The breeding facility at Ringsides Kennel is an old barn that was once used as a chicken coop.  We have taken the barn and turned it into a mastiff coop now.  We insulated inside the walls and then finished the walls off with ply wood for durability.  The windows were shuttered off so the inside climate of the coop can be controlled for the dogs comfort.  We added ceiling fans, fresh water and cedar shavings for the dogs comfort too.  To separate the dogs for their privacy and safety, kennel fencing was added.  We can separate 6 dogs into private pens so that they can eat, sleep or relax without being disturbed.

We feed in groups of 3 each night.  The dogs also get to have access to dry kibble always, that are in kibble hoppers.  The dogs at Ringsides Kennel are fed a diet of Diamond Lamb and Rice Kibble plus an assortment of whole chicken, beef and pork.  The raw meat is important for their growth development, their coat texture and their mental well-being.  This feeding regime allows us to have a first hand look at each dog, each day.  This helps us to observe if any animal has any cuts, boo-boos, sicknesses and/or poor attitudes.  We care for each animal as if they were our own kids, because they are now that our son Robbie is away at school.

When a bitch becomes pregnant we start a monitoring program until her delivery.  We try to use only Caesarian Section deliveries because of the uterine inertia that seems to plague mastiffs.  After puppy delivery we move the bitch into a separate room that is furnished with a bed and bathroom facility for us, along with her welping box.  We will spend 24 hours a day with the bitch for at least the next 3 weeks.  Even in a welping box with a welping railing the mother can some times roll over on a puppy.  If some one isn’t around to watch, the mother could easily hurt a puppy by laying on it, or stepping on it.  For the first 3 weeks the puppies are bottle fed along with their mothers milk. Mastiff puppies grow so fast that the mother bitch some times can’t feed her puppies enough with her own milk.  We bottle feed the puppies with goat milk for the 3 weeks prior to weaning.  Usually after 3 weeks the puppies are ready to start the weaning process.  The weaning gruel is a mixture of Gerber baby rice cereal, goat milk, apple sauce and chicken broth.  The mother bitch still feeds with her milk, but is being allowed to have some time off to recover from the puppy’s nourishment demands.  The gruel is heated and fed in a Pyrex dish so all the puppies can slurp it up.  The puppies will stay on this gruel for about 2 weeks.  When the puppies are about 5 weeks old they will be moving around pretty good on their own power.  They will have sharp little teeth and their eyes are beginning to change color and focus on objects.

At 5 weeks we move the puppies out to the dog coop.  They have their own heated and air conditioned (if needed) room out there.  It’s about the size of an apartment closet, small but big enough to allow the puppies to roam and sleep privately.  The mother bitch still feeds and plays with the puppies, but her sleeping time is being slowly taken away.  She gets to recover from the puppies that way and they get to learn how to be independent dogs.

The puppies get their first set of shots at the 8 week mark.  They will also get a micro chip inserted into their shoulder.  We have used Home Again, which is a good micro chip, but this last litter between Archie and Bessie we switched to Bayer’s resQ chip.  From this point on the puppies are ready to be placed into good homes.  They have had a country life for a few weeks here at Ringsides and now it’s time for them to have their own family.