Breeding Bullmastiffs breeding requires a lot of knowledge, time and an extreme amount of dedication from you.  You cannot just mate two dogs together and hope for the best.  Bullmastiffs need assistance in whelping, can often require a caesarean and more often than not, can't be left with their puppies.

It can be very rewarding if you are well informed and well prepared.  But don’t be fooled…It is costly, demanding and extremely time consuming and very tiring for the breeder.

Below are some articles that you should read and evaluate BEFORE making that decision. 

And remember, when in doubt.....don't!!

So, you think you want to Breed your Bullmastiff
Registration papers are not an indication of quality.  Most dogs, even purebreds, should not be bred.  Many dogs, though wonderful pets, have defects of structure, personality or health that should not be perpetuated.  Breeding animals should be proven free of these defects before starting on a reproductive career.  If you do not know what these defects, you should not be breeding.  Breeding should only be done with the goal of improvement – an honest attempt to create puppies better than their parents.  Ignorance is no excuse – once you have created a life, you can’t take it back, even if blind, crippled or a canine psychopath!

Know the typical genetic diseases for your breed. Test for them, and do not breed a dog that may pass on serious genetic disease.  Do not let your love for your dog make you blind to your obligation to others. Your dog may be healthy, but may still pass on serious genetic disease. Do what you can to avoid causing heartache.

Do not breed your dog if you have no information on the health and fitness of both the parents of your dog, and its prospective mate. You need more than a single generation to make a good decision.

Research the pedigree for your dog (and any prospective mate). Find out the health and temperament of your dog's siblings, half siblings, cousins, aunt, uncles, parents and grandparents. The more information you have the better quality decision you can make.

Get an education in basic genetics to help you understand why two dogs that are perfectly healthy can produce puppies that will suffer serious genetic disease.

Make sure that the dogs you produce are capable of a full and happy life, sound in mind, body and temperament. Recognize that good physical health is not enough; the dogs should be raised to be great companions too.  Remember, people wanting "just a pet" are just as deserving of a healthy dog as someone looking for that top competition dog.

Many Bullmastiffs breeders spend many hours looking at potential breeding stock, looking at dogs throughout their home state, around the country & around the world.  So why would they want to use your male as a stud dog?

Has your male been evaluated in the show ring by qualified judges against top competition?

Has be been xrayed for HD & scored properly?

Does he have the proper breed temperament?

Are you aware of his strengths & weaknesses against the breed standard?

What are the strengths & weaknesses in his pedigree?

What are the current strengths & weaknesses in the breed at present?

Are you qualified to evaluate pedigrees and judge if your dog’s five generation pedigree will complement the bitch’s

Many people find their Bullmastiffs have a superb temperament, which is really wonderful for the breed, but is that enough to warrant breeding from your dog alone?  Have your read the breed standard to see how your dog honestly compares to the standard?   There is no perfect dog out there, so yours too will deviate from the standard in some regard, but just how much?  Do you know your dog’s conformation well enough to be able to tell just how your dog’s qualities can hopefully improve on those of the bitch?  Does he have a strong rear or front to compensate a bitch that is weaker in those areas? How many other Bullmastiffs have you seen to compare your Bullmastiff too?   The only reason anyone should breed their animal is to try to improve the breed.  To do so involves a lot more than knowing your Bullmastiff has a great temperament.

Breeding doesn’t always happen 1 2 3. 

Do you have the necessary facilities to board a bitch in season, to keep her safely in & the neighbourhood dogs out? 

Are you prepared to board a problem bitch or a bitch the owner doesn’t want around whilst she is in season because it is a hassle for them?

Are you prepared for the sleepless nights with your boarding bitch in season barking & your male howling?

Are you prepared to handle the bitch that doesn’t want to be bred & wants to tear your male to shreds?

Are you qualified to advise the bitch owner on whelping and puppy care?

Have you ever assisted in a breeding or even seen one so you will know what you have to do?

Do you realize that it is more than just putting 2 dogs in an area together?  This can be disastrous and may even physically harm them both.

Are you prepared for the change in your male’s temperament?  Once he has been used at stud males may take on different characteristics.  Marking of furniture and walls, mounting objects & people, jumping fences & roaming, some dogs may even become more aggressive.  Once a young dogs attention turns to sex it can be very difficult to refocus his attention.  Many males will not eat if there is a female in season; some bark and carry on for hours & days, driving everyone nearby out of their minds.

Dog breeding doesn’t always go to plan, are you prepared for the bitch that is ready to be mated the day you are supposed to be taking off on your holiday, or she will be ready Thursday night & you were supposed to be catching up with old friends for dinner?  When they are ready, it is now, not next week.

