Things to Consider Before Buying (Rescuing) A Mastiff

I remember the very first time I saw a mastiff, an English Mastiff. I was in third grade and had just finished watching the movie The Sandlot. Hercules or the Beast was an English Mastiff and I was immediately smitten.

Too bad we already had dogs and my parents were not keen on adding another to the mixture.
Cut to about 8 or 9 years later.

My mama and I were headed to Yazoo City to buy a new/used car for her, with $1,000 in our pockets.
We picked up the classifieds and searched and searched for a car. They were all too pricey :(
I continued to entertain myself (before cellphones were super prominent) by thumbing through the classifieds and just happened upon the dogs page.

There, in large bold print, MASTIFF PUPPIES $1000.
We had the money. And I had the dream.

So, what do you think happened?
We got a puppy!
He was beautiful and fluffy and everything I had ever imagined a big ole dog to be.
Dudley was the first Mastiff I loved (he's no longer here, and I don't want to talk about it!), and he's led me to getting more Mastiffs.

Moses was the next Mastiff.
We adopted him from Southern States Mastiff Rescue.
Visit their site and please consider adoption.
http://www.southernstatesmastiffrescue.org/

We loved him dearly. For years. But then, as what happens with most of our 4 legged creatures, he went over the Rainbow Bridge.

Since Tay and I have been married, he's known that we would have a Mastiff or two or 12.
I let him know up front that I wanted to be a crazy Mastiff lady - similar to a crazy cat lady - but a little more socially acceptable.

Now, we are the proud owners of Norman. Click the side label: Adventures from Norman to see more of his antics!

Things you need to know about getting a large dog:

 - Most people think that large breeds means more space. That is not true. Mastiffs are content in small spaces - wide open spaces are not necessary.

- They require exercise, but a very little amount. I used to take Norman on daily walks, but then I realized that he was losing weight. Now we go the park once a week, but we do play in the backyard and/or living room daily.

- They will not eat you out of house and home. People always say, "I'd get a mastiff, if  I could afford to feed it." Guess how much money we spend in one month for Norman's food? $20. That's it! We buy Pedigree Large Breed Dog Food in the thirty pound bag for about $20 a month.
See? Not expensive.

- They have no concept of personal space. If you are cooking in the kitchen; he'll prop up against you in the hopes that you'll love on him and/or drop food his way.

- They think they are lap dogs. If you are sitting on the couch, floor, or laying in bed, they will be directly next to you or on top of you. Mastiffs have a thing for always touching their people. I think it's their security blanket. If you don't like your personal space invaded, don't get a mastiff.

- They will destroy things (while in the puppy stage.) All dogs do, but when your beast is only a pup, be careful about what you let him chew on. Chewing on shoes as a puppy is cute - as an adult dog, not so much. When we HAVE to leave Norman all day - which breaks my heart - I'll come home to him laying on the couch; with my pajama pants next to him and my shoes under his jowls. He never chews, just using them for the smell I assume.

- Food training is important. Large dogs need to know where their food comes from. You.
When Norman was a little pup, we would put food down, let him eat a little, and then take it back up.
Why? We were teaching him that WE feed him and training him to not bite our hands off. It worked!

- Crate training will save your life. Crate training is amazing. Norman was the first dog we crate trained. It cut down on the potty training time, and now, as an adult dog, he knows that the crate is his safe place. He still sleeps in his crate, only because it's in our room and he can't stand to sleep alone. We tried letting him sleep alone on the couch at night - he would end up at our door in thirty minutes scratching and crying to get in :(  The magic words for getting Norman in his crate? "Norman, let's go night night." Done.

- They are protective. Not of food. Not of toys. But of you, their person. Their human. They will be loyal to you until they die. Remember that.

- They are subject to bloat. This is an issue with large breeds. Sometimes, when large breeds eat too much or too fast and then decide to play, their stomach will twist. It will cause them immense pain and you some exorbitant vet bills. To cull this, we feed Norman a small meal in the morning (after he's played a bit) and then a small meal in the evening. Our personal rule is no hard/rough play 30 minutes after eating.

- They sleep. A lot.  No, he's not sick. He's just fine. He just likes to sleep a lot. There is nothing wrong with that or him. If you are looking for a hyper or active breed, this is not the dog for you.

- They have gas. Bad. And can clear a room in no time. And it scares them, which is utterly hysterical! 

- Remember, he's bigger than you. And could hurt you with one single bite. But he doesn't. Why? Because he loves and respects you. You should treat him the same way. Hitting a dog will not teach him a lesson. What's effective with Norman is a loud, "NO." Then we looks at you with sad eyes, wanders over, and wants to know you still love him. And of course, we do.

