In 2000, my brother decided it was time for him to get another dog; like so many others in the breed, he previously owned a Rottweiller but, as their popularity swelled, he wanted a different breed. Drawn to the large working breeds, he picked up a few dog magazines, began his research, and, after discovering the Dogue de Bordeaux, it was pretty much a no-brainer for him. Finding one would be a different story; there weren't as many breeders as there are today and most didn't use the internet as a marketing tool las they do today. He knew the Bordeaux he fell in love with was the European style dogue: impressive bone, thick neck, deep-chest, athletic, and, of course, a large, impressive head.
After two years of research, he brought home his first Dogue De Bordeaux. Our entire family immediately fell in love with Bronson (see right) and he quickly became a family dog. After the addition of another dogue, Brandy, a few months later, it was pretty much cemented that this journey into the Dogue de Bordeaux would be a family venture.
We are not a kennel or breeders in the commercial sense; we are an (extended) family that loves this breed and respects the responsibility that owning and breeding them entails. Our dogues are pets first and foremost. When we have a dogue that possesses exceptional quality, we enjoy showing him. And we only consider breeding our dogues when we feel the pairing will add something to the quality of the breed as a whole. All of our dogues are health tested and we are proud to have bred the first two dogues with fully cleared hearts (by echocardiogram) in the United States.
We are active members of the DDBSA and founding members of the North Atlantic Regional Club. Over the years, we have made every effort to educate ourselves about the breed; we annually attend the DDBSA National Specialty and have traveled to the French Club Match on numerous occassions to get a worldwide perspective on how our dogues measure up in the breed. We've had the honor of having our dogues critiqued by foremost experts in the breed: Raymond Triquet, Philippe Serioul, Bas Bosch, & Anne-Marie Class...and we're pleased to say they've been well received.
We feel a tremendous responsibility to this breed and will do what we can to contribute to its welfare. With their size, strong will, and guarding nature, it is not a breed for everyone and we're quite protective of any dogue we produce. We've learned so much since we first joined the breed and are humble enough to know there is always more to learn. We pride ourselves on being our dogues' toughest critics and will only breed our dogues when we feel they can contribute the breed.
But with all the talk of correct type, show wins, and breeding, our dogues are most importantly part of our family. They can mostly be found enjoying life: lounging on the sofa, parked under my desk, playing in the yard, or swimming in the river. And we wouldn't have it any other way.
Kara
