New Mastiff lover!!

[SleepingBeauty]

Hi my name is Ciara,35, from West Lothian In Scotland. I've owned dogs all my life but never had the pleasure of owning a giant breed although my great aunt always had Bull Mastiff's & my uncle Paul (her son) had 2, he sadly just lost his 7 year old male couple months ago.

ANYWAY - I recently rescued a gorgeous young pup 2 weeks ago. Someone had walked into a car wash dragging this confused pup behind him walking around asking people to buy him for between £50-300. I managed to get the dog without paying (which is another story which I'll tell if anyone wants to know?)

I immediately drove off with him & took him to the local vet to check if he had a microchip & to check up on his health as he seemed very thin & shy. I wasn't even sure what breed of dog he was, the vet told me that he appeared to be a Neapolitan Mastiff pup around 15-20 weeks of age & that he had no microchip. Which we both found very odd, I then rang the police to tell them what happened & to check if anyone had reported him missing. I had fell in love with this beautifully shy boy & I told the police that I wanted to keep the dog until an owner had been found, they agreed.

After almost a week of putting up comments & pictures on missing/lost/stolen pet Facebook pages I started more thorough research of the breed & how much he would cost to own. I was devastated by the cost of insurance for him compared to my J.R.T because I knew that although I could afford to feed him etc I couldn't afford the insurance & countless vet trips he may have needed. So I called the Dogs Trust & the SSPCA to collect him & find him a loving experienced home but changed my mind immediately when I found out he'd be kenneled outdoors with lots of barking strange dogs.

I decided that again I'd keep him until an experienced foster could take him & I contacted dozens of groups & was unsuccessful however one group that I rang merely for advice the Scottish Dogue de Bordeux was willing to try & help me. They couldn't take him directly however cos they deal purely with DDB's. Sarah Sievewright from SDDBS was brilliant she contacted someone from the Underheugh Ark who knew a lovely experienced mastiff foster mum. Within 1 hour of calling the SDDBS they had found him a home where he would stay until he was neutered & ready to go to his forever home. Then only

I had him for only 12 days but he made a huge impact on me & all my neighbours. He was a gentle, sweet, clumsy baby who within days was house trained, crate trained & knew the basic commands sit, down, roll over & stay!! He was brilliant & put my terrier to shame as she won't do any commands!! I read so much about how they could be stubborn & difficult to train conventionally. I miss him terribly, there is a huge Bruno sized whole in my life & although I know he's happy & that I done the right thing sending him to live with his foster Michelle & her pet Mastiff until they find him the right home I selfishly wish he was still here with me now!

I desperately want to now foster dogs in need, there are so many particularly the bull & mastiff breeds HOWEVER cos I have a young daughter under 10 living at home with me I will not pass the home inspection . Obviously my daughters safety comes first that goes without question but surely they rescue of a tiny minority of mastiffs that have came from a family with young kids & are proven safe around young children. Then an introduction could be made in front of a behaviorist or similar to check on how the dog perceives the child & if there's any tension, fear or aggression??

So now I am ray: praying to the doggy God for a chance to foster a beautiful Mastiff in need....

Anyway I've talked about him so much, here is two of the 620 pictures I have of Bruno-

 

[PrinceLorde13]

Well it's not hard to see why you fell in love, he's freakin adorable! I know it's tough but thank you so much for every decision you made along the way. There are so many people that get mastiffs and have no idea what they are getting into, then they get big, more expensive, and need training so then these people drop them at a shelter and it can be very difficult to adopt out a big untrained dog. So thank you so much for making the hard choices that were best for the pup and from the sound of it when you do take on a dog of your own, no matter what the breed, you will make sure you can do it right!

 

[Harrygto]

that is one good looking pup

 

[scorning]

He is super cute! If you want to foster, you can find a reputable rescue that accept foster families with small children, especially if the kids are dog savvy and the dog has lived with kids before. I would just research a couple groups to see which ones align with your values and experience.

 

[tmricciuto]

Bruno is adorable. I looked into pet insurance for my two 16 week old pups and it was going to be outrageous with not very comprehensive coverage. So I just put that money aside into an interest bearing account and when I have vet bills I have my own insurance policy to pay for it.
I agree with the others that you did the right thing rescuing that puppy.

 

[DennasMom]

Very adorable puppy!!!
I can see how he won you over to the mastiff side!

Another fostering option - senior dogs. We have a special rescue for old dogs in my area (Old Dog Haven) and they are always looking for foster homes. Older dogs, being more laid back, might not have the same "no small children" issues (sometimes it's a matter of the dog simply running over small children, which puts the child in harms way).

 

[TWW]

Beautiful pup, welcome to the forums.

 

[chez]

Hello and welcome!

As hard as it is, I think you've done the right thing for Bruno. Hopefully you can find an organisation to foster with!