Are you talking about shoes?

That's what my mom asked when I told her we might go see Enzo.

So we've been talking to one of the best of the best in the Cane Corso world - Fortissima. Robot is looking at grandpuppies of Enzo - the foxiest Cane Corso alive apparently. One is directly traced and the other we have to get a little clarification on.

These puppies come from two of the breeders we've discussed - Indiana Couple and West Coast Cane Corso.

Fortissima has puppies too but their price is above our pet quality/morality/we need food budget. But what's cool is that he is open to us coming out and just browsing his dogs so we can interact with more Cane Corsos. And, we've been invited to take the little guy out to visit the pros.

Looks like we're one negotiation or one last temprament/photo discussion away from a puppy...

Looking for a puppy or watching soap opera?

After Robot told the breeder that was being dissed on the ICCF bulletin board that he was indeed being dissed, he responded to them. Not happily.

While I do see some of each side, I do think that the governing body could have been a bit more professional - i.e. not allowing the post where some guy playfully threatened to drive down and kick his butt. Especially when an ICCF big wig is QUOTED in this article about the puppies. So they already knew, and seemed to condone this breeder.

And if you're looking for the tizzy on the ICCF bulletin board, I just noticed that after the breeder in question got angry with them, they took all the posts down.

In the meantime, hold on to your heart and look at this.

Can we all help Faith?

The funny thing about purebred dogs...

So I'm walking down the street with Lola.

STRANGER: What kind of dog is that?
WEST END GIRL: Bullmastiff.
STRANGER: Where'd you get her from?
WEST: Somebody gave her to me.
STRANGER: How much those dogs cost?
WEST: Well mine was free and of no use to anyone but me. No sirree, not worth looking twice at her.

So I've got this technically fancy pants pedigreed dog (if I had sent in the papers) with a big old name and half the time I end up telling a lie about where she comes from anyhow. Because I don't want people getting the big idea that they can make loot off Bullmastiffs. And I don't want them thinking Lola is worth stealing.

Pedigree be damned. If anybody asks, she's a worthless junkyard dog.

And yes, I do realize...

...that if you click links and read all the posts you can figure out who most of these breeders are and what their additional motivations might be.

The Feel Good Conversation of the Morning!

ROBOT: ICCF=Condo Board

It's true. There's a lot of politics in the business of dogs.

The leaders of this breed are so few. The ICCF is made of a tiny group of big names you see over and over. The smaller the governing group and the more ACTIVE breeders that are in that group, the less impartiality you have. Because the breed is new. If you look at the Bullmastiff Big Fancy Breeders you see a much larger group of people. Plus the higher-ups don't all have active, breeding kennels themselves.

So right now, I can't panic over everything they say.

I also spoke to the Fortissima guy. He is the pop of Enzo and plays a little role in the ICCF bulletin board thing I'm watching. He verified that the dog was okay for breeding, not pet quality. He thinks this guy is okay - just ended up with a HUGE litter. And two litters at once isn't completely unusual.

He also said that to think that fussing at someone over their dogs isn't going to stop them from breeding.
Only Buyers can do that.

I agree only educated buyers can weed out the worst of the worst. But it appears that there is frequently a layer of Hobby/Backyard folks that is going to get business. I guess the object of the game, if you can't spend 2Gs on a *pet* quality from a Big Fancy Showing Breeder, is to apply all the wise choices to ANYONE you get a dog from.

Anyhow, I'm still on Petfinder.org, trying to get lucky.

Am now STALKING the ICCF bulletin board.

So now there are posts flying up on the ICCF bulletin board about a breeder that I thought was okay. When I go back, I do see a few problems that I should have caught - a young father. No mention of where the father is from.

The grievances are that when the more experienced folks called this guy, they could tell that he doesn't know enough about dogs. He hasn't had time to show his dogs (remember that instantly means Backyard breeder). He hasn't had hips checked. And they are unsatisfied with the way that the guy is screening his applicants. They feel like he's throwing puppies out the door.

I felt the understandable panic of a man faced with a surprisingly huge litter, trying to find homes. But I guess that's his own fault. It gets hard when the breeders are good on one front, then lacking on another....

Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Plus frustration.

So I'm looking at the ICCF, which is pretty much the AKC for Cane Corsos. I see a post on the bulletin board about one of the breeders that Robot and I like. This post pretty much takes the breeder to task as an only for profit breeder. The poster asks for sanctions against this breeder who is a member of the ICCF. Or says he is.

I do believe that this breeder is a member of the ICCF. In fact, I'm very interested in the ICCF response, as one of this breeder's dogs comes from the kennel of a pretty prominent dude in the ICCF. Did the breeder breed a pet quality dog when he wasn't supposed to? Will they condone a breeder who doesn't show?

And I thought about it.

Should we really be helping people who are Hobby breeders at best, Backyard breeder at worst? Common standards say that if you don't SHOW your dogs then that is what you are. Many of the dogs that land in Rescue come from Backyard Breeders. And I'm not talking about nasty, underhanded folks who are only three steps up from dog fighting. I'm talking nice folks who breed dogs, make money and convince themselves that they're being responsible by finding "good" homes. They really aren't being responsible.

Then of course, neither was I. My sweetest-of-the-sweet Lola comes from a Backyard breeder. He was great, knowledgeable, and available (although I have lost track of him now). Lola continues to have no major health problems. She is definitely pet quality, with her small head and small body.

