our English Mastiffs (in Australia): VACCINATIONS, pros/cons and our story...

A Brief History:

Mastiff dogs are one of the oldest recognised breeds in the world and have been depicted on rock carvings, statues and artwork throughout history as far back as 2,000 years before Christ. The modern breed was developed in England in the early 20th Century before almost dying out in the 2nd World War. A joint effort between England and USA successfully restored the numbers and now although not a common breed, the are no longer rare. There are also Tibetan, Neapolitan, French and Argentinean Mastiffs although these are all different from the English.

Physical Characteristics:

Pros & Cons of owning a Mastiff:

Pros: Easy coat care, highly intelligent, excellent guardian, gentle, rarely bark, affectionate and loyal. Cons: Can be stubborn, aren’t often willing to perform ‘menial’ tasks/tricks, drooling and slobbering at mealtimes or after drinking, tail is like a whip so you can’t have ornaments. You need a vehicle that can transport them (or a trailer) – they don’t fit in your average family sedan. Some of the more heavily wrinkled adults have furrows that need to be cleaned on a regular basis. It is also wise to have air-conditioning in your house and car as they don't tolerate the heat. The following can be pros or cons, depending on your viewpoint: Often described by owners as “annoyingly affectionate” – they love to follow their owner everywhere and if they could they would get into your lap for a cuddle! Have a habit of leaning against you and lying with their head on your feet (remember what they weigh!). If going out in public with your Mastiff be prepared to be stared at and questioned incessantly - people are fascinated as they are rarely seen.

What to look for:

Look at as many dogs (pictures or real) as you can so you are familiar with the breed and decide how you would like your dog to look. There are heavily wrinkled Mastiffs and ones who are tighter skinned. Bone lazy ones and those who are more active. Taller thinner ones, or shorter stockier ones. Then put most of your time into inspecting the parents as they are the best indicator of what your puppy will be like. Please don't judge the female too harshly if you are seeing her for the first time with her puppies - pregnancy and lactation take their toll on a bitch's physical appearance so rely on photos of her prior to giving birth! If you want a working Mastiff – one who does the job of guarding and isn’t just a wrinkly face! – then make sure the parents show signs of this when you visit. Parents who bound up to you and lick you to death will have puppies who are similarly jolly. Ideally the Mastiff will watch you intently on arrival and bark – then when told by the owner it is ok they should settle down and even allow you to pat them. They will always watch you intently though.

Cost:

Most puppies cost a minimum of $800 and can fetch up to $1500 or more. English Mastiff puppies are expensive in comparison to other breeds because it is expensive to breed a female (who will often eat up to 3 times her normal food intake while pregnant and lactating) and to raise the puppies (food, worming treatments, vet checks etc). Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can get your money back by breeding from your male/female – giant breed dogs are notoriously difficult to breed and often have trouble during the whelping process (birthing of puppies) – Caesarian births are not unknown. If you factor in the food and veterinary care for your breeding adults and weigh this up against the fact that most giant breeds can only safely have around 3-4 litters before they are too old, then you will quickly realise that many breeders are running at a loss, most breed for love and not profit.

Purebreed? Pedigree? Registered? Papers? Guarantee?

Most people are confused by these terms and what they mean to you as a buyer. Simply put a purebreed dog is one who meets the criteria set by the various Kennel Clubs/Canine Associations. This means the puppy/adult must have proven ancestry for a certain number of generations (usually 3) - this is their 'pedigree'. In order for an animal to be shown it must be registered with the Kennel Club and have papers that detail the puppy’s ancestry. BUT at times these pieces of paper are just that, worthless pieces of paper. They are bought as blanks and the owner fills them in. An unscrupulous owner can put whatever they like. There is no way of guaranteeing what they are filling in is the truth. If you don’t want a dog for showing, papers are not necessary. Guarantees - a little advice that I have learned the hard way. Just because a puppy has papers in no way guarantees you a healthy animal. Being registered and/or a Champion dog (have a prefix of Ch before their name) in no way means a healthy animal. There are many stories of buyers having puppies with major health problems even though they had a "guarantee". This is one of the many stories about such a dog - a champion registered papered animal who only lived a short life: http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/mastiff/ABOUTUS.HTM Read also my post further down on Hip/Joint problems for the reasons why these "health guarantees" are useless. No-one can guarantee the health of your puppy - but you can help prevent potential problems with a little knowledge.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

VACCINATIONS, pros/cons and our story...

VACCINATIONS:
The current Victorian local (government) council vaccination schedule is:
6-8 weeks old: Distemper/Hepatitis/Parvovirus
12-14 weeks old: Distemper/Hepatitis/Parvovirus
16-18 weeks old: Parvovirus
Then every year: Distemper/Hepatitis/Parvovirus

Many vets have a different schedule to this, check with yours. The following is another vet-recommended schedule:

6-8 weeks: Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus
12-14 weeks: Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus & Kennel Cough (C4 and/or C5)
16-18 weeks: Kennel Cough (C4 and/or C5)

But firstly I’d like to share our story. When we had Bullmastiffs (before we upgraded!) we were under the impression that the Vet knew best and sadly this wasn’t the case.

We had our Bullmastiff vaccinated at the (vet) recommended 6 week stage. Soon after he became ill - very ill - with vomiting and diarrhoea. He ended up being dragged back and forth to the Vet (and the $$$ in vet bills multiplying! – not that we cared, we loved him) and eventually on a drip. He was hanging between life and death for 48 hours and then miraculously pulled through. That wasn’t the end. His rehabilitation meant enzyme based (expensive) food as he couldn’t tolerate anything as his intestinal tract and bowel were damaged.

I began reading about why this had happened and what I found out about vaccinations shocked me. Please take the time to read as many of these articles as you can, discuss them with your vet and make up your own mind (note these are overseas sites and their schedule and list of some diseases like rabies don’t apply to Australia, but what I want you to read is the adverse reactions if given too early):

1. http://www.angelfire.com/biz/froghollerfilas/VaccBlanco.html
2. http://www.dogs4sale.com.au/Notice_Board_Dogs_World_UK.htm
3. http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petvacc.htm

4. http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/health/common/vaccinations.html

I am not a vet or have any veterinary qualifications so please direct your enquiries about the best course of vaccinations for your puppy with a vet you trust. In no way am I advocating not vaccinating your dog, just not to do it so early. Waiting until around 10-12 weeks is much safer and unless you are kenneling your dog the risk of catching the diseases the vaccinations protect against is small. I only have my dogs vaccinated up until the age of 12 months, I do not believe in annual booster vaccinations – again, my personal preference.

OUR POLICY REGARDING VACCINATIONS OF PUPS FOR SALE:

Our policy is for the pups to go to their new homes at around 6 weeks of age. Mastiff puppies wean much earlier than smaller breeds of dog so they are not reliant on their mother’s milk for several weeks prior to this.
When the pup has been in your home – happy, healthy and eating well for AT LEAST 2 WEEKS (preferably longer) then you organise to get pup vaccinated with a vet of your choice. Benefits for this is the pup is less likely to have an adverse reaction due to the stress of moving to a new home soon after, or just prior to, being vaccinated. This is done solely for the purpose of the pup’s wellbeing and not our hip pocket! The first vaccination is a cheaper one (around $30 – less for people like us who can get the litter done in bulk).

EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE:
If the pup is to be freighted interstate or overseas on a long flight then their chances of being in contact with other traveling animals with diseases is a real possibility. As most freight companies don’t take dogs until at least the 8-12 week mark then getting an early vaccination may be a good idea. Again, speak to your vet and make this decision yourself! I am willing to vaccinate if you would prefer it under this circumstance.