Looking through the photos from our fourth Mastiff meetup still makes us smile. There are the familiar faces, the conversations around the barbecue hut and the dogs who simply found their place among their people. It is these little moments that we remember so fondly.
On 3 October 2026, around 60 people and about 35 dogs came together at the barbecue hut in Rascheid. At the beginning of October, we had simply hoped for good weather – having bright sunshine with us for almost the entire day felt incredibly lucky. The meadow, the dogs and the time spent together outdoors almost made us forget for a few hours that autumn had already arrived.
A Reunion That Felt Familiar
The first guests began arriving shortly after eleven o’clock. Many already knew one another from previous years, so conversations started again almost immediately. There was news about the dogs, memories of earlier meetups and all the little things that simply come up when people have time together. Sometimes you only realise how much you have been looking forward to seeing someone again once you are actually standing together.
That sense of familiarity could be felt throughout the entire day. Sometimes a group gathered around the tables, while elsewhere people stood together with their dogs on the meadow. Conversations continued, there was plenty of laughter, and in between there was always time to look around and simply enjoy being with the dogs.
Several new guests joined us as well. Some wanted the opportunity to experience Mastiffs together in a larger group for the first time. It was wonderful to see how quickly they became part of the gathering. Hearing afterwards how much they had enjoyed their visit made us especially happy.
The Dogs Among All Those People
Even for us, seeing so many Mastiffs together remains something special. On the meadow, they sniffed, greeted one another and played together. Others had already found a comfortable place in the grass or were lying beside the benches close to their people.
Between conversations, our attention kept returning to the dogs: an encounter in the grass, an attentive head beside a table or a Mastiff stretched out comfortably for a rest. Every dog was part of the day in their own way. It was precisely this relaxed togetherness that contributed so much to the easy-going atmosphere.
For visitors who had previously only known individual Mastiffs, seeing such a large group together was particularly impressive. There was plenty of time to experience the dogs calmly and get to know their different personalities. And after so much playing together, we could certainly understand why some of them were completely exhausted by the time they arrived home that evening.
Plenty of Time for a Long Day Together
Throughout the day, we came together over sausages, fries and a large selection of homemade cakes. The coffee table was just as much a part of the day as the time spent out on the meadow.
This year, our raffle added another activity that was very well received by our guests. Many wonderful prizes were waiting on the tables, along with gifts and food samples for both our two-legged and four-legged visitors.
The Slushi Maker was popular too. A cold refreshment outside in the sunshine at the beginning of October – somehow it suited this particular day better than we could ever have planned.
Later, once it had grown dark, a smaller group of us stayed together around the fire in the pavilion. The dogs remained with us while we slowly brought the evening to a relaxed close. It was shortly after 10 pm when the last guests finally said goodbye. From the first greetings until then, we had spent around eleven hours together.
What Has Grown Over the Years
After this fourth meetup, we are especially aware of just how much has grown from our very first invitation. Acquaintances have become friends. We stay in touch, share in the lives of the dogs and their people, and look forward to the next opportunity to come together again.
In their messages afterwards, some of our guests described their visit as feeling like arriving in one big family. That is one of the most beautiful memories we will take away from this day. Because by now, our gathering feels exactly the same to us: like one big Mastiff family, where familiar people and new faces alike can find their place.
Made Possible Together
We would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped with setting up, supported us throughout the meetup and stayed to help afterwards, as well as everyone who brought cakes or contributed in other ways. And, of course, thank you to all our guests – the familiar faces, the new visitors and those who simply came along out of curiosity – every two-legged and four-legged guest who spent this day with us and helped make it what it was.
Our heartfelt thanks also go to our generous sponsors: Agrar- & Freizeitmarkt Spies, SCAR / VITAL from Belgium, Kerbl, JOSERA together with direct partner Christoph Eifler, bosch Tiernahrung, BUFFO, Höveler DOG, DAUB GmbH, Happy Dog and “Stiefel – Wir lieben Hunde!”. With your raffle prizes, gifts and food samples, you brought a great deal of joy to our guests and their dogs.
In 2027, our 5th Celtic Mountain Mastiff Meetup will take place – a small anniversary for us. After such a wonderful day, we are already looking forward to having everyone together again.
Your Celtic Mountain Family
What Our Guests Said
We would like to share a few of the lovely messages we received after the meetup:
“Thank you for such a fantastic day! It must have been an enormous amount of work to prepare everything. You organised it all so wonderfully. It really was lovely. Our dogs had so much fun playing with all the Mastiffs. Now they are completely exhausted 🤣 Have a lovely evening, everyone.”
“Thank you so much for letting me and my boys join you. We had a wonderful time. Being with you feels like arriving in one big family, and I am amazed by what you manage to organise every year. Absolutely wonderful.”
Our Mastiff Meetup in Pictures
