Mastiff Grandeur Forum

enjoy

Tatetori2 — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:26:37 GMT

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/40324

Should the Mastiff be Massive

pallone — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:32:33 GMT

Words may lead to misinterpretation, but that is all we have to communicate sometimes with. A picture is worth a thousand words, so we use those sometimes.

The question of "How" Massive is proper for a Mastiff is an age old question. When does Massive interfere with the ability of the Mastiff to do his job........and what is his job now days? When does it interfere with the Mastiff's health?

In ancient days a Mastiff was a "War" Dog, but then what does that really mean? Was he designed to run along side of his Master or just Stand his ground? Was he built to pull cannons or to bring down bears?

During the change over from Victorian and the Industrial age the Mastiff changed to suite yet again our whims and fancies. Is the Mastiff today nothing more than a Trophy Dog with no job?

So what are your views on Massive, Powerful, largest dog by weight........which are all terms to describe the Mastiff????

I compare dogs to athletes many times...... to football players ...to body builders, to wrestlers........why because the natural instinct of the Mastiff is to ram and hold down it's prey. They certainly have the ability to use their jaws to shake and tear.......but do not appear to be endurance runners........so therefore I think of them as Tackles.......big body builders, not like a greyhound is built...nor even a deer hound. Set aside competition day on bodybuilders and the use of steroids......that is competition looks. We all know Arnold was chiseled and nothing like Lou the Hulk in body type. Body builders have certain genes that allow them to get into a shape that is bulk and muscle but are concerned with Cardio also these days........where as a runner has a longer leg and endurance qualities to them. To ram properly one has to have a lower center of gravity for power and to remain on their feet. I am not into bikers and it has nothing to do with their spandex shorts and stupid hat.

There is only one thing certain in life....... diet and exercise will change a body for the better. My Mastiff have a job......they must guard and protect me, my property, and other animals under their care against a variety of things..........but I also understand most people just have a normal house and children and do not live in the wilds as I do.

So how do you see the Mastiff in the way it should look, and what job is the Mastiff geared for today.......

Forum: Old Messages

What An Exciting Day!!!

CoalHillMastiffs — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:32:29 GMT

We came home on Thursday to find our invitation to the Westminster Kennel Club Show in the mail. Our boy, Am/Int Ch Erieside Straight to Coalhill CGC TDI, aka George, along with Amy and Emily are going to New York in February. This year has been a wonderful ride. Not only because of George's success in the show ring, and ongoing therapy visits, but we have also met a lot of new friends in the Mastiff world. Many thanks go to George and Claudia Salinger for their commitment to the breed, the opportunity to own and love one of their puppies, and their continuing support of George's endeavors. Congratulations to the all of the invitees. We look forward to meeting you at Madison Square Garden for the show.

John, Amy, and Emily
http://www.coalhillmastiffs.com

Forum: Old Messages

Bon Jovi 18 month

Olga — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:39:03 GMT

There couple of pics of Bon Jovi or Lexington Ivory's Lay Your Hands on Me. He is 18 month old now... I love this boy to a peaces : )
Olga
Ivory mastiffs

Forum: Old Messages

Introduction

VanDMastiffs — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:49:55 GMT

Hello, I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. I see a ton of familiar names but for those folks that I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting. My name is Shannon Van Duren along with my husband Nick we have Van D Mastiffs. We got our first Mastiff in 2002 and it only took 5 months after getting our boy Bogart for us to start looking for another Mastiffs. That next puppy ended up being 2 girls, one fawn Dagney and a brindle Gia. They are our foundation girls and as they say the rest is all history.

The best part of owning this wonderful breed is getting to know those very special folks that own this wonderful breed.

I can't wait to get to know those that I have yet to meet as well as continue to learn from everyone.

Forum: Old Messages

My new addition from Shevet Ariot Mastiffs (Natalie)

Lynai — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:29:49 GMT

Introducing "Selah"

aka Shevet Ariots Fashion Fades But Style Remains Keep The Faith Selah

I was tickled pink to be able to wrangle this girl away from Natalie. I had been thinking of bringing in a new girl next year, but when I found out about Lucy having pups, well I just couldn't resist, when I found out Roady was the sire, well, it was over and done with

I just loved visiting with Nat, I wish I had more time, but we were turning right around and heading north, back up to MN that evening. Let me tell you, those pups were just so healthy and lovely to look at, great looking litter, just wow.

