Saturday, September 27, 2014

What is "Spitz Dogs"?

A quick run down of "Spitz Dogs"

http://www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/what-is-a-spitz-dog-.html

Friday, September 26, 2014

Socialization is key...

Well behaved Mastiff plays with kitty...

http://youtu.be/yU7TkBGHtmU

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Monday, September 15, 2014

If you are considering getting a Mastiff here are some health issues you might want to read up first. It better to be informed and prepared before committing to this breed.
Mastiffs are probably about average when it comes to the number of hereditary health problems that they are prone to. Being a large breed they are very prone to joint problems. For more information on genetic problems, please refer to MCOA Health. * Potentially life threatening or serious: (these conditions may be inherited or in some cases acquired) ° Joint: hip dysplasia; elbow dysplasia (ununited anconeal process, fragmented coronoid process, degenerative joint disease); osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the shoulders, knees, elbows or hocks. ° Eye problems that cause blindness: cataracts*, retinal dysplasia with detachment, glaucoma*, progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) ° Other inherited eye problems: geographic retinal dysplasia, Persistent Pupillary Membranes (PPM), entropion. ° Hypothyroidism*, immune deficiencies, Wobblers syndrome ° Skin: demodectic mange, deep pyoderma ° Nervous system: myasthenia gravis*, muscular dystrophy*, epilepsy*
Other: cardiomyopathy*, leukemia, bone cancer*, cystinuria * Less serious and/or less common: (*these conditions may be inherited or in some cases acquired) ° Eye problems: ectropion, iris cysts, macroblapharon (haw), corneal dystrophy*, distichiasis, cherry eye, dry eye, retinal folds. ° Skin: allergies °
Joint problems: HOD (hypertrophic Osteo Dystrophy), degenerative joint disease*, arthritis*, spondylosis of the spine. ° Reproductive: cryptorchid, monorchid, vaginal hyperplasia. ° Heart: murmurs*, pulmonic stenosis. ° Other: hernias, von Willebrands Disease (vWD). What are the common non-genetic health problems in Mastiffs? Mastiffs are subject to the same common diseases and afflictions as every other breed of dog. Some of the more prevalent are: ° Joint and bone: cruciate ligament rupture, panosteitis, elbow hygroma. ° Urinary tract: kidney and bladder infections, bladder stones. ° Ear infections, hot spots, cysts and tumors °
Reproductive: uterine inertia, pyometra, other uterine infections, mastitis, breast cancer. ° Cancer (bowel, brain, spine, etc. Some forms of cancer are inherited, most are not). ° Other: gastric torsion (bloat), pica (eating rocks, socks, etc.) What other problems do Mastiffs have? * Temperament: ° Aggressive ° Fearful (inherited or lack of socialization) ° Shy *
Structural Faults: ° Limbs: weak pasterns, cow-hocks, straight shoulders, stifles and/or hocks, elbows in or out instead of parallel ° Bite: very undershot, overshot, crooked teeth, wry (twisted) jaw ° Tail: abnormally short, kinked, bob tail ° Feet: flat (hare foot), loose toes, turned toes or feet ° Coat: long hair, no under coat, excessive white markings (piebald) ° Movement: paddling, crossing, sidewinding, overreaching, lack of drive. * Problems caused by their size: ° Expensive and difficult to take on an airplane once mature ° Navigating steep stairs ° Getting into small cars ° Happy Tail (Crate Tail) syndrome - prone to abrasions (often accompanied by considerable blood splattering) from wagging against thing.
Also, when looking for a puppy you might want to check out the breeder, the parents & siblings of the puppy you are considering to get. Read this:

http://www.mastiffweb.com/choosing.htm