Dogue de Bordeaux Puppies: Adopt or Buy?

Should you adopt or buy a Dogue de Bordeaux?

It depends on whether it has to be a Dogue puppy, and on how carefully the breeder tests. Dogs Australia's Dogue de Bordeaux profile says the breed comes from a small gene pool and, as such, suffers a number of heritable disorders, and that breeding animals should be hip, elbow and heart certified by relevant specialists. The Dogue de Bordeaux Club of Australia strongly recommends buying only from health tested parents, and if possible grandparents.

So if you buy, buy from a registered breeder who can show you those results. If what you want is a big, loyal, calm house dog, adult mastiff types and crosses are listed by rescues and pounds, and an adult comes with a known size, breathing, drool level and temperament. Our guide to adopting a dog in Australia covers the rescue process step by step.

Reference only, not quotes. The RSPCA NSW fee was read on 12 November 2026. Breeders and rescues set their own prices and change them, so check with them.

What is a Dogue de Bordeaux like?

The Dogs Australia breed standard (adopted in Australia in October 1995 from FCI Standard No 116; country of origin France) describes a “Typical concave lined brachycephalic mollossoid”, meaning a short-headed mastiff type, that is “Stocky, athletic, imposing”. On temperament it says the breed is “gifted for guarding, which he assumes with vigilance and great courage, but without aggressiveness. A good companion, very attached to his master and very affectionate. Calm, balanced with a high stimulus threshold. The male normally has a dominant character.”

Sources: Dogs Australia breed standard, Dogs Australia breed profile, Dogs Victoria and the Royal Kennel Club, read 12 November 2026.

Dogs Australia's profile adds that puppies should be well socialised from the earliest occasion after their final vaccination, and that the breed is excellent with other animals given early exposure. It is a different breed from the Mastiff and Bullmastiff, each with its own standard; our Mastiff guide compares all four mastiff breeds side by side, and our Cane Corso guide covers the Italian one.

Which health tests should a Dogue de Bordeaux breeder show you?

Hips, elbows and heart for both parents. Dogs Australia's profile lists the heritable problems: hip and elbow dysplasia; osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), most often of the shoulder; subaortic stenosis (SAS), which it calls a common heritable heart condition in the breed; brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, for which breeders should select clean-breathing dogs; allergic skin conditions and demodectic mange; and bloat. It says footpad hyperkeratosis has a genetic test but does not appear to be common in Australian Dogues. Dogs Victoria lists hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, heart disease and bloat.

Sources: Dogs Australia, Dogs Victoria, the Dogue de Bordeaux Club of Australia's health, HD / ED and heart testing pages, the Royal Kennel Club and Dogs New Zealand, read 12 November 2026. This is a buying checklist, not veterinary advice.

The club's heart testing page is blunt: it says heart disease is sadly widespread in the breed, that subaortic stenosis and dilated cardiomyopathy are among the leading causes of death in Dogues, and that puppy buyers should not buy from breeders who are not heart testing. It says a puppy can appear clear of a murmur and still show disease as it grows, and that dogs need to be at least 12 months old for accurate testing. The club's HD / ED page gives a five-year breed average hip score of 16.52 and a median of 14.00 as of June 2021, so a parent's score means more when you can compare it with those figures.

Bloat is the emergency to know. Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine says gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is a life-threatening condition that occurs suddenly and that large, deep-chested dogs are most at risk. If your dog retches with nothing coming up, has a swollen belly or is restless and drooling more than usual, call or go to your nearest vet now. Our dog bloat (GDV) guide covers the signs.

How long do Dogues de Bordeaux live?

Not long, and this is the hardest part of the breed. Dogs Victoria gives an average life span of 6 to 8 years. Two Royal Veterinary College studies of UK vet records point the same way:

Both are UK populations, read 12 November 2026. In the 2026 study the Dogue de Bordeaux was the most common giant breed, and across all 1,068 giant-breed dogs that died, the median age at death was 8.94 years.

For an adopter, that cuts both ways. A puppy gives you the most years with the dog, and a breeder who heart tests gives you the best odds. An adult from rescue gives you fewer years, but with its health and nature already known. Our senior dog adoption guide covers what to expect from an older dog.

Can a Dogue de Bordeaux cope with an Australian summer?

Only with real planning. Dogs Victoria says the breed is susceptible to heat stress on hot days. Dogs Australia's profile says that, with high muscle mass and a shortened muzzle, Dogues need to be able to seek a cool area in our hot weather, such as air-conditioning or bathroom tiles, and that owners should keep them lean because excess weight makes it harder to keep cool. The RSPCA Knowledgebase says flat-faced breeds have a reduced capacity to cool down by panting, and advises exercising at the coolest times of day, avoiding hot ground, giving shade, airflow and water at all times, and never leaving a dog in a car. Our dogs in hot weather guide has the full picture.

How much is a Dogue de Bordeaux puppy from a registered breeder?