Selah with my son Gage

and Action Selah

Forum: Old Messages

Question for Marcel (well and anyone else that wants to chime in)

kelly — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:39:48 GMT

Do you have any pics of fluffies from the past? I have always thought that they were absolutely beautiful!

Also do you have some history on them?

Anyone who currently has one or has had one in the past can you put up pics for me please? I think these guys are just gorgeous and don't think they get the recognition they deserve most of the time!

Forum: Old Messages

EKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

pallone — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:39:45 GMT

Woman suing animal clinic for alleged insemination mix-up

Published: Thursday, November 5, 2009

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By RICHARD PAYERCHIN
rpayerchin@MorningJournal.com

ELYRIA A dog owner is claiming a North Ridgeville animal clinic inseminated her champion corgi with sperm from a Pyrenees mountain dog and now her show dog is unable to have puppies.

Lea Jacobs, of Columbus, filed a lawsuit against Animal Clinic Northview Inc., 36400 Center Ridge Road, for negligence in the insemination of her Pembroke Welsh corgi. The veterinarians at the animal clinic have denied the allegations in the case, which first was transferred from Delaware County to Lorain County Common Pleas Court.

Jacobs is the owner of champion Melyn Rhos Gwynne Carr, known as Gwynne, according to her lawsuit.

In 2007, Gwynne was to be inseminated with semen from champion Craigycor Irish Cream, the male corgi who has a distinguished pedigree and a record of success in American Kennel Club shows, according to the lawsuit.

However, Dr. Robert V. Hutchison, of Animal Clinic Northview, later found Irish Cream's semen was placed in a vial with semen from a great Pyrenees, a much larger size breed. A DNA test later excluded Irish Cream as the sire of six of Gwynne's eight puppies, the lawsuit said.

"Because the semen was contaminated, Gwynne conceived a litter in which at least six puppies were not purebred Pembroke Welsh Corgis, but were instead mixed breed puppies that were much larger than purebred puppies would have been," according to the lawsuit.

"The size of those puppies caused complications during the pregnancy, a difficult delivery which necessitated a C-section, the death of one puppy and a prolonged and incomplete recovery which resulted in Gwynne being spayed," the complaint said.

A Pembroke Welsh corgi show dog will be up to 12 inches at the shoulders and about 27 pounds, according to http://www.akc.org.

A great Pyrenees' height at the shoulders ranges from 25 inches to 32 inches and weight ranges from 85 to around 100 pounds, according to http://www.akc.org.

Spaying Gwynne has hurt her reproductive and economic value, along with Jacobs' reputation, because spayed dogs cannot compete in AKC shows, according to the lawsuit.

Jacobs' lawsuit alleges four counts of negligence, fraud and breach of warranty. She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages of up to $800,000 per count.

Attorneys in the case were not available for additional comment last night.

Forum: Old Messages

Medievals Damsel in Distress...Stella...6/3/03 - 11/12/09

medievalmastiff — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:17:08 GMT

Our crazy Stella passed away on Thursday evening. I call her crazy because she was such a character. Full of life, always up, always getting herself into trouble. Stella never seemed to stay still, always in the middle of things. The house is very quiet without her antics. This came on quickly over the past few weeks. Losing Skye suddenly last week and now Stella has devastated us. The other dogs are very quiet this weekend, and Stella's mom Spirit seems very depressed. These guys take a part of us when they leave. It is so very hard to say good-bye.

LisaG

Forum: Old Messages

Raw Food Recipes

HeskaMastiffs — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:13:04 GMT

I have gotten a lot of emails and seen posts about people not being able to afford these crazy dog food prices, so I was thinking of making up a web page with a list of Raw Meals this way people can still get quality dog food and will need less of it. If anyone has any I can use I would LOVE to see some I have some also and I will post them...

Forum: Old Messages

Litter Size and The Singleton

pallone — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:01:32 GMT

I thought this was interesting.........of course they did not take into account timing of when semen is put in........but very interesting. I find one of the biggest problems with singletons is that when expected to share on food.........they are not good at it. You must take more time stimulating them as siblings would. Share your thoughts on large litters vs singletons.

