Merry Christmas
from Boone & Brinkley. We’re keeping
our paws crossed that Santa thinks we were good this year and blesses us with
the gift of a belly full of Brinkley babies.
Have a wonderful holiday everyone!
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Where They Are Now... An Update on the Brinkley & Wally Babies
Well the babies have all been gone for a month now. It' seems like forever ago. I thought for anyone keeping up to date on our saga would like to know where everyone ended up and how they are doing.
Lana, the brindle girl that everyone fell in love with,
also my pick puppy, went back to live with grandma Kelly, Brinkley’s breeder in
NY. She is now known as Patsy, in honor
of her St. Patrick’s Day birth and is officially known as Gryphon’s Try Your
Luck at Harvest Haze.
Pam, the big boned, outgoing fawn girl went to live with Roanne Rist of Rockee Top Mastiffs and lives just 10 minutes from grandma Kelly in NY. Also named in honor of her St. Patrick’s Day birth, Pam is now known as Clover, and is officially known as Gryphon’s Rockee Top Fields of Clover at Harvest Haze.
Here are Patsy and Clover at grandma Kelly's
grooming shop learning to be social butterflies!
Cheryl, the spunky little fawn girl lives in Imperial,
MO with Sam and Mary Ann Bevell. Her new
name is Jasmine, which means “Gift from God”.
She begins her AKC Star Puppy classes this month and will eventually be
trained and certified as a Therapy Dog, assisting her owners in their home
healthcare business.
And last but now least, little (actually big)
Archer. The chunky, sweet little boy
that so many people were fighting over… that everyone wanted. Archer, now known as Roman went to live south
of Kansas City with Tina Chapman. Once
he’s old enough I get to do all his showing!
He’s my ‘keeper puppy in a pet home’.
Roman will also be famous soon. He was sought out to be in the photo
shoot for the upcoming 2014 Santa Paws lottery tickets from the Missouri
Lottery. That being said, everyone is
getting lottery tickets for Christmas this year!
And Boone and Brinkley are here, things have settled
down since the puppies all went home. I
tease that Boone is ‘an old man’ at 4 ½.
He still loves to go, but treasures his sleep is grumpy when you make
him get out of bed too early in the morning!
Brinkley has hit a second childhood since she had the puppies. She plays constantly, is always getting into
mischief and loves to sit on people that visit the house. We recently watched
Jasmine for a weekend and Brinkley was so pleased to have one of her babies and
playmates back. We originally got
Brinkley so Boone would have a playmate, she was his puppy… maybe it’s time for
Brinkley to get a puppy ;)
Friday, May 9, 2014
Preventing Dog Bites Takes Understanding
Originally
printed in the Columbia Missourian, the following article was written by Steven
Bishop, a trainer I worked with locally when Brinkley was in puppy
kindergarten. Steve is a certified dog trainer and teaches group classes and
private lessons. He is also a member of the Pet Professional Guild and a
C.G.C./S.T.A.R. Puppy Evaluator. He lives in Columbia with his wife, two
daughters and his dog, Duncan.
Just outside of San Francisco, on June 18 of last year, a dog fatally bit a child as he played in his grandparents’ backyard. According to the interviews that followed, family and friends stated the dog was never aggressive, never a problem, and they just couldn’t figure out what happened. As you read further, the family admitted that the children were trying to ride the dog.
This incident exemplifies the fact that it is not enough to have an adult present when children and dogs are together. Adults need to recognize the signs and behaviors in a dog before a bite occurs.
Although as a general rule, dogs do not like to stare another dog or a person in the eye, they do continually glance at the face of the other dog or person. With a look-away, the dog will avoid all eye contact and will probably even turn his head away from the person.
Although some believe it is another behavior all together, some believe the walk-away is just an exaggeration of the look-away. The difference, as the name suggests, is when the dog gets up and physically attempts to remove himself from the situation or area that is making him uncomfortable.
Look-aways are often seen when a dog is being hugged by a person. Hugs can make a dog feel trapped and can therefore lead to a bite very quickly. Although people find hugs acceptable and enjoy them, most dogs do not and would prefer to avoid them, particularly with people they are unfamiliar with.
If the dog cannot remove himself from the situation, he may try to make himself look small or unobtrusive. The dog will lower his posture, his ears will be held close to the head, and his tail may be held between his legs. This is the point when the dog is beginning to be dangerous. If he feels there is no escape, he attempts to make himself smaller. If he continues to feel antagonized, this behavior may turn to a bite.
When a bite is becoming more imminent, the dog may freeze or show whale-eye. In earlier stages, the freeze may be an attempt to become less of an apparent threat. In these later stages, the freeze seems to be preparation for a spring and bite. Again, these have to be taken in context with the other signals.
When playing, dogs will often freeze in what is believed to be a way of taking a break or to say “that was just in fun and I’m not going to follow up with anything more aggressive.” If the dog is being aggressive, the freeze may also be accompanied with a snarl, a low growl, ears pinned to the head and back, piloerection (bristling of the hair), and whale-eye. Whale-eye, or half-moon eye is when the dog will stare while the head is turned away exposing a large amount of the white of the eye. This should not be confused with a sideways glance. It usually occurs with a freeze and is a hard stare.
The last signal before a bite may be a growl or muzzle punch. In his book, "How Dogs Think: Understanding the Canine Mind," Dr. Stanley Coren discusses vocalizations in dogs.
Although most people are aware that short, high pitch vocalizations may mean fear or pain. Lower pitches of longer duration may be what are referred to as “distance increasing” signals, or that the dog is getting uncomfortable and would like the person to go away. It may coincide with a tooth display or snarling and can quickly turn to a snap or bite.
Likewise, a muzzle punch is usually the last step before a bite. It is a quick, hard, sharp jab with the muzzle and is intended to make the person leave, or at the least, leave them alone.
Finally, the dog may bite.
A child should be taught to never approach an unfamiliar dog. Always ask before petting an unfamiliar dog. Most dogs enjoy being scratched under the chin and this is usually a much safer option. Never tease a dog, pull their hair, tail, or ears. And never put your face in an unfamiliar dog’s face or try to ride a dog.
It is important to remember not to punish a dog for these behaviors. Dogs do not have the luxury of speaking, so they use the signals available to them. By punishing these behaviors, the dog may learn to skip the more subtle signs and go straight for the bite.
