Doc “I’ll be your Huckleberry” Holiday

1st Mastiff, Huckleberry, the patriarch of 

Camo Country Mastiffs. Hucks Ducky is a man's man's, dog's dog?!? A studly, big headed, rangy beast that looks like he should be the star of his own cartoon. 

With definitely the personality of a cartoon, although that would be more Mighty Mouse than Brutus. I wanted a classic, god of war like name for him, Todd decided he was a Huckleberry. I scrambled to add the tombstone reference to improve his street cred but Huckleberry it is. Well as it should be, Huck is really a Mama's boy. Very rarely being beyond my fingertips in the last 7 years.

He is the receiver of the brunt of bullying from the girls, doesn't really like to be dirty, cold or uncomfortable. 

Being the only dog for awhile and living in the city, he likes the finer things in life; beds inside and out, always clean water bowls and my jeep with the top off, something we had to trade in upon trying to squeeze a 2nd Mastiff in it along with Huckleberry. Just a word of caution here, if you really, really love your jeep, or any car, and treat it like your baby, you might want to reconsider your dog choice. 

Because we had lost a girl between Huckleberry and MooMoo, our Brun Hildegard Hun, Moo's wait was bittersweet. She was literally picked up on our way to the farm and she is our actual cow girl versus Huck, the city slicker. 

Huck was overjoyed to have a friend again and we all made short work of introducing her to our next adventure in life together. She was spoiled, cosseted, and rarely told no because of losing Hilda, something you can recognize in her mindset. MooMoo is earthy, walking thru the puddles Huck walks around, real, preferring to eat what she catches on the land while Huck is more of a catch, play with and release hunter.

If Maggie doesn't like the first answer she receives, she will wear you down until she gets the correct one. Whether she needs to bar you from the door or stand over you on the floor, she will get her way eventually. She is a little shorter and softer physically, a bit slower to recognize what is being requested of her during training and less patient with rewards. Moo likes to pick up and drop educational toys until the "candy" falls out but she is also the one smart enough to put her paw on plates to keep them from sliding away as she is licking it. So she has her priorities when using her brain, our "Now!" girl.

Mastiff 4; 1st baby, Pigpen

The only girl of our first breeding of Huckleberry and Maggie Moo, exactly what we wanted, everything we had hoped for.  Huckleberry's big head, their combined thick body, bit more of Moo's softness and less of Huck's harsher angles. She was perfection and is growing into the perfect demeanor as well, more of Huck's laid back, relaxed attitude and her Mama's sweet, friendliness. Pawlly just wants to be loved on 24/7 and to please you, no subterfuges or hidden diva traits. (read about secret bully Moo later)

What you see is what you get with Pigpen except for her tattletaling. If you want to know where another dog is, especially if it's where they shouldn't be, look at Pawlly. She will be trying to not look directly at them and failing miserably. Up in the woods, in the chicken room, her body is pointed right at them. Someone took her spot? We will not hear the end of it unless we go do something about it, she starts out complaining to the offender. (And she sounds like Chewbacca when she's "talking") But when they won't move, she goes up the chain of command, and doesn't mind waking the whole family to let us know Tinker is in her spot. Her grumbling is loud!

We are anxiously awaiting her first breeding with an equally laid back old country boy and expect the ultimate reward in the chillest, friendliest block headed house hippos yet!

5th Mastiff, Our baby, our oops, we had not planned on, previously deciding 3 Mastiffs was a full herd in size relation to the small Amish homestead we were living in. She had been claimed early on by an excited couple who knew they wanted one of ours and were eagerly awaiting their first Mastiff. 

She's sweet, even tempered, friendly, all the classic traits and a little larger in size for a typical female, another perfect puppy. 

We discovered Stinky's super power is abounding love, towards anything, anyone, any object. She loves you, she loves life, in that order, she wants to be closer to you than humanly possible, under your skin to understand you better so she can love you even more completely. 

I fell under her spell, Todd held out as long as possible. When one of her fur parents went into the hospital, we felt terrible, we were secretly hoping they would change their mind, or not be able to take her, then worrying we'd set this in motion, put it out into the universe, it was completely opposite the attitude that a breeder should have and one we'd never experienced before.

The owners were wavering, afraid they'd never own one of ours if they didn't take her, but worrying if they did it would be too much on her health. They couldn't do it, Tinker was ours- again, still, and staying home with us where she belonged. There to peer into our eyes for as long as we'd stay still, put her head on our shoulder in an everlasting hug. She has no agenda, nothing to do for the day except whatever makes us happiest.