- Their average life span is about 10 years. Some last longer, some a lot shorter. When you are thinking of getting a mastiff, be sure that you can devote 10 years of your life to make his something special. If you don't have the time, don't waste his. When we got Norman, Tay asked me if I was prepared to let him go (since their lifespans vary). I told Tay that my goal for our pup was to give him the best life possible. If that's only one year or 12, my dog will have lived his life to the fullest in a house full of love and play and naps.

Having a dog is a wonderful thing. If you can't commit to a dog, then please do not get one.
You will continue with your life, while surrending your dog to a shelter. To me, that means you are careless and mean - and I have no tolerance for that. There are no excuses.

If you are considering getting a dog, please look at adoption first. Adopting a dog has some awesome benefits and opposed to buying a puppy. Most dogs from shelters/kennels are already potty trained, some have been fixed, and most are even socialized. Plus no puppy whining or gnawing!

Rant over.

Mastiff Play Date

Yesterday, I posted about Krystal and Matthew's downtown Memphis engagement session. This post is about their pup Grizz and our boy Norm - BROTHERS - who are meeting for the first time.

Our Norman is a year and half. Their Grizz is 10 months. They are brothers from different litters.
For weeks and weeks leading up to this day, I would randomly tell Norman, you're going to meet your brother. When the day finally arrived, I started packing things in the car and Norman looked all sad, "I guess mama is leaving again, I'll just go nap on the couch."

But when I said, "Norman, don't be sad, you're going with us!" He started following me around the house..."where we going mama? When are we leaving? You sure I get to go?"

Long story short: We went to Shelby Farms Dog Park. The brothers had a blast. Norman slept the whole way home, the rest of the afternoon/evening, and then till about 10:00 the next morning. He was exhausted!

Giving us the guilt trip

Freedom!

I always heard that mastiffs were afraid of water...not these two!

Is he behind me?

He's still there isn't he?

And this is why mastiffs are the best dogs ever. Get outside with them and a camera. You will NOT be disappointed!

Their faces are priceless.

And they will do whatever their master asks of them. Get on the hay Grizz, ok. High Five!

Belzoni Animal Rescue Kennel (B.A.R.K) Auction

 I have donated a one hour session to B.A.R.K. If you currently have a session scheduled, you could use this or if you want to schedule a session in the future.

And you're supporting a good cause - helping puppies and older doggies in need.

If you're not in the market for a photo session, there are plenty of other goodies to bid on.
Y'all can check it out by clicking the link below or visit B.A.R.K - Belzoni Animal Rescue Kennel on Facebook.


https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.428804437229096.1073741877.155364727906403&type=1

Helping animals in need is something I long need to do (in a larger capacity) once Tay finishes school and we have more time to devote to these animals. Right now, with both of us working crazy hours, adding another dog wouldn't be feasible, but I have clearly stated that I would foster large dogs if there was ever a need.

My dream job is to continue on my photography journey and take in Mastiffs and other large breed animals that don't have a mama and daddy. And love them. And feed them. And play with them. And love them. And cuddle them.

B.A.R.K.

Or Belzoni Animal Rescue Kennel is a place on a mission. Find homes for dogs. Great homes. Older dogs, puppies, playful dogs, lethargic dogs - all dogs. All breeds, all colors, all creeds.

Belzoni is a small town. For me, it will always be home; but the way the entire city treats dogs is completely unacceptable. Thank the Lord for B.A.R.K!!! Without them; all the pups in the below photos would not be here, waiting for you to adopt them. Imagine this scenario:  Before B.A.R.K. was established, your lovable household dog Rufus gets out of the fence while you are on a mini vacay. The person who checks on Rufus while you are out comes by, but can't find Rufus. Rut Ro Scooby! The City of Belzoni picks up the dog. The dog has a collar and everyone in town knows that Rufus is your dog. The City would take the dog to the pound - and then not check on him. Did I mention that they wouldn't call you (even though your number is listed on Rufus' collar) and let you know they picked up your dog? Nope. They would throw ole Rufus is the puppy slammer and if he wasn't claimed in a few short days......(I'm not going into more detail.)

A few years ago at the Catfish Festival, I spied Belzoni's dogcatcher (at the time) beating a Golden Retriever endlessly. Dogs are NOT allowed within the festival gates; but somehow this Golden slipped in. The dog catcher apparently was not an authority on dogs because in his mind, he thought the best way to get the dog to cooperate was to yell at it and beat it. I'm not sure about y'all, but if you want a Golden to come to you, squat down, and say "Who's a good dog? Come here, I got a biscuit!" Normally, that will do the trick. If not, show the dog a tennis ball. Easy as pie. Upon seeing the above scene, I did what I always do, complained to my mama, who said, "if you think there's an issue, do something, don't just complain and wait for it to resolve itself." I did. I wrote a nice little editorial for the Belzoni Banner and would you like to know what happened, the dog catcher was fired. Good riddance.

