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 | Do Mastiffs Eat Alot and are they expensive to keep?
When a mastiff is growing they can pack alot of food away, and mastiffs grow typically for three years! So yes, a mastiff can consume quite a bit of food. However, they are not "high engery" dogs and typically, don't end up consuming anymore than an active Labrador once they are fully grown.
Mastiffs can be more expensive by the sheer fact of their size they are going to require double or triple the dosage that a normal dog would take for say, heartworm or frontline..so in that sense, they are more expensive in general than your average dog.
Beyond your basic average dog costs that can be more expensive, (XL crates,
XL bedding etc.) your average vet bill will be more expensive if there are any medications that are needed. Most meds are based on weight, and as you can imagine, dosing a mastiff is going to be ALOT more expensive than dosing a 30 pound dog.
These are added expenses to keep in mind when considering the purchase of any Giant Breed of dog.
|  | Are Mastiffs good with children?
The easy answer to that question is yes! However there are some factors to consider. If you already have children, realize that mastiffs are big dogs, they take up a lot of space, a mastiff simply turning around and bumping a toddler can send the child flying. Also keep in mind, tails of mastiffs are the exact height of a toddlers forehead..yep, whack! My children learned to walk with a protective hand across their foreheads whenever the dogs were around, as it only took one good thwack with the tail for them to learn. So, if you have toddlers or plan on having a baby, mastiffs can be great with kids, but can accidetnally knock a child over and must be supervised (like all dogs) around the little ones. |  | Do Mastiffs make good guard dogs?
The sheer size and presence of a mastiff is usually enough to deter any person with bad intent. That being said, mastiffs do not necessarily make the best guard dogs as in keeping people off the property. They typically let their presence be known in quiet ways while they evaluate the new person and make sure the owner is okay with them. They are protective of their family and will lay down thier lives for their owners, but they typically do not chase off stranger that come on to the property like some other breeds. They usually are not prone to growling or barking at people when their owners are home, and really you don't want a dog this big to be aggressive and mean...a mastiff will always be there for you, but should NEVER attack unprovoked. There is a reason you don't hear of English Matiffs mauling people, lets be responsible owners and keep it that way. This is a great breed and should not be trained for attack/guard duty. Being protective comes naturally to this breed..it is what they were bred to do, no specialty training is advised or required. |  | What do I feed my Mastiff?
One of the most important things you can do to keep your mastiff healthy is to provide quality food. A lot of people and even vets are misinformed over what constitutes quality. Do yourself a favor and educate yourself on this important topic. Not every good quality dog food is going to work with every dog, you will have to do some sampling. There is really not enough space here for me to go into this topic, but to keep it simple, let us assume you are not going to be making your own dogfood, that you are going to purchase a dry kibble. STAY AWAY FROM THE GROCERY STORE. You will find good food (and bad) at petstores and farm/feed centers. The only puppy food I feed my puppies is Eagle Pack Giant Breed puppy, this has adequate protien and fat, perfect for growing a giant breed. If you don't have access to this, feed a quality adult dog food to your puppy after 12 weeks of age. Keep your Fat content close to 12-16%. and your protien under 26%.You do not want your mastiff to grow too fast, this can cause severe problems with bones and joints that can have a life long effect on the dog. I feed American Natural Premium and Eagle Pack Giant Breed. I have also fed with good results: Chicken Soup of the Dog lovers' soul and Solid Gold Wolf King. There are other premium brands that will work for you.
You will find that your premium brands cost more, but they pay back in spades with healthy dogs, less poop to pick up and fewer vet bills. Watch out for expensive brand dog foods masquerading as quality. Stay away from brands with corn as the main ingrediant (and learn how to read your labels. Do not supplement your puppy with calcium as this can lead to growth complications.
|  | How much do you charge for a Mastiff puppy?
It really depends on the breeding, what stud dog I use etc. Typically you will find my pups starting at around 1,100 on up to 2300.
