How Fast They Grow!!

Gracie, Hope and Gidget


Mastiff puppies grow really fast often weighing 75 to over 100 lbs. by 5-6 months. We joke about the "thundering herd" when we let them out to play in the yard. Try scooping the yard with three of them running full hilt around you. Eventually, someone is going to clip you behind the knee, run straight into you, or give you a cold nose in the seat of your pants!! Life is never boring when you have more than one puppy!


Cold sunny days seem to be a Mastiff favorite. They love the colder weather--it makes all of them want to run and play--even the old Grand-dams--Vidalia & Zena- seem to have more spring in their step! However they would much rather get out of the way and just lay in the sun.

All three of these girls are growing well and have sweet, warm loving temperaments. Gracie and Hope are now exactly the same size--one has to look very carefully to tell them apart!! I am so proud of Hope and Gidget--both have made wonderful recoveries from their earlier set backs and are growing well. Gidget is a bit smaller than Grace and Hope but I expect she will eventually catch up.





The Terribel Three--Grace, Hope & Gidget



What you got, Mom? Something to eat?



Guard dog duty--must bark at the mailman as he walks down the sidewalk.

An "American Mastiff" is not a "Mastiff"-

As a breeder of "English Mastiffs", I do get calls from owners of "American Mastiffs" looking to buy a puppy or to breed their dog to one of mine. That's almost as bad as asking the racehorse owner of a Triple Crown winner to breed to a plow horse. Unfortunately, there is a sea of misinformation about the differences and likeness of these two very different dog breeds.

The "English Mastiff"--also known as the "Mastiff" --is recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and was one of the earliest breeds to be recognized and registered by AKC. It is considered by many to be one of seven "basic" dog breed types. Many other breeds have foundations built from the Mastiff breed and are considered to be Molosser Breeds. I often described them as "kinfolk" to Mastiffs--Great Danes, Bull Mastiffs, Saint Bernard's, Greater Swiss Mountain dogs, Bernese Mountain dogs, Bloodhounds just to name a few. The Mastiff is an original and is a long established breed existing since before the Middle ages.

The "American Mastiff" is a designer breed recognized by the Continental Kennel Club and has only been in existence less than 25 years. It was created by crossing the English Mastiff with a livestock guard dog breed --Anatolian Shepherd. This breed's founder stated her purpose was to eliminate genetic health problems, increase the life expectancy, and to produce a "dry Mouth" mastiff. Also often advertised as an "improved" Mastiff and marketed as a potential "new Breed", it is in fact a cross-bred--7/8 Mastiff and 1/8 Anatolian Shepherd. Many an owner of an "American Mastiff" will inform you it is the SAME dog as an "English Mastiff" only born here in "America"--thus it's an "American Mastiff". I hate to be the messenger of bad news-- but that ain't so, folks.

The "AmMa"(American Mastiff) is a designer dog created to meet a marketing need within the companion/pet dog market. Although they do appear to be very similar to an English Mastiff and are often sold for the same price-they are not the same.

A pure-bred dog can offer his owners a specific size, shape, color and temperament and will bred true. This predictability comes from years of selective breeding for traits that are desirable and away from traits that are undesirable. This is one of the reasons that every AKC breed has a "breed Standard" a guideline of sorts that states how these characteristics should appear in that breed. Thus, dogs bred by that standard will appear and be more similar than dogs bred from a mixed or random population.

An AmMa can not and will not breed true to type because of an unpredictable mixture. One can only make a guess at what color, coat, body shape, height, temperament, head will be produced in the next generation. But more importantly, by mixing the English Mastiff with the Anatolian Shepherd--the predictability of behavior and temperament-one of the most essential characteristics of the English Mastiff--is lost.

Many AmMa owners discover marked aggressive traits in their young dogs at 8-24 months ; a period of canine development when all dogs go through a fear and dominance stage. Because of the influence of the Anatolian Shepherd which is a Guarding breed-- an inborn "guarding instinct" begins to develop and these dogs can become very aggressive toward strangers and if they have not been socialized and obedience trained, very difficult to train and control. These dogs can become too aggressive for the average owner to keep and they find their once loving manageable puppy has now become an uncontrollable dominate dog. It takes a very experienced "dog savey" person to handle a dog with aggression and dominance issues. Most dog owners are poorly prepared to deal with these problems in any dog much less a giant breed.

It is at this stage that Mastiff rescue is often called to step in to take these dogs from owners who no longer want or can keep them. Currently the AmMa Breeders' Council has no rescue program and the breed founder will not accept her own dogs back when contacted by Mastiff Rescue. If the dog has been surrendered to a shelter without the registration papers, Mastiff rescue can not determine 100% of the time if the dog is an AmMA or a Mastiff. Often the determining factor is a history of aggression (has bit a family member or numerous incidents of aggression) or the dog demonstrates aggression when evaluated by the rescue volunteer. This behavior alone makes it easy to spot the difference between an AmMa and a Mastiff.

I have had the experience as a Mastiff rescue volunteer with this breed. To this date, I have only been able to place one AmMa into a home--and it bit 3 time after being placed. The owner must keep this dog secured at all times. How do I know it was an AmMa? I had the CKC papers from the owner and it was bred by this breed's creator. (FYI--when we contacted her to see if she would take her dog back--she refused because it had been neutered and she doesn't take back neuters/spayed dogs).

