General

Our first Amstaff was Nala, a beautiful female. Her best assets are a beautiful head, great muscularity and a lucid, velvet, coat. The head is large, with strong jaws and jaw muscles, but with a very friendly outlook. She is one of the broadest bitches in the Dutch show circuit, without combining that with to much height. The coat has developed from a pale blue-fawn to a more intense yellow-brown color, lucid. The short hairs give it a smooth look, and the velvet quality accentuates the muscles.

Her temperament is uncomparable. People, horses, cows, etc., everything except for birds and cats are dear to her. So are dogs, regardless of breed, sex, size and behaviour. Dominant behaviour, growling, even biting, is met with stoic calm, ever hoping there will be a chance to play. It's earned her some scars (the JRT of Stefania's parents) and even the tip of her right ear, but this has never affected her temperament. But most of all she's incredibly fond of kids and puppies.

We thought it would be great to have another dog, a male, someone for Nala to play with. That was the origin of our kennel; we wanted a son of Nala. From the first litter of six we picked the one we liked best for it's character. Simba. MountainGarden Can't Touch This, is a relaxed guy, and Nala's favorite. He has many of his mother's treats and has developed into a beautiful and impressive dog, with a very loving and gentle character.

From the next litter, from Nala's daughter Ching, Mountaingarden Drops or Jupiter, we did not keep a dog at home but actively showed with Maya, Ch. Mountaingarden Give Me Wings. Maya is a dog with a perfect construction and she easily gained her titles. Her character is friendly and energetic and she was perfect for the combination with Simba for our last litter. From that came one puppy, Zyra, Mountaingarden Sweet Goodbye, who inhereted a lot from Maya and Simba but also from Nala and Ching. Because we stopped breeding we never showed her, but every day we enjoy her affectionate, sweet and energetic character.

We want our dogs, with all their enthusiasm, to be ambassadors for their breed, with its undeserved bad reputation. For us that means:

  • We are convinced our dogs should never be a burden to anyone
  • Dog s..t should not be found in urban neighboorhoods
  • A dog should be on a leash, unless they are allowed to walk free and the owner has full controle (hardly ever see one that does)
  • Every dog, but more important, every owner, should do basic obedience training
  • Every dog should be temperament tested before breeding. So regardless of breed (or lack thereof) and size (watch out for those little ones). Nala and Simba have both passed the temperament test very well
  • Agressive behaviour is unacceptable
 

Our dogs are predominantly from the Woods line. That is a deliberate choice since this bloodline is renowned for its stable and calm temperament.