About Our Program

Estrella Polar Pyrenean Mastiffs is dedicated to genetic diversity and puppy rearing. All puppies are reared with Puppy Culture to ensure they are the most adaptable and well adjusted puppies prior to going home. We begin crate training, potty training, tons of socialization, and the foundations to basic training.

Our Priorities

Breed Standard

The breed standard is the blue print of any breed and we work hard to always breed toward the breed standard. The breed standard encompasses temperament, movement, structure and phenotype.

Part of the reason we participate in conformation shows is to get third party evaluations of our dogs relative to the breed

Health Testing

We take health very seriously and want to ensure that we do our best for healthy happy puppies not only for owners but also for the future of the breed. PMAA requires Hip and Elbow OFA's and genetic disease testing. We do this as well as test patellas, basic cardiac, and eyes. We feel these additional tests are beneficial items in the breed though we have not encountered any issues from them.

Planned Pairings

We believe genetic diversity is essential in a breed that has a small gene pool. Because of this we never repeat pairings so that we can provide versatile pedigrees for the breeding population. Every breeding is carefully planned. I feel that I should never do a pairing unless it is a pairing I would want to keep something from for my program. Because of this I reserve first pick of every litter.

Well Adjusted Puppies

We work hard to try and produce well adjusted puppies who are adaptable to a variety of lifestyles. To do this we do Early Neurological Stimulation, Puppy Culture Protocols and additional socialization essential for livestock guardian puppies. You will read more further down about some of the things we do with our puppies.

Our Breeding Philosophy

Our breeding philosophy is that we are here to preserve and protect the Pyrenean Mastiff in every way possible. We want to ensure we do our best to find the best homes to fit each puppy, to do this all puppies are temperament tested at 7 weeks to help match puppies to each home. We are constantly striving to do our best to best represent the Pyrenean Mastiff in a variety of settings from companion, livestock guardian, property and family guardian, and more.

Our Puppy Process

Below we will walk through our puppy process from the moment your application is in to the moment puppies go home. This is to help people know what to expect along the way when you are working with us.

Our Process

Application Submitted

Phone Interview

Approved for waitlist

Once you submit your application we will review the application. We will then reach out to schedule a phone interview to allow applicants the opportunity to ask questions, discuss more about what they are looking for in a puppy and allow us the opportunity to ask questions. If there is agreement that both breeder and applicant are a good match we move you to our wait list and provide a link to our private Facebook group where you can follow our updates more closely.

The Wait list

Wait list timing is typically 6-9 months but could be longer. Our wait list tends to fluctuate as we never know if breedings will take and how many puppies will be produced. Not only this some, people may drop from the wait list, delay to a future litter, etc. Generally I will notify the first 5 people prior to a breeding to let them know they are coming up on the list potentially for a puppy. Once puppies are born and I know I have a spot for someone on the wait list I will reach out and at this time, we take a deposit of $500 to reserve a spot on the litter.

Puppy Rearing

Socialization Protocols

Vetting

Puppy Evaluations & Selections

Go Home

Once puppies are born we begin ENS (Early neurological stimulation) between days 3-16. You can learn more about ENS here.

Puppies are dewormed at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks as a preventative measure as they are very susceptible to parasites.

Puppies stay in the whelping box until they are 4 weeks. During these 4 weeks we begin the introduction of many things. Once puppies begin toddling around more, generally around the 2 week period, we begin adding different textures and smells to the whelping box. This is to help puppies adapt to various floor textures they may encounter. Adding different smells helps puppies adapt to different smells they may encounter in life as well. We also begin adding a potty area so that puppies can begin working on differentiating between sleep and potty areas. Once ears open we begin playing classical music for minutes a day as well as scary sounds during nursing times. The goal for playing scary sounds such as thunderstorms, crashing sounds, traffic noises, fireworks, etc is to allow puppies to hear typically scary sounds during nursing so they can develop a positive association to these sounds.

Week 3 we begin puppy mush and start the weaning process for puppies.

Week 4 is a big week as puppies leave the whelping box and get moved to our great room where they are put in a puppy pen. The goal of this is to allow puppies to safely integrate into our pack and begin experiencing the typical sounds that happen during the day. Inside the puppy pen they will have different textures, wobbly surfaces, potty boxes with alfa-alfa pellets (they smell like grass) and toys that make noises. Puppies at this point are hitting the potty area about 50% of the time and improve drastically as they continue to age. Puppies also get their first visit outside into the puppy yard which extends through a low window to a fenced patio yard. With their visit outside they also get to begin socialization around chickens. We have a chicken run that is fenced next to the puppy yard which allows puppies to safely begin interacting with the chickens and getting use to them.

Between week 4 and 7 puppies are gaining socialization and continuing to grow.

Week 7 is the BIG week. This week puppies begin crate training and eating meals in crates as well as having quite time with chews to build a positive association to crating. Puppies go to the vet for their first combination vaccine, microchip and checkup. This week we also begin evaluations, we do conformation and movement evaluations to help us determine which puppies are ideal for breeding prospects and which puppies will be deemed companion quality. We also do temperament testing with a dog behaviorist, temperament testing helps us with matching the right puppy to the right home. For temperament testing we go live in our Facebook group so prospective puppy owners can see the testing.

After all evaluations are done, those that have placed a deposit are contacted for a phone call to discuss best matches for what they are looking for. At this time the owner makes a selection of which puppy they would like.

After 7 weeks the puppies get their first public field trip where they get to go somewhere that is dog friendly but not saturated with dogs. They are placed into our puppy wagon to go for a ride to limit exposure to possible diseases since they have only had one vaccine at this time. The goal of the public outing is to give them more socialization while still being with litter mates to help boost confidence.

Puppies continue to gain socialization and exposure to different things while we wait for them to turn 10 weeks. By this time puppies are exclusively using their potty boxes with limited accidents and are eagerly running to their crates for meal time. At 8 weeks puppies are given heartgard and nexgard for flea and tick control as well as heartworm preventative.

At 10 weeks puppies get their bordatella and 2nd combo vaccine as well as a 2nd check up with the vet. Puppies are free to begin going to their new homes at this time! For those who use a ground transporter final payment is made at 9 weeks to ensure all is ready for travel. Those picking up in person schedule a time and day for pickup. For those who come in person they get to meet the mother at minimum and the rest of the Pyrenean mastiffs if they like. At times the father is unavailable as we do ship in semen from overseas or use out of state studs.

Puppy owners will receive a puppy binder with all documents related to the parents of their puppy, any vaccine records and any other documentation related to the puppy as well as basic care instructions. Owners are also provided with a booklet regarding pediatric altering and age appropriate exercises. The bag also contains chews the puppies enjoy, our favorite leash style, 5 lbs of food to get started, toys and a blanket with their litter mates smell.

Field trip with puppies to Cabela's