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Where did you get your dog?

MastiffMillie

Well-Known Member
I am wondering where others got their mastiffs from?

Our late DDB came from a reputable breeder. Her parents had all relevant health checks and she was KC registered. She had to be PTS age 5 after 4 agonising months of heart failure (DCM) and a bill (covered by insurance) of £8000.

I was desperate to fill the gap and hated the empty house so we got Millie quickly (3 months after). I was unsure about having another DDB as our last was such a wonderful dog that I was afraid I'd constantly draw comparisons (I was devastated).

Also at the the time a friend of a friend had a dog from a reputable breeder that was diagnosed with cancer at 18 months.

I also spoke to another DDB breeder who had carefully selected and picked a male pup from a litter at another kennel as her next sire, who then failed his health checks so she Couldn't breed him.

I guess I kinda lost faith in the breeder route. So I looked at rescue. But I work and even though I pay a dog sitter/walker every day that's I'm away to visit midday, I was refused by every rescue centre in my area. Along with the fact that I have 2 boys under 10.

So I got Millie through a private ad. The family were nice and their dogs well cared for. They had mated their 2 family pets (DDB and Bullmastiff). We saw them both; they were friendly. Millie was clean, bright and well looked after.

Another forum have been very hostile about Millie coming from a 'backyard breeder' and I hadn't really thought about it like that until then. Things they said plus reading up on 'backyard breeders' online has made me feel awful. And naive. I am not a bad person and consider myself pretty sensible.

Millie is well; I have no reason to worry as yet. She is friendly and i am used to a big dog as are my kids. I won't be one of the many that take dogs to rescue. But this other forum has made me feel pretty bad.

Has anyone else had a pup through a private sale?
 

PippatheMastiff

Well-Known Member
I am wondering where others got their mastiffs from?

Our late DDB came from a reputable breeder. Her parents had all relevant health checks and she was KC registered. She had to be PTS age 5 after 4 agonising months of heart failure (DCM) and a bill (covered by insurance) of £8000.

I was desperate to fill the gap and hated the empty house so we got Millie quickly (3 months after). I was unsure about having another DDB as our last was such a wonderful dog that I was afraid I'd constantly draw comparisons (I was devastated).

Also at the the time a friend of a friend had a dog from a reputable breeder that was diagnosed with cancer at 18 months.

I also spoke to another DDB breeder who had carefully selected and picked a male pup from a litter at another kennel as her next sire, who then failed his health checks so she Couldn't breed him.

I guess I kinda lost faith in the breeder route. So I looked at rescue. But I work and even though I pay a dog sitter/walker every day that's I'm away to visit midday, I was refused by every rescue centre in my area. Along with the fact that I have 2 boys under 10.

So I got Millie through a private ad. The family were nice and their dogs well cared for. They had mated their 2 family pets (DDB and Bullmastiff). We saw them both; they were friendly. Millie was clean, bright and well looked after.

Another forum have been very hostile about Millie coming from a 'backyard breeder' and I hadn't really thought about it like that until then. Things they said plus reading up on 'backyard breeders' online has made me feel awful. And naive. I am not a bad person and consider myself pretty sensible.

Millie is well; I have no reason to worry as yet. She is friendly and i am used to a big dog as are my kids. I won't be one of the many that take dogs to rescue. But this other forum has made me feel pretty bad.

Has anyone else had a pup through a private sale?

Sandyland Mastiffs in Indiana USA http://www.sandylandmastiffs.com/


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DennasMom

Well-Known Member
Yep. Like you, we lost our dog unexpectedly. He was a very healthy 9 year old, or so we thought... but he went from acting like a puppy at the dog park to being in unbearable pain, unable to move as a cancerous tumor took over part of his spine in one short week. :(

We've always gotten our dogs from the shelter or rescue, but never a "back yard breeder" (BYB).
We found one rescue with a litter of big dog mixed puppies that we were interested in (Mastiff x Saint Bernard)... but they didn't even return our calls, and when I researched the RESCUE - they came back as a shady cover for providing dogs to illegal fighting rings. ARGH!!!

The mix was of interest due to the Saint... but the more I read up on the Mastiff end of things, the more we knew that would fit in our home. Our past dogs were a 199lb Rott/GSD/Pyrn mix and a 100lb Dane/Lab/X mix.

No mastiff mixes of any sort could be found via PetFinder (the country-wide shelter/rescue website here in the States)... but I found a litter in the classifieds that was under an hour drive away. I took a friend to visit the litter, and they were all beautiful 6 week old pups. The parents were beautiful, healthy and friendly. The home was a buzz of activity with young kids running around (good for socializing!).

I still didn't want a BYB pup... but my husband had no issues with the concept, and our house was so empty. We decided to go ahead and adopt their last available puppy...and voila - Denna joined us a week later!

The parents were both full English Mastiffs. The dad was registered with the AKC but the mom was not (although, she supposedly could have been... they just never did). They said this was an "oops" litter... their second - first due to the male being fertile before they expected, and the second because the female became fertile too quickly after the first litter was weaned... I'm hoping that was her last litter, but I have no way to know.