We quote no breeder price, because we found none we could show was current. In November 2026 we read the own websites of Australian Dogue de Bordeaux breeders and the Dogue de Bordeaux Club of Australia site, leaving out classified and listing sites. Most published no price. One breeder website did show a price, but on a page headed with a 2022 litter that we could not show was current in 2026, so we left it out. The club publishes no guide price.

Ask for the price in writing and compare what it includes: the parents' hip, elbow and heart certificates, a vet check, vaccination and microchip, whether the puppy is on the Limited or Main Register, a written contract, and whether the breeder will take the dog back. The dog cost calculator gives a first-year budget for a giant dog beyond the purchase.

The club's guide to what to expect from a responsible breeder says to expect an application form and questions, a possible wait for a future litter, not choosing your own puppy straight away, and a signed contract. It also says that only the kennels listed on its members page are club members, so check a claimed membership there.

Survey of breeders' own websites, November 2026. Prices change; check with the breeder.

What do Dogues de Bordeaux in rescue look like?

A rescue dog listed as a Dogue or a “mastiff” may be a purebred or a cross, so read the listing and meet the dog. Ask the rescue how the dog is with strangers, other dogs and children, how it copes with heat and exercise, and what its vet check found about its heart, joints and breathing. Numbers change daily, so check the live large-dog listings: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

The Dogue de Bordeaux Club of Australia's site also has an older dog notices page, where club members list older dogs that need homes; the club says to contact members directly to check.

What does a rescue Dogue cost?

Reference only, not a quote. These are the fees RSPCA NSW published on the date shown; fees change and other rescues set their own, so check with the rescue. RSPCA NSW says its fees ensure pets are desexed, microchipped, vaccinated and health-checked.

How do Dogue de Bordeaux puppy scams work?

The Queensland Government's puppy farm page lists low prices for popular or pedigree breeds, being asked for payment before you have met the puppy, a breeder who cannot give a valid breeder identification number (BIN), and a seller who only communicates by email or text. Scamwatch warns about unbelievably low prices, being told to pay in unusual ways such as money order or pre-loaded card, and paying for big-ticket items before inspecting them in person. Watch for these in Dogue ads:

• No heart test. The breed club says buyers should not buy from breeders who are not heart testing. “The vet listened and it was fine” is not an echocardiogram.
• No hip or elbow scores. The club says no unscored dog should be bred from.
• A membership you cannot check. Check a Dogs Australia membership with the state body yourself, and a club membership on the club's members page.
• The wrong colour. The standard lists any coat colour other than fawn, and white on the head or body, as disqualifying faults. A black, brindle or patched puppy sold as a purebred Dogue does not meet the standard; ask what it really is.

Our guide to puppies for sale in Australia has the state-by-state table of breeder numbers and what to do if you have already paid.

Is a Dogue de Bordeaux restricted anywhere in Australia?

No state or territory restricted or prohibited breed list names the Dogue de Bordeaux, but a council officer can still assess an individual dog. The breeds named in state law are the American Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and Perro de Presa Canario; the ACT has no restricted breeds, and the Northern Territory has no territory-wide list, so check with your council. Early training and socialisation of a dog this strong matter for legal as well as practical reasons. Our Staffy vs pit bull guide has the state-by-state law in full, and best guard dogs in Australia covers the guardian breeds honestly.

When is a registered breeder the better choice?

Rescue is not right for everyone. A registered breeder makes sense if you want a Dogue puppy from heart, hip and elbow tested parents, if you want to show, or if you have watched the rescue listings for months and no adult has suited your home. Check these before you pay:

1. Registration. Check the membership number with Dogs Australia or your state body, and your state's breeder number on the official register.
2. Certificates for both parents: hips, elbows and a specialist heart test at the least.
3. The parents themselves. Meet the mother, and watch how both parents breathe and move.
4. Questions about you. The club says to expect an application and questions; a breeder who asks nothing is a warning.
5. A written contract covering health, papers and whether the breeder will take the dog back if you cannot keep it.

Is a Dogue de Bordeaux the right dog for you?

The appeal is real. Dogs Australia's profile says the Dogue forms a strong bond with its family, is a natural guardian that can make an excellent family dog with a particular patience and love of children, and keeps something of a puppy-like nature even in old age. But it drools, struggles in heat, needs an experienced owner according to Dogs Victoria, and may give you only six to eight years.

Not sure? Try the what dog breed is right for me quiz and the adoption readiness check, and read big dog breeds and the giant-breed ownership guide on space, drool and running costs.

Find a Dogue de Bordeaux or mastiff type near you

Large dogs listed by rescues, by city, including Dogues and mastiff crosses when any are listed:

• Large dogs for adoption in Sydney
• Large dogs for adoption in Melbourne
• Large dogs for adoption in Brisbane
• Large dogs for adoption in Perth
• Large dogs for adoption in Adelaide

You can also browse the Mastiff and Bullmastiff breed pages, which include mastiff crosses listed by rescues.

Weighing up other giant breeds? Our Mastiff, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Great Dane, Newfoundland and Great Pyrenees guides cover the same questions.