Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Welcome home, Cinder

German shepherds, Dobermans, pit bulls and Rotts are scary, but partially because you know their stereotypes. They have a rep for being tough, either as dog fighters or threats to humans or both. Neapolitan mastiffs don’t share this fame. I’ve seen them in pictures and film, but it simply does no justice to this beautiful mastiff. That’s not fair: the beauty you pick up on immediately. It’s their prowess at instilling fear that you miss.

I had never seen a Neo (nickname for the breed) in the flesh before. I’d done the homework, read the stories and tips. I know the Neapolitan mastiff is stubborn and territorial. I know they were bred first to fight alongside gladiators in the Coliseum and then later to guard the estates of rich Romans. Still, I was unprepared. In all seriousness, Cinder is the most terrifying canine I have ever seen. By nature I trust dogs, almost to a fault. While Parker was 80 pounds, 75 at his leanest, and by far the smallest dog I’ve ever had, he still was intimidating.

The fear inspired by his appearance was nothing compared to gazing at our new, well, kinda-puppy. My heart literally jumped in my chest when I first laid eyes on him. In trepidation. The head is massive, as are the jaws. The brow is so prominent that the eyes are difficult to read. With irises of blue-gray, coupled with his shadowy fur, he looks ethereal, a phantom beast. It gives him the look of being cold, cruel. He looks, for lack of a better word, like a murderer.

Fortunately, he’s not; he’s a lover. He’s a big, dumb baby. He still has the playful, frolicsome prance of a puppy, not the lumbering, intimidating gait of a grown mastiff. He wants to play like a four month old dog, pawing and nibbling and jumping up on you. It’s a problem, and it will change. When you are the size of a human adult, you need to be well behaved, and his aggressive play was actively dangerous. You feel his tail thwacks. His playful paw swipes could easily knock over children. A playful jump up can result in a feet-to-the-chest knockdown of a grownup. He is a powerful animal. His growl and bark are deep and menacing, despite his teenager status.

I’d guess Cinder weighs in around 110. He is only 15 months old, yet already he is longer, taller, and unbelievably, he already has a bigger chest than old Parker at his strongest. He’s basically the human equivalent of a 9 year-old, yet larger than easily 90% of dogs. Dogs start early, but he won't fill out fully for at least another year, and mastiffs typically grow later than other breeds. I sincerely doubt he'll finish below 150, and he might push the 2 bills mark.

As for the interesting name, we got him from a shelter, and his name was Sinner. While “Ole Sinner” isn’t the worst possible name, it’s certainly not one we’d choose for a family pet. We didn’t want to start fresh either, figuring a pound puppy moving homes, cities, and climates didn’t need any more change than was coming anyway. “Cinder” just came to me. As a blue brindle Neo (that’s gray with other gray stripes), kind of ash colored, it worked perfectly.

It even fits him beyond that level however, and this one’s for you, Bear. Big, dark-colored dogs are the least likely to be picked up from kennels. They look scary, and they appear old faster, neither being traits people line up for with new dogs. His dad had already been euthanized at the previous shelter, from where they obtained our boy, and frankly, the odds weren’t great for a giant, terrifying hound with no etiquette whatsoever. The women from the rescue knew his odds were as bleak as his brown-grey eyes. The last glowing ember of a dying fire, no one can tell how long he had to smolder.

Yet, through the long odds, that Cinder caught a spark. He found a home, and he is already becoming the pet we knew he could be. Man’s best friends may not get a fair shot at life as often as they deserve, but this one shows why you have to take the chance. As I write this, he sleeps peacefully at the feet of my wife. There’s a long road left with Cinder, one paved with obedience, rewards, and love.

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