The history of Bluebonnet Mastiffs
Bluebonnet Mastiffs took many years to become what it is today. Like so many folks, I started with a rescue Mastiff who taught me a love for the breed. I made the age-old mistake of buying my next puppy from a pet store. I watched dog shows in bed with my coffee on Saturday mornings and thought “How hard can it be? They just run around in left hand circles.” (Something I now laugh at for my ignorance.)
Eventually, after trying unsuccessfully to connect with an experienced mentor in the breed, I found the best stud dog I could, as responsibly as I could, and bred Nellie. She blessed this world with eleven baby Mastiffs. Like most rookies, I made the mistake of keeping 3 puppies - all boys. Chuckwagon was my youngest son’s dog. Gumby was my husband’s heart dog. Kodi was my boy, and my show prospect so that I could finally start on my dream to learn to show dogs.
When Kodi was 11 mos old, after a few handling classes and a couple of fun matches, we finally stepped into the show ring. Despite my huge deficit in knowledge and experience, Kodi and I managed to be successful over the years. Kodi never enjoyed showing but he always did it because I asked him to. He was never a huge dog, but he was typey with bone, a pretty head, a beautiful topline and nice angulation. With his willingness to do what I asked and my persistence, we showed together for many years and enjoyed a successful run, particularly as a novice owner-handler.
Traveling with Kodi afforded me the opportunities to meet some of the most wonderful people, make lifelong friends, and to begin my never-ending journey of learning about dogs in general, Mastiffs in particular, and what it takes to be a responsible breeder of these magnificent animals. Since those first days with Cargo, Nellie & Kodi, I have shown and finished a number of dogs. I have bred many litters with countless Champions and Grand Champions, including breeding and showing to her GCH the Mastiff bitch who went on to become the #1 Mastiff breed and all-breed in the challenging year of 2020 . She did so with the assistance of pro-handler, Terry Smith, at the end of her lead.
Below are the dogs who have shared my home and worn the Bluebonnet Mastiffs mantle. There are many others that I have had the blessing to share with the extended Bluebonnet Mastiffs family who aren’t pictured here but continue to hold space in my heart.
The dogs that made it all possible…
GCHB Wynwood’s KS Yellow Rose of Texas - “Mollie”
Cargo was my first Mastiff. I adopted him from a shelter in Denver, CO Nov.21 , 2000. The staff estimated that Cargo was approximately 15-18 mos old when I got him, however, in retrospect, I believe he was older. Still, he didn’t know who he was yet, and I certainly didn’t know much about Mastiffs yet. I couldn’t know that he would change my life forever. Cargo didn’t only introduce me to the Mastiff breed and the unique gift coming to understand them would be. He taught me invaluable life lessons about unconditional love, loyalty, the value of being present, and what it felt like to truly, genuinely love a dog. I was blessed to have Cargo in my life for 6 years. Over those years, Cargo loved me more than anyone but he had a Mastiff sized heart with room in it for my children, my husband, and any friends who he judged to be “safe” with me.
“Cargo” - adopted 11/21/2000-11/20/2006
The Sunday before Christmas 2003, my husband and I walked into a Petstore just to look around. They had 3 mastiff puppies, including a little apricot female. I tried to resist but… when they brought her out, she wrapped her little feet around my neck and wouldn’t let go. Although we knew better, we ended up walking out of there with her. It was a good thing because she became seriously ill on Christmas Day and would likely have died before they found her the next morning. To the store owner’s credit, he covered her entire veterinary bill and my little girl recovered.
Nellie became the second Mastiff who would fill my heart as my best friend. Mastiffs are so emotionally intuitive that they are capable of understanding conversation and moods better than any other breed I know of. With Nellie, we were so in tune that I rarely had to even speak. She just “knew”.
Nellie was a very sweet girl and could be introduced to anyone. Introducing her to other dogs was occasionally an exercise in patience but was met with success. However, while nursing her puppies, she became very ill to the point where I thought I might lose her. After that, she was fairly certain the puppies tried to kill her and was a bit more of a disciplinarian than a nurturer. It wasn’t until the boys we kept were 4 mos old that she willingly played with them and accepted their company.
Nellie had a keen understanding of my schedule. If I wasn’t working, she had an expectation that I would be where she could be. If she awoke from a nap, or came from another room, and I wasn’t where she could find me, she would begin to sing. Because of her “gift”, the rest of the pack learned to sing back-up to her lead. Most Mastiffs have beautiful voice when they choose to sing and our choir was no exception - other than Gumby. We were forever telling Gumby that he should skip the singing exercise.
