Lynai

What a cutie!! You know, even with Mastiffs I don't go by the packaging(as in how much to feed) on the food. I couldn't tell you even what it says . I feed according to each dog and what I'm seeing in front of me..if the dog is getting a bit pudgy I bring the food down or increase if I think they are too lean. With Giant breeds I like keeping them lean as they are growing. A lot of joint and bone ailments are a direct result of people feeding too high fat/calcium puppy food to giant breeds and making problems for thier growth plates. Typically, while growing a giant breed, lean is a good thing.

Hmm, I don't want to step on any toes but in my neck of the woods, when someone asks more for their female pups than their male pups it is usually a red flag for a backyard breeder. But it is very common. Most ethical breeders that I know of require a contract and puppies are either purchased as potential show/breeders or as pets with desexing requirments or some combination of this stipulation. Pet puppies, regardless of sex are usually (but not always)lower than breed/show prospects. Breed show prospects command more money, but doesn't necessarily make them a better dog, rather the pet quality pups have some minor issues that would fault them in the show ring. Then again, I'm in a different part of the world, but I cannot imagine it would be that different.

I have to ask, in Australia, are Amstaff and Pitty considered two distinct and seperate breeds? I have been seeing this discussion quite frequently and now I'm curious, seems that everyone describes them as seperate down there. Just curious, in another thread I was discussing that while I used to show Amstaffs, all my Amstaffs were dual registered as Amstaffs and as American Pit Bulls. They could be shown in either breed club AKC or UKC as one or the other breed. That doesn't mean pitbulls can be registered as Amstaffs, the AKC closed the door to pitbull breeders decades ago, but alot of Amstaffs still retain their dual regestries..so I"m curious as to the apparent distinction down there...The AKC also slapped on a few more standards to the Amstaff, one being no red nose. Hence if something has a red nose, you know it is probably registgered only as a pitbull. But if something didn't have a red nose, heck, it could be either, or and both, at least around here.