On Sunday, 13 September 2026, we visited the summer festival of Verein der Hundefreunde Idar e.V. at the Wäschertskaulen club grounds in Idar-Oberstein with Holly and her daughter Miss Marple. Holly will be nine years old in November – making it all the more lovely to see mother and daughter spending the entire day together right in the middle of everything.
Around 60 participants and visitors attended over the course of the day. Alongside various games for people and dogs, there were also demonstrations on the programme. For us, however, the day became above all a wonderful opportunity for many personal encounters – and, along the way, a chance to introduce more people to the English Mastiff.
We arrived just before an obedience demonstration began. Exercises such as sit, down and stay were being shown on the training field. The agility group had already given its own demonstration before we arrived.
Two Mastiffs attract plenty of attention
Our arrival caused a small moment of surprise right from the start.
We had registered for the summer festival through members of the club whom we know personally. For most of the other participants, however, both we and our dogs were still unfamiliar.
When we came around the hedge and suddenly appeared on the club grounds with two fully grown English Mastiffs, the wide-eyed looks were hard to miss.
Holly and Miss Marple also caused a little excitement and attention among some of the dogs already there. Our two, meanwhile, remained completely relaxed, calmly took in their new surroundings and were not unsettled in the slightest.
And that calmness was noticed very quickly.
The ice was broken within minutes
Less than five minutes after we arrived, a young girl came over to us all by herself. Still a little cautious at first, she asked whether she could stroke Holly and Miss Marple – and immediately had plenty more questions.
Of course she could.
In truth, the ice had already been broken in that very moment.
A child who had never met them before was suddenly standing quite naturally beside two completely unfamiliar Mastiffs, asking questions and stroking the dogs – while Holly and Miss Marple remained entirely calm and relaxed.
The people around us noticed that too.
Shortly afterwards, two more children joined her. As the day went on, more and more visitors came closer, asked questions or simply wanted to get to know our two Mastiffs.
And the first girl? She came back to see Holly and Miss Marple about five more times during the day.
The adults quickly became curious too. One of the first questions, naturally, was how much a dog of this size actually weighs.
The children, on the other hand, had another question at the top of their list:
“Is that the biggest dog breed in the world?”
Not quite. But the English Mastiff is one of the heaviest dog breeds in the world.
These are exactly the kinds of encounters we particularly enjoy. A Mastiff is impressive simply because of its appearance. Spend a little more time with one, however, and you quickly discover another side of the breed: calmness, composure and confidence.
If you would like to get to know Holly, Miss Marple and the other members of our pack, you can learn more about their personalities, health and individual stories on our Our English Mastiffs page.
Games for two- and four-legged visitors
Of course, the summer festival was not just about watching.
There were various games for people and dogs in which teams could collect points together. We particularly liked the idea that dogs could even earn bonus points for creative solutions.
So not everything had to work exactly the way it was originally intended.
The final number of points determined which prize category each team could choose from later on.
Holly tried her paw at an obstacle course, among other things, and demonstrated that a Mastiff can approach a task very much in her own way.
In the end, neither team went home empty-handed: Team Miss Marple received a voucher from ZOO & Co., while Team Holly won a new toy.
When respect turns into curiosity
We were particularly pleased by feedback from members of the organising team at Verein der Hundefreunde Idar e.V.
They told us how pleased they were that we had brought Holly and Miss Marple along and that, simply by being there, the two dogs had helped to reduce some of the apprehension people can feel around very large dogs.
That was something we could watch happening throughout the day.
Wide-eyed looks became curious glances. Cautious distance turned into questions. And questions turned into personal encounters and plenty of gentle strokes.
Holly and Miss Marple handled the entire day wonderfully. It was particularly lovely for us to see how naturally mother and daughter moved through the day together. Holly will be nine years old in November and once again showed just how much calmness and experience she brings with her, while Miss Marple was every bit as composed as her mother.
Lots of unfamiliar people, other dogs, new smells and a completely new environment – both of them took it all in their stride.
For us, situations like these matter. A well-balanced temperament is not something that only shows itself at home or in familiar surroundings. It becomes especially visible when a dog is faced with something new.
Our Mastiffs do not simply live alongside our everyday lives, but right in the middle of them. The same applies to our adult dogs as it does to the way we raise our puppies.
You can find out more about our breeding programme and upcoming plans on our Puppies & Litter Planning page.
A wonderful Sunday all round
Even the weather was on our side.
The sky remained mostly overcast, but the rain apparently decided to wait politely until the event was over.
So in the end, it was a truly lovely day at the Wäschertskaulen club grounds – filled with games, conversations, new encounters and two Mastiffs who, quite naturally, helped show people the breed as we experience it ourselves.
Many thanks to Verein der Hundefreunde Idar e.V. for the lovely summer festival and the warm, welcoming atmosphere.
We felt very much at home.
Would you like to get to know our Mastiffs?
Holly and Miss Marple are two very different personalities – and as mother and daughter, they are also a lovely example of just how differently dogs within the same family can develop.
On our Our English Mastiffs page, you can get to know our Mastiffs and learn more about their character, health and individual stories.
Are you interested in the English Mastiff or would you like to learn more about a future puppy from From the Celtic Mountain? Then visit our Puppies & Litter Planning page or get in touch with us directly via our Contact page.
We look forward to hearing from you.