It is important for the person to learn to read these signals so the incident does not escalate to that point. At the earliest signs a dog is becoming uncomfortable (lip licking, yawning, look-aways), it may be best to separate the dog and the child for a time.
And above all, make sure your dog is properly socialized with people and other dogs in an appropriate manner. Don’t wait until there is a problem.
For more in depth information see Sarah Kalnajs’ DVD, "The Language of Dogs: Understanding the Canine Body Language and Other Communication Signals" or visit the website for Dr. Sophia Yin, veterinarian and animal behaviorist.
Just outside of San Francisco, on June 18 of last year, a dog fatally bit a child as he played in his grandparents’ backyard. According to the interviews that followed, family and friends stated the dog was never aggressive, never a problem, and they just couldn’t figure out what happened. As you read further, the family admitted that the children were trying to ride the dog.
This incident exemplifies the fact that it is not enough to have an adult present when children and dogs are together. Adults need to recognize the signs and behaviors in a dog before a bite occurs.
Robin Bennett,
Certified Professional Dog Trainer, in her recent blog, Why Supervising Dogs and Kids Doesn’t
Work, points out that you should not “marvel that your dog has
the patience of Job, …” but you should be “thankful your dog has good bite
inhibition and intervene before it’s too late.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs every year. The American Humane Association states that 82% of dog bites treated in the emergency room were to children under 15. And 70% of dog bite fatalities are children under the age of 10. Most bites could be anticipated and avoided if more people were familiar with the more subtle signs dogs use to communicate.
Some of the signals the average person is unfamiliar with can include panting when the dog is not thirsty, yawning when the dog is not tired, look-aways, and whale eye, referring to being able to see the whites of the dog's eye.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs every year. The American Humane Association states that 82% of dog bites treated in the emergency room were to children under 15. And 70% of dog bite fatalities are children under the age of 10. Most bites could be anticipated and avoided if more people were familiar with the more subtle signs dogs use to communicate.
Some of the signals the average person is unfamiliar with can include panting when the dog is not thirsty, yawning when the dog is not tired, look-aways, and whale eye, referring to being able to see the whites of the dog's eye.
These things must be
taken in context though. A long, low growl from a dog may be an invitation to
play if it is accompanied by a play bow. It may also be a signal that he wants
to be left alone if it coincides with the hair being raised and the ears held
back and close to the head.
This article will
only discuss some of the less familiar signals a dog may give in ascension
from the somewhat uncomfortable to an imminent bite. This is by no means all
inclusive and it would behoove people to watch their dog so they are aware of
when the dog is content and when he is becoming uncomfortable.
When a dog is
beginning to feel uncomfortable, he might lip lick or yawn.
It is unclear as yet if these are behaviors the dog will do to calm himself,
the person, or both. Lip licking is just that: the dog, usually repeatedly,
licks his lips. Yawning is a signal that should be taken in context. When the
dog is not tired it can be an easily seen and early sign of stress.Although as a general rule, dogs do not like to stare another dog or a person in the eye, they do continually glance at the face of the other dog or person. With a look-away, the dog will avoid all eye contact and will probably even turn his head away from the person.
Although some believe it is another behavior all together, some believe the walk-away is just an exaggeration of the look-away. The difference, as the name suggests, is when the dog gets up and physically attempts to remove himself from the situation or area that is making him uncomfortable.
Look-aways are often seen when a dog is being hugged by a person. Hugs can make a dog feel trapped and can therefore lead to a bite very quickly. Although people find hugs acceptable and enjoy them, most dogs do not and would prefer to avoid them, particularly with people they are unfamiliar with.
If the dog cannot remove himself from the situation, he may try to make himself look small or unobtrusive. The dog will lower his posture, his ears will be held close to the head, and his tail may be held between his legs. This is the point when the dog is beginning to be dangerous. If he feels there is no escape, he attempts to make himself smaller. If he continues to feel antagonized, this behavior may turn to a bite.
When a bite is becoming more imminent, the dog may freeze or show whale-eye. In earlier stages, the freeze may be an attempt to become less of an apparent threat. In these later stages, the freeze seems to be preparation for a spring and bite. Again, these have to be taken in context with the other signals.
When playing, dogs will often freeze in what is believed to be a way of taking a break or to say “that was just in fun and I’m not going to follow up with anything more aggressive.” If the dog is being aggressive, the freeze may also be accompanied with a snarl, a low growl, ears pinned to the head and back, piloerection (bristling of the hair), and whale-eye. Whale-eye, or half-moon eye is when the dog will stare while the head is turned away exposing a large amount of the white of the eye. This should not be confused with a sideways glance. It usually occurs with a freeze and is a hard stare.
The last signal before a bite may be a growl or muzzle punch. In his book, "How Dogs Think: Understanding the Canine Mind," Dr. Stanley Coren discusses vocalizations in dogs.
Although most people are aware that short, high pitch vocalizations may mean fear or pain. Lower pitches of longer duration may be what are referred to as “distance increasing” signals, or that the dog is getting uncomfortable and would like the person to go away. It may coincide with a tooth display or snarling and can quickly turn to a snap or bite.
Likewise, a muzzle punch is usually the last step before a bite. It is a quick, hard, sharp jab with the muzzle and is intended to make the person leave, or at the least, leave them alone.
Finally, the dog may bite.
A child should be taught to never approach an unfamiliar dog. Always ask before petting an unfamiliar dog. Most dogs enjoy being scratched under the chin and this is usually a much safer option. Never tease a dog, pull their hair, tail, or ears. And never put your face in an unfamiliar dog’s face or try to ride a dog.
It is important to remember not to punish a dog for these behaviors. Dogs do not have the luxury of speaking, so they use the signals available to them. By punishing these behaviors, the dog may learn to skip the more subtle signs and go straight for the bite.
It is important for the person to learn to read these signals so the incident does not escalate to that point. At the earliest signs a dog is becoming uncomfortable (lip licking, yawning, look-aways), it may be best to separate the dog and the child for a time.
And above all, make sure your dog is properly socialized with people and other dogs in an appropriate manner. Don’t wait until there is a problem.
For more in depth information see Sarah Kalnajs’ DVD, "The Language of Dogs: Understanding the Canine Body Language and Other Communication Signals" or visit the website for Dr. Sophia Yin, veterinarian and animal behaviorist.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Friday, April 18, 2014
Monday, April 7, 2014
Wally and Brinkley Babies are Here!
