I guess that's a fair question. I've
shied away from listing our show wins and such on the entry page for a lot
of reasons.
- Most people surfing the net looking for Mastiff information
don't know or care about all that stuff. The only relevance it holds
is for other show people - to the other 99.9% of the population it is gibberish.
- The initial impact of it is, to me, very self- serving.
Although web sites are meant to be advertisements, the best advertisement
in my opinion is a real love of the breed. Nobody is "the best" at
this stuff because there are so many aspects to calling oneself a Mastiff
fancier. No one person or even entire family can devote
enough time to all of the things which indicate a sense of responsibility
to a breed of dog: rescue, health issues, juniors issues, obedience training,
public relations, public education, and yes, showing and responsible breeding.
It seems very much like the various charities that need our donations:
they are all worthy but it's not realistic to try to do right by supporting
all of them as we wish we could. Anyway, starting off talking about
wins sends a message I'm not interested in sending. That stuff is gravy.
The really hard part is doing what you can for the Mastiffs, not
what the Mastiffs have done for the breeder's ego.
- A real problem is novice, non-show people reading
web sites and being misled. There is no reason for dishonesty in advertising.
The worst offenders are the ones who claim their dogs are 'fully tested'
when they are not. There are a total of nine tests being used currently
to screen Mastiffs: Hips & elbows to OFA; heart checked preferably
by a cardiologist and preferably recorded with OFA; cystinuria (urine) screening
done by UPenn, preferably before a puppy is placed in its new home and definitely
again when the Mastiff is at least 18 months old; eyes checked by a CERF
Diplomate and recorded with CERF; PRA DNA test; thyroid tested as an adult
and rechecked periodically by an approved lab, results again prefereably
recorded with OFA; and finally vWD blood screening and OFA patellae. Some
testing is more important than others, and a breeder might have let non-breeding
dogs get behond on re-checks, but they should not tell you that their dogs
are tested for everything if that is not the case. Also terrible is
giving just the good news and leaving off the negative information. You
will find both negative and positive information about our dogs on this
site. Our dogs are not perfect, but we look
hard for their shortcomings as well as their assets
and we're honest about
both.
- The other way people can be misled is by listing
awards without explaining what they mean. Don't be too taken in by
a long list of alphabet soup, without knowing what the terms mean. Likewise,
also do not be taken in by loads and loads of show photos of dogs - sometimes
there have been only a few nice dogs produced in a kennel and they are shown
over and over again, giving the call name this time and the registered name
another time. This makes the breeder seem more widely successful than
they in fact are.
Anyway, there are a few of the reasons I've skipped a brags
page up until now. I still refuse to plaster wins on the entry page,
because that isn't our primary focus. However, I guess it makes sense
to list some accomplishments so that you know a bit about our dogs and how
they compare to the others you find while surfing. The more significant
show wins are listed on each dog's page for the sake of relevance.
Please keep in mind that any show win is a subjective thing - meaning the
opinion of the one judge on the one day. We show because we enjoy it
as an activity to share with our dogs and our family, and also because we
strongly believe that anyone breeding dogs should be showing them as well.
It's no secret that there are too many pets being surrendered to shelters
every day, and euthanized because there are no good homes willing to take
them. Responsible breeders take each new life they choose to bring
into the world seriously, from start to finish. We do not add to the
problem. If the only dogs which were born were produced by responsible
breeders, there would be no pet population problem.
Responsible breeders show their dogs because they welcome outside opinions
on what they are producing, in terms of temperament and appearance. They
are willing to shoulder the considerable time and expense this involves because
it's so important to not go blindly forward with breeding if you happen to
get off track. You need to have the confidence to exhibit your dogs
in an open forum and weather the opinions of various judges and your competition.
You are even allowed to enjoy it. :) For these reasons,
I'm going to put up a brags page for you to peruse if you like. Please
first read the more important stuff below.
We are very proud of our crew, and love each dog for his or her own traits
here at home first and foremost. Show wins are a secondary -
not a primary - focus.
We love Morpheus, for instance, for being so gentle, even with his stuffed
toys. He carries them around in his mouth and shares them with the
people he loves. He has been a great juniors dog for our eldest daughter
and has been an outstanding canine ambassador in schools, fire stations,
shows, parks, playgrounds, and anywhere he goes.
We love Shaman for his brain that's always working full bore, for his boundless
energy, and for the fact that we're amazed that he's alive. He and
his sister were the sole two survivors of a litter of ten. They have
a singularly wonderful pedigree and thankfully have been able to pass it
along to a few lucky offspring as well. Shaman has never had a shy
day in his life and he's also been a great juniors dog for our children.
We love Evie for her sweet silliness and great sense of humor. She
is the very best with the kids and is one of those dogs without an aggressive
bone in her body. She's beautiful and loving and one of a kind.
We love Mingo for many of the same traits (they are brother and sister,
after all!) He is truly a big lap dog and has come a long way in his
time here. He's loads of fun in agility, and he adores the children
as much as his sister does.
We love Salem because she's so... Salem! She is smart, sweet, clever
and loving. She lives for sleeping in the bed next to us, and I mean
next to us, pressed close, all night long. If there is less than ten
psi between her body and mine, she gets up, turns around a few times and
flops down again, closer. She's a really lovely girl both inside and
out, who seems to be so happy to be part of our family that she makes us
feel special.
We love Sam for many of the reasons we love his dad, Morpheus, and because
he was our first stud puppy back ever. He is smart in ways his dad
never was (but we do love you, Morph!) and which are sometimes trying <G>,
but his unflappable temperament is both a credit to him and a pleasure to
have go with such a handsome bod. He shares with his father that loving
temperament and a total trust in his people, without any sign of aggression
to mar a peaceful existence.
Lastly, we love our Keeper-man! It was a tough job making him a
reality, and he is one of a kind. He combines some work from the past
with a promise of the future. He is quick both mentally and physically,
as are both of his parents, and his solid temperament is again, a real pleasure
to live with and to bring to shows. He is so much himself and yet
also very much a mosaic of his relatives which we have here or which we
remember fondly.
He thinks he can do almost anything, and he might just be right.
Also, gentle and sweet Amy and Phoenix, our brother and sister who are
happily retired and sharing a sofa in the perfect doggie home. Sweet
Sage, who is missed but will never be really gone from our hearts. Peaches,
a perfect golden soul who gave us so much and never asked for anything but
love. Beau and Boone, who have it made with Sue and Dan and who are
great examples of how different an uncle and nephew can be. Zoe, who
also has it made and who chose her new person wisely. Hero/Rocky, always
a mind of his own but found the perfect niche in life and never looked back
though we still miss him. Cheyenne, missing her half-brother Dakota.
Emma and Seeley, both independent souls and now gone but never far
from our hearts.
And Dawn, my heart and soul, who gave us everything and showed us what
a Mastiff should be.
If you need more than that,
here is a brags page.