As you found, and my vet also said - good genes help the odds of having a healthy dog, but there are No Guarantees. We got pet health insurance, and dove in. So far, so good. Denna will be 5 in March. She has recently picked up a limp in a hind leg... but we haven't had it diagnosed yet. I keep thinking another week of rest will make it go away... and then something happens (like Christmas - trying to keep up with my sister's little herding dog, HA!)... and we're back at step one again. I don't think it's a genetic issue, but if it continues, we might have to find out!

Also - after working at trying to get puppies from rescues in the past - I found that the rescues were not all they cracked up to be, either. Puppies are their money-makers. Puppies never go un-adopted. It's the older dogs that get left behind (either due to a move or a death or other reason) that need true rescuing. I've been following a senior dog rescue group online for a while now, and hopefully will find the right time when we can bring one into our home - kind of as 'payment' for getting a BYB puppy... but also, because senior dogs are great dogs, too.
 

PippatheMastiff

Well-Known Member
Sandyland Mastiffs in Indiana USA http://www.sandylandmastiffs.com/


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Stacy is AKC approved English Mastiff breeder. She doesn't breed anything else. All the dogs are registered and guaranteed for a year. She has them checked for genetic issues and has been very successful. She keeps in touch with the puppies' parents and answers questions quickly. She is not a back yard breeder. I trust her implicitly. Her dogs are very healthy and she has all the back up info to prove it.


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Elana P

Well-Known Member
Hey Sarah....

W
I am wondering where others got their mastiffs from?

Our late DDB came from a reputable breeder. Her parents had all relevant health checks and she was KC registered. She had to be PTS age 5 after 4 agonising months of heart failure (DCM) and a bill (covered by insurance) of £8000.

I was desperate to fill the gap and hated the empty house so we got Millie quickly (3 months after). I was unsure about having another DDB as our last was such a wonderful dog that I was afraid I'd constantly draw comparisons (I was devastated).

Also at the the time a friend of a friend had a dog from a reputable breeder that was diagnosed with cancer at 18 months.

I also spoke to another DDB breeder who had carefully selected and picked a male pup from a litter at another kennel as her next sire, who then failed his health checks so she Couldn't breed him.

I guess I kinda lost faith in the breeder route. So I looked at rescue. But I work and even though I pay a dog sitter/walker every day that's I'm away to visit midday, I was refused by every rescue centre in my area. Along with the fact that I have 2 boys under 10.

So I got Millie through a private ad. The family were nice and their dogs well cared for. They had mated their 2 family pets (DDB and Bullmastiff). We saw them both; they were friendly. Millie was clean, bright and well looked after.

Another forum have been very hostile about Millie coming from a 'backyard breeder' and I hadn't really thought about it like that until then. Things they said plus reading up on 'backyard breeders' online has made me feel awful. And naive. I am not a bad person and consider myself pretty sensible.

Millie is well; I have no reason to worry as yet. She is friendly and i am used to a big dog as are my kids. I won't be one of the many that take dogs to rescue. But this other forum has made me feel pretty bad.

Has anyone else
Sandyland Mastiffs in Indiana USA http://www.sandylandmastiffs.com/


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Elana P

Well-Known Member
Hi Sarah,

Whoever made you feel bad, or guilty, or what not on this other forum, should mind their own business.

We get our dogs where we get our dogs, and no one (in my opinion) should put on this 'holier than thou' attitude, and try and tell us what we should or shouldn't do.

The rescue people, claim that you should only get rescue dogs. The AKC or CKC breeders claim, that you should only get a dog from a reputable breeder (which means them). The Humane Society people claim, that you should only get a dog from them..... and on and on it goes.

You should hear some of the gossip, criticism, and back stabbing, that goes on in the dog show circles, and among some of these reputable breeders, and some of the not so subtle hints and whispers of who is reputable, and who is really running a puppy mill (it would make your hair stand on end).

Danny, my oldest dog (12), was a rescue off a Reserve. Katy, my middle pup (6), came to us from a bad situation.

Before these two, we went the reputable breeder way.
Clancy, was a wonderful Irish Terrier puppy, from registered, health tested, champion parents with all the bells and whistles. We lost him at 7 years old, after years of suffering with more health issues than you could count. Horrible tooth problems, arthritis, eye problems, joint problems, infections, lameness.... you name it, he had it the poor little guy. It came to a point, where our Vet would no longer even bill us, other than cost of out of the office tests and what he paid for meds. Finally at 7, Clancy became paralyzed in his front shoulders and legs. Exploratory surgery was recommended through a Vet specialist, which would have cost thousands of dollars, with absolutely no guarantee that it would help him or save his life, seeing as they didn't even know what was wrong with him.

I held him in my arms and kissed his nose, as he was gently put to sleep.

We heard later, that his mom had to be put down because of brain and spinal tumors, which wasn't discovered until a necropsy was done.

