A Good Look at Mastiffs

FEATURED MASTIFF---Oscar---FEATURED MASTIFF

Shalom Sakel’s Mr. Oscar

01.07.99 - 05.06.08

Note from Louise

Since I just learned about the loss of this incredible mastiff, I wanted to feature him on A Good Look at Mastiffs.  He and Boomer of Lawraleigh Mastiffs were the first mastiff heroes that came to my attention, and their stories became the foundation of this webpage, which is devoted to mastiff heroes, healers, teachers and guides.  My sincere condolences to Toni Leah Bush, who has lost a beloved presence and extraordinary miracle worker.  Oscar will be long remembered by those he has helped and by the mastiff community worldwide.  His story was submitted to A Good Look at Mastiffs when Oscar was just beginning his therapy work.

Story submitted by owner, Toni Leah Bush

I am the proud mother of two mastiffs that work with me in a long term care facility for ventilator-dependent patients.  Oscar has shown affinity to work with patients that have come to us with devastating head injuries.  Many of these individuals are in a vegetative state.

10 months ago, we received a young man who had been the victim of a violent mugging that left him neurologically devastated.  It was so sad and his parents were going through the stages of mourning.  It was hard to be objective and make it out of that room without tears.

When I work, I bring Oscar one day and Ali the next, so they take turns.  The second day this young man was in the facility, Oscar came to work.  His routine is always the same.  He goes through the door to the unit and begins checking each room and each patient.  Everyone refers to them as “mastiff rounds”.  This time, when he came to this young man, he stopped.  He put his foot on the side rail and looked to me to lower it.  I lowered the rail and Oscar put his face next to this young man’s face.  Although Oscar checked on his other patients throughout the shift, he kept returning to the bedside to lay his head next to Ron’s (not his real name).  He had not done this before, but I didn’t question what the dogs do with the patients, since they seem to know intuitively what each patient needs.  This routine continued each time Oscar came to work for about 3 months.

Then one day I was caring for Ron’s airway and Oscar was positioned nose to nose with Ron.  I saw a slight movement out of the corner of my eye and to my surprise, Ron was smiling!  I almost fainted, but I kept what I thought I saw to myself.  I did not want to raise hopes until I was sure it wasn’t just a reflex.  Oscar continued his care and a month later, as Ron was sitting in a geriatric chair, he moved his right hand.  This time other people were there to see it.  The next morning Oscar and I sat down with Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, the physician and the facility director to plan a rehab program.  Over a long period of time, Oscar brought this young man back.  The first words spoken were, “Osc love me.”

Ron learned to walk with assistance, using aids began to feed himself, and as long as Oscar was there to cheer him on, he slowly learned to perform activities of daily living.  To make a long story short, he walked out to the car today and went home with his parents.  He still has many challenges, but I have no doubt he will make it.  Oh, yes, he is going home to a mastiff puppy named Oscar.  So tonight, when you have a conversation with God, mention Ron, and ask God to watch over him.

It was difficult to say goodbye, but I know little Oscar will take good care of him.  I just thought you all might enjoy another account of the way our babies serve humankind.

Abby

Mill Creek's Lady Abigail CGC, TDIAOV

DOB: 04.10. 00

Breeders:  Rosella and Don Motz of Mill Creek Mastiffs

Owner and Therapy Partner:  Martha Rawls

Abby had just stepped off the 7th floor hospital elevator when she spotted a young boy being pulled in a little red wagon.  He neither turned his head, lifted his arms to her, nor spoke.  She slowly walked over to him and began to lick his feet.  The boy's face broke into a smile.

This took place in a physical rehabilitation facility where Abby worked as a therapy dog, and was her initial introduction to Kevin, a young boy who had been in a car accident that resulted in his inability to speak or move.  The physical therapist moved Kevin's hand to make patting and rubbing motions on Abby's warm fur.  The only response Kevin could give was a beautiful smile.  That was good enough for Abby.  She stayed in the hallway with her new friend, visiting for another fifteen minutes before she had to go, but she promised she would see him later in his room.