Litter Size and Singleton

By Dr. Carmen L. Battaglia

When two or more breeders gather together their conversation often times center on the number of pups born and what might have gone wrong. For years breeders have speculated on why some litters are larger than others. Since most breeders are not trained in biology or in veterinary medicine a review of these questions was addressed.

Background:

Nature has always allowed animals to adapt to their living conditions. For example, horses and cattle live in herds as herbivores and cover considerable distances each day. They tend to have a long period of gestation and produce a single offspring. Their young are born among the herd as it moves slowly because only in the middle of the great herd can they be protected. The problem is quite different for canines. They live in small communities and their young are born in a safe hideout. Because they hunt they can not afford a long period of gestation. The reason that carnivores usually do not have single offspring litters stems from the nature of their existence. They must be constantly hunting to struggle for existence and the casualties among their young are high. Severzov calculated that the morality among young wolves was 45 % at the end of the first year and a further 32% by the end of their second year with a total loss of about 77% for all young wolves. If their litters consisted of only a few pups, the likelihood would diminish that the survivors could contribute to maintaining the survival of the species.

There are several ways to approach the study of litter size in dogs. One perspective is to look at what can influence the size of a litter; another is to study one-puppy litters. Goldbecker and Hart reported experiences with both. For the one-puppy litters they suggested the use of foster mothers and to treat the singleton as an orphan because they have similar problems. They believed that these pups needed siblings or other dogs to interact with in order to learn the rules of the dog world. To that end it is generally accepted that at least for canines, littermates provide valuable and necessary practice sessions. Interactions provide opportunities for using their teeth, developing eye contact and a wide range of other canine behaviors that become useful as adults.

Most of the small breeds, notably the toys and terriers usually produce very small litters. This is in part because of their very small size, which limits their capacity to carry large litters. But in the larger breeds there are wide variations in litter size ranging from 1 to 21 and in a some instances they have been larger. Breeders have for years unsuccessfully tired to make improvements in litter size via breeding and selection techniques with little success. While many traits have high heritability, litter size is not one of them. It has a low heritability, around 10 -15 % which means that one can not count on the genes to increase the number of pups born. What can be expected will largely be determined by the non-additive factors of dominance. For example, wither height has a heritability estimate of 40-65%, which is reasonably high. Therefore, it is relatively easy for the breeders of the German Shepherd Dog to produce offspring with high withers. However, when it comes to litter size selecting parents who come from large litters will not improve the number of pups born. However, the physical condition of the dam at the time she is bred however has been shown to increase or decrease litter size. For example, obese bitches tend to have smaller litters than those that are fit and trim.

Nutrition is still another factor that was suspected to affect litter size. Some thought it would vary between and within breeds. The fact that there are large variations in litter size attracted the attention of Russ Kelly, a noted nutritionist. He set out to better understand litter size by examining what would happen if nutrition became the variable. What he found was that the diet fed bitches during their pregnancy did influence the size of their litters. To do this he studied three colonies of bitches that were in whelp. One colony was fed only a dry ration of good quality dog food. The second was fed the same dry ration but supplemented with cottage cheese. The third was fed the same dry ration with supplements of cottage and meat. The important point here is that two of the three colonies were fed extra protein supplements. The colony that had the largest number of pups born alive came from mothers not fed any supplements. His findings make clear that supplementing a high quality, nearly perfectly formulated dog food with rations of cottage cheese and meat would interfere with the number of pups born alive. In other words, supplements added to a good quality commercial dog food reduces the chances for larger litters. This finding is good news to dog breeders.

Singleton pups

The singleton pup is a one-puppy litter. To better understand these pups three general questions were used. They focused on the whelping process, behavior during and after weaning and the effects of the dam during their development. While many species have single births the canines are not one of them even though there are many breeds that only produce one or two puppy litters. Small litters can be directly related to the selective breeding practices that breeders have used over the years to fulfil the physical size requirements of their breed standards. The other explanation for variations in litter size has already been demonstrated to be nutrition and conditioning.