It’s
been 3 weeks since Brinkley’s babies arrived and I’m just now getting time to
update the website and blog. Welcome
Brinkley x Wally babies, Lana (Brindle girl), Archer (fawn boy), Cheryl (fawn
girl) and Pam (fawn girl). All babies
were born healthy and BIG, 1lb 14oz down to 1lb 8 oz. and have since been
growing like weeds. They are all starting to show their own little personalities and are running around like heathens!
Their first raw meal of ground turkey was a huge success yesterday, but they are still eating from mom every other meal. Everyone is using the potty papers… except Lana once in a while…. Ahem… little stinker and everyone’s ears and eyes are open.
Here are some pictures from a few days ago; I think everyone was 20 or 21 days old here.
Lana, Archer, Pam and Cheryl.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Finding a Mastiff Breeder; The Story of Mack and Murph
Written by my friend Kelley Watkins
Hello fellow Mastiff lovers… A few posts I’ve read recently inspired me to share our story about our two boys, Mack and Murph, whom we lost this past November. My husband Scott and I have talked to so many Mastiff breeders these last three months, and we have been following several Mastiff groups on FB.
At 1.5 years old we noticed Mack was straining to pee;
we took him to an emergency clinic where they found his urethra was completely
blocked with cysteine stones and he was diagnosed with Cystinuria within a few
days. The clinic did emergency surgery to remove the stones and kept him a few
days with a catheter. They removed the catheter and we brought him home, only
for his urethra to block again from swelling. He spent a few more days at our
regular vets office with the catheter, hoping the damage from the stones would
heal, but it didn't. Next we went to Veterinary Referral Center (VRC) near
Philadelphia for a CT scan and they confirmed that he wasn’t healing… So we
took him to Cornell on another emergency basis. They did yet another MAJOR
reconstructive emergency surgery and said it could go either way. He was
hospitalized for over a week in ICU but he pulled through. They had to give him
a stoma - which is when they re-route a male’s urethra to go straight down so
they pee like a female dog. He had a very tough recovery, severe bruising at
the surgical site, and they told us they were sure it was because he also had
Von Willebrands disease.
In the meantime, after some extensive allergy testing, we were treating our apricot dog, Murph, with monthly allergy shots. Then at 3 years old he blew out his cruciate ligament... Back to Cornell for TPLO surgery and several days in the hospital, plus months of follow up and rehab. During this time, the specialists at Cornell told us he also had hip dysplasia. Murph recovered from the surgery beautifully and never had another problem with either cruciate ligament, thankfully, although he did live with and we were able to manage his arthritis with medications and supplements for several years.
Next, at 5 years old, Mack was diagnosed with diabetes. First we had to regulate his insulin dosage (Vetsulin, insulin for dogs), which meant 2-3 days a week twice-a-day glucose checks at our vet’s office @ $70/day, times several months to start, down to weekly visits, monthly visits – but he never did regulate on the Vetsulin and we were in for glucose checks constantly. Mack was on Vetsulin for his diabetes for YEARS – his dosage was SO HIGH because of his size that I would buy 10 vials at a time just to be sure we never ran out, and I think the vials were around $50 each – one vial lasted not even a week. Eventually Vetsulin was taken off the market because animals couldn’t regulate on it, and we switched to a human-grade insulin and had excellent results. Anyway, the worst part of all of it was that the diet for diabetes and Cystinuria are in DIRECT contrast to one another, therefore we struggled for the rest of his life trying to keep the diabetes under control and with constant urinary tract infections. So for 9 years we had been paying for veterinarian prescribe prescription diet for Mack – along with an costly food because of Murph’s grain allergies. (Interesting to mention here that we have since learned that neutering males with Cystinuria basically stops stone formation. We did consult with 2 dieticians over the years, but they apparently, unfortunately, were unaware of this).
At age 8 Mack lost his vision due to the diabetes. At first we were crushed, but soon learned that veterinary ophthalmologists can replace a dog’s cataracts the same as is done with humans. We met the wonderful ophthalmologist at Veterinary Referral Center (VRC) and Mack had his sight back a few weeks later. It felt like a blessing!
Immediately after the surgery, however, noticed Mack was having trouble with his hind legs, dragging his feet, obviously loss of strength. The concern was an issue with his hips or back so the specialist sent him for an MRI. When he came out of the MRI he could barely walk - he had almost zero use of his hind legs. We met with an orthopedic surgeon at VRC and he believed Mack's problem was neuropathy from the diabetes, somehow complicated and exasperated from being under deep anesthesia – first with the eye surgery and then with the MRI. We carried Mack with 2 slings for almost a week, and then sure enough, he started to regain strength, and within 2-3 weeks he was back to okay.
At 8 and 9 years old Murph and Mack both went in for removal of 'lumps'. Mack had one on his thigh, which turned out to be benign. The tumor on Murph's chest, however, was a malignant soft tissue sarcoma. After 18 rounds of radiation and 3 weeks stay at Cornell (home on weekends), we did achieve a cure for Murph. Yeah!
At almost 10 years old Mack developed another lump in the exact same spot on his thigh; unfortunately, this time the tumor was malignant - another soft tissue sarcoma, level 3. The entire story surrounding the surgery our local vet did is another story in and of itself, but in short, he left a diabetic dog with an open wound and sent him home without use of his hind legs (we told him not to do the surgery if he had to use deep sedation, that we would just go to Cornell, but he did it anyway). We were furious. We once again carried Mack with the slings and nursed him back to health for a week, but he took an ABRUPT turn for the worse in about 12 hours time and we had no idea why, except that his wound suddenly smelled and he could hardly walk or breath. My husband drove Mack to Cornell at 2am where he stayed in ICU for 8 days. They had to completely reopen the wound, perform yet another surgery, and place a vacuumed catheter to remove the infection. The doctors didn't think he would make it do to the severity of his infection (as it turned out, Mack already had a urinary tract infection and our vet should have check first given Mack's history with recurring UTIs; that surgery never should have been done in the first place). Again, after lengthy anesthesia, he lost use of his back legs, and it was another 2-3 weeks of slings to get the big guy around. But he pulled through once again, and once again proved to us that he had a stronger will to live than any soul we've ever known. I always teased he was secretly a cat, with 9 lives.