As far as the claims to having superior health and longer life--the AmMa breed "founder" can not provide any documentation to support this claim. Even the tetimonials from her puppy buyers show dogs with life spans shorted by chronic diseases, cancer and other ailments. Where is that "improved" life span? The foundation dogs used--both Mastiff and Anatolian Shepherd--were not health tested and No records can be found of any Hip, elbow, or patella OFAs, no CERF exams, and no DNA PRA testing of foundation dogs. There is also no health testing on any dogs used in current breeding programs. The claims of superior health is based on "hearsay" and can not be substantiated at present. It seems that most of the "superior" health claims are based on "hybrid Vigor".

FYI- "hybrid vigor" only exist for the first generation in an F1 out cross breeding. Since AmMa are now into their 25th+ years of breeding--they are well past any influence of hybrid vigor. With out actual health testing--i.e. CERF exams, OFA of hips, elbows, patellas, hearts, and thyroid, and DNA testing-there is no proof. A few members of the AmMa breeders Council has begun to do some health testing of their breeding stock--but one generation does not "clear" a breed of health issues. Hopefully, they will also add temperament testing of Adult dogs. A CGC on a puppy is nice, but showing that your 2 year old dog passed is more impressive.

Many potential buyers flock to this new "breed" because they want to look and size of an English Mastiff, but they do not want the "drooling". Hate to break the news, but AmMa drool. too. Yes, some of them will drool less because they have a less deep muzzle--the bigger and deeper the head the more apt the dog is to drool. So if you breed a dog with a smaller more pointed nose, it will drool less. But think people, is 1/8 going to prevent a dog from drooling? Reason this thought out, folks. Besides, If you don't like drool--get a cat.

Am AmMa is supposedly 7/8 English Mastiff--so what have you improved? How have you improved the genetic makeup and health issues? Come on folks--just think for a minutes; if one begins with untested dogs, a couple of whom have unknown pedigrees (the breed creator did not even know for sure what breed the dog was!), and they NEVER test their dogs for health problems---how can you say they have "less" health problems? I will point out that it's a fact IF you don't test and look for and detect health problems--then you can state you don't have any health problems and that your dogs are "improved".

The Mastiff Club of America (MCOA) is opposed to the cross breeding of any pure bred dog for the purpose of whim and fancy. These mixed breed dogs are not less prone or exempt from know genetic diseases and problems BUT more prone to the diseases common in both breeds. An AmMa offers none of the advantages that owning a purebred Mastiffs has to offer.

Avoid the temptation to purchase a "designer Mastiff". Please do search for a reputable Mastiff Breeder who can educate and provide you with the health information of their dogs. The addition of a dog into your family should be a lifetime commitment--not a purchase based on owning the latest "new" dog breed. In some cases, your nearest animal shelter could provide you with the same designer dog at a much cheaper price.

Do be a prudent and informed buyer. Learn about our breed, visit breeders, go to dog shows and meet other owners, and research information for your self. Please do a careful study and consideration of all aspects of dog ownership BEFORE you get a dog. Make sure any dog you bring home is the right dog for you and your family.

There is only one "Mastiff"--it is an original with an established, documented history. All others are just cheap, inferior imitations. There can be only one.

I will be most happy to answer any questions about my statements and personal opinions.

Those of you who wish to own and breed American Mastiffs--I respectfully ask that you step up to the plate and take responsibility for the dogs you breed and own. Microchip your puppies before sale so as to permanently identify them; accept back the dogs you have bred when their owners can no longer keep them. Contribute to Mastiff rescue to help met some of the cost incurred rescuing and caring for your dogs. It's your right to breed them; so now become responsible for what you have produced.

Please feel free to contact me at Kiokeemastiffs@embarqmail.com.

JMO--Why Breeders Should Health Test

I receive quite a few inquires about my dogs. One of the most frequent questions is, "Do you Health test. Why?"

I view health testing as a screening tool. When we OFA our dogs' hips, elbows, patellas, hearts, and thyroid we can eliminate dogs from our breeding program with these problems. ALL dogs should be DNA tested for PRA or be cleared by parentage before breeding. ALL dogs should have a CERF exam to detect other genetic eye abnormalities. By eliminating dogs with health problems, the odds for producing dogs without health problems should increase each generation.

Is it a 100% guarantee? No, it's not; some health problems can be recessive and one will never know they are there until the right two dogs are bred to create it. Yet, myself and many other breeders feel this is much better gamble for us as breeders and for you as buyers than buying a puppy from untested lines. Could you spend $5-6,000 to replace both hips in a dysplastic dog? Would you be able to care for a fearful dog blind from PRA? Would you be able to care for a dog with epilepsy?

Any dog breeder who tells you they have no genetic problems in their line is a liar. American Mastiff ( a cross breed-7/8 English Mastiff and 1/8 Anatolian Shepherd- not AKC recognized) breeders state their dogs are free of health problems often present in English Mastiffs. Yet when asked to prove this statement, they can not produce health testing to back up this statement. Where are their health testing results? There is no evidence to document any health testing done in foundation stock (as the founder claims) or in present dogs used for breeding at the "primary" breeding facility of the considered "founder" of this "breed." When asked to produce documentation and list the Mastiffs she used as her "foundation stock"--she has refused. She can provide no documentation that her "American Mastiffs" are bred from dogs clear of genetic problems or that she has health tested any of her dogs.

Can one truthfully state they know of no problems--IF they don't test? Is a 100% guarantee you will find NO problems if you DON"T health test; but your dogs are not FREE of health problems--you just don't know what you have! ALL dogs lines have genetic problems. It's only through health testing that we can detect, isolate and breed to decrease genetic problems. An ethical breeder will truthfully disclose any known health problems in their lines to puppy buyers and breed to eliminate those problems.

