When Do Mastiffs Reach Full Size?

[GABBA]

Good morning,

I have a 1 year old Mastiff breed, and would like to know, when he will be his full size. I have read that they will reach their full height at 1 year and will fill out till 3 years old. Is this accurate?

Secondly, (and i know this is somewhat of a taboo subject), but is it safe for a mastiff to sire a litter (male dog)?

Thanks.

[persephone]

..Hmm.. if you need to ask these questions, I would suggest that it is NOT 'safe' for your dog/s to breed, as you are not aware of the basics of your breed yet , and therefore would probably also not know of any genetic faults in the bloodlines, ..and risk passing on something undesirable .

I think you should contact your dog's breeder and ask .Did you buy with breeding in mind?

[GABBA]

i bought him as a family dog, not with any intent to use him for breeding, that being said, he is on the main register and is turning out to become quite a fine specimen. My question however, might have been better worded if i said, at what age will he reach sexual maturity?

The only reason i asked about being full grown, was because i was always under the impression that a mastiff will reach its full height at 1 year old and will continue filling out until 3, however i heard someone mention it was 2 years old (the other day). So i am asking for clarification.

Thanks.

[Aziah]

Talk to the breeder of your dog?

[Keira&Phoenix]

i bought him as a family dog, not with any intent to use him for breeding, that being said, he is on the main register and is turning out to become quite a fine specimen. My question however, might have been better worded if i said, at what age will he reach sexual maturity?

The only reason i asked about being full grown, was because i was always under the impression that a mastiff will reach its full height at 1 year old and will continue filling out until 3, however i heard someone mention it was 2 years old (the other day). So i am asking for clarification.

Thanks.

Every dog is different and it depends on a lot of factors just like with people. Diet would come into it.

My girl who is X Breed Bullmastiff only stopped growing at around 2 - 2.5 years but was at full height by 12 months. She mostly got longer and thicker over the 18 months afterwards.

As previously stated these sorts of questions should be addressed with your breeder as they will be much more knowledgeable on the subject and will be able to help you out with finding a suitable mate for your boy. Please don't BYB there are too many puppies and dogs in pounds due to BYBing. Check out the "In the News" section of the forums and read the story entitled "A dog named Sam" it is the very reason dogs shouldn't just be bred for the sake of it.

You also need to make sure you do all the necessary health checks because you don't want to produce a litter of pups who have health issues. Trust me things like Hip Displaxia are not fun for the owner or the dog and they certainly are not cheap, and that is just one of many possible problems.

Edited March 9, 2011 by Keira&Phoenix

[SnoPaws]

I agree with talking to your breeder first & foremost Although I have to wonder why a pet is on the main register.

How do you know he is fine specimen , is he titled, he well has he done in the ring, in the performance field, how much experience have you had with the breed.

As I footnote I would presume it would be safe for a mastiff to sire a litter otherwise their would be no mastiff puppies, however whether it would benefit the breed for your dog to sire a litter is another thing.

[MolassesLass]

Good morning,

I have a 1 year old Mastiff breed, and would like to know, when he will be his full size. I have read that they will reach their full height at 1 year and will fill out till 3 years old. Is this accurate?

Secondly, (and i know this is somewhat of a taboo subject), but is it safe for a mastiff to sire a litter (male dog)?

Thanks.

My Bullmastiff finished growing height at around 8 months and finished widening by 3.5 but a Mastiff is a much bigger dog and these things vary greatly from line to line and dog to dog.

Having sperm is the least of the checks you should be doing before deciding to breed.

Are you intending to breed DogsNSW registered Mastiffs? It is not very common for a male dog to be used where he is not a show champion (or at least out in the show ring proving his worth).

Have you considered how hard it is to find good homes for such large dogs?

As others have said, you need to speak to the breeder of your boy.

It is a massive responsibility you are considering, please don't take it lightly - and please please do not believe anyone with dollar signs in their eyes. It doesn't work like that unless you have no care for the dogs involved.

