Umbilical Hernia and Breeding

[stekijessica]

Hi there, I'm new here - to everything! This forum, dogs, and mastiffs! We got our little boy because my husband has been dying for a mastiff for years, and the more I read, the more I agreed! Cooper is five months old, and he's a loveable riot - we adore him! Initially, because of the short life span of a mastiff, we were planning on breeding him in a couple years, hoping to get our next puppy that way. But he has an umbilical hernia, a small, belly button sized one. Our vet (a spay and neuter philosophied vet), says absolutely not, he should not be bred, that he needs to be fixed right away and that the hernia can be fixed then too. She says that there's no telling but that his puppies might get worse hernias. Is this all true? He's such a handsome, wonderfully tempered dog, we'd hate to lose the opportunity to make more of him

 

[Hector]

My dog has one. It's a non reducible hernia, one that doesn't need operation. Why not buy another pup from reputable breeder instead of going through all the troubles of breeding?

 

[maryl]

Umbilical hernias are inherited, and there is no guaranty that the resulting pups won't have larger hernias. That being said not all hernias need to be " fixed" Smaller ones like you described should be just fine. It goes with out saying that you pup should not be altered until grown, 2-3 yrs of age.

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

Welcome to the forum! I'd say don't alter til 18-24 months. An umbilical hernia in a male is not an issue unless it's so bad it does need surgery. I'm not positive they are hereditary, though I'm no vet. I've actually rejected a female for having one considering it'd have to be addressed before even thinking about a litter. Honestly though, and this will be the general consensus with this community, you should purchase your next pup from a reputable breeder. Breeding a litter of puppies just so you can have one from the litter isn't a good reason to breed a litter. If you'd like a reference guide of sorts on choosing a reputable breeder to get your next puppy from, I wrote a quick and dirty one here; 11 Things to Think About When Considering a Mastiff Breeder | Everything English Mastiff

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

Darn wish i could edit posts.. lol I wanted to add if you just want a mastiff for a pet and not for showing purposes etc have you considered adopting one from a rescue?

 

[ruby55]

If you're new to dogs, and mastiffs, you might want to rethink the whole breeding thing. It's not as easy as you might think, & to breed a litter with some responsibility & forethought, it can get very expensive & time consuming.

 

[stekijessica]

Welcome to the forum! I'd say don't alter til 18-24 months. An umbilical hernia in a male is not an issue unless it's so bad it does need surgery. I'm not positive they are hereditary, though I'm no vet. I've actually rejected a female for having one considering it'd have to be addressed before even thinking about a litter. Honestly though, and this will be the general consensus with this community, you should purchase your next pup from a reputable breeder. Breeding a litter of puppies just so you can have one from the litter isn't a good reason to breed a litter. If you'd like a reference guide of sorts on choosing a reputable breeder to get your next puppy from, I wrote a quick and dirty one here; 11 Things to Think About When Considering a Mastiff Breeder | Everything English Mastiff

That's a great list, thank you! We were newbies when we got Cooper, but we loved our breeder. Temperament was a huge consideration for us as we have so many kids coming through this house - we met both the mom and dad, and they were both doll faces. For our next trip, I'll keep your list in mind though, those are all great questions.

 

[stekijessica]

If you're new to dogs, and mastiffs, you might want to rethink the whole breeding thing. It's not as easy as you might think, & to breed a litter with some responsibility & forethought, it can get very expensive & time consuming.

Maybe I simplified it in my mind, since he's the boy - I know I'm not up for the task of raising a litter!!

 

[stekijessica]

Darn wish i could edit posts.. lol I wanted to add if you just want a mastiff for a pet and not for showing purposes etc have you considered adopting one from a rescue?

We did consider it, but I have three kids and work from home. We have a lot of people coming through our house, and I'm not ready to deal with behavioral issues. I'm not sure what takes more time though - rehabilitating an older dog, or raising a puppy!

 

[stekijessica]

Thanks everyone, for the input! That's good news that we don't need to be in a hurry to get it fixed. When do you recommend getting him neutered?

 

[Boxergirl]

We did consider it, but I have three kids and work from home. We have a lot of people coming through our house, and I'm not ready to deal with behavioral issues. I'm not sure what takes more time though - rehabilitating an older dog, or raising a puppy!

Most good rescues have their dogs in foster homes. That significantly raises the odds that you will know what behavioral issues you may be dealing with. I was always *very* clear about what problems and quirks my fosters had. Sometimes dogs end up there through no fault of their own. I can tell you that my rescue dogs have often turned out to be the best, most loyal dogs I've ever had. And those that I fostered, and whose adopters kept in contact, felt the same. But it's not for everyone. Especially when you have children and worry about their safety.