Here you will find a comprehensive list of questions you should feel comfortable asking any breeder. If you encounter a breeder who is unwilling to take the time to answer your questions.....move on immediately!! If you are unable to meet their other dogs and at least one of the parents,......move on immediately!! There is more than one reputable, honest breeder available, and hopefully, by using this list you will be better able to determine which breeder will work best with you and your family.

RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS DO:
**Breed in order to improve the breed and produce the best puppies they possibly can. Generally, the best stud dog is NOT in their own backyard, and this type of breeder rarely ever repeats a breeding of the same dogs. This type of breeder usually keeps the most promising pups for themselves. **Ask as many questions of you as you do of them. **Show evidence of several years of serious interest in the breed, for example membership in dog clubs and breed clubs, show titles, and/or performance titles. **Breed only dogs that closely match the breed standard and are free of serious health and temperment problems. **Tell you if they think you would be better off with a different breed or no dog at all. **Use a written contract and guarantee when selling a dog with clear terms. **Provides a registration slip, a pedigree, and up-to-date health records with every puppy they sell. **Honestly discuss any special problems or requirements associated with the breed. **Offer assistance and advice on grooming, training, and care for the life of the dog. **If, for any reason and at any time during the life of the dog, you cannot keep the dog, REQUIRE the dog be returned to them. **Have dogs that are clean, healthy, happy and humanely cared for. **Invite you to meet all of their dogs and the parent(s) of the puppies, in their home. **Have properly evaluated their breeding stock for genetic health issues including but not limited to hips, elbows and temperment. **Have at least one parent on site. Keep in mind, it is rare for the best selection of a stud dog for a particular bitch, to compliment her strengths and offset her weaknesses will be the dog in their backyard. **Microchip the puppies prior to leaving and require spay/neuter of pet quality puppies by one year of age. **Provide referrals to other breeders if they have nothing available.

 

RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS DO NOT:
***Appear overly eager to get rid of a puppy. *** Breed to produce puppies to sell to commercial businesses. *** Breed a bitch every season. ***Claim all their puppies are "show/breeding" quality. ***Sell puppies to people they have not personally screened. ***Require you to euthanize your dog before replacing it. ***Import litters for re-sale. ***Breed only the dogs on their property, over and over. ***Advertise continually in newspapers or online, puppies for sale, and always have puppies available. ***Sell their puppies on street corners, at flea markets, during garage sales, or with a sign in their front yard. ***Tell you their dogs have health clearances, but not be able to produce them and give you copies. ***Sell the "pick" puppy to a pet home. A reputable breeder will keep their most promising puppies to carry on their future breeding program. ***Sell "pet quality" puppies on full AKC registrations.

 

EXPERIENCE:
Feel free to ask a breeder about their experience: How long have you been involved in the bullmastiff breed? How long have you been involved in dogs? Are you experienced enough in the breed to be able to answer almost any question I would ask or be able to network to assist me in finding an answer if you do not know it? As a result of your experience, are you willing to discuss breeding programs that in your opinion should be avoided or those that you consider to be good choices? Will you be able to explain with factual statements why you consider them to be good choices or to be avoided? Are you able to explain what differentiates your breeding program from others? Are you willing to explain how your breeding program differs from others in regards to type/temperment/size/color etc???

 

BREEDING PROGRAM
What is the most important thing to you in the breed? ( type, temperment, soundness) For what reason did you become involved in this particular breed and what led you to become a breeder? In what way has your breeding program improved over time? How has your breeding program improved the breed as a whole? How long have you been breeding? Are you likely to be breeding and available to me for advice/support in the future? ( Most new breeders are out of the breed within 5 years) If the dogs in your breeding program do not all fit the breed standard, ( keeping in mind, there are NO perfect dogs), can you offer an explanation for why you chose to keep those particular dogs to breed? Out of the dogs at your kennel what percentage are your "retired dogs","young dogs" ( the wait and see group)/ and the dogs being bred currently? At what age do you first consider breeding a female? At what age do you breed your females? How many litters will your females have in a breeding lifetime? How do you evaluate each dogs temperment in your breeding program? Do you breed only dogs which have proven themselves to have the proper temperment? Do you evaluate through PennHip and/or OFA, the hips and elbows of each dog in your breeding program? Do you only breed those dogs who pass PennHip and/or OFA with at least a score of good? Have you had any dogs in your breeding program analyzed for conformation to the breed standard by anyone other than yourself? ( other breeders, shows, judges) Why did you breed these two particular dogs? How many dogs in this puppies pedigree do you personally know and what can you tell me about them?

 

BREED INFORMATION
Do you feel the majority of the information available about the breed is accurate? Is my interpretation of what I read correct to your understanding of the breed? If not, please explain in what way it differs from your opinion? Will a bullmastiff fit my expectations of the breed? Is a bullmastiff good with children? IS the bullmastiff easy to train? Can you over-socialize your bullmastiff? Will your breeding program/kennel be able to provide the dog I am seeking for my lifestyle and goals of ownership? How much time do your spend with each dog individually each day? Do your dogs live inside your home at least 50% of the day/night? Are you home or do you work? Do you provide daily exercise? Do you take your dogs to shows/hiking/swimming etc....? Where are the puppies raised at the various stages of development? What shots are given, the type and frequency ?? How many shots will the puppy have from your kennel prior to shipment at 8-9 weeks of age?

 

HEALTH
What are common problems in the breed? How long do your dogs generally live? Most common cause of death? Will I receive a shot and worming record and dates on which you recommend the balance of shots and worming should be given? Are their any instances of degenerative, hereditary, or genetic illnesses in the pedigree of this puppy? Do you have an opinion on early spaying/neutering? What health clearances do you do on your dogs? What do you consider "passing"? Do you provide copies of all the health clearances of the parents? Grandparents??

 

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