My next dog was going to be older and come from Rescue. In fact, I tried to get a Neapolitan boy from a guy who rescued him - but the guy fell in love and wanted to keep him. But I also didn't have a cat then. And this isn't my dog. And Robot deserves the same choice I had...

Still, I'm burning up Petfinder.org to try to find him a Cane Corso baby to adopt. I thought I'd found the motherlode - FOUR puppies!

They were ALL girls.

Robot and I were playing with Lola in the backyard when we spot a big, slightly limping dog in the parking lot next door. I thought, WOW! Did the perfect dog just find us? We both start whistling and trying to coax him/her closer. We go out the front, and although he seemed impressed by our whistling abilities - he wasn't coming over.

I wish I knew how to whistle, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU AND BUY YOU SWEATERS? LOOK AT THE BOY'S KONG TOSSING ABILITY?"

Anyway, I'm a little burned out on sloshing through "Breeders."

I'm going to tend to an inquiry I made from someone listed ON the ICCF site. He had no more boys, but happened to be with one of the real, showing breeders who runs Fortissima. They know of someone who has two boys from the son of their Enzo. Waiting for their call with the info.

Other than that, I'm going to focus on trying to find a baby that Robot could adopt. I couldn't find a baby Bullmastiff when I was looking, but maybe the stars will align this time.

One of Indiana Couple's Black Cane Corsos

IMG_2130
Originally uploaded by west end girl.

Okay, I'll say it - he's my favorite.

West Coast Cane Corso

DSC00653
Originally uploaded by west end girl.

Oh yes, this is Bachelor Number Three... Now back to Lola and beeeeer.

Lola - The Known Entity

bigheadlola
Originally uploaded by west end girl.

This puppy business is okay. But I must say I don't miss the craziness that goes along with the search. Which is why I'm going downstairs to love up on the Bullmastiff I know - Lola Mae.

West Coast Cane Corso...

DSC00664
Originally uploaded by west end girl.

Bachelor Number Two...

West Coast Cane Corso

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Originally uploaded by west end girl.

Bachelor Number One...

Oh the charming West Coast Cane Corso guy...

Sometimes it feels funny talking to people then writing about it, but if I said, "HEY, YOU KNOW I'M GONNA REVIEW YOU ON THE INTERNET" I don't think I'd get an accurate experience. It's like a mystery shopper wearing a hat that says, "mystery shopper." So I'm going to post pertinent stuff, with private stuff removed. I'm going to be general about really negative stuff. Unless you're looking for a Cane Corso. In which case leave your email address in a comment, and I'll tell you if I had a bad experience with a breeder who seems reputable. Anyhow, here's where we are today...

Robot likes West Coast Cane Corsos. As he researched, we found this good thing. One of his dogs comes from the much lauded Belmonte Cane Corsos. Their guys are ready to come home now and I posted a few of the photos he sent Robot.

In the interest of truly giving you an example of the kinds of things you DO want to hear, here is a portion of an email we got from Jean Paul Lorist, West Coast Cane Corso:

"ROBOT, i have been breeding dogs as a hobby since1983,rotties until the masses ruined the name of the breed and millions of unscrupulous wanna be breeders bred any rottie they could find. i got my first cane
corso in 1998 i have had a couple that i spayed/nuetered and gave away because they did not meet my temperment standards. i finally got a trio put together and socialized them with other dogs as well as other humanoids. they have a beach near my home they call "dog beach" i can take 2 dogs at a time[3 dogs weigh close to 350lbs so i only take 2
at a time]and walk them off leash with at least 50-75 dogs running all over the place. i have 2 young children 5and 7 and i could not ask for better companions for my kids. bottom line is my male "apollo" has 7 generations back in his family all being temperment tested. one of my females is from bel monte the other from fortissima. i will give you phone #s of some clients that have some pups out of the exsisting litters and ask them any????? the answers will all be positive.? out of the huge quantity of pups i am sure a couple might need a little more work than the rest of the litter but the majority will have the super smooth mellow temperments of the parents. i put alot of time, money and research into getting the "perfect corso with the perfect temperment. i can tell you from experience there is alot of scrap out there. it is to bad u did not come west for bussiness because if u could have stopped by i guarranty you would be impressed by the parents. i have been to almost every reputable breeder in the nation and my dogs will match or beat any area of conformation any where in this country. if u saw them in real life any reservations on your part would dissapear. i have 12 males left and definetly have numerous ones that will fit your needs. blues,chestnut/brindles and black. here are some #'s of people who have pups out of this litter..."

Remember that Robot has been talking to this guy for a few weeks now, and the breeder can see that he isn't going to waste his time. That is why he gets such an informative email.

So Robot says: Aw, I trust that he could send me a cool dog, but don't I need to go out and meet the parents myself? Won't that look bad on your blog?

WEST: Um, are you talking to the girl who got her Lola out of the newspaper (alleged cardinal sin)?

The point being, you might not follow all the rules exactly but you need to know what risks you're taking. In this case, what if this guy's web site is a fake and he has all the dogs chained in the backyard where they snarl at passing old people and cats? In a less extreme variant, what if the parents are more aloof than you'd like? Or don't have the look you want?

Indiana Pup-date...

We undertook the pilgrimage to Indiana on Sunday and I really liked what I saw.

