PLEASE help me find a reputable breeder

[MeganB]

Hello all. My fiancé and I are previous EM owners. Our first one and was unfortunate and bought from a backyard breeder. Our boy was perfect, and would do anything we could for him. At 9 months of age he got really sick and was taken to the ER. Turned out he had cystinuria. Boz was transmitted to a board certified surgeon and had bladder surgery. I spent over 5g at this point. Shortly after I started working at the 24hr ER hospital and am now a vet nurse. Christmas 2011 Boz got very sick again. We scheduled another surgery but unfortunately he didn't make it. He was in the hospital for 3days before we could get him in. Upon him crashingmy vet and other nurses did everything they could to save him. Sadly he couldnot be revived. The necropsy revealed polycystic kidneys with the cystine. He actually had a free floating kidney as well. Boz was on rx U/D for his crystals. At this time we called the board certified surgeon to. find out they did not check his kidneys because he was so big. Yes that's the excuse I got. I never want To go through that heartache again. He passed at 19 months.

It has been a nightmare finding a breeder. Ive almost been scammed, seen bad reviews and would greatly appreciate if someone could direct me to a good breeder. I live in OKC and am willing to travel. I'm looking for a brindle male with knowledge of health tests being performed.

Thank-you

 

[angelbears]

I'm sorry I can't help with finding a breeder, except for general advise, which you already to seem to know. Don't go see any puppies until you have fully checked out the breeder. I found that if a pup was in a bad situation I always got that one. I just couldn't stand to leave them once I see those helpless, pleading eyes. I ended up with some messed up dogs.

I am so sorry for the heartbreak that you went through with Boz. A new pup can never take the place of one lost but they sure can help you through the grieving.

 

[bullyBug]

What a nightmare. I'm so sorry for your loss. It's always hard to loose one, but at 19 months...so heartbreaking.

I'm not familiar with EM breeders so can't give you any personal referrals, but you can start at the English Mastiff Club of America if you don't mind the $5 fee. (What is up with that?) http://mastiff.org/

My favorite way to search for breeders are the the health registries. (CHIC and OFA) You can see who is getting health clearences on their dogs and then google for their website or contact info:

http://caninehealthinfo.org/results...ear=&birthday=1825&clear=&submit=Begin+Search


http://offa.org/results.html?num=&registrar=&namecontains=N&part=&breed%5B%5D=MF&breedlist=ALL&variety%5B%5D=&sex=&birthday_start_month=&birthday_start_year=&birthday_end_month=&birthday_end_year=&birthday=&rptdte_start_month=&rptdte_start_year=&rptdte_end_month=&rptdte_end_year=&rptdte=1825&submit=Begin+Search

 

[Tailcreek]

I'm so sorry to hear about what you went through with Boz. Cystinuria is a devastating condition...and unfortunately there is not currently a DNA test available to avoid passing it on to offspring. The university of pennsylvania does do a Nitroprusside test on urine samples. Although the signs of cystinuria are often only detectable later on in the dogs life using this method. As well, dogs should be retested yearly if actively being bred. Some good news...UPENN has announced they will have a preliminary DNA test available soon for mastiffs. I don't know of any specific breeders to recommend in your area. The biggest things are to verify health testing on www.offa.org or ask for copies of test results. To minimize the odds of being scammed, read the contract carefully and don't give a deposit until the litter has been born. Many breeders offer a health guarantee, some would offer a replacement pup or a cash payment in a situation like the one you experienced. Although this does not help the sick dog it does alleviate some of the financial hardship. Good luck in your search.

Jennifer
www.tailcreekmastiffs.com

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

Sorry to hear about what you went through with your boy. I have nothing to reference to EM breeders, but wanted to say good luck in your search.

Finding a breeder can be tough, my last one I spent a couple months searching and all seemed legit until I got the pup. Just a gut feeling and some red flags had gone up. My current breeder which I hope to get a pup from I spent two years keeping in contact. Make sure you trust your breeder and agree with his or her practices, also ensure tha the breeder trusts you, its a two way commitment. Its not worth the heart brake and financial hardship as you experienced.

 

[barbaraV]

So sorry to hear that. Thanks for sharing us your story. Certainly, fraud do exist at any circumstances. Thus, they are doing that for one main reason "money". It may be an overstatement to claim that “money is the root of all evil,†but it is tough to refute that money issues can become a fantastic cause of financial grief. In fact, countless practitioners work with consumers who have experienced financial disaster as a result of major life changes and industry collapse. Perhaps, they need some ideas on how to deal with financial grief.