Since there was no body of literature on this subject several breeders and veterinarians were contacted that had reported experiences with single puppy litters. Many of the breeders said that a singleton pup could be 3 a little dog aggressive, less sociable and a little more "abnormal" than an average pup born with littermates. Others said that singleton puppies were not problem pups until they started to take notice of their surroundings. All of the breeders interviewed had also produced pups with large litters and thus had some basis for making the comparison. Most of the breeders assumed that a singleton would be larger than normal thus producing delivery problems, which resulted in a "C" section. Veterinarians on the other hand reported a wide range of different experiences that did not necessarily agree with those indicated by the breeders. Most veterinarians said that a singleton was not a larger, stronger or smarter pup then others of the same breed when larger litters were produced. They also noted that the singleton did not necessarily make a better companion. Only a few reported that they noticed behavior problems even though many-lacked interaction with other littermates.

Based on the experiences of these two groups the recommendations that can be offered suggest a number of approaches. Apart from having no littermates to interact with, the lack of companionship could be compensated for if the dam is encouraged to provide daily stimulation and attention. Puppies learn to be a dog by being part of their "pack" in the nest. Keeping the singleton occupied was found to be important and most recommended handling by different individuals to keep them from becoming bored. While most dams naturally encourage their pups to play, they also teach them good manners. As soon as these pups are old enough they should either go to their new home (8 weeks is early enough), or have them introduced to the owners other dogs.

Three breeders that had a singleton pup produced by frozen semen were also contacted. All reported that the pups were of normal size for their breed (Afghan Hound, Whippets, and German Shepherd). The dams of these singleton puppies had produced average litters before and after the singleton. The cause for the singleton litter according to these breeders was the use of frozen semen. All of the sires had previously produced average size litters. The breeders of these frozen semen litters indicated that it was just bad luck that only one pup occurred. All of these singletons were born naturally except the one produced from 16-year-old semen. Most of the dams had had a previous litter naturally. The classic reason for singletons being born by Caesarian does not seem to be related to the use of frozen semen. The conclusion that one can draw from this material is that breeders of a singleton should take extra care to be sure that they are occupied and do not become bored. Since most dams can only provide a limited amount of playtime these pups should be given more opportunities to play with others (Malcolm Willis). Playgroups were suggested as excellent ways for singletons to learn the social rules of the canine species. All agreed that supervision by humans should not be ignored because the singleton can be injured during unintentional rough play.

The group was asked about the singleton when it had become an adult. While this study was limited to several breeders and veterinarians. They all agreed that the bitches involved in this limited study were considered to be good mothers and had plentiful supplies of milk. Most seemed to adore theyre one and only pup and none were overprotective or lacking in interest. Some were raised in the house as opposed to the kennel. Most of these pups received more supervision and more early human socialization than normally would have been provided while in the nest with a litter. In order to fill the gap involving the lack of stimulation some were placed with other litters. All grew to be normal and healthy. Most but not all were considered well-adjusted adults.

It is not hard to see why swimmers and runts have several things in common with the singleton. During the first few weeks after birth they all tend to be hand raised. They are given so much attention they can be categorized as being treated as a singleton. The differences between them are that most swimmers and runts do no grow up to look like their littermates and few ever become good show or working dogs. Because they are given so much attention and handling, the human bond generally is very good and most make wonderful pets.

Based on a review of this complex subject and the answers gathered, it seems fair to use a conclusion reached by Scott and Fuller in the 1950's. While they did not study singletons and litter size per se, they did study differences between breeds and individuals within a breed. One of there conclusions was that there are measurable differences between breeds that are both physical and behavioral. They found that although there is a great deal of overlap between breeds, the individual capacities they will have are likely to be highly variable. They also found that most pups that become great performers and able to perform extraordinary tasks seem to have different capacities. In short, they "probably have special combinations of certain capacities which are largely the result of accidental selection".

Forum: Old Messages

If You Want To Be Happy For The Rest Of Your Life Never

pallone — Thur, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:19 GMT

I was thinking of the song If you want to be Happy for the rest of your life Never Make a Pretty Woman your Wife. It can also be said If you want to be Happy for the rest of your life never make a Pretty Mastiff your wife in breeding

Many Judges say they want to see the feminine Mastiff....yet there is no wording in the Standard that changes for a Bitch. Do you really want a "Pretty Feminine" Bitch or a "Massive Mastiff" Bitch? I always told the boys.......if you want a football team of sons.......never marry that feminine pretty girl.........they will not give you the defensive tackle sons you want.