Roman was the puppies pop - you remember the guy with the tiny lipstick? He was a beautiful boy and just as glossy as the photo. Friendly beyond belief and absolutely a whore for petting. Glossy mama Tea was also very gracious to these strangers that kept touching her babies. Just as the owner had said, Tea was the first to come to the fence upon our arrival. Roman was all, HUH? Oh yeah - WOOF I guess maybe. Could somebody gimme some pets?

This weekend when we saw puppies in Brooklyn, I noticed that the mom didn't look so great. First of all, her coat was pretty dull. Second, she still had quite a bit of discharge after two weeks. These parents are definitely members of the family and treated well. We even saw the parents with a pretty little girl - they were great.

Photos of cute boys and puppies to come later.

These guys were a week older than the Brooklyn babies, and way more active. But it was still a little early to REALLY tell temprament. That confused Robot who didn't want to put a deposit on the wrong boy. The solution is to put a deposit on the order of the pick. When the pups get old enough, the people who put down deposits pick in order of their deposit-putting-downing. That way, if tempraments change, you will still get the right puppy for you. I'm sure they wouldn't mind doing it that way...

But I did have one problem. The Indiana dogs' ad said $1200. Then on the phone they said $1500. We really can't afford that much on the dog. Plus, that's a bit high for a pet quality pup from a first litter. They said they quoted twelve hundred in the ad to help with shipping for those folks who needed it...

Robot thinks that's high too. We're going to talk to them about that price, but they have a right to stick to their guns.

Luckily, we have options and plenty of time.

Another West Coast Puppy

wc1
Originally uploaded by west end girl.

Things I notice: It seems that these guys are all outside - but it is California where it is warmer.

West Coast Cane Corso

wc3
Originally uploaded by west end girl.

Things you can tell from this photo: This puppy is spoiled. Big time. And looks like a Cane Corso.

West Coast Cane Corso knows how to party.

The nice guy at West Coast Cane Corso sent Robot an email about his recent litter.

Robot always liked West Coast and planned to visit, until my trip was moved to the East Coast. He'd had a few positive emails and had told him about Her Royal Bullmastiff Highness. He seemed impressed. He did say that he had to conduct a short five minute interview with perspective buyers and that's good I guess. I'd grill them for at least half an hour tho...

The first step is to call him and talk to see if he feels at all right.

He likes it when you're hard to get.

Things that turn Robot on: Sunny days, healthy pups and moms.
Turn-offs: People who send a mass email announcing that Mystic is out of puppies but you can get still get one from me!

Mystic clearly referred these people to another breeder who sent an email.

But the whole massness turned Robot off. I wasn't particularly bothered by it - sometimes it is hard to tell what a breeder is like until you talk to him. Who knows? Maybe Mystic only turned over the names of the 40 parties who seemed qualified?

The Indiana Puppy Pilgrimage

A few days ago, I had a long delightful talk with the Indiana man of the house.

We had a good chuckle about the personality of the boys (he is watching for signs of temprament - goooood). Already they have a leader - a black brindle who was described as a "feisty lover, the first to feed and the one the other puppies look to to call for mom." The yelper. Mom really digs him too. After he fills his belly he goes up by her muzzle and gets a good nuzzling. He, apparently is like his mom in temprament - she runs the show.

There's a black male who seems to be all super laid back like his pop. Pop apparently will whine to let you know that somebody is outside, then eagerly wait for them to get inside for a twenty minute petting fest.

The puppies are kept in their son's room so as soon has he returns from school he goes in the room and pets the puppies. Along with nine nieces and nephews who come to pet the puppies. Do you know what that is? That, my friends, is socialization.

Dad is 135 pounds (righto). Mom is about 100 (yup). Mom and pop are taken on long walks a few times a week and have once been taken to an elementary school for show and tell (GREAT ANSWER). This is their first litter, they plan to wait two years and do one more and that's it.

He mentioned that he has turned a lot of folks away because he wasn't comfortable with them having Cane Corso puppies (good answer). In fact, he got cussed out for it.

Aren't you glad I already told you how to impress a breeder with your knowledge and good canine citizen intentions?

He says training is a must (good answer). Cane Corsos are more energetic than Bullmastiffs, and are more likely to protect you and your stuff (yup).

Robot liked that the talk was long and leisurely. Says he cares about the dogs.

I agree and thus am on the way to Indiana with Robot and his brother - Medium Robot the Middle Child.

Cane Corso motherhood...

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Originally uploaded by west end girl.

This is what I see in this photo: Mom and puppies are in the house, judging from the carpet. Mom is TIRED and possibly a teeny bit thin from all the puppies, but that's natural. What I like, and this could mean nothing, is how GLOSSY her coat still looks. It seems like she can nurse and stay healthy herself. That looks like a well taken care of mom.

Please note the puppy playing under her chin...

This is blurry puppy's pop.

000_0058
Originally uploaded by west end girl.

This is what I can infer from this photo: He is probably frequently in the house, as you can see his food and whatnot in the background. He looks like a Cane Corso. He has quite the glossy coat and looks healthy. And he carries about a tiny lipstick...

One blurry Cane Corso from Indiana...

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Originally uploaded by west end girl.

This is what you can tell from the photo: Yup they do have puppies, as opposed to say, baby three-toed tree sloths. And yes, they are cute.

