submitted by the ABA breeders education committee BREEDERS…WHO’S WHO?? Isn’t it amazing how many people call themselves bullmastiff breeders and are darn proud of it. I cringe when I see some of the dismal creatures that make their way into the dog show ring proudly displayed not only by the person(s) who put them on this earth but by unsuspecting buyers who just as boldly exhibit them. The dictionary definition of ‘breed’ is to reproduce, bring forth, to produce a stock or strain, and then further defines ‘breeding’ as the producing of animals for improving the stock. The stock in this case are bullmastiffs and for those of us who actively engage in the breeding, handling, and rearing of these magnificent creatures, it is a heart wrenching experience to see the masses of dogs that are gene pools of contempt ignorantly offered to the gullible public. Anyone can be a breeder. The recipe is simple. Take two dogs that are purebred (or not), one male one female, put them together at the right stage of estrus and mother nature usually accomplishes the rest. This is the relatively easy part of the whole breeder task. The much harder part of this equation is yet to come. Provided the pregnancy proceeds without incident the birthing process may or may not be riddled with complications. If that is trouble free, now there are many little creatures needing care, warmth, and attention. We all hope for those meticulous mothers that are calm and confident with their offspring. If all is well, the next 3 weeks or so should be uneventful provided of course there is sufficient milk supply, no mastitis, and all babies are healthy without herpes, or other raging infections that will kill them in a heartbeat. The even bigger challenge comes when weaning occurs especially in the larger litters where food, cleaning materials and proper containment will be necessary for fast growing puppies. And even later there are the buyers to screen, vaccinations, socialization issues and proper paper work. Every breeder ought to know that if they offer a dog for sale as purebred they must supply the papers. Well, sad to say, so many don’t. One just needs to look at the recent litter and registration stats to realize that some animals are never properly registered. And allowing for the death of some babies after birth, there are still an alarming number of purebred dogs that are not registered. Where do these animals go, who owns them, and why, if there is a reputable breeder involved, is the strategic paper work not in effect. Just seeing in writing the monumental labor necessary for properly raising a bullmastiff litter should make most folks reconsider. Even if we disregard the typical shabby puppy mills and address the purebred dog world, I have noted over the years that with few exceptions everyone wants to be a breeder, and immediately upon the purchase of their first bullmastiff. I have never been able to understand this mentality. And it is not always because of the dollars involved but rather some deep seated need to have puppies. Because of the urgency and lack of knowledge, puppies are produced that only qualify as mediocre. Education must always be the primary key to success and each purebred bullmastiff owner who is considering breeding, must conduct comprehensive research and investigation into the world of bullmastiffs. Undertaking the breeding of a litter will be a monumental effort in time and space, as well as being a costly venture. There will be stud fees, xrays and ultrasounds for pregnancy detection, special care and feeding of the dam, pre-breeding testing, and that only brings you to the birth of the litter in 63 days. Then there is a the cost of a c-section coupled with post natal demands on the dam and babies, medications where applicable, puppy vetting and vaccinations, registrations procedures and the list continues. Assuming you can recoup your financial expenditure on the sale of puppies is at best a tenuous scheme, and at worst is unlikely to occur. There is simply no way to be economically solvent if one considers all the foregoing costs and the time element necessary to embark on this venture properly. Add to that a small or singelton litter and the results are anything but cost effective. One only needs to address the current surge in rescue operation across the country to recognize that our breed is in jeopardy in certain hands. Unscrupulous individuals will exploit and utilize the breed to their advantage while other dodgy individuals simply do not care to be educated and informed and happily breed multiple litters of questionable mediocre quality time after time. Making informed decisions about dog care, training, temperament, and breeding will allow the purebred bullmastiffs of the future to manifest the qualities and attributes that so easily separate the ordinary breeder from the intelligent, keen, dedicated breeder of distinction. These people know how to breed with their heads and not with their hearts. The delightful pet that is adored but is a structural nightmare is discarded in a breeding program in favor of the extraordinary specimen that will contribute positive genetic influences. Breeding judiciously and scrupulously is mandatory ifthe bullmastiff is to be maintained in an ongoing state of positive virtues.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 16:49:55 +0000
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