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Bullmastiff
With the power of the Mastiff
and the courage of the Bulldog, this dog is a very special
breed.
History:
The Bullmastiff was bred in
Britain in the late 1800s as a guard dog for large game
estates when poaching became rampant and gamekeepers were
under constant threat of injury or death. The breed has been
recognized in the British Kennel Club since 1924 on condition
that the dog has three generations of pure breeding in exact
proportions of 60% Mastiff and 40% Bulldog. The breed then
contains a combination of the speed, strength, and sense of
smell of the Mastiff, with the courage and ferocity of the
Bulldog.
Physical
characteristics:
The Bullmastiff is a powerful
and strong dog of sturdy, symmetrical build. Height: 25 - 27
in (63.5 - 68.6 cm) for the dog and 24 - 26 in (61 - 66 cm)
for the bitch. Weight: 110 - 130 lb (50 - 59 kg) for the dog
and 100 - 120 lb (45.4 - 54.4 kg) for the bitch. The head of
the Bullmastiff is large and square with a wrinkled brow when
the dog is attentive, and smooth when at rest. The muzzle is
short, the lower jaw is broad. The mask and nose are black
with broad, open nostrils. The upper and lower jaws are of
equal length. The eyes are dark or hazel, set apart the same
width as the muzzle, with a furrow between them.
The
ears are v-shaped, set high and folded back, giving a squarish
shape to the skull. The ears are darker than the body, with
the tips level with the eyes when the dog is alert. The neck
is well-muscled and arched, going down to well laid-back
shoulders. The body is short in the back with a broad loin.
The tail is set high, is long and either straight out or
curled up, with a darker tip than the body color. The
forequarters are straight and powerful and set wide apart. The
hindquarters are strong and muscular, with slightly curved
hocks.
The coat of the Bullmastiff is
short and dense, and the colours may be any of a uniform red,
fawn or brindle. The muzzle area and around the eyes are black
with the muzzle color fading towards the eyes.
Behavior:
This huge dog has developed a
fearsome reputation. However, this dog is generally very
gentle and unassuming. The Bullmastiff is very confident and
is scared of only a very few things. It makes an excellent
guard dog, as it has the size and courage to act as a
deterrent, and the very real power to back up its threats to
intruders. Only a foolhardy person would enter the property of
a Bullmastiff uninvited.
Despite its size, the
Bullmastiff is not overly anxious to exercise and is content
to stay within the confines of a normal yard. It takes a lot
of persistence to train a Bullmastiff, because although it is
very intelligent, it is not easily motivated into activity.
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