After she finished her regular rounds, Abby found Kevin's room, where she met his grandmother and father.  After seeing Kevin's big smile, his father promised him that he could get an "Abby puppy", if only he would get well.  Everyone in the room knew that this would probably take a very long time.

Kevin was quickly added to Abby's patient list, and was scheduled for visits every two weeks.  One day, she arrived at his side with a stuffed "Abby puppy" in her mouth, which was to be his very own puppy while he was in the hospital.  She also brought lots of Abby stickers to place on the plastic side guards on his bed.  Now she could be with Kevin all the time, even when she was visiting other patients or other facilities, or when she had to go back to her own home.

Gradually Kevin improved, and after a few months was able to reach out ever so slowly, and touch Abby gently with one hand.  He still could barely move and wasn't able to speak, but his smile let her know how much he loved her.  She would put her head in his lap when he was propped up in his wagon.  Everyone could see that Abby and Kevin were happy together, and had become quite an item.  Finally one day, a long-awaited miracle happened.  The hospital called Kevin's family to tell them that he had spoken his first word, his first word in five months.  A nurse had gone into his room, and saw him holding his Abby puppy and studying the Abby stickers surrounding him.  She asked him if he liked dogs, and he nodded yes.  Then she asked him what his dog's name was, and to her amazement, Kevin spoke.  "Abby," he said.

Abby went to see Kevin the very next day, and upon entering his room, discovered his grandmother, waiting to show her another surprise.  When Kevin was placed in his wagon, he came close to her, touched her ever so gently, and said, "Abby, I love you."  Abby responded in the best way she knew.  She licked his arms and hands, covering him with kisses and saying "I love you too."

Abby continued to visit Kevin for several more months,while he continued to get stronger.  When it was time for him to leave the hospital, he could move one of his arms well, and speak much more clearly.  The hospital staff gave him a special party, which included a cake topped with Abby's picture.  After Kevin's grandmother took lots of snapshots of the pair, Abby went to say goodbye for the last time.  She washed kisses all over Kevin's face, arms, and legs.  There was no doubt to anyone who witnessed these two together that Abby and Kevin shared a special bond that superseded all others, the bond of unconditional love.

Note from Louise

Abby visits six nursing homes each month, a public library 2 - 3 times a month, and various churches, schools, etc. upon request.  She has achieved the title of Therapy Dog International Active Outstanding Volunteer.

Alex

Greiner Hall Alexei Romanov, CGC, TDI, TT

(Greiner Hall Nicholas x Greiner Hall Alexandra)

Breeders:  Stephen and Leah Napotnik, Greiner Hall Mastiffs

Owned and loved by Kelly Carter

DOB:  02.27.00

Story submitted by Stephanie Stollings, previous owner

When I first got Alex from Stephen and Leah Napotnik of Greiner Hall, I was managing a bar.  That's where he was socialized, starting right away as a brand, new puppy.  Needless to say, after that, no noise or weird-looking people ever fazed him!  He has been doing therapy work unofficially since he was 8 weeks old at the bar.  You wouldn't believe the number of people I used to catch on the floor hugging him and whispering to him.

When he started his official therapy work four years ago, he was visiting nursing homes and such; but I believe that what he does now, which is working as a canine aide to speech pathologists, is much more rewarding to him.  Alex works with children in the Speech Pathology Dept. of Tulsa University, the Mary K. Chapman Center.  The lady in the picture above is Dr. Beth McCauley, the head of the dept.  The other picture shows Alex in the lobby of the center with his owner, Kelly Carter.   His workday begins once he is behind the gate.

