Helpful Links:
Both new and experienced dog owners often have a number of questions, it is my goal that this page offers some clarity on those questions.
Please check these links out, if you have any further questions please don't hesitate to contact me. If you have any suggestions please submit them below, as we here at Master Guardians are always open to new research.
To be directed to the link please click on the sentence that contains what you want to learn about.
Please check these links out, if you have any further questions please don't hesitate to contact me. If you have any suggestions please submit them below, as we here at Master Guardians are always open to new research.
To be directed to the link please click on the sentence that contains what you want to learn about.
For registration on breed standard questions the American Kennel Club (AKC) website is a great place to start. (Please click to be directed to that site).
University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital is a great resource for all medical questions. There is a wealth of knowledge of on going studies to improve our beloved animals health and wellness .
Furthermore, it is very important to know about all the nasty little pest and parasites that my plague our beloved pets. The "Pet and Parasites" web page is a great place to start.
Dogue de Bordeaux Society of America (DDBSA) is a non-profit breed club that prides it self on educating the community about the wonderful DDB breed. Not only do they work with current or prospect owners who participate in conformation, working, agility, or even just the family companion. This club also has a dedicated rescue organization that recues DDB's around the country from shelters and bad situations.
Canine Health Information Center (CHIC)
If you have some health related question and you aren't wanting to go see your local vet the AKC Canine Health Foundation is a fantastic resource that will provide clarity for some common questions/issues. As many people know who love these Giant barrel chested breeds they can often suffer from gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) more commonly known as BLOAT. This condition is extremely serious and can cause or babies much pain and suffering. For those owners who elect to attempt to eliminate the twist of the stomach there are a couple of minimally invasive procedures that can be done (click on GVD).
We all are too aware of the sad truth that our pets age, and will at some point might have mobility issues. The following is a great article that help pet parents prepare their homes for these issues.
https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/home-modifications-for-disabled-pets/
Before we lost out beloved Bocephus, we were starting to experience mobility issues. It is heart breaking seeing them decline and knowing that there is little that we can do. We have found getting a "chariot" (aka extra large stroller) has really helped his morale, and allowed him to go on the long walks even as a senior dog (added benefit you get a workout pushing 150lb dog around).
This page is simply designed to offer some helpful advice, and is never to be used in place of licensed medical advice for your pets.
Remember we aren't Veterinarians (nor do we claim to be), and if you have an specific questions or concerns about our dog or your dogs health you should always seek medical advice.
Click to be directed to the Canine Health Foundation.
Best Feeding Practices.
Feeding practices information. http://www.pethealthandcare.com/dog-diet/bullmastiff-diet.html
Feeding our dogs
If you are like me you want to feed your "babies" the best possible food. It is often difficult to determine what food is best for our four legged best friends. The below link offers some advise on how we can best pick the foods that are best suited for our pets. Please click on the link, this link will provide you information on studies on quality dog food. http://www.reviews.com/dog-food/
If you are like me you want to feed your "babies" the best possible food. It is often difficult to determine what food is best for our four legged best friends. The below link offers some advise on how we can best pick the foods that are best suited for our pets. Please click on the link, this link will provide you information on studies on quality dog food. http://www.reviews.com/dog-food/
We all know that our GIANT puppies need a special diet, which isn't often covered with the "normal" studies... it can also be more difficult to find the proper food for our rapidly growing giant breed puppies. I have found that the below link is extremely helpful when picking a good food for your puppy.
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/best-large-breed-puppy-food/
Here at Master Guardians we have chosen to feed our boys FROMM (Adult and/or Puppy) food, this is a great company that is based in the USA. Poseidon’s personal favorite is FROMM Heartland Gold, which is FROMM’s gain free option. I have provided a link below to their website in case you are curious. https://frommfamily.com/
RAW Diet benefits Dog Food Advisor, is a great resource if you would like to start a RAW feeding program.
If you still aren’t sure that feeding RAW is right for you or your dog(s), please follow the below listed link for benefits of feeding RAW.
https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/raw-dog-food-dietary-concerns-benefits-and-risks#1
Dehydrated Diet is an alternative to feeding your dog a RAW diet, as many owner may find that a RAW diet hard to manage. So owners can feed Dehydrated food or use it as a supplement to a dogs regular kibble. Please check out the link to a great article about feeding your dog a dehydrated diet.
https://yourdogadvisor.com/dehydrated-dog-food/
We all know that there are certain things that we should and shouldn't eat. Our dogs are the same way, there are food that you should never feed your dog, and ones that you should "limit." I am not the type of person that doesn't feed my dogs people food, but I do want to be educated on what could potentioally hurt them. Please click the link to be taken to an article provided by the ASPCA.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets
https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/raw-dog-food-dietary-concerns-benefits-and-risks#1
Dehydrated Diet is an alternative to feeding your dog a RAW diet, as many owner may find that a RAW diet hard to manage. So owners can feed Dehydrated food or use it as a supplement to a dogs regular kibble. Please check out the link to a great article about feeding your dog a dehydrated diet.
