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Winding River’s
Mastiffs began with the purchase of our first mastiff, Winding River’s
Little Fawn. Our plan at the time never included showing or breeding.
Fawn was purchased strictly for a pet with no thought given to finding
about the breed, about the heritage, or about her parents health
testing. We made lots of mistakes in purchasing our first mastiff and we
were very fortunate when we started researching and learning about the
breed, that we had purchased a sound dog. After spending time around Fawn, we became curious about the show aspect. We visited a show in Raleigh, NC and watched the mastiffs in the ring. We were approached by a number of people ring-side asking about Fawn, her background, and parentage. We were told by members of the show community a little more about showing, what strengths they saw in Fawn, and reassured that she came from a very strong line of champions. We were encouraged to show her and decided to “just give it a try.” Well, her first show out, she won, and we were hooked. After that, we began testing Fawn heavily. We were learning from our mistakes and trying to find everything we could about the breed, the health of our dog, and what would make a better mastiff. Fawn was tested for hips, elbow, eyes, cardiac, patella, vWd, thyroid, cystinuria, and PRA/DNA. With health of an animal being our primary focus, we have continued this to test our dogs to hopefully ensure healthy/sound puppies. We also see temperament as a primary objection. With that in mind, we research the parents of any dog we have purchased, looking for how well they do in public, with their family, and in strange situations. We are strong advocates of socializing puppies early; as this is an area, we failed to do with our first mastiff. Puppies, when put in many different situations while still young, do not fear new situations, and adapt quickly to change. I like the puppy that can go out in public, allow children and adults to pet and praise him, and he just sits back and enjoys it; knowing he’s the center of attention. These dogs are referred to as “The Gentle Giant” and this is the way they should behave. Correct type is also an important element and as we breed, we are continually striving to improve on the breed. Mastiffs should be large and muscular; without being overly tall or fat. Oftentimes, a tall mastiff may have a Great Dane characteristic, and with proper breeding, we hope to eliminate this in any of our dogs. The head of a mastiff is what is most impressive. It should be large, with dark mask and ears. He should have the look of an inquisitive animal, not an aggressive one. He should have that “majestic air” about him. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or information you may have. We are more than happy to answer any questions you may have and if we don’t know the answer, we will try to direct you to someone who may know them. |
email: windngrvrmastiffs@aol.com
Copyright
© 2002-2006 All Rights Reserved
No photos or text may be reproduced without express written permission.