Chimera Kennels

Feel free to introduce, post a link to your website if you have one, and tell us more about your program and your goals if you wish.

Before doing so, just know my only requirement is that you do some type of work with your dogs.

My name is David Ishee I own Midgard Kennels. My program is based around bandogs with more mastiff than bulldog, as I prefer a larger dog. My goal is to improve the mastiff, to bring back it's former glory and give the Mastiff back the power and drive it had when it was a warrior in active use. I'm working to make a tighter skinned, healthier, stronger, fiercer mastiff. I'm a strong believer in deterrent, what a big dog loses in agility and endurance, it more than recovers in power and intimidation. I like a dog to have the bark, look, and mass to stop 99% of the population in their tracks,and the strength, power, and drive to stop the rest. To see my site click here

Dave what breeds are used in your program? 

Right now I've got Great Dane, APBT, Neapolitan Mastiff, Bordeaux, and Bullmastiff, In my program, but I'm always open to any dog that has genes I want.

Thanks Dave! Do you care if i pick your brain on the dogs you use?

Why did you use the Bordeaux, the Dane and the Bullmastiff? Like what part of those breeds made you want to use those dogs? Or what did you want to pull from that breed? 

Thanks! 

Well just had my litter NEO/Large Pit x Boerboel/Large Pit  (female)  X  Presa Canario (male) 

The Presa has been ofa'd hips and elbows and blood work all perfect! 

Mother has blood work all perfect but is to young to be OFA'd so it will come at age of 2 years! 

Both dogs and parents on both sides are very DRIVEY!!!:):D:wink:

Hey David, I checked your website, love that main picture of your dog in the water! You said you prefer a larger dog for it's power, intimidation, and mass to stop 99% of the population in their tracks. What is the standard size of your males and females, weight and height? Also, what are your goals when it comes to longevity, meaning on an average, do you excpect them to live a HEALTHY life until the age of 10, 11, 12, or more? I am asking because health is very important for me when it comes to a working dog. This is one of the reason why I prefer to sacrifice on size in order to have a healthier dog (75lbs-85lbs). Now a days, it is very hard to find a big healthy dog that is over 110lbs, and that remains healthy and active at least until the age of 10. You said your goal is to improve the mastiff, to make a tighter skinned, healthier, stronger, fiercer mastiff. With time, I am sure you should be able to reach this goal, please keep us posted of your developments. Thanks

Father (test)

Bar,

I like the dane blood because it does a lot to take the "chunkiness" out of a bandog and really helps to balance the dogs build, which gives more speed, agility, and ease of movement.  A good dane should also have prey and defense drive. For the bullmastiff and bordeaux I like the the solid bone structure and natural muscle, a good bullmastiff can have some fight and defense drive. Honestly I like more bordeaux(s) than bullmastiffs, they tend to have much stronger drives, but like anything else there are great and pitiful examples of every breed. I really like Dane/Pit x Neo, but they tend to lack the strength to weight ratio I want, while the bullmastiff outcrosses have very nice agility like Xerxes. The Bordeaux in Morrigan and her pups comes through a dog named Raheen, who is a Dane x Bordeaux, he is a nice stable dog with one live bite in defense of his home and one "tackle" in defense of his owner, and at 160 pounds with a balanced build he is a very impressive mastiff.

Nico,

My goal size is in the 160 pound range for males and about 30 inches at the withers, 130 for females and about 27 inches.  Since I'm not breeding strictly for size I can't sacrifice drive, build, or health for weight.  As of the litter on the way Morrigan is 27 inches and 120 pounds but in the last litter she produced very large males (one is about 130 pounds and 28 inches at 10 months) If she produces as large males with Kronos (Kronos is 28 - 29 inches at the withers and about 120 pounds at 14 months. I expect him to fill out to be around 140) as she did in the last litter I should be very close and if they work and move like I expect I'll be very very close to producing my goal. 

As far as longevity I honestly don't know. It is very important but breeding for longevity takes a long time. When I produce what I want, then settle the line into something a bit more consistent, then those dogs start getting old enough to die of old age, I'll know what I have to work with. This is one of the reasons I think my project will take the rest of my life before I can make all the changes I want. 

You usually hear from Mastiff breeders that big dogs live short lives because their growth puts such strain on their bodies that it ages them early. This is a cop-out for being too lazy to fix a genetic problem. Almost all large animals live long lives and almost all small animals live short lives, compare a mouse to an elephant. Add to that the fact the northern Gray Wolves can reach 160 pounds and live for 17 years or more and you can see that premature aging in mastiffs can be fixed with selection, though it might take 200 years. I've got my work cut out for me but that's okay, because I love every minute of it.

