Any website recommendations that sell English mastiff?

[dvdman]

Any website recommendations that sell English mastiff? I live in Chicago and did some searching and found a few places (classifieds). Just wondering if there was a good websites that may strictly sells EM. Thanks...

 

[Arkitek]

I just googled mastiffs breeders and then used forums to see which ones were good. But in the end I used a local breeder and It turned out great!

 

[Bentley]

I would recommend googling any breed shows, going along and talking to people there, I did this to get my st bernard pup and people were very helpful and wanted to welcome us into the community. I also ended up getting my pup from a very reputable breeder.

 

[dvdman]

Thats exactly what I did with google. Found a bunch but thought maybe there was a more reputable site out there. I am nervous about getting an EM from some of these guys becauses ome on the cheaper end dont have papers and If I want them its like an extra $500. Plus Im just nervous of getting one an it had medical problems at an early age. A friend told me to look at the parents. Try and find a breeder that has had hip checked and proof of it. Me and the wife are battling it out to get a EM. She is sending me articles that EM are not smart. most only live till 6 or 7 and medical problem all their life. I might agree on the medical problems but i dont belive most EM only live till 6 or 7. I am countering by sending her all the good things and how her articles are bias.

 

[Cody]

I agree with Bentley, go to some local shows and talk to the people showing EM's.
I am sure you will be well received and get a lot of good helpful advise.
To get a pup from a reputable breeder, you may have to be prepared to wait a bit.
You do want to be sure the parents have had official tests done on hips, elbows, cardiac and thyroid are a plus as well.
And lastly, large/giant breed dogs do not have a long life span

 

[Marrowshard]

I don't want to be the devil's advocate here, but doesn't a short lifespan work in HER favor if she doesn't really want an EM?
I'm not sure where she's getting her "EMs aren't smart" thing. If she's refering to the intelligence tests I think she is, itworks on things like command obedience per time spent teaching it (IIRC, correct me if i'm wrong) which is pretty skewed. Sure, a Border Collie might answer "Come!" right away and after only 5 repetitions, but if there's a car coming i'd rather have the mastiff that thinks about it before leaping into the road. My friends have a Black Lab and although Labs score higher on "intelligence", that dog would hold the door open for a robber trying to get into the house while my Ebony would raise a ruckus and most likely back him down on sheer intimidation.
I also can't stand yappy dogs (all the big dogs I've been around, volunteering at shelters, etc. and I've only ever been bitten my tiny dogs with Napoleon complexes), so I hope you're able to convince your wife!

~Marrow

EDIT:
Okay, found what I was looking for:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs

It's a popular "intelligence" study, but to quote the article (emphasis mine):
"The drawback of this rating scale, by the author's own admission, is that it is heavily weighted towards obedience related behavioural traits (e.g. working or guard dogs), rather than understanding or creativity (e.g. hunting dogs). As a result, some breeds may appear lower on the list due to their stubborn or independent nature, but this nature does not make them unintelligent or impossible to train. The book includes other sections on hunting and other intelligence types, as well a general IQ test that owners can perform on their dogs; that test is better weighted for ingenuity and independent problem solving, but rankings were provided only for working intelligence, and are listed below."

With this test, "Mastiff" ranks at 72 and "Bullmastiff" at 69 (out of 80). I think the bolded phrase above just about sums it up. Mastiffs are not stupid, they're bred to protect and guard and as such have to independently assess threats and choose how to act. It would be ridiculous if they waited for "permission" to sound an alarm, or wouldn't bite an attacker unless commanded to do so. Ebony sometimes refuses to obey a command, but it's not because she doesn't "get it", it's because she doesn't see the point in endless repetition.

/End rant

 

[Tibleti]

Must agree with Marrowshard. Our em is plenty smart, sometimes stubborn, but plenty smart. He is also very affectionate and makes the few hassles he creates minor by comparison to the amount of joy he brings to our lives.

 

[hman]

Thats exactly what I did with google. Found a bunch but thought maybe there was a more reputable site out there. I am nervous about getting an EM from some of these guys becauses ome on the cheaper end dont have papers and If I want them its like an extra $500. Plus Im just nervous of getting one an it had medical problems at an early age. A friend told me to look at the parents. Try and find a breeder that has had hip checked and proof of it. Me and the wife are battling it out to get a EM. She is sending me articles that EM are not smart. most only live till 6 or 7 and medical problem all their life. I might agree on the medical problems but i dont belive most EM only live till 6 or 7. I am countering by sending her all the good things and how her articles are bias.​

dvdman,

I joined this forum after reading your thread. I will speak only about carefully bred Mastiffs because any breed that is not carefully bred will not exhibit the characteristics written into its standard.

EMs are smarter than the average dog. Their brains have been wired to assess situations and make decisions accordingly. A lot of other breeds don't have brains this advanced. Many Sight Hounds, for example, will chase anything that moves. They make no distinction between what is prey and what is not. Mastiffs have more advanced brains than most. I observe my Mastiff thinking way more than I do my Labs.

A well bred Mastiff should live to an average of 10 years, not 6 or 7. Those are Wolfhound numbers.

EMs make wonderful pets if trained and handled correctly. They require soft, loving positive reinforcement training as they are extremely sensitive toward their owners. Because of their sensitivity, they are highly trainable. A properly trained Mastiff will TRUST you, LOVE you and want to please you. Heavy handed training will make him fearful, insecure and dangerous. A well trained Mastiff will ooze confidence and dignity and will protect you instictively. A Mastiff trained with a heavy hand will be shy, unpredictable and will make a poor guardian.

Owning a great Mastiff starts with genetics. You will need to carefully select from only the best dozen or so breeders out there.

Go to shows.

Meet the breeders.

Go to the MCOA website and learn the standard.

You can PM me and I'll point you in the right direction. I have no problem giving you my phone number. I'd love to help. I care about this breed and I want to see only the best dogs being bred. It starts with the buyers. If we only buy from the best breeders, the rest would be forced to get out of Mastiffs.

PM me.

H
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