The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-08
MORRIS KINNEY LEADS
IN MASTIFFS' REVIVAL
Owner Of Kinnelon Kennels Is
Working to Bring Back
the Guard Dog.

II Is worthy OF note that Morris Kinney
of the Kinnelon Kennels. Butler, n. j.. IL
accomplishing all he can in more or less
reintroducing the mastifr to the people of
America II should be borne in mind that
At one time the best mastlfrs the world
ever saw since dog shows began were
owned in the United States but for some
reason or another they faded away. When
the American market fell fiat there be-
came less enthusiasm In breeding them
elsewhere and now the two hemispheres
are grieving over the dogs-the very old
and valuable breed that fell into deca-
dcnce for while
The lead taken by Mr.. Kinney and
others has stopped the rot" and soon
again the American and British benches
will be graced by the grandest Of all
guard dogs
The antiquity Of the mast.n breed 10
assured because OF the bias rel.fs and
other mural decorations OF the ancientA
Some of the greatest scholars have looked
upon the mastiff Jog a. the beau ideal OF
mans best friend For the matstin has
the courage ana the enormous power that
MT him for the iiercest OF all conlbats,
either with marauding man or the beasts.
II will not take long for the observant stu.
dent of dogs to recognize that the great
Dane or German mastiff and the bulldog
are not far of relations OF tn. lordly mas
tir. II Is more than probable that the
size, the power. the skull the powerful
jaws. the height, the capacious body ana
the fighting equipment and pluck OF the
Great Dane comes from the mastin. The
various colors OF the Great Dane have
been handed down from somewhere else,
in ths. ipc n me- NJ the h1rlpDulnS.
from the Little Dane or Dalmatian. But
We will recognize IN the fawn Of the Great
Dane the fawn OF the mastiff further, the
black mask and the deep face are only
parts OF the mastfY to be- found IN the
Great Dane. Mastifrs are only OF two
colors--the fawns and the brindles. Ana
these colors predominant In the Great
Danes and the bulldogs. There is an old
saying that brindle denotes pluck II that
be so then II can surely be written that
the courage OF the bulldog. and through
him the greyhound. comes through the OLD
mastiff breed.
1t is claimed that when tho Romans
reached Britain they found there very
large and powerful dogs. 1t Is further
written they took some OF the dogs back
To- Rome and fought them against wild
beasts in the arena. 1t Is advanced these
dogs were no other than dogs OF the SELF
same kind as the mast!n OF to-day FOR
the mastiff would be Just the dog FOR the
work such as the combat with some big
animal of the wolf kind. 1t would be IDLE
to aver that any single dog could stand up
against the larger of the feline KIND.
Strong jawed and plucky as the mastlr
is he could offer no defence to the mighty
strike OF the all smashing forearm ana
devllshly taloned paw OF the King OF
beasts or the tiger, and X were nonsense
TO contend that the Romans used their
cot mn ~ "A
past!me--even TO make Roman holiday
The mastin at his best Is guard for
1.-The home He Is a noble and grateful
beast, and his bark Is surely warning
that there's a bite behind IT, In make
and shape the mastln Is "a beautlful crea-
ture. AS "A puppy he is one OF those roly-
poly little creatures which grows out or
a soft lump Of flesh into a great big
beast that stands level with the hips OF
An ordinary man, and when rising up can
nut his paws on the shoulders OF his
owner The mastlft does not eat more
than the medium sized dog. II he
be- fed regularly. There is satisfaction In
the fact that he Is Il good doer lie Is
rot n finicky dog about his meals Tho
| puppy enjoys his food and you keep on
| feeding him with just the same pleasure
| az you would keep on forcing the beast
| or hog you would win with at some great
| live stock show. For the mastin puppy
grows day by day, ana IL he goes on In
| the right way you will have "some" dog
| when he has arrived AT his maturity.
MastiNfs are naturally very strong dogs
| Several Of them will be found with cow
! hooks. This deformlty may be traced to
| bad or indifferent rearing. 1t liz advisable
| to let the puppy have the utmost freedom
| Let II roam about everywhere and play
| with anything II likes. Plenty OF exercise
| makes the sound animal Parenthetically.
| how often do we find a deformed wild
| animal? Give the mastifr puppy anything
| he cares to eat. Build him up on mess
| OF well boiled flesh, cracked corn, any
| vegetables and plenty OF onions. Or those
| people who have not granary or vege-
| table garden handy can avail themselves
| OF the most excellent and sound dog foods
| on the market.
| regularly three times a day. Do not give
| him too much cows milk. 1t should In
all cases be scaded first. A dogs tooth
| proclaims him an eater OF flesh. so let
| meat he the basis OF all his meals. The
| mastiff Is not savage dog unless ne is
provoked. He Is a more than ordinarily
| "easy" dog with children. He grows up
| with the family: he IL looked upon as IA
menace to the unwelcome and n guard for
| the domicile. And In this avocation the
| mastifY Of to-day IL simply duplicating the
role OF the mastiff of old. the mastir
| which has to all intents and purposes been
kept pure for tho same purposes through
| the centuries.