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 hersuch, 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 what respects the dog is likely to suit the bitch. In speaking of examining a pedigree, it is not to be supposed that merely looking at the names of a number of Mastiffs on paper will be of any assistance to a breeder unless he has a knowledge of the dogs themselves. The mere fact of a dog and his ancestors having been prize-winners is no guide to any one as to whether he will suit the bitch that it is proposed to mate with him. The breeder must ascertain the good qualities of the dog and his ancestors as well as their faults. He will then be in a position to know whether by using a certain dog he is likely to correct the faults that may be apparent in his bitch, or which have been noticeable in her ancestors, and which, although the bitch herself may not show them, are likely to reappear in her progeny. If it is desired to secure any particular quality, it is necessary in some cases to resort to in-breeding; but in doing so great judgment is required, and it is better to avoid. it if the same results can be obtained in other ways. The general opinion is that in-breeding tends to decrease size, and that dogs and bitches so bred are less reliable breeders. That the latter is the case admits of very little doubt; but it is, in the writer's opinion somewhat questionable whether the former is necessarily the case, provided the animals used are of a large strain, and that in-breeding is resorted to within certain limits only. The bitch should be fed twice a day after she has visited the dog, and have regular exercise up to the time she is due to whelp. It is desirable to have foster-mothers ready to rear the puppies, for although many Mastiffs are excellent mothers, it not infrequently happens that they are clumsy, and many a time a breeder is grievously disappointed at finding that the best puppies in the litter have been killed by the dam laying on them. The puppies should be induced to take a little milk thickened with arrowroot as soon as they are able to lap. If goat's milk is to be obtained, it is far preferable to that of the cow, but it is much too expensive to purchase. It is, however, well worth the breeder's while to keep a goat on the premises, if he has the convenience for doing so. It has been asserted that puppies reared on goat's milk will be free from worms, but this is not by any means invariably the case. A hornless goat should be selected, if possible, as there is far less risk of her injuring the puppies if she is allowed to be about with them. The puppies should be fed frequently, at regular intervals, not more being given to them at a time than they will readily eat up. A small quantity of cod liver oil mixed with the food may be given with advantage. Puppies should have their liberty, and not be chained up on any account, although it is desirable to accustom them to a collar and chain when young, as it saves much trouble later on. They should not be pampered, but receive good, nourishing food during the whole period of their growth, care being taken that they are not allowed to get too fat, but that they are kept in what is termed good growing condition. Some breeders are too apt to force their puppies when young, and are then able to boast of their weight; but it will frequently be found that puppies of abnormal weight do not develop into Mastiffs of corresponding size when full grown, they having made their growth within the first ten or twelve months of their life. A Mastiff should continue to grow in height until he is fifteen months old or more, and to increase in size and develop for a further eighteen months or so. Many large dogs do not reach their prime until a later period. About six weeks is the best age at which to select those puppies that are to be kept, for experience shows that, however much they may change during growth, the good points that they possess at this early age are likely to be found when full growth has been attained. In selecting a puppy, one naturally seeks for those qualities which are looked for in the adult animal. These are principally width of skull, width between the eyes, breadth and depth of muzzle, and plenty of bone. Size, of course, is a consideration, but this in young puppies is frequently misleading and too much stress must not be laid on it, as it sometimes happens that the smallest puppy, although reared under similar conditions to the rest of the litter, develops into the largest. That the Mastiff is not so popular at the present time as it was some years ago is a fact that cannot be denied. The introduction of so many foreign breeds into this country within the last few years could hardly fail to affect some of our native breeds, but this does not altogether account for the loss of public favour from which the Mastiff is suffering. Possibly this lack of interest in the breed is to some extent attributable to these dogs having of late years been bred with abnormally short muzzles, the result being that many of the characteristics of the breed have been changed. Faults, such as short bodies, short legs, straight hocks, and bad hindquarters have been far too common, whilst the benign expression of the Mastiff has to a great extent been lost. Altogether the Mastiff of recent years has approached far too near the Bulldog to please the general public, upon whose favour every breed is, after all, more or less dependent. That the Mastiff is a shortmuzzled dog every one will admit, but there is a medium in everything; breadth and depth of muzzle are, in the writer's opinion, of far more consequence than extreme shortness and, at the same time, more difficult to obtain. Although the Mastiff is not so active as some other breeds of large dogs, being much heavier built, yet he should be sufficiently so to be able to accompany his owner on a walk without showing fatigue; it is doubtful whether many of the Mastiffs exhibited of late years would be able to do this. |