BULLMASTIFF BREED STANDARD AND SOME MORE HELPFUL INFORMATION!
Did you know?
· The known history of the Bullmastiff begins about the year 1860 in England. It is probable that the story of the breed is really centuries old, but proof is difficult.
· The Bullmastiff was bred to be a gamekeeper's guard dog who could track quietly, cover short distances quickly, and pin and hold poachers. He is now primarily a family companion with a calm, dependable disposition.
· A mature adult male will average 26 inches and 120 pounds.
· The AKC granted recognition to the Bullmastiff in October, 1933.
So you want to own a Bullmastiff?
Maintaining such traits as alertness, wariness of strangers, strength, and agility, the Bullmastiff needs a firm loving home and is not a dog for the fragile or timid.
Breed Standard
General Appearance That of a symmetrical animal, showing great strength, endurance, and alertness; powerfully built but active. The foundation breeding was 60% Mastiff and 40% Bulldog. The breed was developed in England by gamekeepers for protection against poachers
Size, Proportion, Substance Size--Dogs, 25 to 27 inches at the withers, and 110 to 130 pounds weight. Bitches, 24 to 26 inches at the withers, and 100 to 120 pounds weight. Other things being equal, the more substantial dog within these limits is favored. Proportion--The length from tip of breastbone to rear of thigh exceeds the height from withers to ground only slightly, resulting in a nearly square appearance.
Head Expression--Keen, alert, and intelligent. Eyes Dark and of medium size. Ears--V-shaped and carried close to the cheeks, set on wide and high, level with occiput and cheeks, giving a square appearance to the skull; darker in color than the body and medium in size. Skull Large, with a fair amount of wrinkle when alert; broad, with cheeks well developed. Forehead flat. Stop--Moderate. Muzzle--Broad and deep; its length, in comparison with that of the entire head, approximately as 1 is to 3. Lack of foreface with nostrils set on top of muzzle is a reversion to the Bulldog and is very undesirable. A dark muzzle is preferable. Nose--Black, with nostrils large and broad. Flews--Not too pendulous. Bite--Preferably level or slightly undershot. Canine teeth large and set wide apart.
Neck, Topline, Body Neck--Slightly arched, of moderate length, very muscular, and almost equal in circumference to the skull. Topline--Straight and level between withers and loin. Body--Compact. Chest wide and deep, with ribs well sprung and well set down between the forelegs. Back--Short, giving the impression of a well balanced dog. Loin--Wide, muscular, and slightly arched, with fair depth of flank. Tail--Set on high, strong at the root, and tapering to the hocks. It may be straight or curved, but never carried hound fashion.
Forequarters Shoulders--muscular but not loaded, and slightly sloping. Forelegs--straight, well boned, and set well apart; elbows turned neither in nor out. Pasterns straight, feet of medium size, with round toes well arched. Pads thick and tough, nails black.
Hindquarters Broad and muscular, with well developed second thigh denoting power, but not cumbersome. Moderate angulation at hocks. Cowhocks and splay feet are serious faults.
Coat Short and dense, giving good weather protection.
Color Red, fawn, or brindle. Except for a very small white spot on the chest, white marking is considered a fault.
Gait Free, smooth, and powerful. When viewed from the side, reach and drive indicate maximum use of the dog's moderate angulation. Back remains level and firm. Coming and going, the dog moves in a straight line. Feet tend to converge under the body, without crossing over, as speed increases. There is no twisting in or out at the joints.
Temperament Fearless and confident yet docile. The dog combines the reliability, intelligence, and willingness to please required in a dependable family companion and protector.
The most common questions asked about Bullmastiffs.
1. How BIG do they get?
The breed standard for a male that is between 25-27" for a female is between 24-26". Weights are between 110-130lbs for a male and 90-110lbs for a female. However, there are many Bullmastiffs that fall either under the standard or over the standard. You may see a female as small as 22" tall and 85lbs or a male as large as 29" tall and 170lbs or more. Ideally, a breeder breeds to the breed within the standard and the pups that may fall outside the parameters of the standard are placed as companion animals.
2. How much do they cost?
Prices vary depending on the dog and the breeding, but the average is as follows. Paying anything less than $1200.00 for a "Pet" puppy I would question where the breeders are cutting corners, either purchasing lesser quality breeding dogs, not doing the health screening that should ALWAYS be done prior to breeding such as Thyroid, heart/lungs, eyes, general exam, total blood profile, hip/elbow radiographs, DNA profile (to make sure the sire claimed to be the sire of a litter is really the sire considering it is possible for a litter of pups to have more than one father even possible for a mutt down the street to dig under a fence and breed with a purebred female while she's in heat and end up with a litter of part purebreds and part mutts that actually can all be AKC registered, which is exactly WHY I have been pushing AKC to make DNA testing of studs madatory for even sireing one litter!), nutrition makes a huge difference, I pay $60.00 a bag for food and get Christmas cards from the dog food companies (which is never a good sign , but nutrition means so much in keeping your dogs healthy, that and general wellness programs, vaccinations, mental stimulation, training, showing, and so much more, I spend far more for a litter than I make and should there be any money left over it literally goes to the dogs! So a general approx. cost of a well bred pup would range from $1600.00 - $1750.00 for "Pet" puppies which means nothing more than you are not planning on showing or breeding but can participate in AKC events like Canine Good Citizen Program, Rally-O, Obedience, and more as well as Therapy Dog Programs! Costs for a puppy with a full registration (depending on the pup's conformation and pedigree) you would expect to pay for a well bred pup $2500.00-$4000.00.
