Bullmastiff questions

[Blaizer]

Hi guys long time lurker first time poster

Basically im interested in purchasing a bullmastiff puppy in around 6 months and i have a few questions regarding them.

Basically i want to know which breeder(s) in australia breed the highest quality bullmastiff to the true size structure and temperament? i live in WA but am willing to fly to any state and drive to any location(i plan to before purchasing anyway)
why they are the best breeders?
have you personally dealt with them before?
what to look for to find a quality puppy?
how to judge if a dog has true bullmastiff temperament or will grow to be unconfident?
what to look for to tell if the breeder is producing quality puppies and isnt just trying to get a quick buck. i recently (10 months) ago purchased my first bullmastiff under the impression it was purebred but it turned out to be a cross. obviously i was unhappy about this but i wouldnt trade her for anything in the world.
how to choose a healthy puppy?
what should i be trying to avoid?
what do they like to sleep in(obviously every dog is different but my current dog hates a kennel but will sleep on a heshan bed any day of the week)
what type of raw food diet to feed them.e.g what to feed and how often(i want to get my current dog onto raw food aswell so this will be good for her too)obviously amount will vary as he grows but just a general idea of what you guys feed would be good.
how much i should pay to get a quality of very high standard?

i have already budgeted about $6k for the cost of the puppy shipping to my home,puppy classes, leads,collars,bedding,
obedience training,pet insurance.

thanks for any advice guys

 

[LizB]

There are others here who will give much more specific advice, but as a BM owner for about 20 years, I can tell you what has worked for me.

First, in general, a good breeder does not advertise, and will not need to find people to buy their pups - most are reserved prior to birth, so avoid answering an ad. Find a breeder that you like (you like their lines, the types of dogs produced, hopefully you have met and can get the "vibe" of their dogs) and reserve a pup from their next breeding.

You want a breeder that shows their dogs and breeds to other dogs that are shown and proven to be excellent examples of the breed. Go to dog shows and talk to breeders and learn some of the most respected kennel names.

I have had poorly bred BMs with amazing temperament, and an extremely choice BM that was not confident. I have learned to visit the puppies several times prior to picking them up and interact with them. The red flag will be the pup that avoids you, is not interested in you or curious. You want the ones that come running over and demand to be petted. Those are the confident and outgoing ones. Do not bring your checkbook to these early visits! ALL PUPPIES ARE CUTE, even the BYB ones.

The breeder should insist on getting a lot of info from you, like if you were adopting one of their children. Beware of breeders who just show you the pups and get you to pick one, take your money and that's it. Good breeders truly care where their dogs go and what kind of life they will have, and will have you sign a detailed contract.

I have always crated pups early and then given them the option, with many comfy beds and the sofa/human bed as options later. It is personal preference as to crating. My dogs in general have enjoyed having the crate available, with the door open, as a place of their own to retreat to when they want.

Quality BMs can cost nearly $3K US, but you don't necessarily have to spend that much for a quality BM.

That's just a few things I know about it, but others will certainly have more to say about it! Good luck

 

[LizB]

One more thing - I notice that you intend to ship the dog, so my advice may not work out for you! I need to meet the pup in person prior to taking them home, but I realize that not everyone is able to do that. Others who have shipped dogs will hopefully give their two cents.

 

[Blaizer]

thanks for the advice yes i will be flying to wherever in australia the pups are to view the parents and pups before choosing. though viewing a few times does make it hard but il do my best.

 

[Blaizer]

also yes i have been looking at a few breeders who dont advertise and so far ive found them to all be around the 2500aud mark.is this right? do you pay more from breed quality puppies or is there just one price? as ive looked into cane corso aswell and that ranges from 3000 for pet quality to about 7500 for co owned show quality.

 

[LizB]

Some breeders have only one price no matter whether you will show the dog/co-own or have it as a pet, and others have different prices depending on whether it is a "pet quality" or for show.

 

[Blaizer]

ok thanks

 

[NeSaxena]

what type of raw food diet to feed them.e.g what to feed and how often(i want to get my current dog onto raw food aswell so this will be good for her too)obviously amount will vary as he grows but just a general idea of what you guys feed would be good.

This I can answer

A couple of things to remember about the raw diet - the meal size should be 2-3% of their expected adult body weight. Also, eventually, you're looking at an 80-10-5-5 ratio, where the meals are 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 5% liver and 5% other organs. Heart is considered muscle meat, not organ. Either you can balance this every meal, or (I do it this way) weekly, whichever is easier. Basically, become a poo expert - loose poo, not enough bone; really hard poo, maybe with bone chunks, white and chalky (if you leave it, it'll crumble) too much bone. Adjust the next meal accordingly.

I started Boone off on chicken necks and backs (he had very loose poo before we switched), and slowly increased the meat and decreased the bone to 10% of his meal. For about a week and a half, he got only chicken. It's always good to get them used to one protein before adding any more on their (pretty sensitive) systems.

The next meat I added was beef (I'm in India, limited choices), but I've heard people say adding another white (ish) meat is better. If you can get turkey, nothing like it. I added tiny quantities to each meal (and reduced the other meat of course) till his poo was firm, and kept increasing the quantity till almost the whole meal was the one new meat. At this point, Boone ate chicken for brekky and dinner, and beef for lunch. I added fish and pork exactly the same way. You can pick whichever meat you'd like, but IMO, the bone content is easiest to control on poultry. The only bone Boone gets is chicken.

Then there are organs, which ideally should be introduced week 5 or 6. Again VERY SLOWLY, especially with liver, or you're looking at cannon-butt, which is NOT easy to clean (yeah, I made the mistake). Bottom line, ANY new introductions, I added slowly while reducing other components of the meal, and increased the quantity ONLY when Boone's poo was firm for at least two to three days. I know, it seems slow, but it's best for their system.

Don't chop the meats, give it in as big a piece as you can. Their jaw gets a good workout and their teeth stay clean.

I supplement with chicken feet (excellent for their joints).

How old is your other dog? If she is an adult dog, it's good to fast them for a day before the switch (kibble takes a long time to digest, and you don't want to confuse the system), if a puppy, at least 6 to 8 hours (12 if the pup is older).

Also, a good idea to invest in a separate freezer for the dogs' meat. Our little refrigerator barely held enough food for a week for Boone. Remember, there are some meats you'll need to freeze for some time before feeding. I freeze beef for a week, pork for two weeks and fish for three weeks before giving it to him.

Here's a link for more info - http://preymodelraw.com/how-to-get-started/

If you search on the forum, you'll find a lot more information on raw feeding

Hope this helps!

 

[Blaizer]

Thanks for the helpful advice. i really appreciate it
lex is a year old now so id say she is just starting to get into adolescent times(fun) haha.