Folks, dogs are on this Earth to serve us. Not in a 'yessa massa' kind of way; more in a way, you look lonely, do you need a lick to the face? Hows about I just sit next to you on the couch while you watch TV. Dogs are domesticated. They are our responsibility. The rely on us. The rely on us for food and water and shelter - but more importantly, they rely on his for fun and love.

If you have or know someone who has a big heart and/or still has some love to give, consider a dog. Consider adoption. Adoption has so many perks: 1) you get a dog 2) the dog gets a loving home 3)normally, they are already fixed 4) they are housebroken for the most part 5) Did I mention that you get a loving companion?

I've adopted dogs in the past. If you've never done it, at least consider it. If you think you want to buy a dog, at least, go to your local shelters and look to see if a dog there will fit you. If you're scared about temperament; ask the handlers. These people have gotten to know all the dogs and will be able to help you. You can never predict the way a dog is going to act, but they way I see it is simple. Treat a dog with love and respect, and he'll do the same thing. Beat your dog and act an ass; you'll get what you deserve, either from the dog retaliating against you, or the big man upstairs. Your choice. And please remember this, dogs do NOT forget.

My last rescue, Moses, was a victim of Katrina and was beaten to a pulp when Southern States Mastiff Rescue got him. When we finally met Moses in person, he was kind and gentle and all he wanted was to show you some affection. When Mo got to our house, he was frightened of my brothers. He was frightened of males in general. After a few months, my brothers learned to not speak so loudly when the dog was around, and Mo learned to trust them. And we all loved Mo! And miss him dearly :(

Take a gander at some of the pups up for adoption. You can see all the pups on Facebook at B.A.R.K. or Skelton Photographie.

 About to attack me with sugar!

 Being playful and enjoying the sunshine

 Puppy breath!

 This baby was sweet and gentle and loved it when I rubbed her nose

 Howling for no reason

 Looking a little unsure of the tennis ball :)

If you don't want to add a dog to your family, at least donate money, donate food, donate leashes, donate time. Do anything. I gave them flat tennis balls when I was there. Just do something. No excuses.

Meet Earl

Hi, my name is Earl. I'm a bloodhound. I don't do much. I lay around and protect my family. They feed me and love me, and the baby pulls me tail. That's about it. Sometimes I get angry and will tell the baby to stop, and he doesn't, but I'm a good dog and don't get too mad at him. I have a food bowl outside the front door that is always full, and if I'm not hungry and one of those other dogs comes up, I have a fit. Yes, I'm full, but that's my bowl, and I'll be damned if one of y'all is gonna eat my food.

Drew and Elizabeth added Earl to their family pretty recently. Earl was training to be a hunting dog, but didn't quite have everything down and his original owner wanted to get rid of him. He did. And now there's an Earl in our family. He can sit, shake, and speak on command. You can ask baby Sandling, 'What does Earl say?' And Sandling will go, 'aaarrrrrr...'

Anywho, meet Earl.

Pets

In my mind, a house is not a home without a pet. When I say pet, I actually mean dog. Don't get me wrong, I love all types of animals, but dogs are without a doubt the most loving and loyal creatures that God put on this earth. They love you unconditionally and never question you. They sleep in your bed (if you let them) and they cuddle with you when you need a shoulder to lean on. I have already married the love of my life, but the love that a person gives and the love that a dog gives are too completely different things.

These days, there are so many popular breeds that are in mass demand that many animals go unwanted and are therefore put to sleep :( I have adopted a pet before and it is an experience that cannot be defined. If you are thinking of getting a pet, look into adoption before spending oodles of your hard earned money on a pet that more than likely will have many genetic abnormalities. I speak from experience. I bought an English Mastiff for an undisclosed amount (a ton) and he died two years later of an immune disease, basically puppy AIDS. Immediately following his death, I adopted another English Mastiff for a small amount ($50). I loved Dudley, the expensive mastiff, but Moses, the clearance puppy has been an absolute gift from God.

Below are some pictures of Katie Belle. Her mama and daddy adopted her when she was just a puppy and her condition presented later. She has a very rare skin disease and lots of people are afraid to love her. I can tell you from experience, little miss katie belle has some of the sweetest sugar ever....you are missing out.

Katie is very alert and watching the birds on the fence, waiting to attack!

Nothing like a wet puppy nose!

You can see so much just by looking into the eyes of a dog

Nice slobbery tongue. Is slobbery a word? It is now!