How long does a Mastiff live?
Books on the breed describe the average Mastiff life span as 6-10 years. A few have lived to be 13 or 14; a tiny handful have lived to be 16-17. Assuming no accidents, an individual dog’s life span will depend on its bloodlines, weight, and freedom from significant problems such as blindness, heart disease, hip or elbow dysplasia, spondylosis, immune disorders, etc. (see Questions16,17andMCOA Healthfor more information on health problems). Sadly, there has been an increase in the death of middle aged and younger Mastiffs in the past 10 years or so, although this is not specific to Mastiffs but applies to most breeds.The increase in hereditary problems in all breeds has had the effect of shortening the lives of a number of animals in each breed, thus bringing down the averages. This is why we emphasize testing for health problems and breeding animals ONLY after they have been proven to be free of evidence of significant hereditary diseases.
Books on the breed describe the average Mastiff life span as 6-10 years. A few have lived to be 13 or 14; a tiny handful have lived to be 16-17. Assuming no accidents, an individual dog’s life span will depend on its bloodlines, weight, and freedom from significant problems such as blindness, heart disease, hip or elbow dysplasia, spondylosis, immune disorders, etc. (see Questions 16, 17 and MCOA Health for more information on health problems). Sadly, there has been an increase in the death of middle aged and younger Mastiffs in the past 10 years or so, although this is not specific to Mastiffs but applies to most breeds. The increase in hereditary problems in all breeds has had the effect of shortening the lives of a number of animals in each breed, thus bringing down the averages. This is why we emphasize testing for health problems and breeding animals ONLY after they have been proven to be free of evidence of significant hereditary diseases. Choosing your breeder carefully, for awa