After Mack's diagnosis of a grade-3 soft tissue sarcoma in March of 2013 we were at a loss for what to do. Due to the aggressiveness of his tumor the doctors gave us 3 months. We were devastated beyond words. We always did anything and everything we could for our boys, but anything we did at this point for him was simply palliative. We did have the option of amputating his leg, but the doctors advised strongly against it because of his diabetes, neuropathy, and issues with deep sedation. Our only other option was palliative radiation, which would give us an additional 0-3 months, and we didn’t want him gone, in a hospital, for 3 weeks if we only had 3 months left with him. The tumor continued to grow but Mack was doing great. After a few months we heard of a drug called Palladia, it's not chemotherapy but a very new and exciting anti-cancer drug. Palladia is typically used to treat mast cell tumors. It is VERY expensive; from a specialty clinic clients will pay up to $40/50mg pill. Mack, because of his size (yet only 155 pounds at the time) was on 9 of these pills a week. And that was only one of the SEVERAL medications he was on. (I mention the costs because there are less expensive ways to acquire this medication, so if you or anyone you know needs or uses it, PLEASE just ask and Scott or I will share our experience…) Anyway, we started Mack on the Palladia and noticed the tumor stopped growing and his very enlarged lymph node in his belly did as well. Once again we felt very blessed.
But the Thursday before Thanksgiving, Murph had a seizure. We took him to a local emergency clinic - he was acting very strange and we noticed his belly was sensitive. The doctor there told us he was just acting post-ichtal, or post-seizure, and sent him home, but the following morning we were just not feeling good about Murph's condition. We brought him to a different emergency clinic where the discovered gastric torsion; he had surgery immediately. He was in the hospital for 5 days, and developed pneumonia, but was recovering well so we were able to bring him home the night before Thanksgiving. Two days after Thanksgiving however, he took a rapid turn for the worse, so we went back to the clinic, where they discovered he was throwing blood clots into his lungs and intestines. We had no choice, he was suffering and there was nothing they could do. We held our beloved big red dog as we cried and said goodbye.
When we got home we could tell Mack knew... he wouldn't leave Murph's bed and was obviously heartbroken. Two nights later Mack had a seizure - we were not too worried as he'd had two seizures previously and recovered immediately. (At his age and health condition - and once again complications due to anesthesia – our doctors didn't want to sedate him for an MRI of his brain. Because the seizures were 'innocent', they told us to just keep an eye on him). The following morning he had two more seizures, 45 minutes apart, and they left him with no use of his back legs. We went back to the emergency clinic and the neurologist believed the cancer had metastasized to his brain, and that the final seizure/s had caused and embolism to travel down his spine, and that was why he couldn't use his hind legs. We were beyond devastated, how could we be here again, 2 1/2 days later? He had fought his fight and outlived everyone’s expectations - 9 months. It was time to say goodbye to our first baby, and it was the hardest thing we've ever done. I would do anything to have our two boys back - I would do it ALL over again if I could just have them. That would be heaven.
Over the past 8 years I have made countless trips to Cornell, a 2.5 hour drive, and to VRC near Philadelphia, 2 hours - on average once a month. So much so that I can truthfully say I have made some true friends in some of the doctors, nurses and technicians. During this entire time we also welcomed into our family 4 beautiful children, which definitely made a lot of the traveling and lengthy appointment times stressful and difficult - but we found doctors that were wonderful and compassionate. The truth was, Mack and Murph were our first babies and we were committed to doing anything and everything we could to keep them stay happy and healthy. We did what we had to, to make it work.
So… we encourage you to find a breeder who is honest, kind and knowledgeable, someone who has vast experience and understands the breed, someone who is willing to communicate and stay in touch after you purchase a puppy, and of course someone who is responsible and committed to taking advantage of the health testing available. I’m here to tell you the great news is they are out there! Just do your research and ask a lot of questions.
THANK YOU for taking the time to read our Mastiff Love Story, all the best to our mastiff friends! Kelley and Scott
Hello fellow Mastiff lovers… A few posts I’ve read recently inspired me to share our story about our two boys, Mack and Murph, whom we lost this past November. My husband Scott and I have talked to so many Mastiff breeders these last three months, and we have been following several Mastiff groups on FB.
So please excuse my very lengthy story below, but I was
reading a post on Facebook by another member this past week about finding a
reputable breeder and about health testing, and I was so motivated to try to
make a DIFFERENCE. I can tell you from firsthand
experience – if you do not find a reputable breeder, if you do not do your
research, and you do not insist on the health testing that is recommended for
this breed (you can refer to http://www.htpuppiescb.com), you are doing
yourself and this glorious breed a huge disservice. There are countless
back yard breeders and puppy mills out there – please do not support them (and
yes, many of them do have fancy websites and even some show titles, and
naturally they are going to be very kind so they can sell you a puppy). You MAY
have to pay a bit more from a reputable breeder, but the truth is, mastiffs are
expensive, and if someone is offering you one for cheap, it is a RED FLAG.
Also, be concerned more with how much it costs to OWN a mastiff, not how much
to buy one. Please make sure, financially, not only can you maintain the
regular costs, but the possible and unexpected costs as well. Please do not
allow yourself to end up in a position where you must surrender your mastiff
because of these ‘unexpected’ issues. I am not trying to scare you away; if
anything I have tried to convince everyone I know that the mastiff is the most
glorious breed you will ever have the honor of knowing. But if you are not
prepared to manage the expenses and commitments that are associated with owning
a giant breed, simply wait until you can.
Scott and I were so naïve 11 years ago when we bought our first mastiff, and second mastiff, from a back yard breeder guy/wife near Pittsburgh. We are sharing our experience for many reasons; one being that hopefully others won’t make the same mistakes we made and also so potential owners have realistic expectations of just how difficult it can be if you don’t do your due diligence. I will say right now that I definitely do not believe our experience is typical or even close to average. But it DID happen to us, and the expenses and heartache can be very difficult; we never spent a moment complaining (maybe crying) and certainly never a moment spent on regret. And while nothing is guaranteed (no matter who the breeder or the length of the health testing), I urge you to commit to doing it right from the beginning, supporting the right folks, and starting out with the best possible chances if you are going to purchase a mastiff puppy.
