a high quality pup sounds like a good idea.  I am not sure about losing your bond- we added Sophie to a pack of three dogs, a cat and a six month old baby and I think she bonded with us just fine! Of course, everyone in our families thought we were crazy (and I might agree at times ) but it worked out- it just depends on how well you can deal with a hectic household.

[Drakey]

After much debate and making a tough decision I am going to wait.  Homer and I have a GREAT relationship and right now we are in his important socialization time so I think it would be best to wait till spring and let him develop more with the family.  I hated to pass her up....she was a nice looking Mastiff and parents were nice too!  But I would rather wait and pay more than rush into anything.  Plus, winters comming and they would get cabin fever and I am sure be hetic in the house!

Thanks everyone for your thoughts!

PS...Homer had a vet visit today and checked out perfect!  My vet said he was a good looking Mastiff and even asked where I got him! 

[bseacheney]

I have a 5 month old Mastiff, a 13 year old Boxer and a 1.5 year old Rottie. My mastiff is my baby. Her plays with the other dogs, but still follows me around and cuddles with me. We have a great bond and he is wonderful. He can get very playful with my Rottie, but still a very calm dog overall. He think Homer would love a friend. I would jump on a Mastiff for 250!