Frequently asked questions
1. How long does your line live?
Between 9-13 years.
2. What dog food do you recommend for feeding the Mastiff?
We feed and recommend Costco Kirkland Adult Lamb and Rice Food. We will send you home with a 40 lb. bag of Diamond Naturals Large Breed Lamb and Rice Puppy Food to slowly transition over to the adult Lamb and Rice. We recommend that you switch your dog to Kirkland Adult Lamb and Rice Dog Food slowly over the first month the puppy is home with you. We use Diamond Natural Large Breed Chicken and Rice and Kirkland Lamb and Rice Adult food. Diamond Naturals makes the Kirkland brand dog food. Some of our mastiffs have a chicken allergy and chicken is known to be an allergen in dogs.
We select this food because of the quality and it is low in protein - you do not want to go over 23% for your protein content as your puppy will be growing about 5 pounds per week and slow growth is best. The price of the Kirkland Costco food cannot be beat!
We always add warm water to the food from puppy to senior as then the food swells in the bowl and not in the stomach.
3. What is the cost of the food?
Kirkland Adult Lamb and Rice Dog Food is $49.99 - 53.99 for a 20kg bag.
4. How much does the puppy/adult dog eat?
We feed puppies 3 times per day, according to their weight which works out to 3-8 cups per day divided by 3 times, so 1.5 - 2 cups at each meal. The adults eat 2 times a day, a total of 6-8 cups of food, so 3-4 cups twice a day. Keep an eye on the puppies body structure for feeding to keep them in their ideal weight.
5. What health problems does your line have?
There are health concerns as in any large breed and we strive to breed only the best. Bloat is a potential problem if care is not taken in feeding the Mastiff. Do not allow them to eat large amounts of ice outside in the winter. This causes them to swallow large amounts of air and the stomach swells and twists. We lost 2 of our dogs this way. They were unrelated to one another. One was 7 years old the other only 4 years old, both after ice storms with lots of ice outside.
Make sure to add warm water to their food so it swells in the bowl and not in their stomach.
We had one puppy develop Wobbler's Syndrome, many years ago now. This disease is more seen in Dobermans and Great Danes. The cause is thought to be more from improper nutrition with a speculated genetic or congenital abnormality. The puppy that had it was bottle fed and had a high protein diet.
We have had one dog with mild hip dysplasia, which did not affect her visibly, she was not bred.
We have had one dog with renal dysplasia, there is no test for that, there is apparently a genetic component but also possibly a mutation that can occur.
We have had one puppy with a hepatic shunt - liver shunt. He was unable to digest his food properly. We knew this by the time he was 6 weeks old and kept him. He lived to be 12 weeks old and had to be helped to cross the rainbow bridge as he was in a lot of pain from a distended abdomen. Ollie is shown on our Guardian Angels page.
6. What guarantees do you give on your puppies?
We guarantee our puppies against crippling hip dysplasia as certified by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) or the Canadian equivalent, at the age of two. We will give a replacement puppy if the one that you have is spayed or neutered. You do not have to return that puppy because it is a part of your family. Watch this in other contracts. Some breeders will have you return the puppy to them so they can destroy it. Others will only give you 1/2 your money back.
*Note: Due to new literature and Vet recommendations in Giant breeds, the hip guarantee will be null and void if you spay or neuter your mastiff prior to 18 months old as their growth plates in the bones can take up to 18 months to close and require male or female hormones to close. Spaying or neutering too early may cause hip dysplasia, ligament issues, unstable bones in the legs, bone cancer and in females urinary incontinence.*
We guarantee against congenital diseases that cause termination of life for the first year. We will give you a replacement puppy if this happens. Infections and parasites or anything not deemed as congenital or genetic are not included.
Frequently asked questions cont'd
7. How long is your waiting list for puppies and how often do you breed?
We had changed how we do this as we were getting up to 45 people on a wait list and when it came time for a puppy we had to spend a lot of time going through the list and would find only a couple of people on the list still wanted puppies. But you want us to take names on our list so we will max out at 20 names.
Once the puppies are born we will allow 1 week to contact everyone, if we cannot get a hold of you then you will be removed from our list. We require deposits on puppies once they are born. Puppy selection will be on a first come first served basis - based on the list and the receipt of the deposits within that first week.
Please follow our Breeding Plan page or Facebook page for updates on our breeding plans to know when puppy reservations are taking place, when puppies are do etc.. It is done on a first come first serve basis.
8. How many litters have you had?
We have had 32 litters since 1988. That averages less than 1 per year. We have had years without puppies and years with up to 2 litters.
9. What colours of mastiffs do you have?
Fawn, brindle, apricot, fawn brindle and apricot brindle.