So what are your views on Bitches and the way they should Look????? I think the Bitch really does carry the litter and the dog only enhances the litter if the combination is good to begin with. Please put up pics of your girls and remember

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwpR2-9EvsQ

Forum: Old Messages

Herbal Medications

pallone — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:33:09 GMT

Even in ancient times herbs and plants were used for medication for animals. Most of us scoff at the thought of using them and we forget even the Chemical Companies of today use them and derivatives from them.

Most people do not realize what a Master Gardener does. It is not that we have gardens or perfect landscaping that we get to call ourselves that. We do mostly research and teaching for the Counties we live in from plants, food, water harvesting, pests, to fire control issues. We are taught to embrace the organic side of planting, but never overlook what works best at the best price. So we do Chemicals also. I have to get CEU's to maintain the chemical license I have, and that is thru classes and seminars. I decided to do a proposal to include a Master Gardener in many of these seminars which mostly include chemicals, livestock, grasses and pasture grazing. My proposal includes one proposal of Medicated Pastures for livestock. It includes how certain plants kill livestock and other plants give worming and health benefits. It should help Ranchers in raising healthier livestock.

Anyway to the point........as I look up one thing to help in livestock, I always think of the dogs. I enjoyed Wynn's book of medicine of that time also. So maybe we should look into what plants and herbs help us and the dogs and which ones harm us. I had a thread on many that help for fleas but it dropped off when this board only had a one page limit.

So anything you find or can recommend may help someone else. Besides plants and herbs look good and smell great around your house.

Forum: Old Messages

True meaning of giving please act now!

Natalie — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:02:43 GMT

Cards Pour In for Boy Dying of Cancer

AOL

posted: 6 HOURS 34 MINUTES AGO

comments: 379

filed under: Good News

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(Nov. 9) - Thousands of cards and gifts have been pouring in from around the world for a Michigan boy who might not live to see Christmas.

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Family photo

Noah Biorkman, is pictured in an undated family photo during healthier times

The parents of 5-year-old Noah Biorkman decided to celebrate Christmas last weekend, and they asked people to send the boy early Christmas cards. Noah has been diagnosed with stage IV neuroblastoma and is currently under the care of hospice, Detroit radio station WYCD reported.

"Noah Biorkman is in hospice, and we need your help to make this the best Christmas ever by sending him Christmas cards!" said a message on WYCD.com.

Noah, who lives in South Lyon, Mich., was diagnosed with cancer in February 2007 when he was 3. He went into remission in August 2007. In September 2008, Noah relapsed with lesions in his right arm and right leg. After going through six different trials, the cancer has continued to spread.

The Biorkman family has received thousands of cards and packages from people they've never met. One box contained an angel ornament, which Noah proclaimed one of his favorite gifts.

"His time is very short," Noah's mother, Diana Biorkman, told local TV station WDIV. "We wanted to make sure he got Christmas."

She said their family dropped everything to be with Noah for his early Christmas. Even Santa Claus was there, arriving on a big red firetruck, courtesy of the South Lyon Fire Department.

Even though the family has already celebrated the holiday, Christmas cards for Noah can still be sent to: Noah Biorkman, c/o 99.5 WYCD, 2201 Woodward Heights Blvd., Ferndale, MI 48220-1511.

For more details on this story, visit WYCD.

2009-11-05 14:47:46

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PLEASE, SEND THIS ANGEL A CARD OR A SMALL TOKEN SO HE CONTINUES TO KNOW HOW MUCH HE IS LOVED. I CAN TELL YOU IT WILL BE A THREAD OF STRENGTH FOR HIS PARENTS AND WILL BRING HIM JOY RIGHT NOW, WHEN HE NEEDS IT MOST.

Forum: Old Messages

SSMRescue Calendars

nwhobrey — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:08:56 GMT

PLEASE HELP OUR RESCUES!!!!!!!!!!

I received some of mine in the mail today, they are SOOO NICE

The 2010 SSMF Mastiff Calendars are ready for shipping!

Please help SSMF to give as large a donation to SSMR this year as possible- the Mastiffs have never needed us more.

Less than 200 calendars are available.

This year the calendar is a 16 month calendar instead of a twelve month.

Dog show dates for our region in 2010 are included as a courtesy.

Like last year, they have laminated front and back covers- just like the fancy ones in the bookstores.

These calendars are priced to SELL at only 18.00 with FREE SHIPPING!

Order online or by mail:

http://www.ssmfmastiff.org/2010CALENDARCONTESTRULES.htm

Forum: Old Messages