Sugar Brook Farm

Hello all
To those who have seen me post a million and one dog questions I apologize. Originally I was dead set on a Boerboel because online everything seemed so perfect and as a rare breed I had never met one… then I did. Not the dog for me.
So what I have decided: I want ideally a rottweiler although I would be fine with a Cane Coros, a bull mastiff, any tough looking dogs, you know the type?
So after much research I find that dogs between 80-100lbs will have fewer hip problems than larger breeds, and after speaking to vets I have contradicting information saying mutts are healthier then pure breeds and vicea versa.
So I begin my long search into Rottweilers and after contacting what appears to be a reputable breeder she says she guarantees her dogs for 2 years, after the health check if something is wrong we can go from there. Well after 2 minutes, let alone 2 years with a dog I will be too in love to just give it back if its got problems!
So someone PLEASE tell me what to do! I want a bigish dog, I would like to avoid health problems where possible (I understand its not totally avoidable in any situation) I want him to be trainable and have at least a small amount of protective instinct. I like the short hair muscular look but that’s the last thing on my mind at this point.
Do you have a Rottweiler? How long did it live and what were its problems? Pure bred or mix? Just anything you can tell me about the breed or any other breeds would be great!
Thanks….again!

There is really no guarantee that a dog will be healthy.

Your best bet is to buy from a breeder with good trusted bloodlines in the breed. Make sure they do health testing. OFA is the test all breeders should be doing for joints and there are some others that people do depending on the breed. Make sure that the dogs in the lines are healthy and well cared for.

A good breeder will not breed a dog unless they know the lines so make sure to ask them about it and ask them if the lines are sturdy and healthy. You may look for a breeder that does work with the dogs because they tend to have to care more about the hips and bones part of it if the dog is going to be healthy and stable enough to work.

Mixes are not healthier than pure breds. That is a common myth due to backyard breeding. Your best chance is to find a good line of working dogs that has been health tested. A breeder should guarantee the dog for at LEAST 2 years. If something goes wrong with the dog and you want to keep the pup the breeder might replace your money instead of the dog if you are wanting to keep it.

Find a truly good breeder that cares about the breed and there should not be any problems because they should be breeding for the best possible dogs out there.

Good luck!

Posted in pure bred bull-mastiffs |

4 Comments »

my puppy died in two days, help?

February 16th, 2010 |

Author: admin

for some reason i can’t figure out what my puppy had and died of. i have (had) two puppies. one is half american bull-mastiff and half red nose american pit bull terrier (living). the other was a pure bred red nose american pit bull terrier (with papers and vaccinations of course) (deceased). my puppy caught some kind of virus where it killed her in two days. but the other puppy i had lives with her, eats with her, plays with her, etcetera. but he is as healthy as a horse. well, it’s not just her. three other dogs in the neighborhood (all purebred pits) have died from the exact same thing within the last week. they all bled out of their rectums, didn’t eat, and lost over 60% of their bodyweight in two days. at first we (the neighbors) thought it was parvo, but the only time they threw up is when you put food in them. they didn’t throw if you didn’t feed them. i noticed with parvo they start throwing up first. i tried amoxicillin, penicillin, white rice w/ browned meat, pedialite,water.
vet took stool,urine,blood, and saliva samples and tested. just waiting for results. didn’t leave her at the vet permanently because there is nothing they could’ve done that i couldn’t. plus i prefer to spend her last moments with her.
i know it’s not parvo due to the fact that we have four breeds of dog in the neighborhood. APBT, half bull-mastiff half pits, german shephards, and various mutts. it is only the pits getting sick… i can’t understand it.

very sorry for your loss
you could ask the vet to do a post mortem, it will put your mind at rest. Let the breeder know you have lost the puppy

Posted in pure bred bull-mastiffs |

9 Comments »