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A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE BULLMASTIFF
In the English estates of the early 1900’s the need of the Gamekeepers to have a strong, powerful & agile dog to deter or catch poachers resulted in the creation of the Gamekeeper’s Night Dog, as the Bullmastiff was first referred to. This Bullmastiff evolved from a mix of 60% Mastiff and 40% Bulldog. They are a silent powerful dog, capable of handling the physical abuse a desperate poacher might inflict with the fear of death or deportation if caught. The temperament of these early dogs was much more aggressive than is necessary or tolerated in today’s society. They are a natural guard dog, that may not seem as active as some of the other guard breeds, but is quite capable of doing the job. They are quick to pick up on who is a welcome visitor & who is not.
The original colour of the Bullmastiff is brindle, but it is now more commonly found in the red & fawn, all with a black mask. They have a short coat that with regular brushing a few times a week will keep the loose hairs away.
The Bullmastiff is a large powerful dog, ranging between 24 and 27 inches and 40 to 60 kg. Loyalty is a basic trait in the Bullmastiff character, they will protect their family at whatever cost to itself. People who are not prepared to take the time to properly control & train a Bullmastiff puppy should not be the owners of an adult Bullmastiff. Due to their intelligence and independence of mind combined with the size & strength to follow through with their desires, basic rules of behaviour need to be set and adhered to with a Bullmastiff. Bullmastiffs may appear stubborn when it comes to training, but it is with consistent firm training that they soon follow the required guidelines you set down.
Due to the large size that these dogs mature to, the bones in the first year take time to develop and any exercise other than what a back yard may provide is unnecessary & can be damaging to the forming bones. Having a second dog of any breed will require the need for a kennel run for the puppy to have time to himself.
The Bullmastiff like many of today’s breed of dogs does suffer from Hip Dysplasia. This is a condition that affects the hip joints, it can be inherited or environmentally induced. Responsible breeders have their breeding stock’s hips x-rayed and scored as a starting point to strive towards reducing the incidents of H.D.
Like all dogs, the Bullmastiff should be Supervised when children are around and they should not be taken anywhere off lead.
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