Olga Contant of Ridgetop Bullmastiffs shares her 36-year journey in breeding, breed standards, and promoting Bullmastiffs today.
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Olga Contant
1. My name is Olga Contant, and I breed Bullmastiffs under the kennel name Ridgetop Bullmastiffs. I work in partnership with my best friend, Galina Taylor, who breeds under the kennel name Marconian Bullmastiffs. I have been breeding Bullmastiffs in the United States since 2007, but I have been involved in showing and breeding for much longer. I have 36 years of experience in breeding and showing in Russia, Europe, and the US. I started to show and breed Rough Collies in 1989 under the mentorship of esteemed Rottweiler Breeder-Judge Tatyana Popova of Tverskoi Dom.
Galina and I were childhood friends and we both fell in love with the Bullmastiff in 1996. In 1999, Galina and I moved to the United States and started our breeding programs. I was on the West Coast, and Galina was on the East Coast. In 2021, my family relocated to Tampa, Florida.
2. To accurately understand our breed’s hallmarks, it is important to recognize the primary job of the Bullmastiff. The Bullmastiff breed originated in Britain in the mid-1800s as an estate guardian. The Bullmastiff would assist the gamekeeper of the estate in capturing and warding off unwanted poachers. The Bullmastiff would alert the gamekeeper of a poacher, and then they would proceed to chase and hold down the poacher until the gamekeeper could take the poacher into custody.
The hallmarks of the Bullmastiff breed are type, proportion, and soundness. The foundation breeding of the Bullmastiff consisted of 60 percent Mastiff and 40 percent Bulldog. The body proportion of the Bullmastiff is nearly square. This is a key differentiation between a Mastiff and a Bullmastiff.
The head type is a critically important characteristic of the Bullmastiff as it differentiates itself from other breeds. There is no singular or unified style of the Bullmastiff head. There are many different styles that are presented in the ring, but they all possess the important components that build the head type: square on square. The head is square, and the muzzle is broad, deep, and also square. The muzzle-to-skull ratio is approximately 1:3. Any reversion to Bulldogs or Mastiffs is undesirable.
In addition to type, they must have soundness in movement and mind. Correct structure will lead to sound movement, which is vital for the Bullmastiff to be able to run and capture a poacher. It is also important to note that a Bullmastiff should have athleticism. A sound temperament is also vital, as the Bullmastiff must guard the estate and then come home to be with their families.
When judging a Bullmastiff, all of these attributes should be evaluated as a package, and the dog with the most correct soundness and type (package) should be rewarded. American Kennel Club (AKC) Judge Beth Bowman mentioned this in one of her articles: “I will pick the dog with the most breed type among the most sound.” I love how she said that.
3. Yes, there are enough puppy homes to support breeding a litter this year.
4. I always try to learn and adapt to new technologies in reproductive medicine, health testing, and whelping.
Social media has become an influential communication tool. We utilize social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to promote our dogs and puppies. They are extremely helpful and reach a large audience. Our current Special, Keanu, is supported with wide advertisement on social media and in digital and print publications.
5. We all see the dog parks and streets filled with the “designer breeds.” I feel that certain designer dogs, like “doodles,” will eventually form into stable breeds. Most every breed presented at the shows started as combination of certain breeds.
I feel that the public is open to the appearance and formation of new breeds. They will eventually be “purebred” and possibly AKC recognized in the future. I don’t feel that it takes away from the purebred dogs; however, I can only speak of our Bullmastiffs.
6. I have noticed that advertising is moving from magazines to online platforms and social media, which is an exciting trend! I think this will be a great way for our sport to reach larger audiences.
7. Our sport has started to utilize technology and online platforms that help to reach larger audiences! One of my favorites is AKC.TV. I love watching a dog show on television and recognizing people that I see at the shows!
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