The Bullmastiff

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, December 2017 issue.

The Bullmastiff

Form follows function and the correct Bullmastiff is a prime example. It was developed in England for the express purpose of assisting gamekeepers on the vast estates of the nobility and gentry. Poaching was a serious problem for landowners. The punishment was being transported (sent to a penal colony in Australia) or even possibly death. Poachers wouldn’t mind doing in the gamekeeper to avoid such a fate. Some were individuals and others came in groups. Hunting dogs could also be in the mix.

Gamekeepers needed a dog that was powerful but manageable. The idea was for them to down and hold the poacher for the gamekeeper. They were also capable of dealing with any dogs that came along. The Mastiff was too large and the Bulldog of the time was too aggressive so a blend was developed that was agile, powerful and tractable that came out to a 60–40 balance of Mastiff and Bulldog. That can be defined as leaning slightly more to the Mastiff. They worked predominantly at night and were originally referred to as The Gamekeepers’ Night Dog. They made a tremendous difference in the safety and efficiency of the gamekeeper.

Nowadays very few do the work on vast estates for which they were originally intended. That does not mean they should not maintain the traits and instincts for which they were developed. Bullmastiffs have an amazing ability to sort out the good person from the ones with bad intent. A Bullmastiff without those traits is not a Bullmastiff. Unfortunately, people seem to buy a dog for the way it looks without any consideration of its temperament. A large, working and guarding breed is not for the weak–willed. They like to think for themselves. They have a tendency to do that to this day so either the owner runs the home or the dog does. The Bullmastiff, properly raised, can be an exceptional family dog that only goes into guard mode when it is necessary. I have owned them for over half a century, raised my children with them and they raised theirs with Bullmastiffs without incident.

The breed standard describes males as 25 to 27 inches at the shoulder and 110 to 130 pounds. Please note the proper weight to height balance is that the 25–inch dog would weigh 110 pounds and the 27–inch dog would weigh 130 pounds. Bitches are 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder and 100 to 120 pounds with the same ratio applying. Not only in this breed but others there is a tendency by some to think that if something is good a lot more would be better: taller, heavier, bigger head, etc. Because of their athleticism and temperament, a Bullmastiff at the smaller end of the standard can do the job just as well as the ones at the larger end. A tendency to go for over bully or size ranging into the small Mastiff does not make a Bullmastiff better. It makes it incorrect. The standard description is what it is because that is what worked best for what the dog was developed to do. Anyone wishing something different needs to find a different breed.

This is a marvelous breed for some and definitely not for others. In today’s social climate where the rural life is not what most Bullmastiffs live in, where responsibility for one’s self and one’s children doesn’t seem to be the norm, owners of large dogs need to be especially careful to insist on proper behavior for their dogs and to keep them under control and in a safe place for the reputation and safety of the breed itself. It doesn’t matter if a large dog doesn’t initiate a confrontation. It will always be blamed. Breed specific laws are a danger to the very existence of a breed. One almost never sees a media report on how wonderful a breed is but one incident, little or big, is a headline. Very often news reports don’t even correctly identify a breed but just pick one of the guard breeds. By the time that is rectified it is way too late. If one loves the breed one has to always be on alert to see that the dog is well trained and under control. The big problem for this breed is the dog park. Especially off lead parks. One never knows the temperament of the dogs that use it or their vaccine record. No matter what happens, no matter who starts it, the big dogs will be blamed. There are plenty of ways to socialize with your dog without turning it loose amongst a bunch of dogs of totally unknown health and temperament. A good straightforward obedience class, in which you attend with your dog, not send it out to be trained by someone else, is ideal for a long, happy relationship with a Bullmastiff.

I think in covering the Bullmastiff as related to society today it would be remiss not to cover the responsibility of breeder and buyer. It is the responsibility of the breeder to produce dogs healthy in mind and body. Also, to be sure of the home one is sending their puppy to. Breeders are also responsible for how the buyer, as well as the general public, view the breed and the fanciers as a whole. People who see a Bullmastiff puppy forget all sense and can’t seem to live without that one baby. Think before you buy contracts can be a real problem as some are constructed. People should read carefully before committing. Everyone’s agreements are not the same. A bad experience with one person colors the buyer’s perception of all breeders.

