My sweet pup is now a senior and it is getting harder and harder to watch him age but last night his “age” had me in hysterics and I had to leave the room to hide my laughter. Cruiser is 10, which for an English Mastiff who has a life span of 6 to 8 years, is old. When I look at him, I still see my little fat puppy that won my heart.
I found a breeder who met my difficult breeder’s requirements and one that cared very much about the pups and the life that she wanted for them. To give you an idea of how careful about breed integrity I am I’ll share some of the requirements.
I must meet 2 generations of the parent dogs, I met Cruiser’s Grandparents, his Grandmother was the most impressive EM female I have ever seen.
Both sire and dam must be vet checked prior to conception, then after and the dam must have regular vet visits during pregnancy.
I must be able to spend time with the sire and dam to learn their breed dispositions and temperament.
All vet records related to the pregnancy and testing must be shared
Testing during pregnancy for PRA, Cystinuria and OFA hip xrays
Pups vet checked immediately after birth, then biweekly until 6 weeks
1st worming, 1st set of shots before release
Feed for the dam – quality brand, feeding schedule and supplement info
1st litter pick with breeding rights
2-year health guarantee
Contact information for the owners of sibling pups
Visits in person with pups from 1 week to 6 weeks prior to selection
It typically takes a good 8 months to a year to find a breeder, and in Cruiser’s case it was one year. On the day I met the dam and sire, I drove to Concord and as soon as my truck was parked, Cruiser’s Grandmother greeted me. She was a beautiful black brindle, about 168 lbs, 6 years old and in great condition. She had a fantastic disposition and was well trained. Once I opened my door, Grandma took my hand in her big mouth and pulled me towards the garage and into the house.
Both mom and dad were exceptional English Mastiffs, great condition and wonderful dispositions and I knew immediately they would give me a wonderful puppy. The breeder was excellent at communication and very open to all questions.
On the day the pups were whelped, she sent photos of each little baby as it was born. My visits during ages 1 week to 6 weeks were fabulous and I had difficulty leaving these babies each time! Fast forward to selection day…..It was a beautiful Saturday and all 9 pups were playing in the garage with Mom and Grandma watching. Grandma would run over to each pup and push them back inside when they rushed to escape, Mom could care less, she was tired and napping. There were 5 adorable boys and 4 lovely females and even though I always choose a boy, I spent hours with all eliminating them one by one. After four hours it came down to 2 boys, a big chunky boy and the tiny runt of the litter with gorgeous blue eyes. I was leaning towards the little guy who was happily laying in my lap loving the attention when the chunky guy rushed up behind me, grabbed my ponytail, yanked hard, barked then ran around and flopped into my lap. He did this several times and each time he demanded belly rubs and attention and literally shoved the little guy out of my lap. It was clear that this big chunky guy had chosen his person and it was not up to me. I had reservations because he was a good 9 lbs bigger than the other 6-week-old pups and large boned which could later cause growth plate issues.
So, we tagged his big ole butt and I left happy that I now knew who my pup was, and I knew the next 2 weeks would be difficult as I hate waiting! On the day I drove to Concord to pick up my boy, I was surprised that my 9 lb puppy now weighed in at almost 25 pounds! Mr. Chunky was growing at light speed! Not only was he larger, but he was also faster and so inquisitive. His breeder said her goodbyes, loaded me up with food, feeding schedules, wormer, toys, a blanket that smelled like his siblings and we were on our way. During this 2-hour drive, Mr. Chunky watched everything, he jumped from front to back of the truck, licked windows, howled at sirens, and demanded to be in my lap. About halfway home we stopped at McDonalds on 211 so that he could pee and within minutes there was a crowd from inside trying to feed him French fries while giving him too much attention.
My boy grew quickly and learned quickly, he was house broken in 2 weeks, learned off limit spaces in one-week, basic commands in 2 weeks, and had his schedule down in 3 days. He loves routines and rarely deviates from his schedule and you better stick to it, or he complains. He never had “accidents” never chewed things that were not his and rarely got into trouble.
He is a kind boy that mourns the loss of life regardless of how big or small the life was, if he accidentally stepped on a cricket and it died, he would lay and whine. He caught bunnies and slobbered on them, letting them go after and spent each day searching for more.
If something moves on the lawn, we are told about it. If a truck moves, a new one is parked, a package delivered, a new item is on the lawn or an animal isn’t where is should be, he tells you. He is so funny. Which brings me to the point of my story, the laughter from the other night.
Cruiser is now a senior, his face is silver, he sleeps 90% of the day and night, his stomach is sensitive, he snores, he aches, and nothing phases him. He was in the living room snoring heavily without a care in the world when we heard a loud boom that shook the house. Cruiser jumped up and barked quickly like a good guard should do, and when he belted out that bark, he shot a ball of shit from his ass across the room, and it thumped onto the floor. This shooting shit startled him, so he ran down the hall into a room he never goes in, laid down and pouted in embarrassment.
As he ages, I am finding it harder and harder to hide my laughter so that I don’t upset him. He rolls over and farts, wakes himself from dreams by farting and no longer pays attention to the gas he passes all the time. He has become an old man, albeit a funny one but he doesn’t think so. That shit shooting was just too funny.
I know his time is almost over, but I will continue to give him the best until that day, however I may not be able to withhold laughter all the time! Love this boy so much!! He is my best friend, my baby and has my heart.
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