A lot of breeders sell puppies with co-ownerships having you pay to "finish" meaning to championship a dog which can cost triple the cost of the dog, they can also have co-ownerships that require you to breed litters and give the puppies to them, or take so many puppies of their choice out of a litter, also they have sole choice in choosing a stud for your girl.
Personally I DO NOT SELL PUPPIES WITH CO-OWNERSHIPS, I DON'T EVEN REQUIRE YOU USE MY "KENNEL" NAME ON THE PUPPIES REGISTRATION-I DON'T WANT OR NEED TO USE MY PUPPIES FOR ADVERTISING, YOU CAN NAME A PUPPY YOU PURCHASE FROM ME ANYTHING YOU WANT, THE ONLY "STRINGS" ATTACHED TO PURCHASING ONE OF MY BABIES IS THAT YOU KEEP IN TOUCH, SEND PICTURES FROM TIME TO TIME SO I KNOW HOW THEY ARE COMING ALONG-I MISS THEM HORRIBLY WHEN THEY LEAVE!
3. What colors do they come in?
The recognized colors are red, red fawn, fawn and brindle. They should have a black mask and dark eyes, ears and nails. A small white mark on the chest is okay but not desired.
4. Are they good family/kid dogs?
Yes! This breed needs to be an part of a family unit. They tend to be very nurturing toward children and their family. This may cause them to be lerie of stranger when children and family members are around. This breed IS a guard breed and does require a lot of early socialization so that they become accepting to everyone you invite into your home. They are very rough as puppies and may knock small children down without even noticing. They would protect you with their life, if the need ever arose.
5. Do I need to take my dog to obedience school?
YES!!! Obedience training provides socialization as well as valuable training. If your dog is not under control, he will try to take control and become the leader of the family. You need to show that you are the dominate one from the begining.
6. How much exercise do they need?
This breed requires moderate exercise. As a pup, start with very slow short walks, then increase the length of the walk as the dog gets older. Do not attempt any high impact events until the dog is well over 18 months of age.
7.Do they drool?
YES, All dogs drool, but sometimes Bullmastiffs may drool more often than other breeds. Different lines have dryer mouthed dogs than others.
8. How much food do they eat?
An adult Bullmastiff usually eats between 2-3 cups of dry kibble twice a day. This averages out to 40-60lbs of dog food per month. Some may eat more and some may eat less. Each dog is different so you need to gauge the amount of food to the size of the dog. The important thing to remember is large dogs may bloat from eating to much at once so meals should be split into 2 or 3 feedings a day. Do not let your Bullmastiff become overweight it can cause problems with the joins no matter how healthy the dog may be.
9. Do I have to show my dog?
If you are interested in showing a dog, then work with your breeder on getting the best quality pup you can. Most breeders will gladly help you along the way in this wonderful sport. Most breeders keep their pick pups, so it could take a year or more to get just the right pup for you. Be patient. Let your breeder help you and teach you. They are your mentor.
If you do not want to show a dog, then be up front with the breeder. Do not sign a show contract. Many people want a show quality pup and because you are getting a companion animal doesn't mean that it is a lesser quality. Tell the breeder what you want. Many top quality show prospects go to pet homes to be wonderful couch ornaments.
10. How do I find a reputable breeder?
Do your homework. Interview each breeder you talk to. Make up your own set of questions before you talk with them. The breeder will have a set of questions to ask you. Do not be offended by these questions as they are being asked to protect the pup! This pup will be a part of your family. Make sure your breeder will be available to answer your many questions, no matter how silly you may think they are (no question is EVER silly). If the breeder has a contract, go over each clause with that breeder. There may be clauses in that contract that you do not understand or agree with. If you do not feel comfortable with those clauses, talk about them with the breeder and come to an agreement. If this cannot be done then DON'T take the pup. DO NOT IMPULSE BUY.
What about Those Ears
How to help with those crazy Ears
Between the ages 4 to 6 months, the bullmastiff start to teeth. Due to the pain from teething the dog will pull back his ears. If not rectified by taping the ears, they will form permanent rosebud ears that is not desirable and the dog can not be shown. The painful teething proccess may also cause your puppy to chew on anything and everything. They will also developed a slight degree of fear due to the pain. If your pup is well socialised and is use to people and noises this is only a temporary phase while your pup is teething.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.jpg)
, but nutrition means so much in keeping your dogs healthy, that and general wellness programs, vaccinations, mental stimulation, training, showing, and so much more, I spend far more for a litter than I make and should there be any money left over it literally goes to the dogs! So a general approx. cost of a well bred pup would range from $1600.00 - $1750.00 for "Pet" puppies which means nothing more than you are not planning on showing or breeding but can participate in AKC events like Canine Good Citizen Program, Rally-O, Obedience, and more as well as Therapy Dog Programs! Costs for a puppy with a full registration (depending on the pup's conformation and pedigree) you would expect to pay for a well bred pup $2500.00-$4000.00. 
