bellemastiff
Member
I am the proud owner of a beautiful but very shy EM, Belle. With a lot of hard work and socialization we have overcome a good deal of her nervousness but a large part will always remain due to genetics that can't be overcome. I believe the breed has over time become more prone to poor nerves and excessive shyness.
One of the things I LOVE about the GSD breed in Germany is, only dogs with actual Schutzhund titles get bred - an objective test of good temperament, nerve, and working ability. No test is perfect, but it is at least an objective, third party observation of a dog's overall appropriateness for breeding (or not), rather than just an owner subjectively deciding their dog is "worthy" of breeding.
I am wondering if any english mastiff breeders operate this way. As a starting point, we could assume an EM that passes the CGC test is not an *extreme* nervy, excessively shy case (well, my dog has nearly passed, and she is very shy tho we've worked hard to improve her confidence). Or even better, if the mastiff passes a TDI test or receives a CD or CDX title, it could be considered to have a "good nerves temperament (for a mastiff)".
Of course, health is important too, and I respect breeders who will only breed more mature dogs with good x-rays etc. I just think it'd be nice if there were EM breeders out there who were only breeding dogs proven from both a health, but also, temperament standpoint (and not just based on their own subjective opinion, but with some titles or certs to back it up).
Anyone know of an EM breeder out there who fits the bill?
One of the things I LOVE about the GSD breed in Germany is, only dogs with actual Schutzhund titles get bred - an objective test of good temperament, nerve, and working ability. No test is perfect, but it is at least an objective, third party observation of a dog's overall appropriateness for breeding (or not), rather than just an owner subjectively deciding their dog is "worthy" of breeding.
I am wondering if any english mastiff breeders operate this way. As a starting point, we could assume an EM that passes the CGC test is not an *extreme* nervy, excessively shy case (well, my dog has nearly passed, and she is very shy tho we've worked hard to improve her confidence). Or even better, if the mastiff passes a TDI test or receives a CD or CDX title, it could be considered to have a "good nerves temperament (for a mastiff)".
Of course, health is important too, and I respect breeders who will only breed more mature dogs with good x-rays etc. I just think it'd be nice if there were EM breeders out there who were only breeding dogs proven from both a health, but also, temperament standpoint (and not just based on their own subjective opinion, but with some titles or certs to back it up).
Anyone know of an EM breeder out there who fits the bill?