DDB question.

[cj-sharpy]

Well here we go again.
It's been two years since I've had a mastiff in my life and the time seems right so we are doing a little research.
Most of you know what's been going on with me and my family, and we promised (well I promised) that we would add a puppy to our clan when Caitlin's treatment ended.
And that time has come.

We've seen a litter of 3/4 DDB 1/4 American Bull Dog bitches that look amazing.
I've always loved to see Mateo et all so we are thinking we may have found the pup for us.

What I'm wanting to know is what the normal breed sites don't say. We've obviously researched on dogs 101 etc but as owners what have your experiences been like.
Good and bad please, though I know it will be far more good.

The pup will be living with two adults, 3 kids (11, 9, 7) who all know the rules, and two dogs (and Cav King Charles and a JRT).




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[marke]

I knew one called "crazy eddie " he was an awesome dog , and a beautiful dog , high energy , athletic as dogs get , well trained , smart dog ...I had pictures of him , but I may have lost them ..... did you see the parents ? especially the one that brings the ab to the mix ....... American bulldogs can be some of the best dogs there are , or the worst most unhealthy dogs I've ever seen ....... was it a standard/performance type ? or Johnson type ?.....do they know the pedigrees ? AB's usually have decent hips , elbow dysplasia is rampant in the breed , ncl , ichthyosis , allergies , and knee problems are pretty common , most of the orthopedic issues are more common in the Johnson type ab ........ if I could see the parents , I personally wouldn't have a problem with it as far as health screens , as long as the parents were full adults , moved well and had clear skin ,eyes and ears , no sign of allergies ....... why did they use the ab ? in eddies case the guy used the ddb for a reason , and took him back to his ab's .......

 

[MastiffMillie]

Do you mean breed info regarding dogue de bordeauxs? I'm fairly new here! I lost my Dogue in August and now have a DDB cross bullmastiff.


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[cj-sharpy]

Do you mean breed info regarding dogue de bordeauxs? I'm fairly new here! I lost my Dogue in August and now have a DDB cross bullmastiff.


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Yes.
Not so much the medical stuff, but more what have yours been like in the past.
How friendly, how good with kids, any funny stories.


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[MastiffMillie]

My DDB was absolutely amazing[emoji5] the most amazing dog in the world. Everyone who met her said that we'd never ever get another dog like her. I'm hoping our puppy will prove them wrong! She was amazing. We have 2 kids, now 10 and 6 but were 1 and nearly 5 when we got her. Mollie was so gentle with them but also silently protective. If she was on the lead and they were up ahead on scooters I could tell she was agitated because she needed to be with them, in her mind. They used to lean on her while watching TV but also, being boys and active, if they were boisterous in the house, she would never get over excited or involved. Her favourite thing was to sleep, sleep and sleep some more.

If my husband ever play fought with the children, she would put herself between then and huff and puff at him [emoji5]silly dog!!

We lost her to DCM, which in the 4 months between diagnosis and having to say goodbye, was heartbreaking. I didn't get another DDB as I was scared I would constantly draw comparisons. So we have Millie who I love lots too!! However, I cannot deny that instill have the DDB itch and think that I will have another once millie is old enough!

In my experience of dogue de Bordeaux, they are gentle giants. Stubborn at times, but although all the sites say that they are hard to train, ours wasn't. She was better behaved than any of my friends' dogs.

Hope that helps!!




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[MastiffMillie]

I'll see if I can post a picture.......

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[MastiffMillie]

The first one is after she had been dignosed and had had loads of tests..... hence the bald patches


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[cj-sharpy]

Awwwww she's beautiful.

I know what you mean about always comparing.
I've never had a dog like my Max.
Horrid nasty violent little sod at first, but always a big soft lump with me.
Then as the year passed I saw him forget his past and become the most amazing accepting dog.
Seeing him with a kid that was obviously nervous and a woman with a fear of big dogs and he was so gentle and slow with them.

I'll be honest that's the one thing that scares me about getting another mastiff.
Will she be as good as Max?
I know it's the wrong question. That's like being disappointed with one kid for not being the same as your other.
But it is in the back of my mind.


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[cj-sharpy]

Ps.
I think the bald patches are quite becoming.
They look lovely on her.


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[MastiffMillie]

Yes of course it is! Millie has had it tough as for the first, I'd say, 4 weeks, that we had her, I did constantly compare her to mollie. So even though I avoided a pedigree DDB and went for a DDB cross, I still did it!! But although genetics play a huge part, so does how we treat them and 'raise' then I think.




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[MastiffMillie]

Yes she did carry them off quite well!! Every time the hair grew back they shaved some more off as she was constantly at the Royal Vets College being monitored. Poor girls. Always so complacent. She was certainly very special.


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[Nik]

My Diesel is only 1/2 DDB. But, he definitely has the famous DDB stubbornness. I wouldn't say he was "hard" to train. He is probably the most intelligent dog I have ever had or met. He learns fast, but he is not a dog that does stuff just to please you and in the beginning of his training I didn't even realize how much he actually knew and picked up because it took a lot of effort to figure out how to motivate him and that always changes depending on how he feels. He is always figuring out if obeying is worth it to him. Now that he is over two years old this is no longer such an issue because we have been very consistent with NILF training. But, even now if he is out in the yard playing and I call him in I can see him doing calculations in his head as to whether the reward for coming in is better than the fun of staying out and coming in doesn't always win out even if there are treats involved. That said he has a ridiculously good vocabulary so if I say "Do you want to cuddle in my bed" he knows what that means and yes he always wants to be in my bed (though not necessarily cuddle). He is not a super cuddle dog, but he does always want to be with us. He likes a small amount of physical affection and then likes his own space but to be close by, though he does occasionally get in a mood where he seems to want a short cuddle.