Clap like Family Feud and say, "Good answer, good answer"

Here's a groovy answer from an Indiana couple we found on Puppyfind.com:

"Hello WEST END GIRL- 
Their hips have never been tested.  My female is only 2 years old and my male is only 3.  They are supposed to be atleast 2 before they are pinhipped.  We do plan on getting them done as soon as all this is over.  Our vet has checked them numorous times and did say their hips sound and feel just fine.  They both come from great bloodlines.  We give them vitamins, feed them good food, and give them glucosomine pills daily.  They are not AKC recognized.  Cane Corso's have their own federation, called the ICCF (International Cane Corso Federation).  And yes, they will have papers and be ICCF recognized.  If you have any further questions please feel free to call us, if not we look forward to seeing you soon.
Here are some pic's I've downloaded."

This was an email from my Indiana folks. And even though the dogs' hips haven't been tested, they know what testing is, why you'd do it, and have been taking precautions.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Those people could have made all that stuff up! They could be bullshitting about glucosomine and papers and their vet! Don't be no SUCKA girl! Robot is depending on you!"

Could they be bullshitting? You betcha, my darling cynics. But KNOWING enough to bullshit well - that's a start. You would be amazed at the folks who don't even care that much.

And if you really want to get cynical, the best breeder in the universe could just give you a delightful pedigree for the neighbor's mutt if you only want a pet quality (as opposed to show quality) dog. Pet quality dogs are to be fixed, thus no tell-tale puppies running about. But don't be cynical folks - it gives you wrinkles. When it comes down to picking a puppy, you're usually taking an educated leap of faith.

But West End Girl ain't no sucka. I called the Indiana folks...

Kanye you sillies! Kanye!

A few days ago I had a long conversation with a guy in Indiana who had just posted a notice of his two week old puppies. He seemed pretty knowledgeable, was relaxed and informative on the phone and mentioned that he had turned down some folks. He wants to know who the dog is going to and if he feels funny about them, they don't get the dog.

So I did my usual hey-I'm-not-your-average-puppy-seeker spiel, then followed that with some I-already-raised-a-great-dog, then brought it home with can-we-come-see-your-dogs?

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

Not to mention Robot found a guy with puppies in BROOKLYN! (Remember, Dogsagas was brought to you from Manhattan last week!) So we went today. More details and links later, but here is a summary:

I got pooped on by two week old puppy.
Robot saw his FIRST real live Cane Corsos.
Robot got pooped on by two week old puppy.
Just because people are nice, their fathers are groovy and their puppies are cute, you don't have to buy one if something doesn't feel right.
We learned that they might be Khan-ney Corsos, and not Cayne Corsos as we had been saying.
So you KNOW what his name would be if I could actually stand to think of pop music that often.

I felt sorry for this guy's puppies.

A few days ago, this was Robot on the phone with a newspaper Cane Corso guy:

ROBOT: Hey, I'm calling about the pups?
ROBOT:...yeah. Do you have males?
ROBOT: Parents on premise?
ROBOT: What?
ROBOT: The mom and dad? Are they there?
ROBOT: How old are they?
ROBOT: Oh. Have their hips been checked?
ROBOT:...their HIPS?
ROBOT:...been CHECKED?
ROBOT: You check their hips for...

Then he just shuddered and snapped his phone shut. This guy who KNEW NOTHING ABOUT HIPS had the nerve to have been bragging about his BIG, BIG dogs. See?

Have you read enough of this blog to know that this guy sucked?

Majestic Cane Corso.

Cane Corso Puppies for sale from Majestic Guardians Kennels. Born Jan 20th. ICCF registered. Champion blood lines. Excellent temps. great with kids. Family raised. Well socialized. Rare colors (blues, Blacks, formentinos etc.) Health/hips guaranteed. Will ship anywhere in U.S. will accept paypal. Sale by contract. Will accept deposits. Contact us at to reserve your Majestic Guardian to day.

So Majestic is looking much better and much closer. Robot has emailed them before, but I gave them a call when I saw his big ole disappointed blue eyes. I like Kevin and I think he knows his way around a Cane Corso. Does he have puppies? Yes? Do I think he's about to properly probe Robot and myself? Yes. But first, does he have males?

No.

Dang. And although he has four adult females living peacefully together (I imagine them knitting each other cute sweaters and talking about boys) I trust what my trainer/nannies have told me about my girl and me. I say "my girl and me" because the HUMAN is very important in the dog behaviour equation. Kevin-the-Expert and his bassy voice will be much more effective at being the boss of his pack because that is his job. Robot-the-First Timer and West End Girl-the-Shoe-Shopper do not wish to spend all their time breaking up two cat fighting bitches.

My trainer/nanny knows that about me. Kevin does not. In the midst of puppy lust, you can't lose focus of what is true.

The nice Kevin had no leads for me on males, so no luck there...

Cue the Benny Hill music...

THE PLAN:

Taxi to JFK.
Rent car.
Drive three hours to Albany.
Drive 45 minutes to some city outside Albany.
See dogs.
If we like dog, drive back to NYC.
Clear dog for flight.
Or pay extra loot to fly him later.

I already envision myself screaming and crying out of sheer frustration. So although Borealis and the super charming Olga are great, we just can't make it happen. Too much potential for everything to go expensively wrong - no room on flight/driving in NYC/making me so exhausted I can't finish my shoot tomorrow.

