Health and Welfare

One of the most important things to consider when you are looking for a mastiff puppy is the health of the parents, grandparents and great parents. This will give you a greater chance of knowing what inherited problems may lay ahead. Any reputable breeder should be able to tell you at least a 3 generation history of the health and temperament of the litter. If not, you can find out a lot by visiting the Royal Kennel Club website www.thekennelclub.org.uk If you have the name of either the dam or the sire (and by this I mean the pedigree, KC registered name, NOT the pet name) you should be able to trace the history of the litter.

The Mastiff Association advocates the health testing of both parents in that hips and elbows should have been x-rayed, preferably eyes tested and a cystinuria test done on both parents at least, 3 generations would be ideal. Heart testing is also recommended.

Check you are able to visit the puppies along with their mother (very important) and see the mother interacting with them in their home environment.

Mastiffs can suffer from the following inherited problems: Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, Ocular issues, Wobblers Syndrome, Cystinuria and OCD amongst others. For more information on these please see the separate categories under Health at the top of this page in the drop down bar.

Category 3 list explained: The Kennel Club has highlighted several breeds (of which Mastiffs are one) as Category 3 on breed watch, due to their higher susceptibility to health issues associated with perceived exaggerated conformation. These concerns primarily involve the eyes, skin, movement, and in some other breeds dentition and respiratory function (breathing). These are considered when being judged by judges at dog shows and evaluated by veterinarians for top awards of Best of Breed and Show Champion status.