We are hoping that by sharing our story, we will help raise awareness, which will decrease support of BYBs and PMs, which will decrease the number of unhealthy mastiffs being bred, which will FINALLY, in turn, greatly reduce illness and suffering in our breed – AND turnovers to shelters. Also, we have obviously been through a lot of health issues with our mastiffs; and while we are not experts of any kind, we do have quite a bit of knowledge and experience in certain areas. It would be our pleasure to help anyone we can, especially because we see it as a way to HONOR OUR TWO BEAUTIFUL BOYS and everything they were through.
So, our story: We decided we wanted a mastiff in 2003 and almost immediately found a breeder online - awesome website, super nice guy/family, lots of pictures of beautiful dogs, cute puppies and stories from happy owners. We bought a fawn male from him in May, Mack, and we were instantly in LOVE. So much that we decided on a second apricot mastiff, Murph, who we brought home the following February. They were instant best friends. According to the breeder they had the same father - but we were never able to obtain the promised and paid-for AKC papers for Mack. We later learned he came from North or South Carolina, not Pittsburgh where this breeder was from.
Scott and I were so naïve 11 years ago when we bought our first mastiff, and second mastiff, from a back yard breeder guy/wife near Pittsburgh. We are sharing our experience for many reasons; one being that hopefully others won’t make the same mistakes we made and also so potential owners have realistic expectations of just how difficult it can be if you don’t do your due diligence. I will say right now that I definitely do not believe our experience is typical or even close to average. But it DID happen to us, and the expenses and heartache can be very difficult; we never spent a moment complaining (maybe crying) and certainly never a moment spent on regret. And while nothing is guaranteed (no matter who the breeder or the length of the health testing), I urge you to commit to doing it right from the beginning, supporting the right folks, and starting out with the best possible chances if you are going to purchase a mastiff puppy.
We are hoping that by sharing our story, we will help raise awareness, which will decrease support of BYBs and PMs, which will decrease the number of unhealthy mastiffs being bred, which will FINALLY, in turn, greatly reduce illness and suffering in our breed – AND turnovers to shelters. Also, we have obviously been through a lot of health issues with our mastiffs; and while we are not experts of any kind, we do have quite a bit of knowledge and experience in certain areas. It would be our pleasure to help anyone we can, especially because we see it as a way to HONOR OUR TWO BEAUTIFUL BOYS and everything they were through.
So, our story: We decided we wanted a mastiff in 2003 and almost immediately found a breeder online - awesome website, super nice guy/family, lots of pictures of beautiful dogs, cute puppies and stories from happy owners. We bought a fawn male from him in May, Mack, and we were instantly in LOVE. So much that we decided on a second apricot mastiff, Murph, who we brought home the following February. They were instant best friends. According to the breeder they had the same father - but we were never able to obtain the promised and paid-for AKC papers for Mack. We later learned he came from North or South Carolina, not Pittsburgh where this breeder was from.
In the meantime, after some extensive allergy testing, we were treating our apricot dog, Murph, with monthly allergy shots. Then at 3 years old he blew out his cruciate ligament... Back to Cornell for TPLO surgery and several days in the hospital, plus months of follow up and rehab. During this time, the specialists at Cornell told us he also had hip dysplasia. Murph recovered from the surgery beautifully and never had another problem with either cruciate ligament, thankfully, although he did live with and we were able to manage his arthritis with medications and supplements for several years.
Next, at 5 years old, Mack was diagnosed with diabetes. First we had to regulate his insulin dosage (Vetsulin, insulin for dogs), which meant 2-3 days a week twice-a-day glucose checks at our vet’s office @ $70/day, times several months to start, down to weekly visits, monthly visits – but he never did regulate on the Vetsulin and we were in for glucose checks constantly. Mack was on Vetsulin for his diabetes for YEARS – his dosage was SO HIGH because of his size that I would buy 10 vials at a time just to be sure we never ran out, and I think the vials were around $50 each – one vial lasted not even a week. Eventually Vetsulin was taken off the market because animals couldn’t regulate on it, and we switched to a human-grade insulin and had excellent results. Anyway, the worst part of all of it was that the diet for diabetes and Cystinuria are in DIRECT contrast to one another, therefore we struggled for the rest of his life trying to keep the diabetes under control and with constant urinary tract infections. So for 9 years we had been paying for veterinarian prescribe prescription diet for Mack – along with an costly food because of Murph’s grain allergies. (Interesting to mention here that we have since learned that neutering males with Cystinuria basically stops stone formation. We did consult with 2 dieticians over the years, but they apparently, unfortunately, were unaware of this).
At age 8 Mack lost his vision due to the diabetes. At first we were crushed, but soon learned that veterinary ophthalmologists can replace a dog’s cataracts the same as is done with humans. We met the wonderful ophthalmologist at Veterinary Referral Center (VRC) and Mack had his sight back a few weeks later. It felt like a blessing!
Immediately after the surgery, however, noticed Mack was having trouble with his hind legs, dragging his feet, obviously loss of strength. The concern was an issue with his hips or back so the specialist sent him for an MRI. When he came out of the MRI he could barely walk - he had almost zero use of his hind legs. We met with an orthopedic surgeon at VRC and he believed Mack's problem was neuropathy from the diabetes, somehow complicated and exasperated from being under deep anesthesia – first with the eye surgery and then with the MRI. We carried Mack with 2 slings for almost a week, and then sure enough, he started to regain strength, and within 2-3 weeks he was back to okay.
At 8 and 9 years old Murph and Mack both went in for removal of 'lumps'. Mack had one on his thigh, which turned out to be benign. The tumor on Murph's chest, however, was a malignant soft tissue sarcoma. After 18 rounds of radiation and 3 weeks stay at Cornell (home on weekends), we did achieve a cure for Murph. Yeah!
