The following is a guide only in what to look for when buying a puppy.

Listed below are some questions that should be asked before making any commitment to buying a puppy. However, if on

speaking to a breeder the answers to your questions seem unclear or confusing, or the breeder makes wild statements that

cannot be substantiated, or they are not willing to go into the pedigree of the puppies or you have any other concerns,

then you should consider either walking away or speaking to someone on the MA committee.
 

When looking for a puppy always try and find a reputable breeder. Do not be persuaded by a breeder who gives you wrong advice or tries to push you into buying a puppy, especially if its going cheap, or at an inflated price.
 

For questions and answers on finding a reputable breeder please see below. Also, if you are able to attend either a mastiff breed show or a championship show where mastiffs have classes, then this is always a good way to find a breeder or meet some dogs that you particularly like.
 

Reputable Breeders
Most, but not all, breeders of Mastiffs will breed for health, temperament and type. By doing this they will want their puppies going to good, happy, secure homes and will be selective in their choice of homes. They should be able to give you a full history of the parents and information regarding feeding and caring for your puppy once in its new home.

Questions you should ask are:
Are the parents health tested? If so, what are the BVA (or equivalent) scores. For more information on this please go to our page on Health at the top of this page in the drop down bar.
 

Can I see the parents? Quite often it is only the mother that the breeder has but they should be able to give you very precise details on the sire.
What will the puppy come with? You should expect from the breeder a full 3 or 5 generation pedigree. Also a registration certificate this will give the registered name and number for each puppy. You should also have a 5 week insurance policy from the Royal Kennel Club which is given to the breeder on registration of the puppies. The RKC will then get in touch to ask you to continue with this but it might be better and cheaper if you shop around (we would recommend you get insurance as some conditions and general antibiotics can be extremely expensive.) You should also be given a guide about food and what the puppy has been reared on and what the breeder would recommend you continue with. After the puppy has settled into their new home you may wish to change this and you should be guided by either the breeder or your vet unless you have your own views on the different feeding methods (see our page on diet). Another thing you should have from the breeder would be a very in depth talk on the reasons why you want a Mastiff puppy. Do not feel upset by this as any good breeder would never want their hard work and precious bundles going to someone who does not truly understand the breed they are taking on and not completely prepared for the upkeep and expense and caring for a giant breed dog. All good breeders will also give you a contract and would expect you to get in touch with them if at any time during that dog’s life you are unable to care for them. A reputable breeder will always either take the dog back or find them a good home (or both) if for any reason you have to part with your pet.
 

Have you done much breeding and if so can you tell me how many litters you have had? Depending on the answer you should be able to ascertain if they are back-yard breeders or genuine hobby breeders or are more involved with breeding and possibly showing. Check again on the RKC website for dogs with the same affix or do a Google search for the breeders.

Are you a member of either or both Mastiff clubs? Most reputable breeders are members of either the Mastiff Association or the Old English Mastiff Club. If your question is answered with a “no” or “I didn’t know there were any” then again, it would be best to obtain more information on the breeder. This can be done by contacting one of the breed clubs and speaking to someone on the committee who would be pleased to help with any questions you may have.

Health and welfare issues and what these mean in layman’s terms
Gene pool/vulnerable native breed
KC rules (and how to access a dog on the website)
Pedigrees and what they mean
Untruthful responses from breeders
For more information on the above please go to the main menu at the top of this page and click on these topics.

BEWARE! Some breeders will try and sell puppies that are not pure Mastiff. If you do not mind a cross breed that is absolutely fine, but you should be told the truth from the outset. Be careful if you hear any of the following:

“These are pure bred Mastiff puppies but I don’t have a pedigree for them” – this is nonsense as any pure bred mastiff puppy would be registered with the Royal Kennel Club and would have a pedigree name and registration certificate. No-one would breed a pure Mastiff puppy without registering him/her. It would be silly. There are several reasons why a “Mastiff” is not registered and that would be because it was crossed with a different breed or one or both of its parents were.
“It is a rare Welsh/Irish/Blue/White (or any other variation) Mastiff” – again this is nonsense. There are several breeds of Molosser dogs and many are  registered under the Royal Kennel Club registered breeds. There is no variation and no other colours than those agreed with the RKC and given on their website. Please also see our page on the Mastiff Breed Standard. If in doubt check the RKC to see if they have been registered (or their parents). If not, then perhaps you should walk away.

                                                        Remember that although every effort will have been made by the breeder to ensure healthy happy puppies, this                                                                   cannot be guaranteed. Mother nature has a way of throwing unexpected problems into life’s way and therefore as                                                                much as good breeders will have done what they can to prevent any health issues, this is still possible. Also, there                                                               are many health issues which cannot be tested for, are not hereditary and therefore cannot be foreseen.