https://yourdogadvisor.com/dehydrated-dog-food/
We all know that there are certain things that we should and shouldn't eat. Our dogs are the same way, there are food that you should never feed your dog, and ones that you should "limit." I am not the type of person that doesn't feed my dogs people food, but I do want to be educated on what could potentioally hurt them. Please click the link to be taken to an article provided by the ASPCA.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets
Please note that we are not Veterinarians (nor do we claim to be), and if you have an specific questions or concerns about our dog you should always consult a licensed Veterinarian with any health concerns or best feeding practices for your specific dog. This page is simply designed to offer some helpful advice, and is never to be used in place of licensed medical advice for your pets.
Training Tips & Suggestions:
I am sure that we have all been frustrated from time to time when working on potty training our puppies. The following websites could prove to be extremly helpful to new puppy owners or ones that haven't had to potty train for a while.
http://www.meandmypuppy.com/potty-train-puppy/
http://www.meandmypuppy.com/crate-training-puppy/
http://www.meandmypuppy.com/potty-train-puppy/
http://www.meandmypuppy.com/crate-training-puppy/
Training of course doesn’t stop when our puppies are potty trained (even though that feels like a HUGE win). With a GIANT dog it is extremely important that training is started early and is continued throughout their life’s. Our dogs are big, and need to be better behaved than you’re typical dog. Not only is training and socialization important for your safety as well as the publics, but for your dogs as well. Think about it this way...if you are walking your dog and he finds a chicken bone that has been discarded you want to be able to say “Leave it” and have them respond immediately. This is just one of the many examples that could be used for the importance of making sure your dog is well trained. We believe in not only the basics, but advanced training and continuing training. We have made the choice to ensure that our dogs have been put to the test and are outstanding doggy citizens. We make sure that all of our dogs are able to pass the AKC’s Canine Good Citizenship test. We don’t stop training once this is accomplished we continue this training with refreshers all the time.
Pups should always start with the basics, come, sit, down, stay and leave it are the few that I would consider the most important for any pup or dog to learn. Also, leash training is super important! I have included a few links below that can help.
Basic Training:
https://www.cesarsway.com/5-essential-commands-you-can-teach-your-dog/
https://www.mypet.com/new-pet-owner/tips-training-dog.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIuDejIzPbk - now I have never started a pup without treats, but I really love this method.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DTr_97lFww (leash training a puppy)
As mentioned earlier we strongly believe that our dogs should be tested as good citizens; therefore, I have included a few advanced training links
Advanced training:
Canine Good Citizen explanation and evaluation link - https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/
https://www.k9ofmine.com/cgc-test/
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/advanced-training/
* Please understand we are not professional certified trainers, these are simply our beliefs and tricks/tips that we have learned through training our own dogs. These are strictly our opinions, and should you have a dog that needs additional help we also suggest professional training.
Pups should always start with the basics, come, sit, down, stay and leave it are the few that I would consider the most important for any pup or dog to learn. Also, leash training is super important! I have included a few links below that can help.
Basic Training:
https://www.cesarsway.com/5-essential-commands-you-can-teach-your-dog/
https://www.mypet.com/new-pet-owner/tips-training-dog.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIuDejIzPbk - now I have never started a pup without treats, but I really love this method.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DTr_97lFww (leash training a puppy)
As mentioned earlier we strongly believe that our dogs should be tested as good citizens; therefore, I have included a few advanced training links
Advanced training:
Canine Good Citizen explanation and evaluation link - https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/
https://www.k9ofmine.com/cgc-test/
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/advanced-training/
* Please understand we are not professional certified trainers, these are simply our beliefs and tricks/tips that we have learned through training our own dogs. These are strictly our opinions, and should you have a dog that needs additional help we also suggest professional training.
Just for Fun:
You can catch most of these products in our posted pictures.
Great Mastiff "proof" collars: https://buckle-down.com/products/pet-accessories
Military Speciality Collars & Leashes: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCamoCanine
Truck (Car) seat covers: http://www.covercraft.com/us/en/company/canine-rear-seat
Custom Made Bandana's: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BizzyMamas
Drool is Cool... Bids for Big Boys (or girls): http://designsby2paws.com/
Great Mastiff "proof" collars: https://buckle-down.com/products/pet-accessories
Military Speciality Collars & Leashes: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCamoCanine
Truck (Car) seat covers: http://www.covercraft.com/us/en/company/canine-rear-seat
Custom Made Bandana's: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BizzyMamas
Drool is Cool... Bids for Big Boys (or girls): http://designsby2paws.com/