Robot is disappointed and feeling the first twinges of rare breed puppy search frustration. If you want a Golden or a Pit, you've got your pick. Anything the least bit exotic and the search gets hairy. But I'm going to do some Cane Corso Cheering - because you stick to the one you love, not the one that there's 900 million of.

Flipping through the classifieds...

In a New York newspaper: CANE Corso Mastiffs blue pups, champ blood lines, Imported.

Hmm. Some folks say not to get a puppy from the newspaper. I was perfectly ready to ignore the ad I saw for Bullmastiff puppies until my friend Chris called and asked if I saw that ad in the newspaper and I took that as a sign from the unseen friends that I was at least supposed to look and lookie there that girl sure is cute!

But I'm no fool. I put the newspaper guy through the same hoops I would put a breeder through - including calling the breeder that Lola's Dad came from - Rad Dawg. His name was King Cain Luvable. Lola's grandfather's owner from Rad Dawg was most informative - down to the tip that a pinch on the ear will do what a slap on the butt won't. Lola's mom is Hanover's Sunshine. And after all this information, I got a whole slew of great breeder questions and answers, so this could have a happy ending...

So I called the number. The guy says that he brought two puppies back from Italy and he has the male. He's eight weeks old. And he wants $1500 for him, but could let him go for $1300. In fact, how much was I looking to spend for a Cane Corso? After all, he has "champion" bloodlines and the "papers" to prove it.

No parents on site. If he is only eight weeks now, he was probably taken from their mother too early. This guy isn't asking me nearly enough questions. And asking for WAY too much money for a puppy with so many unknowns. That's a pet quality at best with low end purebred price. And I know all this because I did my homework.

Okay, thanks for your time...but no thanks.

We are arranging our trip to Albany to see Olga....

"No rough play. No tug-o-war. And take them with you."

That apparently is the secret of Puzzle, a groovy Jack Russell Terrier girl and Kendall, a most lady-like Boston Terrier. Puzzle's guy Kevin Osbourne says that's how you keep intelligent, potentially "aggressive" (his words Terrier-folks, not mine) dogs so well socialized that they're absolutely safe around the HOARDES of children that come through his business each day.

See how all the folks with great dogs say the same thing? You find out what you need to modify in a breed's personality and you have the perfect homey. And then you actually have do DO it consistantly.

FYI - when I'm away on business, I'm lucky enough to have the greatest sitters ever. A whole entry or two on finding the right sitter is coming later. But lucky Lola-girl is tip-toeing through the tulips/elbowing other dogs aside to get to their food at See Spot Run. A place run by two GREAT women, two adorable brothers and Jered the lead singer of the rock band The Ponys.

How's that for pampered living?

You will be probed. Learn to like it.

So when I was looking for Lola and saw how much MONEY people make from selling puppies, I briefly considered quitting my job, buying two dogs and a Barry White CD and letting nature take its course.

I'm not talking about professional breeders getting rich here, I'm talking Average Joes who quit their jobs, bought two dogs and a Barry White CD, etc.

See the thing that stopped me is this - I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PROPER DOG BREEDING. I don't know how to match dogs to avoid the genetic health issues that ALL breeds have. I am not dedicated to the art and science of building better dogs. Not to mention the fact that if I wasn't contributing to professionally maintaining the standard of a certain breed of dog, then I feel that I'd just be contributing to overpopulation.

Unfortunately there are those that don't let any of the above stop them in their quest for loot.

Good breeders and good animal shelters all have one important thing in common - THEY WILL PROBE YOU. You will be asked many, many questions.

BREEDER: Are you single?
BREEDER: Who will be home to take this puppy out during the day?
BREEDER: And when she gets older?
BREEDER: Do you have other dogs? How many?
BREEDER: Ever had a dog before?
BREEDER: What happened to him?
BREEDER: What is the number of your current vet?
BREEDER: What happens if you get a job transfer to another state?
BREEDER: What if a kick ass apartment opens up in a no pet building?
BREEDER: Do you plan to have kids? How will you teach this dog to deal with that?
BREEDER: What is your zodiac sign because this dog is a Scorpio and sometimes they don't get along with Taureans.

ME: Yes. Sitter. Sitter and me. No. Not as an adult. My family gave him away after four days because he used to roam the neighborhood and go into other people's garbage and they didn't train him and yes I'm still sad, thus my blog. North Avenue Animal Hospital, 278-1330, Irene rocks. Dog comes with me. I keep looking. Yes one day and when that gets close can I call you for advice? I'm a Taurus, but we instantly know if we're gonna hate Scorpios and I'm feeling dandy about this dog so far.

It's simple - you want a breeder/shelter that cares if YOU are right for their dogs. They want to be sure you've thought all this out before you get one of their animals and then dump it somewhere because you're bored. At first a good breeder might be a little stand-offish. They should warm once you have proven your seriousness and shown a healthy respect for canine-kind.

A good shelter is going to make you fill out three Bics work of paperwork. They want people to adopt their dogs, don't get me wrong. But it does a shelter no good to get that dog ready to go home only to return three weeks later because you hadn't thought it out.

