.png)
My name is Crystal Kaiser and I am serving as a board member in the Pyrenean Mastiff Association of America.
My husband and I, with our 4 children, live in northern MN. We live in a heavily forested area and knew we would want large, winter-loving dogs as companions and guardians for our family. It took a few years to discover the Pyrenean Mastiff breed, then grow our human babies up before we started searching for puppies. But in 2019, we imported our first Pyrenean Mastiffs, Cali and Lena. Then when they were 3 years old, I decided that our livestock guardians needed livestock! So we bought 13 chicks. We are now in the process of teaching our old dogs new tricks. It’s fun to see how they are catching on to their new duties and realizing their inner instincts. When they were young pups, I took several genetics classes in preparation for potentially breeding. I enjoyed learning about preservation breeding and how we can help manage genetics for the future of our breed. I also studied hip and elbow dysplasia in canines.
I hoped that by breeding the right way, I could help the Pyrenean Mastiff gain some traction here in the United States. Once we decided to breed, I armed myself with books and DVDs and smart friends, I joined Facebook groups and spent hours researching on the Internet. We have since had 2 litters. What an adventure! It has been an amazing experience, with enough loss to remind us how thankful we are when everything goes well. We have enjoyed our immersion into the dog-world, but also love getting to know different humans from across the country and around the world. These beautiful dogs are a great excuse to get acquainted with some lovely people. This last year, I had the privilege of working with an outstanding group as we formed our new club, PMAA.
I had served on the Candidate Steering Committee of PMUSA before the club dissolved, and was optimistic that we could learn from the mistakes of the past and form a better, stronger club. I believe we have achieved that goal. We founding members spent hours messaging and emailing, poring over documents and hashing out wording. We spent hours in meetings, communicating with lawyers and closing out the remainder of PMUSA. I think the Pyrenean Mastiff Association of America is off to a great start! I look forward to seeing our beloved breed grow in strength and popularity. I hope to do my best for the breed and the community as I serve on the PMAA board.
