For my dog lover friends on RT...new puppy!

[steve_k]

Our two on the way to the vet...

Minding their own business in the vet.....

Whoa pops.......give some slack! Poon @ 12:00.......

 

[metalmaniac93]

Definitely a cute puppy!!! Dogs rule!!!

 

[base341]

Cool puppy Laura..
I'd love to have a bullmastiff someday..
I have 2 mutts that we've rescued..
Love my dogs..

 

[cyndicate]

Congrats, I love Bully breeds. she looks like a keeper! She is going to be huge.. I have a English Bully whos a year and a half now and hes topping out at 62 lbs, I can't imagine having a bully twice his size!

Here's my lazy bum Oz.

 

[SBlue]

I love the "I don't wanna hear any Justin Bieber!" pose!!! Lovely dog!

Definitely a cute puppy!!! Dogs rule!!!

 

[colimofsmoke]

Adopting is the best way to go if you are a dog lover.

Totally agree. Can not get down with buying from a breeder at any level.

 

[dwizted]

Heres my girl just turned 3.

 

[Shark Diver]

Very cute. Congrats!

My new addition:

 

[RedRider]

Very cute. Congrats!

Look at those EARS!!!! Awesome Dave!!!


My man Dozer when we got him..prolly 20 lbs or so...

And here he is about 6 months later...now about 100 lbs with about 60 more to go in the next 3-6 months. To the OP, better take a bunch of pics cuz they grow FAST!!! Dozer gained 3-5 lbs a WEEK

 

[Shark Diver]

This is the guy who drooled on my BBQ, lol

 

[Laura]

She is a great dog and she is exactly what I was looking for.

 

[Mudder]

Your pug is bummed that you bought another, uglier pug. Wait til he gets a load of Syd in a month.

 

[JTyson]

She's awesome Laura
I've always been a collie guy

 

[Badronald]

Dogs are cool, but I wish I never had to have one again..................but, I always will because of my beautiful wife.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

Attached is my pup Colt at 9 1/2 weeks and then 3 1/2 months.. he's now almost 5 months old. I chose a giant schnauzer because I know the breeder and spent a few years getting to know the dogs/breed. They all have great temperaments BUT are a very dominant breed so ya gotta be on top of them and socialize them with kids and other dogs early. Also gotta be boss or else $hit can get out of hand. Anyway mastiffs are cute and big powerful dogs but as with any breed, there can be exceptions. There is a 8 month old mastiff just like yours (as in type) that lives down the street from me. He was socialized from an early age BUT he just doesn't like most dogs. He'd kill my dog if he were off leash and close by. He lready jumped at him when my pup was 12 weeks old. He's drawn blood on a Dobbie and has to be leashed at all times. A lot of it is the line of the dog and the handler/owner but sometimes you just get a lemon where health or temperament are concerned. Just sucks because big dogs can be a handful. My guy will likely top out at 90-100 lbs. I can't imagine a 150+ dog damn. Anyway there are exceptions to all breeds just like there are cabs... and guitars... enjoy that puppy stage, goes by so fast. You only have a small window to pick up chicks with before your dog is just another big dog and appeals to less of a HOT audience anyway..

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

PS- for all the "adopting is the only way to go if you are a dog lover"..pleaaaaaaaaase spare me and everyone else that bullshit who actually takes the time to research breeds and owns them for a reason. With a reputable breeder you know the line (temperament, health etc..) where as with a mix you have no way of knowing where it comes from or the potential health issues it may face. I get so sick of that BS and hear it all the time from my sister in law. I'm a proud owner of a purebred and probably always will stick with purebreds because I like them. End of story.

 

[Laura]

PS- for all the "adopting is the only way to go if you are a dog lover"..pleaaaaaaaaase spare me and everyone else that bullshit who actually takes the time to research breeds and owns them for a reason. With a reputable breeder you know the line (temperament, health etc..) where as with a mix you have no way of knowing where it comes from or the potential health issues it may face. I get so sick of that BS and hear it all the time from my sister in law. I'm a proud owner of a purebred and probably always will stick with purebreds because I like them. End of story.

 

[RSRD]

PS- for all the "adopting is the only way to go if you are a dog lover"..pleaaaaaaaaase spare me and everyone else that bullshit who actually takes the time to research breeds and owns them for a reason. With a reputable breeder you know the line (temperament, health etc..) where as with a mix you have no way of knowing where it comes from or the potential health issues it may face. I get so sick of that BS and hear it all the time from my sister in law. I'm a proud owner of a purebred and probably always will stick with purebreds because I like them. End of story.

haha you could NOT be further from the truth. I've worked with dogs for over 30 years. 14 of it in severe behavioral training for shelters and rescue groups. More often then not the extreme cases came from 'reputable' breeders and were often dogs such as labs and shepherds. Mixs tend to have better traits BECAUSE they are mixed. Thats what I've found from working with over 1,200 cases.