At almost 10 years old Mack developed another lump in the exact same spot on his thigh; unfortunately, this time the tumor was malignant - another soft tissue sarcoma, level 3. The entire story surrounding the surgery our local vet did is another story in and of itself, but in short, he left a diabetic dog with an open wound and sent him home without use of his hind legs (we told him not to do the surgery if he had to use deep sedation, that we would just go to Cornell, but he did it anyway). We were furious. We once again carried Mack with the slings and nursed him back to health for a week, but he took an ABRUPT turn for the worse in about 12 hours time and we had no idea why, except that his wound suddenly smelled and he could hardly walk or breath. My husband drove Mack to Cornell at 2am where he stayed in ICU for 8 days. They had to completely reopen the wound, perform yet another surgery, and place a vacuumed catheter to remove the infection. The doctors didn't think he would make it do to the severity of his infection (as it turned out, Mack already had a urinary tract infection and our vet should have check first given Mack's history with recurring UTIs; that surgery never should have been done in the first place). Again, after lengthy anesthesia, he lost use of his back legs, and it was another 2-3 weeks of slings to get the big guy around. But he pulled through once again, and once again proved to us that he had a stronger will to live than any soul we've ever known. I always teased he was secretly a cat, with 9 lives.
After Mack's diagnosis of a grade-3 soft tissue sarcoma in March of 2013 we were at a loss for what to do. Due to the aggressiveness of his tumor the doctors gave us 3 months. We were devastated beyond words. We always did anything and everything we could for our boys, but anything we did at this point for him was simply palliative. We did have the option of amputating his leg, but the doctors advised strongly against it because of his diabetes, neuropathy, and issues with deep sedation. Our only other option was palliative radiation, which would give us an additional 0-3 months, and we didn’t want him gone, in a hospital, for 3 weeks if we only had 3 months left with him. The tumor continued to grow but Mack was doing great. After a few months we heard of a drug called Palladia, it's not chemotherapy but a very new and exciting anti-cancer drug. Palladia is typically used to treat mast cell tumors. It is VERY expensive; from a specialty clinic clients will pay up to $40/50mg pill. Mack, because of his size (yet only 155 pounds at the time) was on 9 of these pills a week. And that was only one of the SEVERAL medications he was on. (I mention the costs because there are less expensive ways to acquire this medication, so if you or anyone you know needs or uses it, PLEASE just ask and Scott or I will share our experience…) Anyway, we started Mack on the Palladia and noticed the tumor stopped growing and his very enlarged lymph node in his belly did as well. Once again we felt very blessed.
But the Thursday before Thanksgiving, Murph had a seizure. We took him to a local emergency clinic - he was acting very strange and we noticed his belly was sensitive. The doctor there told us he was just acting post-ichtal, or post-seizure, and sent him home, but the following morning we were just not feeling good about Murph's condition. We brought him to a different emergency clinic where the discovered gastric torsion; he had surgery immediately. He was in the hospital for 5 days, and developed pneumonia, but was recovering well so we were able to bring him home the night before Thanksgiving. Two days after Thanksgiving however, he took a rapid turn for the worse, so we went back to the clinic, where they discovered he was throwing blood clots into his lungs and intestines. We had no choice, he was suffering and there was nothing they could do. We held our beloved big red dog as we cried and said goodbye.
When we got home we could tell Mack knew... he wouldn't leave Murph's bed and was obviously heartbroken. Two nights later Mack had a seizure - we were not too worried as he'd had two seizures previously and recovered immediately. (At his age and health condition - and once again complications due to anesthesia – our doctors didn't want to sedate him for an MRI of his brain. Because the seizures were 'innocent', they told us to just keep an eye on him). The following morning he had two more seizures, 45 minutes apart, and they left him with no use of his back legs. We went back to the emergency clinic and the neurologist believed the cancer had metastasized to his brain, and that the final seizure/s had caused and embolism to travel down his spine, and that was why he couldn't use his hind legs. We were beyond devastated, how could we be here again, 2 1/2 days later? He had fought his fight and outlived everyone’s expectations - 9 months. It was time to say goodbye to our first baby, and it was the hardest thing we've ever done. I would do anything to have our two boys back - I would do it ALL over again if I could just have them. That would be heaven.
Over the past 8 years I have made countless trips to Cornell, a 2.5 hour drive, and to VRC near Philadelphia, 2 hours - on average once a month. So much so that I can truthfully say I have made some true friends in some of the doctors, nurses and technicians. During this entire time we also welcomed into our family 4 beautiful children, which definitely made a lot of the traveling and lengthy appointment times stressful and difficult - but we found doctors that were wonderful and compassionate. The truth was, Mack and Murph were our first babies and we were committed to doing anything and everything we could to keep them stay happy and healthy. We did what we had to, to make it work.
So… we encourage you to find a breeder who is honest, kind and knowledgeable, someone who has vast experience and understands the breed, someone who is willing to communicate and stay in touch after you purchase a puppy, and of course someone who is responsible and committed to taking advantage of the health testing available. I’m here to tell you the great news is they are out there! Just do your research and ask a lot of questions.
THANK YOU for taking the time to read our Mastiff Love Story, all the best to our mastiff friends! Kelley and Scott
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Vaccination Protocol for Our Mastiffs and Puppies
We believe in raising our Mastiffs as
naturally as possible. This means we
raise our dogs on a raw diet and vaccinate minimally. When you get a puppy from Gryphon Mastiffs
the puppy is on a modified version of Dr. Jean Dodd, DVM’s vaccination
protocol. However, instead of using the
combination shot she recommends (Nobivac – Distemper and Parvo in one shot) we
vaccinate for each illness separately to keep from introducing 2 different
deadly virus’s into the puppies system at once.
At 6-7 weeks your puppy will be vaccinated
with NeoVacc-D (for Distemper) and at 8-9 weeks
with NeoPar (for Parvo). At 11 weeks
your puppy will need a booster of the NeoVacc-D and at 13 weeks a booster with
the NeoPar. We strongly advise to keep
your puppy on Vitamin C during this entire time to help keep their immune
systems strong (as both these vaccines are modified LIVE virus’s). We also recommend you pre-treat your pupy
with the oral homeopathic Thuja to help blunt any adverse effects of the vaccines.
Thuja can be given the day before, the day of, and the day after the vaccine to
help prevent vaccine reactions.
At 20 weeks (or older if your state allows) your puppy
will need a rabies vaccine. The only
mercury free vaccine on the market is the Merial IMRAB TF vaccination. You can
pre-treat your puppy this time with the oral homeopathics, Thuja and Lyssin, to help blunt any adverse
effects of the rabies vaccine. These homeopathics can be given the day before,
the day of, and the day after the vaccine.
At one year the protocol above can be
repeated (we recommend titering instead of vaccinating if your state allows it
on all vaccinations, however many states and municipalities require a rabies
vaccination), but make sure each vaccine is given at least 3 weeks apart. Repeat the oral homeopathies listed above.