Starting as a once-a-week commitment, Alex now works 5 days a week because he is so good at what he does, and the clinicians are always asking for him.  Most of the kids know him by name.  With his heavy work schedule, he now has a Faculty Staff ID from TU, and even met the President of the University recently.  The TU President’s Chef cooked him some treats made especially for their newest faculty member;-).  His service in the Speech Pathology Dept. has been so substantial that there are universities and schools in the area (including MO and AR) that are considering starting this same kind of program.

When Alex is working, it is not uncommon for parents of his patients to literally be in tears.  There was one particular little girl that kept saying "Beeeg.  Beeeg."  Although it was adorable at the time, the child's mother had tears streaming down her face and was deeply moved.  We later learned that up until that very moment, the little girl had never before spoken at all, not one single word.

When Alex goes to work, he is paired up with a single clinician, and I know that they are constantly arguing over who gets to use him with their clients.  One of his favorite patients is a 9 year old girl.  I'm not sure what type of problems she has (maybe cerebral palsy), but they are severe.  She has very limited use of her arms and hands.  And yet, all a person has to do is say Alex's name to her, and she throws back her head, and laughs with joy.

Alex is a great help to the children at the Mary K. Chapman Center, and he absolutely loves his work!!  He provides a wonderful service, and is very much appreciated by all whose lives he touches.

To read more about Alex and his work, click here.

Boomer

Note From Louise

This is the story of “Boomer”, who died saving the life of his owner’s girlfriend.  Because his heroism so moved me, I began collecting stories about extraordinary mastiffs; and it is in his memory "A Good Look at Mastiffs" is dedicated.  Boomer, this one's for you.

Lawraleigh's Boomer of Briarcliff

(Pallone's Road to Glory, CGC x Jim's Especial Lee)

September, 1998 - November, 2000

From Ken, Boomer's Owner

Boomer stepped right in with the sensitivity and understanding unique to this magnificent breed of dog.  Our mutual respect and love for each other grew deeper every day.  Boomer was there for me every moment of the next two years on a day-in and day-out basis.  I've NEVER had a better friend than Boomer.  His untimely death from smoke inhalation, when he was saving the life of my lady friend, Marie, when my home caught fire, devastated me and left me feeling empty.

Boomer, I know you are in a good place, and I think about you every day, and I miss you terribly.

Your buddy, Ken

From Marie, the woman whose life Boomer saved

I was dog sitting with Boomer while Ken was away and I slept upstairs, while Boomer slept downstairs in the dining room. Occasionally, he would come up to the top of the stairs in the morning and wait, not disturbing anyone, unless they overslept.

This particular morning, I got out of bed and headed for the shower. I had the water running and one foot in the shower, when Boomer came into the bathroom. He whined and whined at me, not leaving me alone until I followed him.  When I got to the head of the stairs, I heard a "crinkly" noise, and as I looked up, I saw the whole ceiling erupt into a shower of sparks and flames. Everything was filling up with smoke, and Boomer headed downstairs, I think to lead me to safety. But it was too smoky for me to find my way to the door.  I dove back into the bathroom where I had a cordless phone, and dialed 911. I stuffed a robe under the door and a wet rag over my face, and it seemed like they were there almost instantly. The last thing I remember before I passed out was hearing the fire department saying that they were there.

I spent two months in the hospital with smoke inhalation injuries, followed by pneumonia and other complications that involved 5 surgeries.  I'm on the road to recovery now, but I do know that without Boomer, I wouldn't be here, able to write this letter. I don't know how dogs sense danger, but I do know that Boomer gave his life to save mine because if he hadn't gotten me out of the shower, I wouldn't be here either.

Boomer, you will always be my "Guardian Angel".

―Marie

From James and Alison Gerken, Boomer's breeders

I have no right to add to what they have said, but I wanted to because Jim and I have produced champions, and have ranked our dogs nationally. But the truly bright star on our tree is Boomer, and what he accomplished.

So for those people who think that being a Champion of Record is the best thing their pups can do, personally we feel Boomer wins hands down. We miss him too.... Please hug your mastiffs in his memory.

