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Buying your first Mastiff puppy
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Apologies first to those in the know but we have yet again received a request for help from someone who has been ' had over'. I'm sure our regulars know that this site is NOT about selling puppies for anyone but we do really care about our breed and about new Mastiff people. So those of you reading this thinking who are they to be giving the advice please don't bother reading as you obviously dont need the help but others do.
This is the UK Mastiff website advice re buying a Mastiff in the U.K
1) We strongly recommend that you purchase your Mastiff from a member of one of the two breed clubs.There are two breed clubs in the U.K The Mastiff Association and the Old English Mastiff Club. The two clubs each have a similar code of ethics designed to support behaviour in the interest of Mastiffs and their welfare. The Mastiff Association code of ethics is slightly different to that of the O.E.M.C as it requires M.A members to have their Sire (dad) and Damm (mum) D.N.A tested prior to the mating.
This does not mean that you should not obtain a puppy from an O.E.M.C member as many of the best breeders may be members and follow the guidelines of one or both clubs. You may wish to ask the breeder if they have D.N.A profiled their breeding stock and if not why not. This is an individual choice for you to make but we would recommend buying from D.N.A profiled stock. Should there be any later dispute re the parantage of your Mastiff then D.N.A may provide conclusive proof.
Ask if the breeder is a member of one or both of the clubs and if this is not clear then check with the club in question. We cannot recommend strongly enough that you give serious consideration to the protection this can offer you. Also we would ask you to give serious consideration as to why a qaulity breeder would not be a member of one of the two clubs. The ethics of the two clubs also offer protection for the bitch against certain breeding practices, which are not in the interest of the individual Mastiff or of the breed.
2) Do not assume that because you get the list fom the Kennel Club that this is in any way is an indication of quality of puppy or breeder, anyone with K.C registered Sire and Damm
( puppys parents) can register their pups for sale with the K.C. 'puppy line'. Do not assume that because a person is a breed club member you are guaranteed to be dealing with a quality breeder.
3) You may approach either the M.A. or the OEMC who each have puppy lines whether you are a member or not. Do not asume that you will be given a list of 'approved' or quality breeders as you will be told of all members who have registered their pups as available.
4) Be very careful re breeders advertising puppies for sale in newspapers, magazines or on the internet. There are quality breeders who will sometimes do this and you could be lucky
(check them out don't asume) in that they have had an unexpected number of pups and have to advertise them but also this is a common way for the more unscrupulous 'dealer' or breeder to sell his or her pups.
5) On the business side it is not always possible for the breeder to obtain papers from the K.C in time for your picking up the puppy. If this is not the case then insist that your receipt states clearly that K.C pedigree registration papers will be forthcoming A.S.A.P and the obvious , that it is a Mastiff. In the U.K it is not an English Mastiff or anything else but a Mastiff and can only be registered as such.
6) Your breeder may get the color wrong as this can be very difficult with a young pup especially fawn / Apricot. Do not worry this can be changed but the K.C will charge you a small fee (currently £6)
7) If you are looking for a 'pet' you may not be willing to go to shows and events and hunt down the breeder that you like and who likes you. We understand this entirely but would strongly suggest that this can actually be a rewarding and interesting experience. If you even think you may wish to show ( and you may get the bug) please do go out there and find your breeder. You will get a lot of advice out there some good some bad, you will meet friendly people and those who are very indiferent to ' newcomers' but you may also find a friend or two!
8) The hardest advice of all. Unless you really know the breeder and 'parents' when you go to see the pups make a provisional decision but walk away. Even if you just go to a nearby cafe for an hour away from the kennels and the pups to make a proper decision as a family if this is the case. This is because you can't fail to fall in love with a litter of pups 'we challenge you not to'. This also saves you the embarrassment if you wish to say they are not for me.
Why should a responsible breeder be offended by this, surely they want owners who have not made a snap decision and then lived to regret it.
You can always return in the hour by arrangement or phone from home again by arrangement and say I would dearly love to home pup A , B or C.
9) The breeder has a duty of responsibilty to both the puppy and the new owner and should always be available to give advice/help and support. You may be able to find those who can tell you if that breeder has supported them but beware of personal bias there is much of it in the dog world ( those in the horse world will know what we mean )
10) Even if you follow all of this advice please be aware that just as with a human baby you can never guarantee that your 'baby' will stay healthy and will look as you would wish. Following some good advice will only increase your chances. however your puppy turns out chances are you will love it all the same.
To those of you quality breeders out there and genuine Mastiff lovers, if we have missed anything please E-Mail me and let me know how we can add to and improve this advice. All I can say is that we may not have been around for as long as some but we have received 'thousands' of requests for help. We have also made some of those mistakes and are happy to share any of the mistakes we have made.
To those of you entering the Mastiff world don't be put off. This is intended to help and protect you. Above all if you need help ask, if we don't know then we know some very knowledgable and kind people who do.
Yours ADMIN
In loving memory of 'Rosie' passed away 27th March 2001 but never forgotten.
 
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