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Those unwilling to accept the truth will never find it. WEBPS Information
Breed Information
History
Contact Information # 384 Hwy. 341 S. - Hawkinsville, Georgia 31036 478-783-2535 (9:00am - 6:00pm ET) or 662-562-6144 Arkabutla, Mississippi |
General Health
"Dogs were used and worked in the true sense of the word and any weakness appeared very quickly as a result of the rigorous life expected of dogs in those days. The breeders of this time had a natural instinct for their stock and new a good dog by feel and observation. They did not need a pedigree to tell them which was a good specimen; they knew every dog and it's offspring for miles around.." The Bullmastiff Manual Bill Walkey "EVER PRACTICAL, Washington sought to solve the problem of marauding wolves and dogs in several ways...Newenham said that he could send mastiffs, which he used as guard dogs. They are 'very fierce, faithful and long-lived,' but they are useless for hunting and killing wolves by 'pursuit'..."" Health The question is, what has changed in the past 200 years that mastiffs are now considered a short-lived breed? Farmers who still use the mastiff breed known as WEB, treat or care for them much the same way it was done 200 years ago. This is what preservation is all about. In our modern world, we tend to over medicate, feed expensive feed and generally pamper, using various soaps, dips and creams. We become alarmed at minor skin irritations, such as localized demodex, various cuts, scraps and abrasions for which rustic working dogs have always had. These are not show dogs, they are rustic working farm dogs where maintenance and training have long been kept at a bare minimum due to the long working hours of the farmer. This rustic life has always culled out the weaker dogs, leaving only the strongest to perpetuate the breed. It is not unusual to hear of these WEBs living beyond 20 years, with females often having pups into their teens. This is not a method our members practice, though it was and still is a common practice of rural southern farmers.
Gussie, above, at age 16, kept by a local man who raised chickens. She was bred nearly every heat, never saw a vet, never medicated, not regularly fed, never trained, and covered with battle scars from a lifetime of protecting her masters property. After being separated from her one and only owner of 16 years, she died shortly after this photo was taken. Whelping and Puppies Whelping is a natural process that has taken place long before man's intervention. Rural southern farmers utilizing the WEB, have long left this process to the female unassisted and in a completely natural state. This is simply natural selection at work, where only the strong survive to further perpetuate the line. Following the process of natural selection, loss of pups is a natural culling process. This is a process that has worked with superior results since time began and a process that has been allowed to take place within the WEB since their beginning. Part of our preservation efforts include preserving traditional methods and practices. Due to this natural culling process, members do not generally let pups go before a minimum of 12 weeks of age. To compare this to the modern English Bulldog and English Mastiff that are commonly bred by use of rape / breeding stands, artificial insemination, hormone replacement, steroids, supplements, cesarean sections, tube feeding of pups, human intervention and care of pups around the clock, only to produce small litters of unhealthy specimens with very short life spans. Both the modern English Bulldog and the English Mastiff, among others, today no longer resemble their rustic forbearers. We should remember that just a few hundred years ago in England, the Bulldog and Mastiff were one and the same, as depicted in the early English drawing below.
All puppies of any breed will have worms. The WEB are no exception. Careful monitoring throughout the first year of life is recommended. Development The WEB and specifically the CWE are very slow to reach physical maturity, on average for the CWE 4-5 years. The head will get longer as the dog reaches maturity, giving it the characteristic CWE 'cinderblock' shape. During puberty, the first sign of yellow ticking will appear along the neck, shoulders, back and or hips and thighs. This ticking will increase with maturity as well, up until about 5 years of age.
Left: CWE at 12 months. Right: Same dog at 4 years. Notice the ticking has increased and become more prominent with age. As well, notice the physical development at 4, this dog is still maturing and will continue to for another year. This is a fact I've known all my life; the CWE are very slow to reach physical maturity. While recently reading through a book on the English Bulldog, I found this statement by the author as told of the old baiting bulldog, 'Their ligaments were not considered at full strength and hardness until they were two years old, and the most experienced breeders declared that the bulldog did not reach his prime until he was five years of age.' The New Bulldog by Bailey C. Hanes This jaw structure along with teeth are of the old blood. As shown, the teeth are large, a testament to the lack of cross-breeding, and most certainly, the lack of AKC English Bulldog or Olde English Bulldog infusions. These infusions result in very small, out-turned teeth, a trait of the Pug.
The rear end is powerful with a well developed 2nd thigh. The rear is built for running and jumping as compared to the rear of Pit dogs used for pushing on one opponent in the box. The farm Bulldogs must fight packs of wolves, coyotes, feral dogs, panthers, bears, and even man.
Father and son above.
Colby Pit Though many would call this rear end 'cow-hocked', this is a classic example of the rear end of quality Pit stock, exuding strength and extreme power for thrusting. ©All Right Reserved
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