“Nellie” - 10/16/2003-12/07/2010: Hancock’s Bear Essentials
“Kodi” - 3/16/2006-11/6/2015: GCH Hancock’s Kodiak Bear
Kodi never wanted to be a show dog. His natural habitat was at home with his pack. But, he traveled the country and went in the ring with me simply because I asked him to. Despite being a dog who came from a “nothing special” pedigree and having no love for the ring, he managed to be respectably successful. At the 2008 National Specialty, he was one of the last 3 dogs to make the cut for Winners Dog and was awarded Best Bred-by Exhibitor in Show. He earned his Championship and his Grand Championship always owner-handled by me.
Where Kodi excelled at being a Mastiff was at home. He was soft natured and very affectionate. He loved his pack and never needed to be in charge. However, he was also not a pushover. Although he never really had a fascination for toys of any kind, if there was one that was particularly sought after by the other dogs in that moment, he would go retrieve it, lie down with it between his front legs and “dare” anyone to come take it.
Kodi would have loved to live a sedentary lifetsyle, if left to his own devices. However, as a show dog, I kept him in great shape and was often complimented by judges on his soundness and conditioning. He would walk 3-5 miles 3-5 times every week and on weekends, would hike 6-8 miles either Saturday, Sunday or both. When people say Mastiffs can’t be physically challenged, I know that to not be the case. However, it is always important to know each dog’s limitations and to remember that, like us, they need to be conditioned to a certain level of exercise. Even now, I never take a dog out for a walk that is significantly further than what they have been recently conditioned to. And you always have to keep in mind the temperature and humidity (says the voice of an experienced Mastiff owner from Texas).
“Chuckwagon” - 3/16/2006-11/13/2015: Hancock’s Lair Of The Bear
When Nellie had her litter of puppies, it seemed only fair that my youngest son get to keep one. He was always helping with the dogs - feeding, picking up the yard, caring for them after school, etc. He fell in love with the brown collared boy known as Chuckwagon. Jake and Chuckwagon had a connection and became incredible lifelong friends. When Jake went into the USMC after high school, Chuckwagon missed his best friend. When it eventually came time to say goodbye to Chuckwagon, Jake’s commanding officer had the heart and the grace to allow him to make the trip home to be at Chuck’s side, to hold him as he took his final breath. These are the relationships that all parents should hope their children get to experience. It makes them better people.
Chuckwagon was challenged at a young age with a dysplastic elbow. While the vet did arthroscopic surgery to make his mobility better and his pain less, they also chose to look at the other side. That, unfortunately, had a negative effect on that elbow and Chuck compensated for both elbows the rest of his life. To his credit, he was never cranky or testy from the pain he often felt with weather changes or excess exercise. He was, from his first breath to his last, a very sweet boy who was incredibly easy to live with. His expectations and demands were simple - he wanted to be loved, fed, and cared for.
Gumby was my husband’s heart dog. It all started when we lost a puppy, Barney, when the litter was exactly one month old. The event was traumatic for my husband, who was home caring for the puppies at the time. Apparently, Gumby had a special connection to Barney and he quit wanting to live. My husband took him to bed, snuggled with him for two weeks, hand fed him, and then both decided to re-join the living.
Gumby was smaller than the standard and very stout. Knowing what I know today, I would describe him as being “too bullmastiff-y” We always assumed he would live longer than his brothers because of his stature and general health. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma at 7 years of age and we had to say goodbye.
As much as my husband loved Gumby, the rest of the world responded to his sweet, quiet and gentle nature just as strongly. We had a list of folks who would fight for the right to adopt him had anything happened to the two of us. Everybody loved Gumby.
“Gumby” - 3/16/2006-12/17/2013: Hancock’s Bear Hugs
It always sounds strange to start out saying Claire was a rescue. But, truthfully, she was. Our friend, Nancy Walker, called regarding a family that had bought Claire and found they didn’t have time for her. They wanted to sell her to friends in East TX and I immediately told Nancy not to let them - East TX has a large number of backyard breeders and small puppy mill operations. Nancy told them to turn her over to us. We brought Claire home and started to work with a girl who, at eight months old, had been left alone in the yard and had no value for other dogs or humans. She just wanted to lie outside on the patio and enjoy the sun. I took her to her first dog show within a few weeks - she wasn’t even leash trained. She got her first point. Her next weekend out, she got both her majors, even going over 8 specials for a Best of Opposite sex placement. Her 3rd weekend, she finished with another major. About 4 months after that, our neighbors had a couple of very aggressive dogs move in and it became difficult to keep the peace. Nancy and Claire’s sire’s mom took her back. When, after another year, Claire had never shown signs of being in season, and the neighbors’ dogs were gone, Claire came back home to stay. She quickly went into season and was bred and produced a beautiful litter of puppies, including a girl who grew up to become the #1 Mastiff breed and all-breed in 2020. Ultimately, Claire learned the lesson all Mastiffs learn about how to love and be loved and settled into our home and our pack as a content and whole, healthy dog.