Sometimes it
is difficult
to find a veterinarian who gives single virus vaccinations per this vaccination
protocol. Many vets are still using
outdated data in regards to vaccinating. All twenty seven (27) of the
Veterinary Schools in the United States have adopted these drastically modified protocols of Dr. Jean Dodd. If your Vet is willing to work with you and do what’s best for your
puppy or dog, you or your veterinarian can purchase these vaccinations online
from such places as Revival Animal Health or KV Vet Supply. Your vet can then
administer the shot.If your vet is pushing you to over-vaccinate please do your research or contact us (or ultimately find a new vet). Remember, YOU are the advocate for your dog. NOT your vet, NOT the vaccine companies, NOT the dog food companies (all profit based businesses). YOU and YOU alone are your dog’s advocate. Many vets follow what they learned in vet school 20+ years ago. Many vets follow the protocol’s set forth by the dog food companies (specifically Science Diet in many areas). Many vets don’t know there is a difference in the way you treat and medicate a giant breed vs. any other breed. Many vets don’t know the nutritional requirement for a growing giant breed, NOT the same thing as a large breed. Many vets don’t know that there are numerous Anesthesia’s’ that are unsafe for use in Mastiffs. And finally, the person at the pet store is NOT qualified to give you advice as to what to feed your pet. They always try to do it, but what qualification do they have? It is YOUR job as your dog’s advocate to make sure the right decisions are being made in regards to the well-being of your family member. If your vet or anyone else is trying to bully or push you into decisions that don’t make you feel comfortable trust your instincts and find a second opinion.
Again, the vaccines we recommend using
if you have to vaccinate your puppy:
- Distemper Shot: NeoVacc-D by NeoTech – available online from such places as Revival Animal Health or KV Vet Supply.
- Single Parvo Shot: NeoPar by Neotech – available online from such places as Revival Animal Health or KV Vet Supply.
- Rabies Vaccine: thimerosal (mercury) – free – i.e. Merial IMRAB TF.
For anyone intersted, Dr. Jean Dodd, DVM’s
vaccination protocol can be found at http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/66693331640/dodds-dog-vaccination-protocol-2013-2014#.UwURMvaYbVg
Friday, February 14, 2014
Valentines Day 2014
Happy Valentines Day!
Brinkley's pregnant! We won't know until they get here with how many, sexes or
colors, but we sure are excited!
Monday, February 3, 2014
Doritos Commercial in Superbowl 2014 May in Fact Be the Worst Commercial Ever Made
Don’t care about the dogs. We’ll let’s look at it this way. A dog is an animal; even the most trusted pet is still an animal. You can never say never when it comes to a dog biting someone. If you do you’re naïve. So when some kid that saw that commercial takes the 5 seconds his mom isn’t watching him to sit on top of the family dogs back the first thing that will happen is that dog will feel pain. A reaction to pain in a canine is to bite or snap at what’s causing them pain. What’s in the line of fire? The kids face. That alone is enough reasoning to not promote this ad campaign. Doritos ignored feedback from 100’s of people because, well, I guess the almighty dollar speaks. They couldn’t care less. Makes you all warm and fuzzy inside to buy their products and support their ethics doesn’t it. Not so much. I know I will be making a conscious effort to avoid purchasing any of their products in the future.
Below is a comment to someone complaining about us “haters” and how we should just accept how cute the commercial was and get over it. Best response I’ve seen yet far better than I could have responded and shared with her permission:
Today, I went out to the beach to walk 3 of my male Mastiffs...it was a nice day here in Southern California. Just before I hit the sand near a boardwalk that leads to a local pier where people fish from and stroll to enjoy themselves I was approached by two men in their late 50's...they made a statement:
"How much for a pony ride."
In my typical fashion (as of late), I don't turn to look nor do I respond....it's taken time to hone that skill down and not come back with a snappy response that in the past (when I was younger) I would've involved the guy's wife or his buddy with something like:
"Oh about the same as riding your wife." Or: "You tired of riding your 'bum-buddy' there?"
Yes I'll admit it sounds rather crass...never mind the visual...but I've hit middle-age rather hard and no doubt I'll get even more cantankerous with age if I don't begin biting my tongue when it comes to individuals as such.
I knew the better as to what one of the two men meant...I mean come on...the "funny idea" (known as a joke) of what they were inferring was not lost on me.
These boys of mine are the quintessential of what a typical Mastiff should look like...and they're big....big as a horse I guess according to these chaps...or chumps if you will.
Now that being said, "Do I give a crap about what a person's (meaning one) perspective and silly statement?
Not really...but when it comes to a commercial that reaches the ears and eyes of multitudes of folks I'm going to have to say I beg to differ.
I wish I had enough toes and fingers that I could count on about people from the general public (and not just with children...old and young adults too) that have made attempts to literally "ride" my Mastiffs (that are show dogs by the way) while on walks, at dog parks, special events and even at dog shows such as Westminster and Eukanuba in front of me!!
I won't even go into how much that it took of every fiber of my being NOT TO COME UNGLUED! And making every attempt to be "civil" about it and educate all the while.
I won't even go into how much that it took of every fiber of my being NOT TO COME UNGLUED! And making every attempt to be "civil" about it and educate all the while.
"Yeah, but it's a commercial." Heard that before too...have you ever heard of folks re-attempting "Jack-Ass" stunts even after being told on the screen "Do not attempt this at home." declaration and committing injury to themselves?
Just look at Youtube if you don't believe me.
When it comes to my Mastiffs, I can ill-afford to have a "laissez faire" attitude and unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I have to do the thinking for people who approach me and want to meet and pet my Mastiffs...it's only fair to all those involved...but more importantly to my boys and girls...
Monday, January 27, 2014
A Mastiff Poem
A
little something written by my friend Terri Perkins, Oso Bodacious
Mastiffs. Enjoy!
Soft
and gentle, are the snores
that
shake my windows and rattle my doors.
Paws
as big as dinner plates,
smash
my feet like ten ton weights.
Drool that hangs from lips to floor,
I wipe
it off, and still there’s more.
Slingers
high, and slingers low,
where
all they go, I do not know.
When
the TV doorbells ring,
the
pack I have begins to sing.
To the
potty I will go.