What you want to avoid is a shelter that THROWS dogs at you. Although they are well-meaning, they aren't thinking of making the best matches. They are just trying their hardest to save as many dogs as they can, so they throw everything on the wall and hope something sticks. I don't think too many shelters are this way - the Humane Societies and Rescues definitely want to make the right match for each dog. Many Rescues have a waiting period - you apply, they check you out and then you wait for them to find the right dog.

Here is a bad breeder dialogue:

BAD BREEDER: Do you have $800?
YOU: Yes.
BAD BREEDER: Here's your puppy.

Absolutely avoid breeders who sell puppies easier than 7-11 sells cigarettes. They don't care about dogs. They don't care about the dog they are handing you. They don't care about you. They probably didn't care to try to breed healthy, sound dogs. They just want your money. And that not caring about dogs can manifest itself in many ways - sick puppies, healthy puppies that grow up to have expensive health issues later, puppies that grow up to be mean nasty dogs that aren't anything like their breed personality, expensive "purebred" pups that would actually be qualified as a mutt.

I love a good mutt. But I do not love a BIG LIAR. And paying BIG LIARS to treat you and dogs badly is not wise.

So I say all that to say, be patient with breeders, rescue folks and shelter folks who request everything but a urine sample from you. It's like good parents - they get on your nerves because they care.

whatcha doin down there

whatcha doin down there
Originally uploaded by west end girl.

Well actually THIS is the beginning...

Lola
Originally uploaded by west end girl.

The very FIRST night Lola stayed at my house and I stopped combing my hair for like four months because I was so freaked out. I worried that another dog would bite her. I worried that she would get lost. I worried that she and my cat wouldn't get along.

The only thing in this photo that didn't last was that freaking fifty dollar dog bed. She either ate it or peed on it.

I'm blogging about the first days of Lola because Robot is too busy right now to really search here. He will probably take a look at the Borealis pups I think maybe, but we won't be in New York until next week. Here is your dog lesson: Finding the right one TAKES time. Don't rush it - take a while to formulate your TRAINING plan.

Or love up on your own dog. Lola and I are going to have a little bubbly to mourn the fact that our Austin Scarlett lost to stanky Wendy Pepper on Project Runway.

Did I pick the right dog or what?

In the beginning...

shanandlola
Originally uploaded by west end girl.

...there was West End Girl and a muscle-butt puppy named Lola. That was FIVE whole years ago.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Saving dogs and money...

Hopefully the Google ad crawlers will bless me with informative ads and not "FRESH FROM THE PUPPYMILL!" ads, but there they are. For some reason, although I never mentioned them, I'm getting German Shepard breeders. One of my favorite blogs about a young mother had an ad for baby clothes and a FART MACHINE. Which if you know me or Dooce you understand how appropriate/amusing that is. Hey! Maybe I'll get fart machine ads now that I said it!

Anyhow, I also want to save you a little money, as well as ease my own Amazon.com bills by putting links to some of the best dog books out there on this site. There are a lot of books out there, they're not cheap, a lot of them stink and if you read TOO many your brain will spin. So peruse some of my faves..

Thing you should know...

Beware a breeder that says that they breed to make extra large dogs.

A good breeder is not trying to make cute dogs or BIG dogs. They're trying to make a sound dog. A Rott is not supposed to be Mastiff sized for your amusement. When dogs are too big for their bones, their hips and your heart will soon break.

Dogs and God and you...

So being the Control-Freak-Taurus that I am, I started trying to find a few breeders in our state so that Robot can meet a few adult Cane Corsos live and in person. First I found this.
A good sign - a breed so cool it has it's own band.

Then I found Lone Oak Cane Corsos, Pleasant Hill Kennel, and Lighting Cane Corsos, who doesn't have a web page but has a phone and a nice man who hipped me to a litter of 12 7 week olds.

Looking at breeder sites is always funny because sometimes they let their personal propaganda mix with the dog stuff, a la Pleasant Hill. I hope they don't ask me what faith I'll be raising the puppy because you know I'm gonna ruin Robot's chances by saying, "WHATEVER SATAN TELLS ME TO!"

Then I'll drool ketchup.

But I think Pleasant Hill has a decent dog philosophy.

I think Lone Oak has a great personal puppy raising philosophy and they raise their dogs with cats and goats. FYI, we considered a nice house rubble eating goat to complement our dumpster-less home renovation state. I actually spoke to a Laurel from Lone Oak who no longer breeds Corsos after an unfortunate experience with a Kennel in Ohio. She bought two dogs that both turned out to have severe health problems. So they had to be spayed and neutered.

The thing was, the Ohio breeder said he would replace the dogs with new puppies if they brought the adults back to be put down. !!!? Stinky Ohio Breeder! So Lone Oak sticks with breeding Westies now but the very sweet owner gave me a new lead - Renaissance Kennels. She also talked about her Cane Corsos.

They do well with cats if raised with them.

Males and females bicker but do well together. There will probably be a few areas where the new boy will want to draw the line with Lola - a toy, his food - but other than that he will probably be content to be bossed about by her. She also confirmed that you want to see parents to help predict puppy behavior and we need one right up the middle - raised to be confident but not dominant.

CCs are pretty quiet too.

Plus, she said something else interesting - CCs are hyper. She said lots of folks don't want to say that, but they can be quite bouncy. Depending on their lineage, some CCs can't sit still. Which is cool for the Running Robot.