Edited March 10, 2011 by molasseslass

[megan_]

Talk to the breeder of your dog?

They sold a pet on main register....

GABBA - You say that you think he is a good speciman. Genuine question: Why do you think so? What are his hip scores (large dogs can get displacia)? What other health testing has been done on him (I'm not talking vet visits here)? I don't know a lot about mastiffs, but given their size and build I would imagine that there would be a few health tests required to determine if one was a good speciman.

How does he measure up against other male mastiffs? Unfortunately, as owners we are very biased, so our opinions don't count for much . Has he been shown at all? Have you spoken to other experts on the breed and got their opinion as to whether he is a good speciman or not?

[cassie]

Some giant breeds, and particularly some lines, continue filling out until they are four or five. Your breeder would be the best person to ask about their own lines.

As for breeding him, WHY do you want to?

[Sheridan]

Talk to the breeder of your dog?

They sold a pet on main register....

Dogs on main register can be pets, too ...

[Aziah]

Talk to the breeder of your dog?

They sold a pet on main register....

and?! I wouldn't sell a pet puppy on main register but many do...

[Christina]

I don't know when this breed is classed as full grown. Not yet I imagine but he is capable of siring a litter at a year old.

The wisdom & warnings I will leave to others.

[Staranais]

He's sexually mature and is capable of siring a litter now.

But it's not "safe" to have a litter until he has been elbow & hip scored (plus undergone any other health tests recommended for your breed), since until these are done you don't know how likely it is he will sire a healthy litter with any particular bitch.

[Diva]

Talk to the breeder of your dog?

They sold a pet on main register....

Dogs on main register can be pets, too ...

Indeed they can be. All my dogs, including those that I was clear were purely pets and that I never had any intention of showing, have been on the main register.

For breeds with a limited gene pool I don't think that's entirely uncommon, although being able to upgrade from limited to main probably makes it less frequent than it used to be. It used to be that the entire pet on the main register with a trusted owner was a kind of bloodline insurance for the rarer breeds.

It's certainly no reason not to turn to the breeder for advice.

Edited March 10, 2011 by Diva

[shortstep]

Here are some of the health tests you need to do prior to breeding your mastiff.

Your mastiff needs to be DNA tested for PRA.

Certified eye exam for eye lid structure, lashes and glaucoma.

20% (2 out of 10) or more of Mastiffs have HD, your dog needs to be x-rayed and AVA scored in the normal range.

Almost 2 out of every 10 also have ED which again must be x-rayed and AVA scored as normal prior to breeding.

Heart disease is also a killer of Mastiff and your dogs should be cleared of heart disease. (see web site below)

Mastiffs are also know to have epilepsy, this disease usually does not appear until 2-3 years of age.

Cancer is also a heart breaking problem with most types found in mastiffs believed to be inherited http://www.mastiff.org/CANCER.htm

This combined with a short life span of 6-10 years, needs to be taken into serious consideration.

Most breeds with frequent cancers, epilepsy, cardiac disease, and shorten life spans, it is recommend male dogs be delayed in breeding until their middle to later years. This helps prevent breeding a young dog that will die of cancer or hearth failure or develope epilepsy in their younger years.

Not sure what state you are in, but in some states now you can be guilty of breaking animal welfare laws if you breed a dog that passes on an inherited disease to it's pups, just something to keep in mind.

You can read all about the different disorders that need to ruled out or tested for prior to breeding mastiffs here

http://www.mastiff.org/MASTIFFHEALTH.htm

Good luck, it is big finacial investment and huge repsonsiblity to breed the giant breeds.

[GABBA]

Here we go, i should have known that asking such a question would get all the nuts out of the woodwork. Everyone is scared people will become backyard breeders just because they spention the word "breed" in a post.