No breeder or owner can look at a dog move and "know" whether they have hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, or patella problems The same with cardiac Problems, eye problems, and vWB; but a simple exam by a qualified vet can Clear and "verify" the health status of your dog. No dog should be bred if it has genetic health problems. This is why ethical breeders health test--so as to eliminate dog with health problems from their breeding programs.

Anyone can pull up this information on the OFA site for any OFA tested dog. An informed buyer can verify the health testing of the parents, grand-parents and any other dogs they wish.
The OFA site is listed as a link here on my blog--please do verify the health information on any of my dogs.

I am proud to state that in 25 years of breeding, I have NEVER produced a dog that developed bilateral hip or elbow dysplasia nor have I ever BRED a dog that had bilateral hip/elbow dysplasia. I have never bred a dog that developed epilepsy or PRA. There are not many breeders who have breed over 20 years that can make those same statements truthfully.

I am appalled at the breeders who breed dogs with bilateral hip and elbow dysplasia, PRA, and epilepsy. There can be no justification for breeding dogs with known health problems; I don't care how much you paid for the dog, or how much you spent showing and obtaining it's AKC Championship, or who it's sire and dam are; these are not reason to justify breeding a dog with health problems. As a breeder, if two of your dogs are bred and they produce puppies with these health problems--why would you REPEAT the same breeding? The breed would be better off if you spayed/neutered the dogs and never bred them again.

I have very little respect for breeders who do not health test. I have no respect for breeders who bred dogs with or to dogs with known health or temperament problems. These type of actions do not lead to the overall betterment of our breed. To create a "designer breed" and then claim it to have "superior" overall health because of "hybrid vigor" and lack of "genetic problems"and use no health testing to establish this claim is a lie.

It is the ethical duty of all breeders to breed to improve the overall health, longevity, temperament, intelligence, and trainability of any breed. Our goal should be to produce dogs that are trainable, have an increase life expectancy and less health issues, and are a joy to live with as family companions and pets.

In the long run that's better than a Best in Show win any day. Of course, that just my opinion.

Fading Puppy Syndrome--Canine Viral Herpes

As a breeder, there are always obstacles and difficulties in raising any litter of puppies. A fellow breeder once commented to me that Mastiff puppies are born with a death wish--that at times no matter how hard one works to raise them that some are going to be lost. Any Vet will tell you that a 30% death rate in a litter is AVERAGE. As a breeder, I find that totally unacceptable--so I work hard to raise every puppy we whelp.

For the first 3 weeks , breeders work to keep their puppies fed and warm. Their eyes open, and soon it's time to begin soft food. We allow ourselves a sigh of relief; we can feel a sense of relief for our first big hurtle is over. Then overnight, the puppies begin to lose weight; they don't eat or even nurse, and then they begin to die. One by one they simple "fade away" and Fail to thrive.

Often a vet can find no active disease or health reason for puppies to Fade. A very over looked possible cause is Canine viral herpes. For a breeder, it's an unbelievable nightmare. Often by the time the diagnosis is made, all the puppies have died or become too sick to survive. CVH shuts down the immunity system of the puppies allowing secondary infections to set up and often it;s theses secondary infections that kill the puppies. The puppies fail to respond to routine treatment; they present with symptoms similar to distemper or Parvo but will test negative.

Canine Viral herpes often is brought into a breeders home by a visiting dog or even your own dog who has been to a show or boarded at a kennel. One may even may contract the virus at doggy day care or the dog park. It's usually not a life threatening illness in an adult dog; a healthy dog will have a runny nose and mattered eyes for a few days. A Owner may attribute these symptoms to seasonal allergies or even a "cold." Without any special care the dog gets better in about a week. However during this time, it can infect every dog it comes in contact.

When this virus is introduced shortly after you have bred a bitch (the first 3 weeks), she will absorb her puppies. If introduced in the second 3 weeks (week 4 to 6 of her pregnancy), she will abort or prematurely deliver stillborn puppies. A bitch exposed in her last 3 weeks of pregnancy may deliver her puppies, but they will be undersized, weak, and often exhibiting poor ability to nurse. A breeder may become frustrated at the overall poor quality of these puppies. After a few days, they begin to die off one at a time, and a Vet may attribute it to "fading Puppy syndrome."

We can expose our dogs unintentionally to this virus and bring a breeder's worst nightmare into our homes. To make this lost all the more potent; in Europe there is a vaccine approved and in use to prevent CVH; however, it is unavailable to Vets and dog owners here in the United States. Two simple vaccinations given to your brood bitch can eliminate and prevent this disease from occurring. However according to sources at Merial ( the company who produces the Vaccine in Europe), FDA approval in the US may never occur because this vaccine will not "fit" the USDA requirements for Titer rise.

In July of 2007, I experienced CHV in my two Mastiff litters. Nothing the vet or we did could save 9 of the 10 puppies from the first litter. As I was reeling from the loss of these beautiful babies, my second litter at age 6 weeks began to show the same symptoms. Within 49 hours, I lost my only male from my second litter. It was at this point, I put out a plea to my fellow Mastiff owners via the Internet for help and input from anyone who had experienced the same problem with a litter.