Sincerely, James and Alison Gerken, Lawraleigh Mastiffs

Darius

Kitans Battle For Glory

(Pallones Road to Glory, CGC x Kitans Battln Bard O Poteidaia, CGC)

DOB  09.26.04

Submitted by Nancy Brook Erdahl, owner and breeder

My son has Down Syndrome, and my dogs - his dogs - are a big part of his happiness and self-confidence.  Trever has a very limited vocabulary, and among the few words he can say are the names of his dogs.  He also finds unique ways of communicating with them; for instance, he claps quickly and lightly 3 or 4 times, and Darius, Kara, and Ziza have learned that he is saying "come".  The neat thing is, this is something Trever and the dogs figured out all by themselves—I had no part in training them or even coming up with the idea.

Dozer

DOZER, DOB Unknown

Placed through Mastiff Rescue

Coordinator and Agent, Julie Nelson

Note From Julie

This is the story about a family in Washington State, whose identity must be protected out of respect for what they have gone through.  These are incredibly nice people who love their dog for what he has done for their family.  Huge steps in their son’s recovery have been made thanks to the constant companionship of this loving mastiff.

Submitted by Dozer’s owner

Our rescue mastiff, Dozer was matched to our family for specific reasons.  The main reason why our family sought a mastiff was for our son’s animal assisted therapy, specifically to help him overcome Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which was the result of being the target of a sex offender who is currently in jail for what he did to our family.

The reason for our choice in breed (mastiff) was because of specific dynamics that come with PTSD.  Since the trauma caused my son to be in constant fear, of his physical safety we needed to obtain a breed that gave him the comfort of always being protected, without the aggressiveness found in many working dog breeds.  We needed a dog that was not going to be so over protective of the children that it may attack a person or another animal.  The English Mastiff suits our needs perfectly.  On an everyday basis Dozer is incredibly gentle with all members of the family, including the baby.  Dozer with his size and constant presence makes our son always feel safe.  Dozer is a shadow, always tending to the children, very tender, never pushy, never dominating, and has never growled or snapped at anything.  He is a huge love muffin.  By his presence and gentle nature alone, Dozer allows our family to feel secure after 14 months of stalking by a repeat sex offender.

Having Dozer in the house is a gift, we are able to sleep at night without my son constantly having night terror episodes and screaming due to his nightmares.  Our son's anxiety has all but disappeared.  In therapy our son talks about how much Dozer means to him, how he'll ride his bike outside, because Dozer can come too.  How he'll play in the backyard and not be afraid because Dozer is always there.  These are huge leaps from where he was prior to being so well-matched by Rescue with Dozer.  Having a mastiff allows us to even travel to the beach, or hike on trails and watch our son laugh and behave like a "normal" six year old.  Although, you can see who's the braver of the two now when our son runs towards the ocean, and Dozer runs away from it!

Dozer is not just good with our family, he has become the neighborhood mascot.  All of the children in the neighborhood can love up on him.  The parents always feel better when we are out with Dozer, and their children are with us as well.  He is very popular due to his gentle nature.

I will forever endorse the English Mastiff, having one for our forever friend has certainly changed our life for the better!

Note from Louise

Julie has sent me several pictures of Dozer with his children.  Due to the sensitive nature of his placement, those pictures have been withheld.  However, it must be said that these are small children, children who can be seen clinging to their dog, who hovers protectively over them.  I am so glad that Dozer and this family have found each other.  Many thanks to Julie Nelson for making such stories as these possible.