“Claire” - 11/30/2013-4/28/17: CH Lazy D-Bluebonnet’s Lucky Charm
“Bevo” - 3/30/12-2/22/19: Ch Bluebonnet’s MC Texas Longhorn
Bevo was larger than life. The week before his litter was born, my husband suffered a cardiac arrest. I was never sure why, but he didn’t really want to hold any of the puppies initially. Then, one day when they were about two weeks old, I put Bevo on his chest. - and Bevo won him over. Bevo was a big boy, and his personality was even bigger, He provided learning opportunities and challenges because, from eight months on, he didn’t really get along with other boys. I could introduce him to any human of any size and he was smitten, I could introduce him to any female dog, and he was game for a good round of whatever play they were interested in. However, the wrong tail flick or look in the eyes from a male, and he was ready to take them on. I learned a lot about space management and the value of exercise and individual attention for pack members. But, I wouldn’t have traded the boy for anything. For all the effort, energy and work that living with him was, the love he gave and the knowledge that I would always be safe with him nearby was worth every moment.
Brady was the softest and sweetest girl you could imagine. From the moment she could stand on her own two feet, that’s exactly what she did. She was always happy to play with any soul that came along and had more tolerance than any dog I’ve known. She had the confidence to just take what came and was completely comfortable in her own skin, happy with her own company. She might have missed part of the Mastiff genetic make-up because she wasn’t much of a watch dog, rarely barking, and always happy to sit back and let the rest of the pack take on “danger” without running away. She was so easy to live with that it was too easy to take her for granted. She’s the only mastiff I’ve known personally that I felt I could have placed in any home, including one where the people were not only new to large dogs but to dogs period. Because she was so unassuming, I miss her more now, knowing I took her presence for granted.
“Brady” - 3/30/2012-4/9/2018: GCh Deep In The Heart Of Texas
I have no idea what a person could say to do justice to the Mastiff and the friend that Mollie was. When I had learned more about what a responsible breeder should be doing for the breed, I knew I had to go find a nice girl to really get started; to start over. I “shopped” for a dog and a breeder at the Mastiff Club of America National Specialty in 2009 and found Denise Hyer of Wynwood Mastiffs with her boy, Spot (Ch Wynwood’s BC Spot At The Top). So began an incredible friendship and I was blessed with a generous, insightful and supportive mentor. From Denise came an amazing puppy - Mollie.
Mollie accomplished great things as a Mastiff show dog and as a dam to beautiful puppies. She was the #1 Owner Handled Mastiff the first year it was ranked - 2013. She earned her Championship and her Grand Championship. She whelped 27 puppies, many of whom earner their Championships and Grand Championships. One of her daughters was awarded Best Veteran at the 2023 MCOA National Specialty at the age of 11y 2m! And there are 2 brothers from the same litter of 12 still loving their families as well.
Mollie was my best friend, my rock, and my light. She was gracious and, as the standard calls for, dignified. She was also funny, playful and tolerant. She quietly ruled the pack with a look or a well placed step when she needed to run interference. Mollie was intensely sensitive to my mood and my needs and counted on me to be the same. When she lost all 5 puppies from her second litter when they were 3 & 4 days old, she tried to shut down , ready to waste away. She taught me about how a Mastiff grieves - deeply. After two weeks of grieving and shutting down, she depended on me to pull her out of it. And I insisted.
Still, I think of her daily and speak with her often. You can think I’m crazy if you like, but she reaches out to me frequently, reminding me that she is with me, watching over me. She may not be in this world, but she is always at my side.