BUT if one person has a dog that needs a lot of excersise then both adults in the house have to be ready to supply it. Fortunately Lazy-Me has a fenced yard so I'll open the back door and the two dogs can get this party started RIGHT. If there was no yard then I would have to commit to regular dog park trips, walks and/or daycare (which I had for Lola anyhow). So remember that when your partner wants a Jack Russell...should your partner go on a business trip, do you want to help it work differential equations? DO YOU?

But this could work - they can all run around the park and I'll have Aqua Teens on the tele and a Belgian ale for all when they get home.

Confession #001

So I bought my Lola girl a sweater.
I broke my pact to not be THAT kind of dog mom, but HELL the feather boa looked so cute and the last time I bothered her with clothes was well, three months ago, but that didn't count because the sweater was too small. So I think of this new red mock turtleneck as a replacement for that other sweater and not as a whole new sweater venture. The boa doesn't really count, however the nice oatmeal colored cable sweater I bought her won't count either because I totally didn't mean to win that auction on Ebay but I did and I'm very honest people.

But that's not the confession.

The confession is, as I look at Pickles (Lola's new nickname) I wonder why Robot WOULDN'T want another one just like her. I know he doesn't want a Mastiff because of the size but c'mon - SHE'S FABULOUS! She's Pickles AND she has a pretty red sweater.

But really Robot, you have to pick the dog that you'll love and if that dog has less slobber for one's pantleg, then so be it.

It's SO your loss.

And the winner is...

We are in the future.
I decided to blog this thing a little bit after Robot decided to get a puppy, so I'm always playing catch up with the posts. But forget it - I'm warping to today.
For days now I've been listening to the tappity tap tap of Robot paws on his computer trying to find the right puppy. I say puppy and not breed, because he has decided that he wants a Cane Corso. Let's start with where we got our basic info -

akc.org
Always a good place to start. Everyone is partial to their own kind of dogs - this is where all the partial come to discuss the superiority of all their dogs, thus rendering the site impartial. It gets you started with basic knowledge of different kinds of dogs.

Then Google the breeds of dogs you find interesting. Hey look! Check it out! Here's a lot of information. Read a lot of them, and not just ONE to get a nice general picture of what this dog is like. You can also find people's personal salutes to their dogs. When I was looking for Lola, I found the site of a woman with a Bullmastiff named Frog. Frog's owner had one page of stories that made me say that I want a companion like that. That page is down now, but I'll be forever grateful. I even emailed my gratitude but I think she thought I was a stalker. A Frog-stalker.

Here are sites we found that helped us learn:
Canecorso.org
(Borealis Cane Corso) home.att.net/~cane-corso/
Canecorsoitaliano.org
Then try the Cane Corso Webring - you jump from site to site. Many of them are a bit amateur, but the more sites you check out the better.

Now, here is what we learned:
Cane Corsos or Italian Mastiffs do indeed have males.
They don't bark a lot.
Jay must socialize him.
Lots of socialization.
They are a little more protective and tend to be more dominant than Bullmastiffs. So we definitely need a more submissive boy (males of course usually more dominant than females) for our expertise level and for Lola.
Lots of practicing thinking, "I'm the Alpha!"

Also, they aren't the best for first time owners, as they are big and powerful. Gulp. Does that mean I'm the "experienced dog owner." I guess I am, considering Lola is five years old.

As an aside, Robot also considered German Shorthaired Pointers.
Go figure.

Yes, there are some quiet Beagles, but...

Poor Robot.
These are the things he has to deal with already:

Girlfriend's female Bullmastiff probably won't put up with sharing the throne or her bone with another girl. That's just how it is folks, two dogs of the same sex just might grow up to hate each other so you try to have one of each sex for starters. Sometimes this is not true, but if you have a choice...
THUS, ROBOT MUST OBTAIN A MALE.

Girlfriend sincerely detests dogs that bark a lot.
THUS, ROBOT MUST NOT FALL FOR A BEAGLE.

Robot also has a few things that help rule some dogs out.

Robot wants to not come home to eaten cat. For me, that meant no terriers. Let me explain why. Many dogs are hard wired to DO something. Long, long ago dogs had JOBS! Herd the cattle! Swim out there and bring me that duck! Track my wayward husband by sniffing his underpants and following his scent! Get your long weiner ass in this hole and flush out the gopher! Many terriers had rodent related jobs and one day your pet might realize that all this time there's this rodent named Mittens living in the house. He's been lax on his duties - isn't he supposed to exterminate those? Yikes!

There is a socialization factor too.

Oh.

There it is - SOCIALIZATION.

Learn this word and love it dog seeker, for this is a HUGE part of having a well behaved canine citizen. I'll tell you more later, but let's just say that the more a dog is exposed to when he is very small - loud noises, mailmen, elevators, obedience commands - the better he'll be with those things when he gets older.

Thus Lola's socialization with my cat went like this: Ten week old Lola clumsily lumbers into the chair with Katrina (my then 14 year old cat). Katrina slaps her in the face. Lola, being twice the size of said cat already, just looks at me. Katrina slaps again and again to get her meaning across. Lola then understands that this angry bony furball is higher up in the pack than she. Lola also understands that Katrina is perhaps higher than me, since I never scold the cat in front of her. So for the remainder of Katrina's life, she was the boss of the 90 pound dog. Because that's the way it always was. Also, we don't have any problems with Lola and Jay, except that Jay pummels her on occasion.

