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 Puppy Food for the first 4- 6 months. We recommend that you switch your dog to Kirkland Adult Dog Food slowly by 6 months old.  We have recently switched to Diamond Natural Large Breed Chicken and Rice or Lamb and Rice Puppy and Adult food. Diamond makes the Kirkland brand dog food.

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 Puppy Food is $19.49 for a 9 kg bag. Kirkland Adult is $41.99 for a 20kg bag, Diamond Naturals is the same price.

4. How much does the puppy/adult dog eat?
We feed puppies 3-4 times per day, according to their weight which works out to 3-8 cups per day divided by 3-4 times, so 1-1.5 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.

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.

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.

7. How long is your waiting list for puppies and how often do you breed?
We are looking at changing this as we have a long wait list and when it comes time to see who is interested in puppies from a litter we have a hard time getting a hold of people and they have sometimes gotten a puppy elsewhere, no longer want a puppy or just do not answer back. We may start taking deposits on puppies next year to hold a spot on the wait list for 15 people. We would hope to have puppies for these people within one year or would return the deposit. Stay tuned on this.  Please follow our Breeding Plan page or Facebook page for updates on our breeding plans to know when puppy reservations are taking place.

8. How many litters have you had? 
We have had 30 litters so far since 1988.

9. What colours of mastiffs do you have? 
Fawn, brindle and occasionally apricot 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 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.  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.

13. What do you charge for your puppies? 
$3200.00 including HST for pet or for show quality. 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.

15. What testing do you do on your breeding stock?
We use the same policies here as in question 11. We only 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, early evenings  or weekends are preferred.

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 $60 -120 per year. Heartworm is $100 per year. Other medications are dependant 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. 
​​
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.

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. 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.

Puppy Care Instructions.

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.