He is a very gentle giant (well not quite so giant because of his other mix). He is sweet and loving and gentle with everyone. He has the best soft mouth ever (since he got over the puppy alligator stage). He has this fabulous vocabulary and makes the funniest sounds and noises as if he is talking to us. I love his talking.

But, as gentle as he is, he is also very guardian of his territory and of me. He is friendly when he meets strangers but if he thinks something is off about them he goes into protection mode. He doesn't like strangers getting too close to the house (or the car if he is in the car). And when we travel with him out of our regular walk areas he does not want me to leave his sight.

Since Diesel is only 1/2 DDB he doesn't have the calm laid back personality. He is super high energy and doesn't seem to have an "off" switch. He is well trained enough that I can get him to stay in his place and he does listen. But, he stays on high alert the whole time and he is happiest if he can be running around, playing and always doing something. But, I am sure that comes from his other 1/2 of who knows what.

 

[Yamizuma]

Talk is 100% DDB, and not the regular laid back calm girl. Have you considered re-homing a slightly older dog that is a more known character? There seem to be many in England.



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[Wilsy]

We have an intact male DDB who will be three in March. Wilson is my beautiful boy, he is so loving and a huge cuddle monster but also has a cheeky streak which I love. He is happy cuddling up on the sofa with me and my husband but loves a good play too. I still think that he can be a bit bouncy and excitable at times but everyone else tells me how calm he is so I don't really know. Wilson is great walking on lead and also off lead, we found a whistle best for recall. He enjoys swimming, rolling down sand dunes and rubbing his bum against tree trunks (I think he is a bit pervy). He is brilliant with children he knows (my nieces are 9, 7 and 1) and also with children we see out and about. He used to love meeting other dogs but as he has got older he isn't so bothered anymore. It may just be that he has grown up but he has been attacked (I mean actual bite wounds, not just snarling) by three intact males and now does not like other male dogs approaching him and will tell them to back off. He still loves to play with female dogs of all sizes, his best friends are Lulu a Boxer, Raffa a French Bulldog and Helga a Miniature Schnauzer. He has always loved people and is happy to receive a fuss from anyone we meet who wants to stroke him. We also have a campervan so take Wilson on holiday with us as he enjoys being out in the van and is happy to be wherever we are. That's the main stuff I can think of. Other than that he farts, snores loudly, makes a sound like a hippo when he is happy, makes a beeline to slobber my black work trousers and seems to enjoy licking his nuts at 3am but I love him for all of that too.

 

[NYDDB]

What Wilsy described sounds very much like my Mateo...best breed ever. There is something magical about the Dogue de Bordeaux; I hope to have another when the time is right.

Beware, though- they will absolutely break your heart to pieces when they leave this earth...

 

[dpenning]

I can't find a thing to say that could be considered bad, although my experience is somewhat limited. I have a 7 year old rescue female that was obviously used for too many litters. She is the sweetest thing and just wants to be loved on. She was quick to learn the ropes when she came to us 4 months ago and gets along swimmingly with the other dogs. IMO she has the background that could make her mean, ugly, uncooperative etc. since she was clearly mistreated before she came into the rescue but she is nothing but sweet and loving.

 

[Nik]

Wilsy - Diesel makes those same hippo sounds! Typically he starts making those sounds when he wants to entice Kahlua into playing with him. He is usually rolling around on his back when the odd noises start emerging from his mouth. I love his weird sounds. I also love Diesel's snoring. His snores are not terribly loud in my opinion but I find them very soothing.

NYDDB - They certainly are special and your Mateo was a particularly amazing dog. <3

 

[cj-sharpy]

Beware, though- they will absolutely break your heart to pieces when they leave this earth...

Oh no you must be mistaken.
Any dog we get will live forever.
I've said goodbye before and I will not do it again.

Lola will bury me haha.



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[Wilsy]

NYDDB - From reading your posts in the past I've always thought Wilson and Mateo sounded like very similar characters. I don't know how I will cope one day (hopefully in the distant future),Wilson has such a presence and is a huge part of our lives. I keep saying to my husband that as long as Wilson has a long happy life and we do our very best for him then that will be some consolation but I know I'm kidding myself with that really!

Nik - I find Wilson's snoring soothing too, but if my husband snores I kick him lol. The happy hippo noises start up when Wilson is cuddled up with us either getting his chest rubbed or kisses on the side of his face. He is such a big tart.

 

[MastiffMillie]

Wilsy- I also told myself that but when we lost mollie, at only 5, I was beyond devastated. I miss her every single day. She was my first dog so I had no idea what it was going to feel like and it was dreadful. I lost my cat last year and that was also horrible, but not comparable; cats are very different creatures.

Mollie never made the hippo noises!! But I agree with the snoring....... i hate my husband's snoring but never minded mollie's snoring. Millie is snoring as we speak.... don't mind that either!!!


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