It was through networking, with the Mastiff community and the input various breeders gave me that I began to develop a treatment plan. The virus had completes destroyed my puppies' immunity system leaving them open to any and all infections. I began my puppies on a combination of Clavamox and Metronidozole antibiotics, subcutaneous IV fluids ( Normal Saline and Lactated Ringer's) to prevent dehydration, Kayro syrup to maintain blood sugar, and Pro Biotics paste to help correct and re-establish intestinal Flora, and serum injection from one of my older dogs.

Research on the Internet lead me to try a very controversial treatment to save my puppies-the use of serum from one of my older bitches. A previous study done in England had shown that by giving puppies the serum of an older dog, a passive immunity could be passed onto the puppies. One should pick an older dog who is healthy with an intact immune system, whom has had an exposure to other dogs ( a retired show dog is an excellent example), and one who has possibly already been exposed and has developed an immunity to CVH.

CVH is a ubiquitous virus and is part of the kennel cough complex--it is extremely common, so trying to prevent it's spread between adult dogs is pointless. Transmission occurs through direct contact--simple nosing, licking, sniffing, drinking water from a common container, etc--and may also be passed through sexual contact. The ability of an infected dog to maintain antibodies is variable--some infected dogs after a few months show no antibodies and others will have an antibody level persisting for many years. An active infection will cause a four-fold ride in antibody levels within a 10-14 day period. So the highest titers will be in dogs exposed within a 3-4 week period.

I had an older bitch who fit this bill, Vidalia. She was exposed at about the same time as my litter dams, had showed a few minor symptoms but had been fully recovered for several weeks. My rationale was that she would have the highest level of antibodies to this virus. As a previous show dog--she may have also been exposed to the CVH on an earlier occassions and a re-exposure would have cause an additional rise in her titer. Thank Good, my vet was willing to try this approach, for it worked.

I began the serum injections and saved one of Boudi's puppies--my Gidget. I lost the male from Mona's litter, but save all 4 of the girls with 3 of them never getting ill. Hope was the sickest, but turned the corner in five days , began to improve and is now growing normally. (P.S. Hope completed her AKC Championship at 1 year and 15 days and is maturing into a very lovoely, completely normal bitch. Sister Gracie has also almost completed her AKC Championship annd is completely normal. Gidget is on the small side, but completely normal.)

It's an experience I hope never to repeat. Ironically, if I had been in Europe, two simple vaccinations for each of my girls would have saved all their puppies. We need this vaccination here in the United States, but due to red tape and years of paperwork via the FDA and USDA we may not see it here for another 10 years.

If the commerical breeding kennels began having a mass outbreak of CHV in their breeding facilities, I bet we would have approval of this vaccine within a few months instead of years. Money talks and the average hobby/show breeder does not produce enough "business" for the vaccine companies to make money. What ever happened to helping others? We need a researcher for canines much like Jonas Salk was for the children of the world.

I do have my "miracle Babies"--Grace, Hope, and Gidget. Go to their blogs and see my wonderful, loving babies.

All In the Family

We are so please to present some of the "rest of our Family"--dogs we have bred that are loved and owned by others. A few are show dogs but most are just wonderful loving companions. So here they are doing what they do best--just being Mastiffs!

CH. Kiokee Stonehouse Sir Oliver Twist

What a show week for Ollie! Ollie was entered in the SSMF supported entry shows Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Priceville, Alabama and won Winners dog all three days! You just can't stop a winner when they are on a roll! These pictures tell it all.

On Friday Ollie went Winners' Dog under Breeder Judge Teresa L. Hudspeth for a 4 point major (his second major).


On Saturday, Ollie went Winners' Dog and Best of Winners for his second 4-point major of the weekend under Breeder Judge James Hudspeth.

On Sunday, Ollie went Winners' Dog and Best of Winners for 2 points finishing his championship under Judge Robert J. Sherve at the age of 22 1/2 months in only 3 weekends of showing!

Ollie's first win (at 19 months and his second time in the ring) going Winner's Dog, Best of Winners and Best of Breed under Judge Don Teague for a 5-point major.

Ollie is from our Vidalia and Willie Litter. He is pictured above winning Winner's Dog for a 5 point major, Best of Winners, and Best of breed under Judge Don Teague his second time in the ring! To make this Best of Breed win all the more sweeter--It was over several special including 3 national ranked dogs. Quite a nice win for a 19 month old dog. Ollie certainly made heads turn that day! Needles to say his owner, Geri Hillgress of Canton, Georgia was speechless.

Ollie also went Winner's Dog for three days back-to back wins for two 4-point majors, and for a 2 points win to finish his championship at the Priceville, Ala. shows which were also SSMF supported entries. Anytime a dog can stand toe to toe with other Mastiffs from across the southeast and win under two breeder judges--you have an exceptional dog. What a great way to finish a championship!!

Ollie is Geri's first Mastiff and first show dog. Geri did all the right things--she took him to puppy obedience classes, socialized him and raised him to be a good canine citizen. He is a happy go lucky boy in the ring full of piss and vinegar. He is a handful but he is expertly shown by C. J. Farve, PHA. Than you CJ for ALL your hard work! Your expertise made Ollie look his best and you made both Geri and myself very proud of Ollie.

Ollie was co-bred by myself and Karen & Micheal McBee of Stonehouse Mastiffs and is a wonderful tribute to his late sire, Ch. Stonehouse Steamboat Willie. Although he was bought to be a "pet", Geri and family recognized what an exceptional dog Ollie is and agreed to show him. Boy, are we happy she did!!