After that, we went the rescue way.

As for my Charlie boy....
He comes from a wonderful family, who own both of his parents (as beloved family pets). He, and his 12 brothers and sisters were born and raised and socialized in the midst of a happy home, filled with kids of different ages, and you could see and feel the affection for the family dogs.

Are they the dreaded "Backyard Breeders"?
Sorry, I don't see it that way.
 

glen

Super Moderator
Staff member
You have gave a pup that needs a home a good home so don't let anyone make you feel bad, and any forum that's worth being a part of will support you not pull you down, you've chosen your pup, now enjoy your pup, keep posting pics I love to see them all, this forum and the great people on it taught me a lot, I was new to mastiff nearly 4 years ago now and I'm hooked 3 boys later lol.
 

PippatheMastiff

Well-Known Member
Hey I agree!! Wherever you get your dog is not an issue!! People can be so opinionated. I gave you my breeders info because I thought you were looking for something. Misunderstood the question. No worries!!!


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PippatheMastiff

Well-Known Member
Also, I will never consider myself a breeder of any kind but plan to breed Pippa once, not for the $, but because I want a male pup from her and to keep her spirit alive and because I think she would be a great mother and maybe she will be healthier? I'm not sure yet but I'm considering it.


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glen

Super Moderator
Staff member
I have a motto to live and let live, I wouldn't breed I couldn't let the pups go lol. We helped with a litter last year had 5 to bottle feed, all those pups were mine in my heart, I went to town researching the new owners poor people went through the mill. I'm in touch weekly and always will be. Plus we always have males. Hope you didn't think I was judging you pippa the mastiff. I'm in the UK and cpthis breed here isn't well known.
 

marke

Well-Known Member
I find there as many , of what I would consider , reputable “back yard breeders” as there are show or professional breeders , or whatever you choose to call the non-backyard breeders ……… I’ve know plenty of “reputable” breeders knowingly breed dogs with health problems in chasing conformation titles and pedigrees , the competition aspect of show/professional breeding is not a competition to produce healthy dogs ………
 

PippatheMastiff

Well-Known Member
I find there as many , of what I would consider , reputable “back yard breeders” as there are show or professional breeders , or whatever you choose to call the non-backyard breeders ……… I’ve know plenty of “reputable” breeders knowingly breed dogs with health problems in chasing conformation titles and pedigrees , the competition aspect of show/professional breeding is not a competition to produce healthy dogs ………

As in all things there are people who do it for right reasons and those who do it out of greed. Best to get to know who you're dealing with in any instance. Do homework [emoji6]


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PippatheMastiff

Well-Known Member
I have a motto to live and let live, I wouldn't breed I couldn't let the pups go lol. We helped with a litter last year had 5 to bottle feed, all those pups were mine in my heart, I went to town researching the new owners poor people went through the mill. I'm in touch weekly and always will be. Plus we always have males. Hope you didn't think I was judging you pippa the mastiff. I'm in the UK and cpthis breed here isn't well known.

Not at all. Every animal I've had is a rescue, until Pippa. I know breeder and she is so loving and caring. She posts updates of her pups from new owners in her website. I wanted another Mastiff, had one years ago, so I researched and took my time. It's been a wonderful experience. If I decide to have Pippa spayed before she has a litter, I will def get another pup from Stacy. If I breed her, I am afraid I will have trouble letting the pups go also. But I think by the time they're 12 weeks, I will be ready to put them in a great home. [emoji6]


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MastiffMillie

Well-Known Member
Thanks for replies everybody. I feel much happier [emoji5]. I will not be using the other forum!! I agree that everyone here is really helpful and friendly.
I will def be posting more pics of Millie. In fact, I have one from New Years Eve when we took her to the dog friendly farm....
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Elana P

Well-Known Member
LOL.... I think she liked the goat a little too much, hah haah hah.... yummmm!

What a doll.

So you can still pick her up like that, eh?
When I try it with Charlie, he hangs down below my knees, and my back screams at me to put the wee beastie down already :).
 

MastiffMillie

Well-Known Member
Yes I can pick her up just about!! I feel the strain though and need to be careful as my back hasn't been great since having kids! She's a couple of weeks younger than Charlie I think? And is a cane Corso bigger than a DDB? I'm not sure what a cane corso looks like even! [emoji15]about to google images of them now!


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marke

Well-Known Member
As in all things there are people who do it for right reasons and those who do it out of greed. Best to get to know who you're dealing with in any instance. Do homework [emoji6]


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some folks absolutely breed dogs for money , and I think a lot of folks do it for the right reason , they just don't know how to do it right , or what a good dog is ......... health certs and healthy dogs are not one in the same , I've seen health certified champion dogs that couldn't survive a hot day without heat stroking , allergy riddled , epileptic , with awesome pedigrees , would qualify as a good dog to a whole bunch of "reputable" professionals ........I've seen many health certs whose purpose was nothing more than a marketing tool , had nothing to do with producing healthy dogs .......