With
my entour--age in tow.
When
they grunt and pass their gas,
I pray
the Lord, this too shall pass.
Drool
rags hang around the place.
To
wipe that slimy, drippy face.
When
I’m chilled, they warm my feet.
Mastiff
love cannot be beat.Friday, January 17, 2014
A Little Insight Into Why Reputable Breeders Have Contracts
I saw a
post on Facebook recently from a friend who had several experiences with buyer
in direct breach of the contracts they signed when they purchased their
puppies. I wanted to share this to give puppy buyers a little bit of insight
into why breeders have so many clauses in their contracts. Some may seem insignificant or silly, but
they are all there for the protection of the dog, and that’s what’s important
to a breeder (and should be to a buyer and owner). Furthermore I would like to state for the record that my puppy contract is upwards of 10 page and I feel like after reading the story below I need to go back and add some things!
“Recently I made a post regarding a prospective puppy family having issues with our contract we have in place for anyone who would like one of our puppies. This family chose not to get one of our puppies due to me not being lenient with the stipulations of it. And it worked out amazingly considering this puppy has a wonderful family that adores him. However, it is funny how that all kind of came full circle today. With this particular situation, the family asked me to change a clause that states that if at any time the buyer can no longer keep the dog or no longer wants to, the dog comes back to us. They asked me to add immediate family to that clause. I was okay with that. Then I was asked to omit the part of our contract that states that if they violate any part of our contract, there is monetary penalties that will be enforced, also the part that states that if authorities have to seize the dog for any reason, or if I have to go take possession of the dog, the buyers are responsible for all of my costs. I would not do that, deal off. So here is why reputable breeders have these contracts. Today, I pulled a dog from our local shelter that was purchased from a very, reputable breeder in Oregon, by someone in California, 3 years ago. Not only does this breeder have a strict contract in place, they just spoke with this puppy family a few months ago and they were very happy with their dog, told them how much the family loved him, etc. Well, life took a turn, as it often does, and rather than contact the breeder like they are legally, and ethically, supposed to do, they gave it to a family member here in Idaho (which is why I will remove the immediate family part of my contract again). Some issues occurred with the dog and they could no longer keep him either. So there he sat at the shelter. Arrangements were being made to send him to a rescue but luckily we were able to step in, do some homework and get him back where he belongs. He didn't deserve to be at the shelter for the last 15-20 days. This is a case of a bad buyer. The best breeders do all they can to keep tabs on their puppies but some slip through the cracks. But how awesome are they that they instantly are jumping to action and being accountable for their dog. This scenario is not only no fault of the breeder's, but what gives breeders bad names. We put our heart and soul into what we do. So for one of our babies to end up in a shelter, is our worst nightmare.
Scenario 2: I currently have a dog at the kennel whose owners are getting a divorce. AFTER the dog comes in for what I was told was to be a weekend, I find out that they are arguing about who is going to do what with the dog. One spouse moves into an apartment that does not allow pets, the other doesn't know what to do with her either. Yet, neither of them will sign the dog over to me so I can find her a suitable home. So there she sits in a kennel for 2 weeks and counting. And I have no choice but to wait until I get word from one of them My contract, which luckily I high jacked (with permission) from someone who did all the hard work LOL, states that our puppy is not to be held in litigation in a situation like this and if so, the dog comes back to me.
So as you can see, yep, we are a bit strict, odd, strange, protective, obsessive, paranoid, you get the idea, this is why. We care. Not only do we do everything possible to make sure our dogs do not end up in a bad situation, but we also step in and help others who may have been blindsided. We work together, with each other, with rescues, with shelters, etc.”
“Recently I made a post regarding a prospective puppy family having issues with our contract we have in place for anyone who would like one of our puppies. This family chose not to get one of our puppies due to me not being lenient with the stipulations of it. And it worked out amazingly considering this puppy has a wonderful family that adores him. However, it is funny how that all kind of came full circle today. With this particular situation, the family asked me to change a clause that states that if at any time the buyer can no longer keep the dog or no longer wants to, the dog comes back to us. They asked me to add immediate family to that clause. I was okay with that. Then I was asked to omit the part of our contract that states that if they violate any part of our contract, there is monetary penalties that will be enforced, also the part that states that if authorities have to seize the dog for any reason, or if I have to go take possession of the dog, the buyers are responsible for all of my costs. I would not do that, deal off. So here is why reputable breeders have these contracts. Today, I pulled a dog from our local shelter that was purchased from a very, reputable breeder in Oregon, by someone in California, 3 years ago. Not only does this breeder have a strict contract in place, they just spoke with this puppy family a few months ago and they were very happy with their dog, told them how much the family loved him, etc. Well, life took a turn, as it often does, and rather than contact the breeder like they are legally, and ethically, supposed to do, they gave it to a family member here in Idaho (which is why I will remove the immediate family part of my contract again). Some issues occurred with the dog and they could no longer keep him either. So there he sat at the shelter. Arrangements were being made to send him to a rescue but luckily we were able to step in, do some homework and get him back where he belongs. He didn't deserve to be at the shelter for the last 15-20 days. This is a case of a bad buyer. The best breeders do all they can to keep tabs on their puppies but some slip through the cracks. But how awesome are they that they instantly are jumping to action and being accountable for their dog. This scenario is not only no fault of the breeder's, but what gives breeders bad names. We put our heart and soul into what we do. So for one of our babies to end up in a shelter, is our worst nightmare.
Scenario 2: I currently have a dog at the kennel whose owners are getting a divorce. AFTER the dog comes in for what I was told was to be a weekend, I find out that they are arguing about who is going to do what with the dog. One spouse moves into an apartment that does not allow pets, the other doesn't know what to do with her either. Yet, neither of them will sign the dog over to me so I can find her a suitable home. So there she sits in a kennel for 2 weeks and counting. And I have no choice but to wait until I get word from one of them My contract, which luckily I high jacked (with permission) from someone who did all the hard work LOL, states that our puppy is not to be held in litigation in a situation like this and if so, the dog comes back to me.
So as you can see, yep, we are a bit strict, odd, strange, protective, obsessive, paranoid, you get the idea, this is why. We care. Not only do we do everything possible to make sure our dogs do not end up in a bad situation, but we also step in and help others who may have been blindsided. We work together, with each other, with rescues, with shelters, etc.”
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