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Temperament, conformation
and health must be
all excellent for me
to consider a dog
for breeding, I use
pre-breeding
health-testing as an
additional tool to
assist in making
responsible breeding
decisions.
Each
gorgeous Mastiff
sound of mind and
body that I
breed is
the product of many
generations of
artful and
responsible breeding
decisions. So my
work with breeding
is just adding a
link in the chain of
the pedigree of a
wonderful Mastiff.
In deciding if a
Mastiff I own will
be a candidate for
future breeding,
first they are
health tested
for OFA hips,
Elbows, Patellas, Cardiac,
Thyroid, Cerf,
(eyes) PRA, Cystinuria,
Cystinuria DNA
Marker, Degenerative Myelopathy DNA
Marker and CMR (Canine
Multi-focal
Retinopathy)
It must be stated
that NO amount of
health testing done
on sire and dam
will guarantee that
any given animal
produced will not
someday become ill.
And giant breed dogs
do have more than
the usual share of
health issues as
they grow and age.
Some will never have
any problems all of
their lives- and
some will.
For this reason, we
strongly encourage
getting AKC (or
another carrier) of
pet health insurance
from puppyhood on.
So while I can never
guarantee that
because I am
utilizing this
health testing that
problems cannot
arise, I am doing
all that I
can personally do to at least
narrow the odds and
consider it
RESPONSIBLE breeding.
Also by doing
available DNA
testing as well, we
can avoid doubling
up on genetic carrier
statuses to help
improve upon each
future generation.
For us each breeding
is done as though it
is the only one we
will ever do-
breeding only the
best we have to the
best we can find.
Our babies are
raised in the center
of our home with
constant handling
and given
every opportunity to
develop into the
kind of Mastiff we
all want them to
become.
We do not breed
often and the majority of our
puppies are placed
on spay-neuter
contracts on AKC
limited registration
as companion dogs
with loving and
responsible families
who are committed to
training with
consistency and
love, and who are
willing to devote
the necessary time
to socializing them
properly and
regularly.
The
reward is a lifetime
of the unconditional
love that only a
Mastiff can offer.
As a way to 'give
back' to this breed
I love so much, I've
been webmaster for
and served on the
boards of our
national and
regional Mastiff
clubs (MCOA and SSMF)
.
From 2004 through
2013 I was the
fundraiser,
webmaster, Al state
coordinator and
central contact for
Southern States
Mastiff Rescue.
I currently serve as
secretary of
Southern States
Mastiff Fanciers, am
webmaster for SSMF to be of
service in promoting
breed education and
responsible
breeding.
For more
information about
Mastiffs please
visit the SSMF
website at
www.ssmfmastiffs.org,
and the Mastiff Club
Of America's website
at
www.mastiff.org
 
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