Thank you Geri and family for giving our boy a wonderful loving home and letting him show the Mastiff world that a beautiful, funloving family Mastiff can be an exceptional show dog.

Stonehouse Wes By Gosh Virginia

Here is Wesley winning Winner's Dog, Best of Winners, and Best of Breed for his first 3-point major under Judge Dr. Harry Smith, shown by his owner and co-breeder Karen McBee.

Here is Wesley winning Winner's Dog and Best of Winners for his second 3-point major under Judge Dr. Ronald L. Spritzer shown by his co-breeder, Catie Arney.

Wesley is a littermate to Ollie and is owned by Karen and Miceal McBee of Stonehouse Mastiffs. Wesley is a combination of his sire and dam's best qualities. He is funloving and a bit hard-headed, but tempered with a loving and kind demeanor. Karen and Wesley visit local schools, where Wes is a "reading" dog. Wesley makes the third generation of school therapy dogs owned by the McBees.

I am so very proud of this lovely boy. We expect to see him finish his championship.

Kiokee's Mirra Image of Morrigan

Mirra winning her first points at 6 months of age under Judge Jean Fournier
Mirra is our pick puppy from our Reba (Kiokee Get "Er Done) and Oscar ( Ch. Morrigan's Cu Mac Shimidh) litter whelped 3/7/2007. Mirra is pictured above winning Winner's Bitch, Best of Winners and Best of Opposite Sex ( over an adult special) . She is being handled by her co-breeder and co-owner--Jennifer McKemie of Lithia Springs, Georgia. Mirra is also proudly co-owned by Sandra McCurry of Snellville, Georgia. This was just Mirra's second weekend out on the show circuit. What a wonderful win to begin a show career!

Kiokee Athena

Athena

Athena is also from our Reba & Oscar litter. She is owned and loved by the Tammie & Dean Anderson family in Bellevue, Nebraska. Although placed as a family companion dog, Athena is blossoming into a therapy and obedience dog. Tammie enrolled in puppy classes--just as we advise and instruct all our puppy buyers--and discovered the absolute joy of a true working dog.

Athena showed herself to be an outstanding student; so much that Tammie and Athena are now enrolled in the Bellevue Obedience Club and have begun Beginner's Classes. Her puppy class instructor and her Vet have recommended her to enroll and begin training as a therapy dog.

Jennifer, Leila, and I are so very proud of this lovely girl. Athena is just what we were hoping to produce when this litter was planned. Our goal was to produce dogs with good conformation but that were also intelligent, trainable, and loving to all. Beauty and brains--what more could you ask for in a dog?

Thank you Tammie & Dean for raising your girl to be a good canine citizen.

Kiokee Lionhearted Cleo

Cleo at 6 months of age

Cleo belongs to the Hampel Family here in North Carolina where she is the beloved family companion and pet. Cleo is out of our Mona and Max litter and is a litter sister to Paris, Hope, and Grace.

If you have any questions about our planned breedings, please contact us at kiokeemastiffs@embarqmail.com. Thank you. Catie Arney

Questions to Ask a Breeder

While there maybe dogs who were bought from newspaper ads, yard signs, local thrift papers or at local flea markets that are healthy and happy, far too many are ill, poorly socialized, genetically flawed dog-catastrophes waiting to happen.

As you search for your perfect puppy and try to screen prospective breeders, here are a few thoughts and questions that could be helpful.























How long have you been in the breed? Why did you begin to bred Mastiff? What other dogs have you bred?

You probably want to avoid anyone who has "switched" breeds every couple of years, from popular breed to popular breed. Are they breeding Mastiffs Just because they get premium prices for the puppies? Look for someone with some experience with the breed. If they are new to the breed, do they have experience with a similar large breed?

Also, be very wary of people who have multiple dog breeds. It is not uncommon to find people breeding more than one kind of dog (for example, quite a few Akita breeders are also interested in Shibas), but a breeder producing litters of many different breeds of dogs and/or "designer dogs" (which are in fact mixed breeds) is not going to be your best source, and probably should be suspected as a puppy-mill or disreputable breeder.

What kind of congenital defects are present in this breed? what steps are you taking to decrease these defects? Do you do any health testing?

Avoid and run like hell for the door when anyone says "none" or "not my dogs!". There are genetic problems that are present in almost every breed. Do some research and look for the information you will need to know what kind of answer you need to get from the breeder. The Mastiff Club of America (MCOA) has a health section with lots of information on genetic problems. Devine Farms site also has lots of health information in it's article section. Both are listed as links to my blog. Tons of good dog books are available online at local book stores that can help explain health problems and health testing.

As a breeder, I can not stress how important it is for you as the buyer to have a good idea of what the correct answers should be. Find out what you need to expect before you fall in love with that cute puppy face. A breeder who can't tell you what kind of things affect their dog breed is not going to be breeding to avoid those same problems.

A reputable breeder should be able to tell you what kinds of problems might be present in Mastiffs (for example, hip dysplasia, entropian, thyroid problems, etc.) and what kind of testing is done to rule out these problems. It goes without saying that the breeder should be doing those tests on all their dogs before breeding. Any dogs that are showing signs of any of these problems should not be bred--avoid anyone who is breeding dogs with genetic problems, or who is not testing their dogs and bitches.























Do you have the parents on site? Can I see them?