Draco

Int'l/am CH Kinsmen Dragon of the Knight CD, CGC, TDT, TT, WD

(Ch. Macwoo's Knight in Shining Armour CD, CGC, TDI x Ch. Iron Hills Gwen at Kinsmen CD, CGC, TDI)

DOB:  04.12.99

Breeder: Mary Lynn Speer

From Louise

Draco has awards and accomplishments too numerous to mention here , so I’ll do a small recap.  He has been a therapy dog with head injury and paralysis patients, a demo dog for a variety of canine education programs, a meet-and-greet dog, a reading partner program dog, and a general all-around canine good citizen.  He has been honored by the Mastiff Club of America, as well as the American Kennel Club, and has done an incredible job of bridging the gap between dogs and people in terms of education and service. 

Submitted by Linda Hayes, Draco’s owner

Even with all Draco’s accomplishments and years of service, the most important thing to me is that he is my friend and is always there for me.  Especially in one very critical moment.

I was working nights as an RN at VA Medical Center in St. Louis.  It was around 6pm and I was in bed trying to sleep before my shift.  All of a sudden, I had the sensation of vertigo―but I was the one spinning, not the room!  It just came upon me.  I found that I could not get out of bed and had no control over my movement. 

Draco was right there at my bedside, waiting for me to grab his collar.  At the time, I did not have a phone in my room, so he pulled me by dragging me across the floor to the living room where the phone was.  He even got the phone for me!  I was able to call 911 to get an ambulance to my house. 

He then pulled me to the door, so that I could open it for the EMT’s when they arrived.  He never barked or even challenged the paramedics/police officers when they came into my house with all their equipment, and any mastiff owner knows how protective they can be of their house and owner.  I was diagnosed with a rare inner ear infection that comes on fast and hard.

The police officers and paramedics were so impressed with him that they came by my house after my discharge from the hospital, to give him treats and to see how I was doing.

Another time, he did a wonderful down/stay for me when my mother passed out from loss of blood from a nose-bleed (she is on a blood thinner), which gave me time to elevate her legs until the paramedics arrived to take her to the hospital!

I am very blessed to be owned and loved by him.

Fluffy

Winston’s Bonnie Fluffy CD, CGC, TDI

December 8, 1997 – June 06, 2005

Owned and loved by Tina and Alan Keith

Note from Louise

Fluffy’s story has been published in 1999’s MCOA Journal no. 04, as well as the January, 2001 issue of the AKC GAZETTE.  To see another photo of this extraordinary mastiff, please click here.

Submitted by owner, Tina Keith

When my husband and I decided we wanted a new dog, I was in my late 40’s and had never owned a pet, even though Alan had grown up with Rottweilers and Dobermans.  After doing some research, we decided on a mastiff.  When we finally went to pick up our 11-week-old mastiff puppy, it was love at first sight. My Mastiff journey had begun.

We decided to name her Fluffy, a name we knew would make people smile right off the bat.  It was obvious from the start that Fluffy was definitely going to be my dog.  When she was 6 months old, I started taking her to obedience classes once a week.  Nobody in class had ever seen a Mastiff before, and the instructor enjoyed the novelty of having such a breed in the class.  And Fluffy graduated first in her class!

When she was 9 months old, we went to watch a local fun match, and someone suggested I enter Fluffy.  What a ridiculous suggestion, I thought.  But I entered her, and she won!  One instructor noted Fluffy's wonderful temperament and said she would make a great therapy dog.  Meanwhile, Fluffy graduated from all her classes in first place and won two more first-place ribbons in Fun matches. She received her Canine Good Citizen® certificate at 10 months.  When I received the list of facilities asking for therapy dogs, I noticed that few volunteers were going to any of the hospices in Las Vegas.  We signed on with Nathan Adelson Hospice, a facility where many patients live their final days.  I wasn't sure how I would handle being around patients who knew they were dying.

On our first visit to the Adelson facility, we entered a room where a patient had just died.  I was terrified.  On seeing Fluffy in the room, the family members started to kiss and hug her in silence while their tears rolled down their cheeks onto her face.  They were so touched that I had brought her to them at that moment in their lives.  Fluffy was an excellent therapy dog, and it was incredibly gratifying to hear a person whose days were numbered tell us how she had made their day.

