Velcro buddy

The kids return from their quick vacation today. I have been GRAND-DOG sitting with Remi and Murphy. Remi is goofy dog galloping around the yard, a chewer in her teenage phase. Murphy if the Velcro dog. As I am typing he is trying to get his massive head under my arm so it will be easier to pet him. This is the face for watches me most of the day, especially when I am eating! It has kept me very busy, mainly trying to get my dog fed, keeping them away. But it was rather nice having others to converse with, and NOT a deaf chihuahua. Murphy will sleep right on top of me, thankfully it is usually for just an hour. When he lays on top of you, you simply can not move ... which is how they normally stop intruders.  

Things I forgot about having these dogs around ... * you do not walk around bare-footed ... you WILL step in puddles of drool. * When they drink out of a massive bowl of water, they can drink the entire thing in one setting AND the water goes everywhere. * There is NOT a point in trying to keep the floors clean * Remi circles the house all night protecting and making sure we are all safe * Feeding them by hand it a very messy affair ... lots of drool involved * Poops are MASSIVE *

The colossal Mastiff belongs to a canine clan as ancient as civilization itself. A massive, heavy-boned dog of courage and prodigious strength, the Mastiff is docile and dignified but also a formidable protector of those they hold dear. For the uninitiated, a face-to-face encounter with these black-masked giants can be startling. A male stands at least 30 inches at the shoulder and can outweigh many a full-grown man. The rectangular body is deep and thickly muscled, covered by a short double coat of fawn, apricot, or brindle stripes. The head is broad and massive, and a wrinkled forehead accentuates an alert, kindly expression. Mastiffs are patient, lovable companions and guardians who take best to gentle training. Eternally loyal Mastiffs are protective of family, and a natural wariness of strangers makes early training and socialization essential. Mastiffs are magnificent pets, but acquiring a powerful giant-breed dog is commitment not to be taken lightly. 

 The Mastiff as we know it came into focus in medieval England, used as big-game hunters, nighttime guardians of estates, and war dogs. In Canterbury Tales, Chaucer calls them “Alaunts” (a French breed name) and says they were “as great as any steer/To hunt at the lion or the deer.” Mastiffs fought alongside the British against the French in 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt, later immortalized by Shakespeare. 

At the end of World War II, England stood victorious but depleted. It was estimated that only 14 Mastiffs survived in the entire country. The Mastiff population was rebuilt with the help of U.S. breeders who exported specimens from good British stock back to the mother country. Today’s Mastiff is more docile and friendly than his ancient forebears, but no less courageous.