For most breeders this is a trick question--most breeders will not own both dogs. They will own the mother (and you should be able to see her), but the best match for that bitch probably belongs to someone else. So. if you see both parents on site, you should be a little suspicious and ask further questions. It could mean that the breeder has a large pool of dogs and is carefully matching them to breed a certain line; or it could mean that they had two attractive dogs in their backyard and had either a planned or unplanned breeding. It's never a good idea to breed two dogs because of connivance--just because you own them does not meant they need to be bred together.

You should be able to see the mother and any other dogs on site when you visit. If the breeder hesitates, you should wonder why. Are the dogs kept in clean, healthy conditions? Are they too aggressive to let loose? You should be very comfortable with any reason not to see the dogs.

Please remember that you should not be interacting with very young puppies, and might be prevented from seeing puppies that are less than 4 weeks old. This is OK, and is simply the breeder trying to eliminate ant chance of illness in the puppies. Breeders don't know what kind of dog diseases you may be carrying, and don't want the litter to get sick.

What are the good and bad points of the parents? Do the Parents have any titles?

Breeders will usually gush and begin to enumerate all the wonderful qualities of their dogs, but the best will also point out their flaws. What you're looking for here is temperament, possible aggression, how the dogs deal and interact with people, and how they are not "perfect."

As for titles, reputable breeders show their dogs, and should be working toward a championship if not a champion already. This is important--while there are many wonderful dogs out there that haven't seen the inside of a show ring, if the breeder is truly trying to improve the breed , they will be comparing their dogs to other breeders and trying to breed dogs that match the standard. The only way to do that is to show their dogs.

Many breeders compete in obedience as well, and will have Companion Dog (CD) or other obedience titles for the parents. AKC also awards the Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) to dogs who pass a temperament certification. Dogs with Therapy Dog International (TDI) titles have also passed a test requiring obedience and temperament parameters. Titles at the end of the name are just as important as titles in the front! Any of these titles are good benchmarks to judge temperament and behavior in the parents.

Can you explain the puppy's pedigree?

A good breeder should be able to tell you something about the dogs in your puppy's pedigree. A good breeder should be able to give you a 3-5 generation pedigree on the litter. Have them explain the often cryptic letters and titles awarded, and get a good feel that they know the lines they are breeding from well. At the very least5, they should be able to provide you with a 4 generation pedigree and be able to tell you about the dogs in it.

If you see the same dogs listed a few times on the pedigree, the breeder should be able to point out any line breeding and inbreeding and explain the benefits and dangers of both.

How Many litters do you have a year?

Some small breeders may breed 1 or 2 litters every year or every other year. Most serious Mastiff show breeders breed every year and the number of litter may vary from breeder to breeder. The Mastiff Club of America accepts 8 litters every 24 months as an acceptable limit.

Definitely avoid anyone who "always has puppies", or who is breeding their bitch more frequently than twice every two years. If someone has three or more litters (especially if they note that it was "unexpected") on the ground at the same time--they are certainly not planning these puppies. All litters should be 'expected' and well planned. If they are not, it's a crap shoot as to whether you're going to get a good puppy or a nightmare.

What guarantees do you have for this puppy?

At the very least, the breeder should guarantee the puppy against any debilitating genetic problems, insure the puppy is in good health, and place these statements in a contract.

A breeder should be prepared to take back any dog for any reason--part of being a ethical breeder is making sure that the puppies they bred have good homes and that it stays that way.

When Can I take the puppy home?

Puppies usually go home between 8 and 12 weeks. Avoid anyone sending tiny puppies home.



Need more information? Contact us at kiokeemastiffs@embarqmail.com.

How to pick out a puppy--Puppy Aptitute Testing

How do you pick out your new puppy? Do you choose the one with the biggest head and body? Do you pick the “boss” in the litter? How about the one who hangs back and hides? Most people haven’t got the foggiest idea of how to pick out a puppy for their family. Temperament testing a litter of puppies helps to insure that the puppy you pick will meet your needs, match your personality, and helps to ensure that a life-long bond and friendship will develop. Most individuals will spend more time picking out a second-hand car that they will trade in in 2 years than in picking out their dog.

Whether you want a couch potato, or a Best in Show winner, a good temperament test is the place to start to help you to figure out which is which. Over the last 20-30 years, many different temperament tests have been developed and used. Any temperament test will help you in one way or another.

In the 1970’s, I used the “Super Puppy Test”: this test had been utilized to determine which puppies would make the best seeing eye, hearing-ear, and drug detection dogs. I tested all my puppies, kept records and followed up at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years of age to evaluate my results. After questioning my buyers on their needs and wants in a dog, I based the placement of my puppies on their test results. I never misplaced a puppy, nor did I have to replace any puppies. My buyers all raved how “perfect” their puppies fit into their family.

Today, I use Volhard’s Puppy Aptitude test. I have found it easy to use, interpret, and to explain results to others. It is an excellent test to help you place puppies with suitable owners and in the right family environment. It can be utilized in a breeding program to assist the breeder in determining which puppies to keep for future breeding by determining characteristic traits. A breeder who needs to correct certain behaviors (i.e. excessive shyness, aggression, sound sensitivity,) can test for these traits and choose puppies to eliminate or lessen negative behaviors. Likewise, if you want a dog for obedience or agility competition, these same tests can assist you in choosing the right puppy for you. Let’s examine puppy aptitude testing (PAT) and the how’s and whys. Please refer to the link here on My website.


