q&a mastiff
“THIS BREED REALLY CAN DO IT ALL!”
needed three other handlers to help her get up. Now I must preface this by mentioning I went to this event not expecting to show a dog and borrowed one for this fun event. Since I was not really prepared, I was not wearing my favorite support bra, one of the most important acces- sories for the owner/handler! When it was my turn, the junior said, “can you go down and back please?” I said sure, handed her the leash of my dog (which she took without thinking), then used my hands to support my chest (ladies... you know exactly what I’m talking about) and smartly trotted down the ring and back. The red- faced handler handed the dog back to me and the specta- tors were laughing hysterically. The rest of the week I heard countless times, “You know how often I’ve wanted to do that?!” That was years ago and I still hear about it! MB: Back in the day when ladies wore “half slips” under their skirts I had the elastic break in my half slip. The slip fell off and down my skirt to the ground. I just hopped over it and kept on going to first place. My fellow exhibitors thought that losing my under garment locked in the win!! L & DH: Funniest thing we can remember was at the first Portland National, during obedience, there was a petite lady doing a Novice heeling pattern. The large male dog was clearly enjoying being the center of attention, was quite a clown, and had a big goofy smile on his face. When she was off lead and almost done with her pattern, he got an even bigger smile on his face, a glint in his eye… and from heel position, decided to choose his own “position” and mounted her from behind while she was walking… they kept going, him bouncing along behind her in his compromising position, clamped around her waist, while she turned beet red, was horrified, then started laughing uncontrollably! The crowd roared and the dog thought he was hilarious, the judge was crack- ing up—they went quite a ways in this manner, then she finally got a lead back on him. He was such a proud and bad boy—it was the highlight of the whole week! BH: I’m not sure that this is the funniest, but I love watching the Veterans Classes at the National Specialties. I love watching (as I call them) “The Geezers” go into the ring and it’s like a light bulb goes on and you know they are thinking, “I remember this!” Smiles and tears at the same time. HS: We had a guest, Colin, from New Zealand visiting us one year. We took him to the outdoor shows. One of the exhibitors had a long, lacy dress on. I didn’t notice, but our friend took many pictures of her as she stacked her dog in front of him. Later, I understood the fascination. Very apparent was the fact that the exhibitor was wearing a thong under her dress and nothing more. Colin said he couldn’t resist watching what he called “two babies fighting under a sheet” as she moved her dog.
BB: This is a powerful breed that needs proper condition- ing. I love to see a dog that has it all including the muscle to support the substance they should have. I want to see Mastiffs that leave absolutely no question what breed they are. These guys can move and I love to see them up front in the group lineup. Although they are guardians, they are smart about it and should never be predatory or of questionable temperament. MB: With the wrinkles and the size it is absolutely necessary that a Mastiff be clean and does not smell. I have often had “smelly” and “dirty” Mastiffs brought into my ring. Make sure your Mastiff has a bath and is clean before it is shown. BH: This is not a breed for everyone. They are truly devoted to their people, but they drool and shed. When you live with a Mastiff, you have a different life style and many people, myself included have more than one at a time. Sometimes it looks like you have a Mastiff carpet when they are sleeping. They love to be with their families and supervise whatever it is that you do. You don’t own them, they own you!! PL: This breed has my heart. My parents had mastiffs when I was growing up. They introduced me to dog shows, whelping puppies and living with these loving, loyal protectors. It was my love for this breed that led me into a career that I loved! HS: This breed really can do it all! Yes, they can excel at obe- dience, tracking, agility, barn hunts, coursing. A Mastiff is a natural for a therapy dog, I’ve had several. As long as you don’t expect them to be “Shelties” in obedience and realize that Mastiffs do these things with a dignity all their own, they will try their best to do what you ask of them. They are wonderful pets that MUST be inside with (or on) their owners. They are a natural with children they have grown up with. They don’t eat as much as you would think and yes they poop a lot! (Funny, the most popular question Mastiff owners will answer). 10. And, for a bit of humor: What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever experienced at a dog show? BB: During a fun event at a National Specialty, the junior handlers were judging the ‘senior’ handlers. Those of us over fifty were exhibiting our real or imaginary dogs and being judged by the youngsters. One handler had a vodka bottle with a spray top with which he was refreshing himself during the long event. One handler got down on her knees to stack her little imaginary dog, but then
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