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The Bullmastiff is a powerful dog, said to be a cross between the Mastiff and the Bulldog. Originally bred to find and immobilise poachers, the breed has proved its value as a family pet.
Appearance: The Bullmastiff is 62% Mastiff and 38%
Bulldog and was first recognised in 1924. It is powerfully
built and symmetrical, showing great strength, but not
cumbersome; it is sound and active.
Size: The Bullmastiff is a relatively large dog. The
American Bullmastiff Association standard calls for dogs to be
between 25 and 27 in (63 and 69 cm) tall at the withers and
between 110 and 130 lb (50 and 60 kg) though current judging
trends often favour a dog slightly larger than this. Bitches
are to be between 24 and 26 in (61 to 66 cm) tall and 100 to
120 lb (45 to 55 kg).
Some dams make good mothers, but elective Caesarian
sections are common, and most breeding is quite costly as a
result. An average litter size is about six, but as few as one
and as many as ten are not unheard of.
Color: Any shade of brindle, fawn, or red is allowed
as long as the colour is pure and clear. In the United States,
however, there is no mention in the standard of the color
being "pure and clear". The fawn is a light tan or
blond color, while the red is a richer, red-brown. This can
range from a deep red to a light red merging with the fawn
sometimes described as a red-fawn. A slight white marking on
the chest is permissible, but other white markings are
undesirable. A black muzzle is essential, toning off towards
the eyes, with dark markings around eyes contributing to the
expression.
Temperament: The Bullmastiff is courageous, loyal,
calm, and loving with those it knows. It has a very strong
protective instinct and will defend its people against
anything it perceives as a threat. However, it doesn't
normally attack to protect, instead it simply knocks the
intruder over with its massive size and pins them to the
ground. Bullmastiffs become immensely attached to their
families and do best when they can live inside with their
people.
Their protective instinct combined with their great size
and natural wariness of strangers means that early
socialization is a must. The Bullmastiff may or may not get
along well with other dogs. Often times, male bullmastiffs do
not tolerate other males, regardless of breed. Occasionally,
females are also intolerant of other females.
The bullmastiff, in general, loves children and is very
patient with them. Parental supervision should be maintained
when they are with kids because these dogs are so big that
they can accidentally hurt children while playing with them.
Health: Bullmastiffs are prone to certain hereditary
diseases. These include:
Hip dysplasia
Elbow dysplasia
Entropion
Hypothyroidism
Lymphoma cancer
Working life: With its handsome, powerful appearance
and superb speed coupled with strength and endurance, it can
overtake and capture intruders without mauling them. These
traits make the Bullmastiff appear to be an excellent choice
for a guard dog; however, a stubborn streak makes the animal
somewhat resistant to obedience training and they can be
overly protective of its human family. Due to this, the breed
has been overtaken by others, more popular as guard dogs. Bred
to sneak up on poachers, the Bullmastiff often barks much less
than other breeds, but when they bark they will make your head
turn, as it is dark and hollow sounding.
The Bullmastiff was recognised as a pure-bred dog in 1924
by the English Kennel Club. In October, 1933, The American
Kennel Club recognised the Bullmastiff. The foundation
breeding was 60% Mastiff and 40% Bulldog (which was the Old
English Bulldog, not the modern short English Bulldog of
today).
Dog attacks: This dog was popularized by the media
in Canada in the late 1990s as being the breed of dog in a
string of unrelated dog attacks against children. The proposed
Breed-specific legislation to ban the breed in Canada started
a small uprising and the measure ultimately failed.
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