VOLHARD’S PUPPY APTITUDE TEST

Wendy Volhard developed a system for testing puppies in which one could indicate the dog’s basic temperament and indicate the dog with the most obedience potential. This resulted in the development of the Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT) since it indicates which pup has the most aptitude for the desire task or purpose. When administered in a standard form, testing results at 7 weeks of age follow true into adulthood. This test can be examined and broken down into test sections. The temperament sections will exam socialization, forgiveness, dominance & passiveness, independence, and active & passive defenses. The obedience section will exam trainability, touch, sound, and sight sensitivity.

EXCITABILITY VS. INHIBIT ABILITY

This trait is an inherited tendency, which in the excitable dog makes it extremely responsive to external stimuli. Some also refer to excitability/inhibit ability as prey drive. Prey drive is important because it functions as the “stress relief” in a dog. The more you teach a dog, the higher its’ stress. Prey drive is the relief valve—it releases the pressure.

For temperament testing, we break prey drive into three sub-divisions: Ball drive, rag drive, and retrieve drive. Testing these subdivisions in a puppy can tell us where we may expect to see training problems later. For example, a pup with little or no prey drive will make a good couch potato but will be only able to handle the stress of mild household obedience. This is the conformation dog that walks into the ring with its head down, tail tucked, and stressed to the max. To expect more of this dog would be unfair to him and frustrating to you. However, if you need an agility dog or a high-level competition dog, a high prey drive would help this dog adjust and deal with specialized training.

The inhibited dog shows more self-control. This dog is more easily trained to react only upon certain cues. Obedience dogs are a good example.

The balance between excitability and inhibit ability is a poised, assure dog; a dog who rolls with the flow and adapts to his surroundings well. The extreme of excitability would be a wild uncontrollable dog. The extreme of inhibitiability would be the withdrawn, rigid and lethargic dog.

ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE DEFENCE REFLEXES:

This trait is the inherited tendency to react to stress by biting, freezing or running away, and is also called a defense drive. A dog with a strong defense drive will make an excellent watchdog. The dog with a passive defense reflex will be induced to bite only under extreme duress. A dog with little or no defense drive will show a burglar where the family silver is , supervise while he bags it up, and escort him to the door as to say, ”Have a nice day!”.

A more passive dog should be selected for a family with small children, while a single adult may want a dog with more active defense reflexes for personal protection. A more active defense reflex when combined with a tendency toward inhabitability will allow an owner to train the dog to be defensive only in specific situations. Most Mastiffs exhibit this trait.

DOMINANAT VS. SUBMISSIVE

The dominant dog is the one who would have grown up to be the pack leader if it and the other puppies had been left to grow up on their own in the wild. He will show dominant behavioral tendencies by biting, growling, mounting, direct eye contact, walking with head up, tail up, hackles up, etc. The dominant dog will have first pick of the food, places to sleep, etc. Dominance has been selected for in many terrier breeds.

A dominant dog may challenge his human master and need a constant firm, calm handling. Lack of leadership on the owner’s part with such a dog will result in the dog assuming leadership. This may result in response such as nervousness, over-protectiveness, refusal to obey, and interfering with owner’s interactions with other people. A non-obedient adult dog can present many problem for it’s’ owner.

Submissiveness is evident in the dog that accepts leadership. It is often expressed in behaviors such as nudging with the nose, pawing, tail down, ears down, crouching and rolling over on the back, lack of fighting, lack of eye contact, and submitting to command. This is a dog that can be easily influenced by his owner/leader.

The submissive dog generally responds to training and readily accepts a human leader. The extremely submissive dog will react to the slightest stress by crouching or tail tucking and may be difficult to train. It will take a lot of encouragement and very gentle handling to build confidence and help it to adapt to the stresses of living in the average household. This dog will need to have absolute confidence in its owners.

INDEPENDENCE VS. SOCIAL ATTRACTION:

The independent dog is not interested in human beings. He may be a loner or have been poorly socialized. This dog may work or hunt well on his own. Livestock guarding dogs often exhibit this trait.

The socially attracted dogs exhibits interest in people, enjoys being petted, follows humans easily, and in general wants to be where its humans are. These dogs are often described as turning into “people” and they make excellent pets for this reason.


FORGIVENESS AND TRAINABILITY-

It is also necessary to test a pup’s level of forgiveness (pain tolerance). In choosing a puppy as a family pet and companion, checking a pup’s level of forgiveness is a most crucial aspect of temperament testing. A puppy with a low level of forgiveness makes a poor candidate for almost any lifestyle. Only the most knowledgeable of trainers can manage a dog with low forgiveness. That will be clear the first time your toddler bites Rover’s ear or steps on his tail.

Trainability can also be described as a desire to please. A puppy with a high desire to please is much easier to train than one who does not care if it pleases you. Our animal shelters are full of dogs that developed bad habits and their owners could not control or train them. The easier it is to train your pup, the fewer problems you will have in your home.

TOUCH, SOUND & SIGHT SENSIVITY-

Sight and Sound sensitivity is tested in order to determine the stability of a pup’s nerves. If a dog is overly sensitive to sound and sight it will show excessive fear, crouching, urinating, or running away when confronted with a loud or sharp sound. This dog could overact to gunshots, shouted commands, children laughing and screaming as they play.

Touch sensitivity is the pup’s response to physical stimuli. The touch sensitive dog will be difficult to train with the standard training collar because the correction-snap sets off the dogs defense reflexes (biting, freezing, or running away). This is the dog that bites when he is startled by petting, or by a child stepping on its tail. The touch insensitivity dog shows little response to physical stimuli. A mighty yank on the training collar yields little response.