Limited AKC registration for pet quailty puppies are given a 15% discount. |  | Why are some mastiffs cheaper and others more expensive?
You will find Mastiff puppies in almost all price ranges. Some of your top kennels producing show dog after show dog will be asking 2500 and up.
You will find your back yard breeders, breeding their pet with another pet, producing mediocre and genetically untested dogs for much cheaper.
Do your research before purchasing a "bargain" or thinking you need a dog from a top kennel.
Smaller hobby breeders, care about genetics, bloodlines and every other aspect of the breed, as much as the bigger kennels do, but often charge less than the more renowned kennels with a lot of mastiffs and higher expenses.
A good breeder will back up their puppies with health guarantees and be there for the life of the puppy.
Our prices reflect a fair price for genetically tested parents, care, feeding and expenses associated with whelping and raising quality mastiff puppies.
| | What is the difference between Pet Quality and Show/Breed Quality puppies?
For the companion dog owner, you will not notice much of a difference, if any differenc at all. Both show and pet quality pups will be healthy, quality examples of the mastiff breed. The pet quality pup may have too much white on it's chest, or too much coat, perhaps the mask or eyes are too light. These minor cosmetic flaws will not be noticeable to the average person. A pet quality puppy will still look and act like the wonderful mastiff he/she is.
|  | OFA? PRA? what does all this stuff mean?
OFA stands for the Orthepedic Foundation for Animals.
When a dog has been labeled OFA hips: Good. This means a team of vetereinarians with the OFA,looked at a set of xrays from a particular animal and concluded that the hip joints were "good". The three vets do not have to be unanimous, two good and one excellent will get a "good" rating.
This way, breeders can test their dogs before breeding to ensure that genetic abnormalities with the hip structure are not unintentionally being passed along. This by no means guarentees nothing will be passed, but at least the breeder has a good starting point.
If you see PRA, this means Progressive Retinal Atrophy. It causes blindness in dogs. Mastiffs and Bullmastiffs have this as a dominate gene. Which means, if they just have one copy of the gene, they will become blind. Now that the gene has been discovered breeders can work on eradicating PRA by having all breeding animals tested if they are not cleared by parentage. |  | Do Mastiffs drool?
Yes they do. Some drool more than others. Typically you will find mastiffs drool when they are hot, eating or drinking.
All mastiff owners keep some kind of rag around to wipe those big loveable mugs off when "slingers" arrive. I usually have a towel standing by and my dogs know to stand still as mom cleans them up.
Keep in mind though, you wont always get there on time and if you are going to be freaked out by the occasionally flying slinger when your dogs shakes its head..well you may want to consider a different breed. My motto: Spit happens. |  | What kind of health issues do Mastiffs tend to have?
Mastiffs, like all dogs, have certain genetic and dispositional issues that are found more frequently within the breed than say another. Every breed (and mutt) will have their ailments, study up and learn what can be avoided.
Breeders can and should have their breeding dogs certified by the OFA, however, this does not guarentee that a mastiff from two parents that were tested (and passed) will never get hip dysplasia. There is no DNA test available for these orthepedic ailments. Breeders must do what they can to reduce the risk, but it is impossible to say with 100% certainty that a dog will definitely not become dysplastic or will not have heart problems etc.
There is one genetic marker that has been found and can be detected and that is for PRA (progressive retinal atrophy). All mastiffs should be tested and cleared for PRA prior to being bred.
Mastiffs are prone to hip dysplasia, elbow problems, thyroid and heart problems. There are other ailments as well. There are tests breeder can (and should) conduct to determine if their breeding stock are clear of major ailments. Remember however, just because a dog passes on hips with an Excellent or Good score, does not mean all of his puppies will pass with the same results, this is why it is so very important that ALL breeding stock be tested. I suggest reading up on the breed as much as possible and doing personal research. You can try: www.mastiff.org for more information.
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