David Ishee at 11:20PM on Mar 24, 2010

Bar,

I like the dane blood because it does a lot to take the "chunkiness" out of a bandog and really helps to balance the dogs build, which gives more speed, agility, and ease of movement.  A good dane should also have prey and defense drive. For the bullmastiff and bordeaux I like the the solid bone structure and natural muscle, a good bullmastiff can have some fight and defense drive. Honestly I like more bordeaux(s) than bullmastiffs, they tend to have much stronger drives, but like anything else there are great and pitiful examples of every breed. I really like Dane/Pit x Neo, but they tend to lack the strength to weight ratio I want, while the bullmastiff outcrosses have very nice agility like Xerxes. The Bordeaux in Morrigan and her pups comes through a dog named Raheen, who is a Dane x Bordeaux, he is a nice stable dog with one live bite in defense of his home and one "tackle" in defense of his owner, and at 160 pounds with a balanced build he is a very impressive mastiff.

Nico,

My goal size is in the 160 pound range for males and about 30 inches at the withers, 130 for females and about 27 inches.  Since I'm not breeding strictly for size I can't sacrifice drive, build, or health for weight.  As of the litter on the way Morrigan is 27 inches and 120 pounds but in the last litter she produced very large males (one is about 130 pounds and 28 inches at 10 months) If she produces as large males with Kronos (Kronos is 28 - 29 inches at the withers and about 120 pounds at 14 months. I expect him to fill out to be around 140) as she did in the last litter I should be very close and if they work and move like I expect I'll be very very close to producing my goal. 

As far as longevity I honestly don't know. It is very important but breeding for longevity takes a long time. When I produce what I want, then settle the line into something a bit more consistent, then those dogs start getting old enough to die of old age, I'll know what I have to work with. This is one of the reasons I think my project will take the rest of my life before I can make all the changes I want. 

You usually hear from Mastiff breeders that big dogs live short lives because their growth puts such strain on their bodies that it ages them early. This is a cop-out for being too lazy to fix a genetic problem. Almost all large animals live long lives and almost all small animals live short lives, compare a mouse to an elephant. Add to that the fact the northern Gray Wolves can reach 160 pounds and live for 17 years or more and you can see that premature aging in mastiffs can be fixed with selection, though it might take 200 years. I've got my work cut out for me but that's okay, because I love every minute of it.

160lbs...??? You weren't joking when you said you like your dogs big...:)  That's only double the size of the dog I want...

As you mentioned you have your work cut out, but since you love the process of creating something amazing, you should be fine! I hope we can follow your progress, and see many pictures and videos in the future. 

Nico

Thanks, and don't worry about that I'll keep everyone updated.

Hey BAR, how big do you expect your upcoming pups to max out at?

I hope no bigger than 130lbs.!!!  Not to say big dogs are bad i just like run with my dogs, hike with them, ect... and I dont wana have to lift anymore than a 130 if i need to give them a boost while hiking! hahaha!    I really dont breed for size more on the temperament , function and health! 

BAR at 01:45PM on Mar 27, 2010

I hope no bigger than 130lbs.!!!  Not to say big dogs are bad i just like run with my dogs, hike with them, ect... and I dont wana have to lift anymore than a 130 if i need to give them a boost while hiking! hahaha!    I really dont breed for size more on the temperament , function and health! 

"NEO/Large Pit x Boerboel/Large Pit  (female)  X  Presa Canario (male)" That is a nice combo! Interesting you are bringing up the subject of hiking & size with your dogs. Hiking/bouldering is a big part of my work out routine, I feel there is nothing more fun than to hike in secluded areas with your best friend! Los Angeles and surrounding areas are fantastic for serious, demanding long hike. I love big dogs, but can not afford a big dog to overheat after 3 miles, or a big dog not being able to overcome obstacles do to agilility limitations, etc... I do stuff that sometimes even my friends yound female Lab has a hard time keeping up with, although she is in amazing shape at 65lbs, 22 inches (hunting type). However, since I love molosser types dogs, I decided a molosser will be my next dog. Also, here where I hike, we have an abondant amount of predators, Mountain Lions/Bears/Coyotes, etc, another reason why a powerful dog is needed. I did a lot of research and eliminated many breeds from my list, except a few one being the Swinford. What type of hiking do you do with your dogs, day hikes, backpacking? What distances do you go, 10/15/20/ miles or more per hike? Where do you live? Do you have any pictures of your hikes with your dogs? Thanks

Nico

BAR at 06:21PM on Mar 27, 2010

Great stuff, great location, andgreat looking dog!! Thanks for posting!

Nico, that looks awesome man. I bet your dogs love it out there......BAR,yes sir 130 lbs. is a big dog. Not to say I wouldn't like a boy on the yard that big for breeding purposes because I would like to bring more size to my program. That's also an interesting combination of dogs, did you go out looking for these specific crosses or...? I'm looking forward to seeing more pics.Thanks.

My bad BAR those are your pics...And David 160 lbs. is even bigger, you're going to have some monsters. Too big for me, I don't think I could handle working a dog that big. What do you think it's going to take to get the size to working time ratio evened out?