THE MASTIFF 21 



fore, used at stud so much as he should have been ; but it is a fact 

 worthy of note that most of the winning Mastiffs of the past few years 

 have been brindles, all of which trace their pedigrees back to this dog. 

 - Before attempting to breed Mastiffs, the breeder should have a 

 clear and definite idea as to what he wishes to breed, and having 

 made up his mind upon this point, he must devote all his energies to 

 attain what he desires. If his aim is to breed a dog exceptionally good 

 in one particular point, he will find his task a far easier one than to 

 breed a dog good all round ; but if he gains his end he will probably 

 be disappointed in the result, as the dog may possibly be so bad in 

 other points as to be a constant eyesore to its owner. Unfortunately, 

 there appears to be an impression among some who attempt to 

 breed Mastiffs that if they devote all their attention to obtaining one 

 quality, they can, when they have obtained this, turn their attention 

 to other points, and in this way they will in course of time succeed 

 in producing a perfect animal. There is not a greater mistake in 

 Mastiff breeding. A breeder cannot afford to ignore the smallest 

 detail, and he should ever bear in mind that if he once allows a fault to 

 be perpetuated, it may take him many years to eradicate it, even if he 

 is so fortunate as to do so at last. If a few of those who have been 

 breeding Mastiffs within the last ten or twenty years had displayed 

 the same amount of enthusiasm in endeavouring to breed dogs with 

 as few faults as possible as they have shown in their attempts to 

 produce a dog excelling in one or two particular points, they would 

 have done more good, and there would be a larger number of better 

 Mastiffs than at present. 



In selecting the brood bitch, her pedigree is a matter of the first 

 importance, for unless this is known the breeder cannot tell how she 

 should be mated. She should not be bred from until she has 

 attained the age of about fifteen months. Length of body and 

 width across the loins are essential points to be looked for. 

 Ascertain, if possible, whether any faults that are apparent in her 

 such, for instance, as bad legs and feet are the result of bad rearing 

 or are hereditary. If the bitch is deficient in size, her pedigree should 

 be carefully examined in order to make sure whether she comes 

 from a strain of small Mastiffs or whether her ancestors were animals 

 of average size. It does not necessarily follow that a small bitch 

 will not throw large puppies ; so much depends upon her breeding. 

 The dam of Mr. Green's Monarch (2,316) was very small, but 

 Monarch was a very large dog, standing over 33in., and many of 

 his progeny were also dogs of unusual size. Should the bitch 

 be light in colour, a cross with a dark brindle dog is desirable. 

 Puppies, one of the parents of which is a fawn and the other a 

 brindle, are generally distinctly of one colour or the other. 



The next thing to do is to select the stud dog, and here again 

 the pedigree must be carefully examined with a view to ascertain in 