“Mollie” - 8/24/2009-1/17/2020: GCHB Wynwood’s KS Yellow Rose Of Texas
Stetson came to me from Denise Hyer of Wynwood Mastiffs the year after I brought Mollie home. He was always an easy going boy and game for most anything you asked him to do. He finished his Championship and then chose to stay home, enjoying his walks and time spent with his pack, both human and canine. His idea of a great day was a few treats, lots of love from his humans, and no efforts at trimming or dremeling his toenails! Stetson was the one who taught me the anxiety that comes with a dog that is “driven” to eat all the things he shouldn’t - socks, toys, towels, etc. We were always fortunate that he cleared them on his own but there was a lot of anxiety along the way.
“Stetson” - 9/22/10-7/5/20: Ch WynwoodHB Bluebonnet’s Texas Top Hot
We had visited our friend, Nancy Walker, of Lazy D Mastiffs several months before McGee fell into our laps. She had wanted to place a beautiful boy with us that she had gotten back from someone. We had 4 month old puppies at home and declined. When she offered McGee several months later, we weren’t about to make the same mistake twice. We found ourselves with a newly bathed puppy in our back seat as we pulled out to head home. McGee grew to be an enormous, thick, typey dog with more bone than I’ve seen since. As big as he was, he had a beautiful topline and gorgeous head. To go with all that Mastiff size, he had a Mastiff heart. He was sweet and soft, undemanding but always receptive and giving of love. And no male in my home ever loved puppies the way McGee did. As an added bonus, besides being such a beautiful soul to live with, McGee produced beautiful puppies including multiple group winning offspring.
“McGee” - 6/22/2012-9/18/2020: LazyD Bluebonnet’s Rule8 Nevertakeanything4granted
Camo was a soft, kind hearted, unassuming boy. He loved a good pet, or a romp in the living room, as much as the next Mastiff. But, he was also content to just lie close and watch what I was up to. As he got older, lying with a watchful eye was his chosen pastime. Camo never truly enjoyed showing but he was a nice moderately sized boy with balance and type. He didn’t have a lot of dominant characteristics that he passed on, other than his sweet nature that his male offspring all got from him, but he also never messed up the great qualities the girls he was bred to possessed. With limited breedings, Camo produced a Best In Show son and multiple group placing offspring.
“Camo” - 1/21/2015-2/8/2022: Ch Bluebonnet Lazy D’s Got You Covered
Hugs was a typey, thick girl with a sweet and sensitive heart. She wasn’t a pushover but she was generous and tolerant of others’ shenanigans. When my husband and I were no longer able to make our marriage work, she was the rock that I needed to get through the initial shock of a life that was no longer what I had expected my life to be. She was never an alpha but she was always the steady, kind influence that the pack needed. And she always knew when I needed her, checking in when I was blue, keeping me company when I needed a little quiet time, and willing to play when I needed a little entertainment. To know Hugs was to love her, as any who did will tell you.
“Hugs” - 1/21/15-7/6/2021: GCh Bluebonnet’s Hershey’s Kiss
“Patsy” - 1/21/2015-5/26/2021: Ch Bluebonnet’s I Fall To Reese’s Pieces
Patsy started life with an experienced mastiff family. No matter how hard I try to place my puppies in a home where they will be a loved member of their family forever, it doesn’t always work out that way. Patsy came back to me when she was 4.5 years old because her family decided they “weren’t big dog people anymore.” With me, she went on to have a beautiful litter of puppies before being placed with a family friend who showed her what being loved and having a best friend was really like. She was blessed to spend the last part of her life having daily awesome experiences going to patios for a beer, hiking, camping and traveling - a gift I will always be grateful to her mom for giving her.
Sometimes, you suspect but don’t really know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Mikey was that dog. It wasn’t that he was a spectacular Mastiff. Don’t get me wrong. He was very nice, although he never got a chance to go in the ring because of COVID. But, although I knew I loved his sensitive, kind heart and goofy personality, I never really knew what an effect it had on me until I lost him too soon. Mikey was a true 35” Mastiff. (Many folks will tell you theirs are but you only have to see one who truly is to realize how many are not.) He was also big boned. And as big as he was, he had no hesitation in jumping. I would warn folks when they first walked in the door to be sure and stay near a wall until he settled down so they wouldn’t get knocked over. His favorite dog sitter was better than 6’4” tall and I tend to think it was because, when Mikey jumped up on his shoulders, they saw eye to eye. I lost Mikey to bloat while I was out of town and one of my greatest regrets with my dogs was that I never got to say goodbye to him and I wasn’t there to tell him I loved him and he would be safe as he passed. I like to think I will see him at the Rainbow Bridge and be able to finally tell him.