So for me, a first time dog owner, finding a puppy helped me not worry about my cat. And Robot wants to raise/train a puppy anyway. Now what have we learned?

ROBOT MUST NOT HAVE TERRIER.
ROBOT IS LOOKING FOR FAT-BELLIED PUPPY.

Robot does not want to have to play chess with dog daily. Remember those little virtual pets you could put on your keychain? You had to play with them or they grew lonely and eventually would die. It's like that with some brainy dogs. Except if you don't keep them mentally stimulated they don't die, they eat your Money Jungle lp. Or bark all day. Or chew your cute Eames stool. These are dogs that you usually have to take with you a lot or stay home with. They like training and learning new tricks and word association games.

Oh they can be a lot of fun if you have the time to put into their interlect. But if you don't, they get bored and order things with your credit card on Amazon. While Robot occasionally works from home, and likes to walk the dog - he isn't going to run a Montessori for him.
ROBOT MUST NOT LOVE POODLE, NOR JACK RUSSELL TERRIER.

Robot worries about his girl (awwww) and wouldn't mind a dog to discourage people from breaking in to steal the Playstation2. BUT doesn't want a raving, slavering, biting maniac who won't let your mom give you a hug. That means a couple of things.

Everyone knows the dogs that people use to guard things - Rotts, Doberman, Shepards, etc..But you aren't limited to those breeds, because chances are good that your dog will try to protect you if you are frightened or threatened. Plus, the mere presence of a dog is usually a deterrent for bad guys. Any fair sized dog and even small ones with a big mouth will do.

Also, I would err on the side of not having a dog that isn't bred or trained for protection if you are a novice dog owner. A dog that is trained to protect you in the city can be hard for YOU to control. The guy who trained him probably will have no problem, but Ulf probably won't be able to help you when your dog has your friend from college treed. A nice sized OBEDIENCE TRAINED dog will do you right well. An out of control aggressively protective dog in the city will do you bad.

Now let's talk temprament - it helps to know generally what the breed is like. Then it REALLY helps to meet the parents of the puppy if possible. In addition to the passing on of traits, the parents are the puppy's first teachers. So you'll get an idea of how true to the breed personality they are.

And here it comes again - socialization.
I feel absolutely safe with Lola and she has never been trained to protect me. Most people don't see a very small Bullmastiff, they see a giant Pit Bull and run away at once. When she was small I had lots of people over and took her to as many places full of strangers as I could. She has allowed weirdos to join me at the table in bookstores. However, Lola has had a negative reaction three times in five years. I have no doubt that they truly were up to no good, and were standing too close to me. She let them know LOUDLY that the Giver of Cookies was not to be messed with.

Lola is pretty true to her breed description - Bullmastiff owners reassure new owners that although your dog is probably sweet or indifferent to most people, that dog will lay down his life for you. And I believe that so much that typing it makes me shiver. Another Bullmastiff thing is that they guard YOU. Not your possessions. Your dog just might let someone poach your Playstation2, as long as YOU aren't in danger. I haven't had to test this theory, and chances are good that one look at a Bullmastiff and you'll go rob someone else's house. Criminals don't read informative dog blogs like this one.

So...
ROBOT DOESN'T HAVE TO GET A JUNKYARD PUPPY FOR PROTECTION.
AND ROBOT WON'T NEED A STRAIGHT OUT, BRED FOR PROTECTION DOG.
ROBOT MUST HAVE THE DOG OBEDIENCE TRAINED.
ROBOT MUST SOCIALIZE THE PUPPY TO VISITORS AND STRANGERS.

These were some of the first things that we thought about...but that was only the beginning. There's more...
By the way Robot, I'm not at all campaigning for another Bullmastiff. We just share some of the same dog needs, that's all.

Yeah, that's all.

THE STORY SO FAR...

When some 28 year olds get that urge to take care of something, they have a baby. I decided to get a dog instead. When I started researching, I learned that lots of people go about finding a dog all wrong. You can't pick it because it's cute. You can't always pick it because you feel sorry for it. You can't pick it because everybody at the dog park has one.

And if you live in the city - the land of landlords and condo boards and close neighbors � you really have to be careful. One of the saddest days of your life will be taking a dog you love to the pound because of your neighbors. Especially since they won't really be the cause. Let me explain � if you pick a Labrador Retriever and gosh golly you didn't realize that he's gonna want to RETRIEVE everyday because that's kinda his job. So you're never home and he barks all day. That isn't your neighbor's fault or your dog's fault.

But joy of joys, if you take a little time to learn about dogs, their tempraments, the breed personalities (who knew?), where to find them and where NOT to find them, you can find the right companion.

Five years ago, I was a single, apartment living city girl looking for an extremely lazy dog, who would watch TV with me and not bark through my shows. I HATE barky dogs. I was sure that my neighbors would hate them too. I needed some independence too - I work and have to travel sometimes. Some dogs are destroyed by you leaving them - EVER. I also had a 14 year old cat who was my riding partner since I was 14.

I found a girly Bullmastiff, named her Lola and five years later she's the light of my life. I wished that I'd put everything I'd cobbled together about finding a dog in one place, but I didn't.

Now, my boyfriend Robot is looking for his dog-to-love. So I'm gonna tell his tale. I hope it helps you.

And I hope it helps dogs find their way home.