Everyone needs to get off their high horse, and realise they are not the only ones that care about dogs and animal welfare in general. I ask the questions to learn more about the breed. I bet if i asked what colour is my dog supposed to be when fully grown, no one would have a problem with it.

All this talk of a pet being sold on a main register, what is this supposed to mean?! So if we buy a dog, and its on the main register, we have to treate it as an object. My dog physically conforms with the breed standard, but is treated like a pet at home, not some object, that is in and out of show rings, etc etc.

So, i ask people to think twice about other peoples intentions when replying.

[shortstep]

Here we go, i should have known that asking such a question would get all the nuts out of the woodwork. Everyone is scared people will become backyard breeders just because they spention the word "breed" in a post.

Everyone needs to get off their high horse, and realise they are not the only ones that care about dogs and animal welfare in general. I ask the questions to learn more about the breed. I bet if i asked what colour is my dog supposed to be when fully grown, no one would have a problem with it.

All this talk of a pet being sold on a main register, what is this supposed to mean?! So if we buy a dog, and its on the main register, we have to treate it as an object. My dog physically conforms with the breed standard, but is treated like a pet at home, not some object, that is in and out of show rings, etc etc.

So, i ask people to think twice about other peoples intentions when replying.

So another words you are going to ignor all the health problems in your breed not to mention save your wallet, (a breed that you do not even know when it matures), and just collect the stud fee and dam the torpedos. And if anyone sugests differently then they are nuts coming out of the wood work.

[spanky]

Here we go, i should have known that asking such a question would get all the nuts out of the woodwork. Everyone is scared people will become backyard breeders just because they spention the word "breed" in a post.

Everyone needs to get off their high horse, and realise they are not the only ones that care about dogs and animal welfare in general. I ask the questions to learn more about the breed. I bet if i asked what colour is my dog supposed to be when fully grown, no one would have a problem with it.

All this talk of a pet being sold on a main register, what is this supposed to mean?! So if we buy a dog, and its on the main register, we have to treate it as an object. My dog physically conforms with the breed standard, but is treated like a pet at home, not some object, that is in and out of show rings, etc etc.

So, i ask people to think twice about other peoples intentions when replying.

I actually think the responses you have received have been pretty tame compared to what normally happens to threads like this.

Most people have responded with the suggestion you return to your breeder for advice / to mentor you. Others have suggested you find out if your boy is worth breeding... since you mentioned he was a pet, people would think this means you don't show and he should be assessed by experience breeders / judges. The other main opinion was that you health test before breeding.

Didn't really see where the high horse came out... they all seemed like sensible suggestions to me. Most of the negative comments were aimed towards a pet being main registered and that's more a comment on the breeder than the owner.

[persephone]

GABBA-

I suggested you contact your dog's BREEDER .they are the ones who know him,and his bloodline. They know what age maturity kicks in , when is an age to start breeding, and can also suggest the health checks necessary to find out IF your dog's genes are suitable to be spread around .

I just can not understand why all this has not been discussed with teh breeder by now

All this talk of a pet being sold on a main register, what is this supposed to mean?

Once again, perhaps the breeder will explain it to you?

I bet if i asked what colour is my dog supposed to be when fully grown, no one would have a problem with it.

I wouldn't have a problem as such, but would wonder how much research you did NOT do on your chosen breed :rolleyes:

[GABBA]

Thank you to all the people that genuinely answered the question, without any malice.

To those that read what i wrote, and automatically assumed i am going to start breeding, and all the rest of it, why dont you take a look at my other posts, have any of them been about breeding, either way, i dont need to justify myself. I have told you my intentions, thats all you'll get.

Re. the above. Clearly i did to research, however when someone said it was 2 years to fill out in lieu of 3 i asked the question.

.... It looks like this thread will go no wehere, it may aswell be closed. Its too difficult to get a decent answer. Maybe people just just trying winging it with their dogs, instead of asking questions, as not to offend anyone.

Edited March 10, 2011 by GABBA