At age 2, Fluffy weighed 182 pounds and was 33 inches at the shoulder.  She could give the patients kisses while they rested in their beds.  She was always the conversation piece and the "icebreaker."  It used to take us 15 minutes just to get past the nurses station before we saw the first patient.  We found out that the nurses needed therapy too!  My supervisor asked if I would take Fluffy to Sunrise Children's Hospital Foundation as well, knowing that Fluffy loved kids.  The children thought Fluffy was cool.  In the cancer ward, I let her lay on their beds and they soon became friends.  Nurses said that after our visits, the children slept better at night and didn't require as much pain medication.

Fluffy was a wonderful ambassador for her breed.  In 2004 Fluffy was awarded the MCOA Wright Service Dog Award at the Tucson Specialty.

My Mastiff journey continues now with Desertknight’s Princess Muffy, CGC, TDI, who just passed her TDI and will begin her service work shortly.

Ginger

GINGER, DOB Unknown

Placed through Mastiff Rescue

Coordinator: Tina Clement of Devincourt Mastiffs

Submitted by Tina

Ginger became a rescue mastiff that we decided to foster when her owners decided that, since the wife was pregnant, she had to go.  In searching for her permanent home, I had a huge response, with many conscientious and wonderful people wanting to adopt her; but for some reason, I held off letting her go.  Although I wasn’t sure why, I felt like I should hang onto her a little while longer.  I turned a lot of disappointed people away.

I recently got a phone call about Ginger from a woman named Sally, who had lost her 16 year old son, Troy, in a horrible car accident six years before.  Troy had always wanted a mastiff and they had actually picked out just the right puppy for him shortly before he died.  After his death, Sally, Troy’s mom, didn’t follow up on the puppy, as she was so grief-stricken that simply breathing was almost too much for her to bear.

When Sally was finally able, she told her fiancé she was ready to get Troy his mastiff.  Doing her internet search, she somehow landed on our website right away and saw Ginger on the rescue page.  It was love at first sight.  That was when she called.

After talking for an hour or so, she drove out to meet Ginger.  From the moment she got out of the car, Ginger went straight to her side and stayed there.  It seemed as if Ginger was greeting an old friend.  And since Ginger usually takes some time to warm up to strangers, this was unusual and really impressive to me.   As soon as I saw them together, I knew Ginger was supposed to help Sally heal.  I've never seen such an instant connection between a human and a dog.  I could almost see Troy standing next to them, smiling.  Sally was crying, I was crying, and our poor menfolk just stood around looking uncomfortable.   Once we composed ourselves, we all chatted for an hour or so, and Ginger never strayed far from Sally, staying near her side the whole time.

I finally understand completely why I held onto Ginger for so long.  I would like to think that there is a very happy young man looking down on his mom right now and smiling because they both have a big, beautiful, drooly, faithful dog to love.

Hanna

St. Patrick's Hanna of Ladywood

(St. Patrick's Governors Legacy x Wiley Ways Ingrids Enigma)

DOB  March 13, 2004

From Fran Boppe, owner

Hanna has a lovely personality!  She was an extremely energetic puppy to raise and her clown-like attitude has brought many laughs.  I call her my velcro dog, since where I am, she has to be.  This dog loves life and is just happy all the time.  She is the first one to comfort me when I'm down or not feeling well.

Recently I had surgery and I was amazed at the change in her attitude.  Normally she is happy-go-lucky, always running around looking for something to pick up and carry in her mouth.  But on those days of my recovery it was Hanna by my side, with her big head on my chest, giving kisses.  It was as though she knew not to carry on for a few days.  If she wasn't laying her head on my chest, she was laying right by my side.  I kept thinking, "Where did this calm dog come from, and what happened to my Hanna!?"  Once I recovered I got the real Hanna back, and she is even more of a velcro dog.   She is 2 years old now and has matured into a beautiful, loving, loyal partner!