So you want your bitch to have a litter?
Dog breeding is not a money-making proposition if done correctly. Health care and shots, diagnosis of problems and proof of quality, extra food, facilities, stud fees, advertising, etc, are all costly and must be paid before the pups can be sold. An unexpected caesarean or emergency intensive care for a sick pup or puppies will make a break-even litter become a big liability. And this is if you can sell the pups.

If you're doing it just so your children can witness the miracle of birth, remember the whelping maybe at 2 a.m. or at the vet's on the operating table.  Emergency caesarean sections may occasionally be necessary to save the life of not only the pups but of your beloved pet as well.  The fear, and pain of whelping a litter has been known to cause even the most placid and even tempered of dogs to panic and growl, snap or even bite their owners when they attempt to assist a delivery. This tends to be more common with pampered pets that have been allowed to gain some degree of dominance within the
family "pack".

Along with healthy, squirming pups your children may also see still born pups, deformed pups, partially decomposed pups and pups which die before they are a week old. Whelping a litter also can put the bitch's life in peril from a dozen whelping related diseases. Most of these diseases require that the bitch be removed from the puppies. This requires that you take care of ALL the puppies needs. This is a job which usually keeps the bitch occupied twenty four hours a day! If you cannot afford to give the puppies this care, they will die! In short, it can be as much a lesson in death as it is in life.

Of course, there can be joy, but if you can't deal with the possibility of tragedy, don't start.

You need to be prepared to be around your bitch a week prior to whelping & be with the puppies for the first two – three weeks.  Are you prepared to sacrifice your annual leave for this?

Veteran breeders spend well over 150 hours of labour in raising an average litter.  The bitch cannot be left alone while whelping or with the puppies.  The sleepless nights checking on the bitch prior to the actual whelping, the usual gestation period is 63 days but some bitches may go earlier so you will need to check on her every few hours in the days prior to day 63.  Some bitches can show signs of impending labour several hours prior to actually commencing whelping, other may show their first signs & whelp their first puppy within 1 to 2 hours.  Each bitch is different.  Even after delivery the bitch will need extra care and feeding too, puppies need feeding every few hours for the first couple of weeks and checking to see that they are gaining weight along with socialisation & the maternity area will need lots & lots of cleaning.  If you have abnormal conditions such as sick puppies or a mother that can't or won't care for her puppies, count on double time.  If you can't provide the time, you will either have dead pups or poor ones that are bad tempered, antisocial, dirty and/or sickly – hardly a buyer's delight.  Many hours are also spent on paperwork, pedigrees and interviewing buyers.

While there is no denying that breeding dogs is an educational experience, it could easily turn into more of an education than you bargained for.

Care about each dog you bring into this world. Treat it as part of your extended family when you place it in a new home.  Take positive steps to make sure the dogs you create will never land in a shelter or in rescue. Do what you can to make sure your dogs don't end up dead before their time.

Make sure that you have homes for the puppies before the sire and dam ever meet. Require deposits to encourage commitment.

Interview interested parties to ensure they are a suitable match for the dogs you will be placing. Verify the information you were given.  Be honest about the qualities of the dogs you are placing. Explain the good points, and the not so good.  Never promote your puppies in a way to encourage reluctant buyers. If they need a special price or some incentive to buy they aren't the right home for your puppies. The home for your puppies is the home that will sacrifice to have one. It isn't money you are looking for but honest dedication.  It must be very clear that the person taking home your puppy chooses to do so. No surprise gifts no matter how earnest the belief that the giftee wants the dog. The right match is a personal matter and the person who will be closest to the dog deserves to be involved.  Promise to take in, or help place, dogs or puppies you have caused to be created, no matter how old they are.

Remain available to serve as a resource, advise and support for typical problems encountered in raising, training and caring for your dogs.

Take positive steps to ensure that the dogs you produce are a source of joy, not sorrow.

Understand that your love of your dog can make you blind to its faults.

An outside eye will help both you and your puppy buyers know that your opinions are more than just wishful thinking.

There are plenty of good "just pets" in the shelters, if that is the best you can produce you aren't making the world of dogs any better.

Ensure that the necessary time is invested to produce puppies that will make good companions.

A person who cares about producing the very best out of their puppies will limit their breeding. In most breeds that means no more than one litter at a time because one litter is about all the time one human has for proper socialization.

Learn the risks before breeding. Decide whether your goals are worth risking the life or health of your dog.

By Cheryl Wright