I also have a dog walking, dog training, pet sitting and dog socializing business. So I've met too many dogs to keep up with. Most dogs, 'pure' bred or 'mix' breeds, have great dispositions. My point would be that every...single....time you buy a dog you are killing a dog in a shelter. The biggest blame is the rural, uneducated people who refuse to fix their dogs. But IF you consider yourself a dog lover then adopting is the only course IMO. Buying from a breeder just supports them breeding. There really is no excuse for not going and adopting the dog you want from a breed rescue group. Almost every breed has their own rescue group in the USA.

That said, Ive had a couple of clients with Mastiffs and bull mastiffs. They are great dogs. Just watch the slobber

Since we are showing our dogs here is my latest pack (notice that I have an Irish Wolfhound, Malamute, Shepherds, etc.. all of which were adopted)

 

[base341]

PS- for all the "adopting is the only way to go if you are a dog lover"..pleaaaaaaaaase spare me and everyone else that bullshit who actually takes the time to research breeds and owns them for a reason. With a reputable breeder you know the line (temperament, health etc..) where as with a mix you have no way of knowing where it comes from or the potential health issues it may face. I get so sick of that BS and hear it all the time from my sister in law. I'm a proud owner of a purebred and probably always will stick with purebreds because I like them. End of story.

haha you could NOT be further from the truth. I've worked with dogs for over 30 years. 14 of it in severe behavioral training for shelters and rescue groups. More often then not the extreme cases came from 'reputable' breeders and were often dogs such as labs and shepherds. Mixs tend to have better traits BECAUSE they are mixed. Thats what I've found from working with over 1,200 cases.

I also have a dog walking, dog training, pet sitting and dog socializing business. So I've met too many dogs to keep up with. Most dogs, 'pure' bred or 'mix' breeds, have great dispositions. My point would be that every...single....time you buy a dog you are killing a dog in a shelter. The biggest blame is the rural, uneducated people who refuse to fix their dogs. But IF you consider yourself a dog lover then adopting is the only course IMO. Buying from a breeder just supports them breeding. There really is no excuse for not going and adopting the dog you want from a breed rescue group. Almost every breed has their own rescue group in the USA.

That said, Ive had a couple of clients with Mastiffs and bull mastiffs. They are great dogs. Just watch the slobber

Since we are showing our dogs here is my latest pack (notice that I have an Irish Wolfhound, Malamute, Shepherds, etc.. all of which were adopted)

Great pic..
I wish I could have that many dogs..
The third one from the right looks like my Buster.
We think he's a lab/pit or lab/mastiff mix..

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

haha you could NOT be further from the truth. I've worked with dogs for over 30 years. 14 of it in severe behavioral training for shelters and rescue groups. More often then not the extreme cases came from 'reputable' breeders and were often dogs such as labs and shepherds. Mixs tend to have better traits BECAUSE they are mixed. Thats what I've found from working with over 1,200 cases.

I also have a dog walking, dog training, pet sitting and dog socializing business. So I've met too many dogs to keep up with. Most dogs, 'pure' bred or 'mix' breeds, have great dispositions. My point would be that every...single....time you buy a dog you are killing a dog in a shelter.

I applaud your work with dogs and love for dogs, don't get me wrong, BUT this logic is flawed. By that tokken, you would be killing off purebreds and variety which contribute to mixes in the first place if all you did was adopt dogs from the pound. I'm afraid that there is no way to determine "truth" when it comes to preferences for people who want a dog. I chose a giant because i love the fact that they are velcro dogs and will never lose sight of you. They just fit for me. I didn't want a lab mix or a shepherd mix like my brothers have or like countless people I have known have had. I always liked purebreds growing up. That's just me. As for the health debate, in most cases, purebreds have higher rates of health issues because those rates are actually tracked! Reputable breeders look to improve their gene pools by breeding out to new blood or by introducing new blood into their programs. They also should / do not breed dogs that they have found to throw certain qualities in puppies. That is responsible breeding. Big dogs can have hip problems and arthritis regardless of their breed. Small dogs can have dental problems... cancer runs rampant in all sorts of pooches. The only way we could realistically track the pure vs mixed debate is if every single death due to illness was written in a book. Unfortunately, this doesn't address the issue of over populated kennels. You touched on what I feel is the real issue. Irresponsible owners. People who buy puppies because they are cute. People who abuse or mistreat their animals. People who do not fix dogs that will not be breeding dogs, people who fail to learn how to properly own a breeding dog and when and where they should not be taken if they are in heat etc... the problem is not the breeding, it is the people not responsibly owning. IMHO anyway... at the end of the day, i'd own more dogs if i could but one is enough for me. Obedience training is challenging enough with one!