10. How big do your mastiffs get?
All of our dogs are within the breed standards:
Females 130-200 lbs.
Males 175-270 lbs.
11. What are your breeding policies?
We only use the best dogs for our breeding program. We do all the testing that is available and affects the mastiff. We strive to use dogs that are OFA clear or PennHip clear of hip dysplasia, OFA elbows clear, have excellent structure, the temperament of a huggable teddy bear, CERF, thyroid and Von Willebrand's Disease clear. PRA, CMR1 and DM are tested, any DM carriers are only bred to DM clear dogs. If we have a fault in one of our dogs they are bred to a dog that is clear for that issue. We only breed to dogs that meet the above standards and have had the testing done to ensure that we have healthy puppies.
12. What training should a mastiff have?
Basic obedience is a must and more training including socialization with people and other dogs is preferred. The more time you invest in training your mastiff the better companion you will have.
13. What do you charge for your puppies?
$3200.00 including HST for pet or for show quality. All dogs go under non-breeding agreements. Please see our Contract and Purchase and Deposit agreement on the bottom of our Breeding Plan page. If you are interested in reserving a puppy you can fill out the Questionnaire also at the bottom of the Breeding Plan page and send it to us. Please note that we do not take reservations until we have proof of pregnancy.
14. Do you show your Mastiffs? Where and when?
We show in confirmation until they are champions. We go to most of the shows in the Ottawa area including Kars, Ottawa, Kingston, Nepean. These shows are held in the spring, summer and fall.
We do not show if we have puppies on the ground or a litter due so that we do not bring anything home to the puppies.
15. What testing do you do on your breeding stock?
We use the same policies here as in question 11. We strive to use dogs that are OFA clear for hips or PennHip clear of hip dysplasia, OFA elbows clear, have excellent structure, the temperament of a huggable teddy bear, CERF, thyroid and von Willebrand's Disease clear, PRA and CMR1 clear and have been tested for DM. We do what testing is required by the MCOA and Canadian Mastiff Clubs to which we belong. This now includes OFA of the heart.
16. When can we come and see your Mastiffs?
Call for an appointment, we are retired but do work from home and need to fit in visits amongst our busy schedule.
17. What Vet do you suggest?
A vet that has experience with large and small animals is ideal with giant breed experience. Ask about prices, hours of operation and after hour emergencies.
18. Are Mastiffs more expensive than smaller dogs?
Routine shots are between $180 - 200 per year. Heartworm is $200 or more per year, include tick coverage and it is more expensive. Other medications are dependent on body weight, the larger the dog the higher the cost. Any surgery, including spay or neuter, also depends on body weight. Studies suggest that you wait with larger dogs to have them spayed or neutered until they are 18 months to 2 years old so that the hormones help to close the growth plates in the bones - so the cost of this will be more due to the size of a Mastiff at one year old.
19. How many litters do you have a year?
1 or sometimes 2.
20. What is the difference in size and temperament of the male versus the female?
Males are 1/3 larger than females. Males are more territorial and the females are more focused on the family and more protective of strangers. It does depend on the dogs though as they are all different.
21. What kind of home does the Mastiff need?
A loving home first of all. Some live in apartments, others in the country with lots of acreage. A fenced yard is a must unless a leash is used. We recommend obedience training as a puppy with lots of socialization with people, places and other dogs. The mastiff should be a part of your family and should be kept in the house. A crate is a must when unsupervised for the first 1 - 2 years until you know that they will not chew on your couch, cupboards, furniture, walls etc. when you are not around.
22. Do Mastiffs get along with other dogs and other animals?
If introduced as a puppy they get along with all other animals.
23. What is the best way to house train a Mastiff?
Crate training works usually within 3 days.
24. Do you provide follow up support for puppy buyers?
Absolutely. Please feel free to ask any questions you have now or after you purchase a puppy. We like to keep in touch to make sure that our puppies get the best possible care, love and attention, and that our buyers are happy.
25. What kind of information do you give to the buyers when you sell your puppies?
We give a package which includes puppy care and training, photos of relatives (mom, dad, grandparents), copies of the parents' testing of hips, eyes etc. are on our website. A pedigree or family tree is provided. We give information of the proper feeding and the feeding schedule. The registration papers will follow once the puppy is registered with the CKC. Remember that all purebred dogs must have registration papers provided.
26. Can we pick our puppies name?
You can help name your puppy as long as our kennel name, Knighterrant, is in the name.
27. Mastiff Club of America and Canadian Mastiff Club FAQ
Please visit the Mastiff Club of America FAQ and Canadian Mastiff Club is the Mastiff right for you, for more info.
Molly