Summary-

It is obvious that the combination of traits (drives) or tendencies with which a puppy is born will go into the formation of its temperament. Particular combinations will result in a dog more suited for some things than others. Just because a dog has active defense reflexes does not mean it will make a good guard dog. Most owners are not looking for extreme drives in their dog. They want a dog with balance drives that will work, play, protect and settle into family life.

For example, what is commonly called a “hard” dog is often a combination of dominance and touch insensitivity. If this dog also shows a strong tendency to lead (dominant), it will be difficult to train. When the owner attempts to assert himself through a corrective snap on the training collar, the dog doesn’t respond because it cannot feel the collar. The owner must then resort to more forceful methods of correction, or use a different stimulus.

Environment plays a tremendous part in developing a dog’s potential. Genetic factors are inherited, but the traits themselves can be modified by environmental factors. By training and early experience we can greatly influence these traits. Research has shown that influence on temperament occurs in puppies at age’s 3-12 weeks. Environment and experiences have the most lasting impression on a dog. Temperament traits are generally fixed after 17 weeks of age. Temperament testing gives us the advantage of knowing what we have and where we need to go with it.

ADMINISTERING THE PAT-

Now that we have given you an idea of what we are testing for and why, let’s begin the temperament test. Although much of what we test can be used for older dogs, ideally the temperament test should be given at 7 weeks of age. At 6 weeks or earlier, the puppy’s neurological connections are not fully developed. If you test puppies between the ages of 8 to 10 weeks, special care must be taken not to frighten them since this is the time frame for the fear imprint stage. You will need to have handy a tennis ball, a stainless steel bowl and spoon, and a dish-towel size rage or scrap of fake fur.

Puppies are tested individually, away from the dam and littermates in an area free from distractions and new to them: a small enclosed yard, garage, porch, living room, or whatever. Puppies should be tested before a meal when they are awake and lively and not on a day when they have been wormed or given puppy shots.

The sequence of the tests should be the same for all puppies. The test is designed to alternate a slightly stressful test with a neutral or pleasant one. If one follows the chart format, this principle can be followed. For your connivance, we have attached a standardized form that can be copied and used which includes the test, its’ purpose, and how to score the puppy’s response.

To help eliminate human error, or the puppies being influence by a familiar person, someone should administer the test other than the owner of the litter. A friend of the owner or a prospective buyer can easily learn to give the test. I find that having a fellow breeder assess conformation and temperament helps me to determine which of my puppies are “show quality” as well as “pet quality”.

When I am asked to temperament test a litter of puppies, I always asked to observe the parents, preferably both but at least the dam. If the sire and/or the dam have undesirable characteristics, there is a good chance some, if not all of the puppies will have inherit these traits. It is my opinion that a dam with undesirable traits is more apt to pass those characteristics to her pups by heredity and by example (modeling).

If you are considering purchasing a puppy, always observe the parents. The safest and easiest thing to do when faced with undesirable temperament in the parents, is to look for another litter of puppies whose sire and dam more closely conform to you needs and ideals. If you must have a pup from this litter, pay close attention to the test scores of the litter and do not select a pup, which shows any tendency toward undesirable traits.


INTERPRETING YOUR SCORES-


Mostly 1’s-a puppy that consistently scores 1 in the temperament section of the test is an extremely dominant, aggressive puppy who can be easily provoked to bite. His dominant nature will attempt to resist human leadership; thus requiring only the most experienced of handlers. This puppy is a poor choice for most individuals and will do best in a working situation as a guard dog or police dog.

Mostly 2’s- This pup is dominant and self-assured. He can be provoked to bite; however, he readily accepts human leadership that is firm, consistent, and knowledgeable. This is not a dog for as tentative, indecisive individual. In the right hands, he has the potential to become a fine working dog or show dog and could fit into an adult household, provided the owners know what they are doing.

Mostly 3’s-This pup is outgoing and friendly and will adjust well in situations in which he receives regular training and exercise. He has a flexible temperament that adapts well to different types of environment, provided he is handles correctly. May be too much dog for a family with small children or an elderly sedentary couple.

Mostly 4’s- A pup that scores a majority of 4’s is an easily controlled, adaptable puppy whose submissive nature will make him continually look to his master for leadership. This pup is easy to train, reliable with kids, and, though he lacks self-confidence, makes a high –quality family pet. He is usually less outgoing than a pup scoring in the 3’s, but his demeanor is gentle and affectionate.

Mostly 5’s- This pup is extremely submissive and lacking in self-confidence. He bonds closely with his owner and requires regular companionship and encouragement too bring him out of himself. If handled incorrectly, this pup will grow up very shy and fearful. For this reason, he will do best in a predictable, structured lifestyle with owners who are patient and not overly demanding, such as an elderly couple.

Mostly 6’s-A puppy that scores 6 consistently is independent and uninterested in people. He will mature into a dog who is not demonstrably affectionate and who has a low need for human companionship. In general, it is rare to see properly socialized pups test this way: however there are several breeds that have been bred for specific tasks (such as basenjis, hounds, and some northern breeds) which can exhibit this level of independence. To perform as intended, these dogs require a singularity of purpose that is not compromised by strong attachments to their owner.

The remainder of the test is an evaluation of obedience aptitude and working ability and provides a general picture of a pup’s intelligence, spirit and willingness to work with a human being. For most owners, a good companion dog will score in the 3 to 4 range in this section of the test. Puppies scoring a combination of 1’s and 2’s require experienced handlers who will be able to draw the best aspects of their potential from them.

Below are record testing forms for the PAT.