Male Mastiff.

Question
Hello. We recently brought home a great male Mastiff from what we thought was a good breeder. He comes from great lines, parents have been health tested. We got this boy on a stud contract, meaning that when he is bred for the first time, the breeder will either get the pick puppy, or stud fee. We have no problems there, as we got this wonderful dog and didn't have to pay for him up front. Now, the breeder is wanting us to go ahead and breed him to get the puppy or stud fee out of the way. He's only about 16 months old, and I'm just not comfortable with this. I wanted to get his health testing done before he was even bred, but this person assures me that he can be bred, and that it's ok. I really don't want to give the dog back, but am still trying to work on the breeder about letting me wait. What should I do in this situation? Breed the dog and get it over with, or put my foot down and make this person wait?

Answer
Hi Erin

This is a matter of trust.  Your breeder trusted you to stand up to your end of the bargain, and you trust them to do what is best for your baby.

A male can produce viable semen at a young age, doesn't mean that they should be bred young.  I would do the testing, especially hips and joints with the Mollosser breeds.  A reputable breeder would want them done.  Just because the parents have tested out healthy, does not mean that the pup will.

Hips can be x-rayed at 2 years and sperm count, genetics and other testing can be done now.  

Ultimately though, if you gave your word to allow the breeder to use him in their program, you should let them. Keep in mind, if they have a female that is ready now, it may be a matter of timing on their part.

Good luck.