Buyers need to be totally honest about their lifestyle, accommodation for the dog in their home that makes sure the dog is safe, their ability to be the owner and not the dog’s buddy. They need to be clear if they want to show or just have a family companion. One should not sign up for mandatory showing and breeding if that is not what one is comfortable with. Honesty on both sides of the transfer of ownership makes for happy buyers and sellers and protects the breed’s reputation. Over the years, as the breed has become more populous there has been more emphasis placed on healthy minds and bodies. When I first became a Bullmastiff owner people seemed to be happy if the dog could walk. Muscle tone, angulation, proper movement, structure, temperament and longevity were not big points of discussion. Gradually some breeders became more interested in stressing these points. Certainly, as a working dog, these were all important to the dog being able to function as it was developed to do. Today a proper Bullmastiff can hold its own on quality and soundness with any of the working breeds.

In the 1960s there were only two Bullmastiffs that held Utility Dog degrees and not many had achieved even a CD. This breed is very strong willed and many people that owned them really weren’t quite as bright as the dog was. Bullmastiffs developed a reputation for being a bit stupid while actually doing exactly what they wanted. Who is stupid: the person who can’t get the dog to do what he wants it to or the dog that does what it pleases?

Over the last dozen years, there has been a huge upswing in owners interested in competing with their Bullmastiffs in a number of working events. Many have basic obedience degrees and Canine Good Citizen degrees. The Bullmastiff National Specialty has a Triathalon event—conformation, obedience, and agility. Agility events are seeing many more Bullmastiffs. Tracking now has its share of Bullmastiff titlists. Bullmastiffs were always smart enough to do these things. They just needed owners who understood how to approach training for these events. I’ve always explained to my dogs that I know they know a better way to do something than I do but since I buy the dog food my vote wins. Works for me.

Judging the Bullmastiff should be easier than some people make it. Approach the dog confidently. Please take into account that very young dogs in the puppy class may be in the ring for the first time and a bit tentative. This timidity or lack of confidence is not acceptable in adults but a puppy’s first experience in the ring can color its attitude for the rest of its life. Do not accept any show of aggressiveness toward humans. This is not the breed’s character.

One must take into account the temperament and structure of each breed when evaluating it in the ring. Bullmastiffs are not dainty and should not tiptoe lightly around the ring. Their movement should be efficient, strong without much effort. Flash is always attention–getting but it is not the ideal expression of Bullmastiff movement. Dogs should certainly show an interest and not appear deadheaded but the proper movement is not essentially associated with speed. A good moving Bullmastiff with cover a great deal of ground with strong, steady strides converging toward a center line as the speed increases. Keep in mind how the dog actually works. It isn’t at a trot but a trot is the best way to evaluate balance and soundness.

The head is the real identifying centerpiece of the dog but a lovely head on a working dog that isn’t a sound, efficient mover is worthless. The dog should be judged as a whole package in reference to what it was bred to do. The head is a cube on a cube with the muzzle being one–third of the entire head. The breadth of a muzzle and lower jaw is important because part of the dog’s purpose was to hold their quarry. Nostrils should be large and open. The dog had to run rapid sprints and hold someone with their mouth engaged. They needed the capacity to bring in air easily. Stenotic nares are a serious impediment to that ability. I had mentioned previously that some people tend to think more is better even if it is really incorrect. Remember in judging that the dog tends slightly more to the Mastiff than the Bulldog. The head is clearly described in the standard and it should not tend toward the Bulldog with the nose leather set on top of the muzzle rather than even with the front of it. The bite is level to slightly undershot. Slightly undershot actually assists in holding without biting through flesh. Wry bites are not just a fault; they are a deformity in any breed.

The standard calls for the dog to be almost square. It is very slightly longer than it is tall—very slightly. A deep broad chest is necessary for the lung capacity needed in its job. A strong back gives the dog stamina when working. Remember the back is only part of the topline. The slight arch over the loin gives the dog the ability to get its rear well under it when moving. The standard calls for moderate angulation. It would be negative for a heavy bodied dog to have strong angulation. That would not put the legs under the body sufficiently for support. The slight arch over the loin increases the ability for reach in the rear without heavy angulation. While the standard doesn’t really speak to front angulation it need to match the rear angulation. More angulation in the front leaves the dog’s rear unable to keep up with the front. More angulation in the rear causes the dog to interfere with the front movement or inhibit the rear movement. Either is negative to a sound moving dog.

When one is going over a dog please note that this is a very short coated breed. You can see everything. There is no need to do what I call Braille judging. Giving the dog a full body massage doesn’t expose anything that isn’t already clearly visible. Lightly going over the dog with your hands can tell you everything you need to know. If you have a question in your mind that a handler is trying to cover up some fault just ask the person to have the dog step forward a step or two on a loose lead. Everything is clearly visible that way. The best approach to judging is to consider the dog as a whole package, recognizing and stressing the virtues and considering the faults. Do not fixate on one factor. As a working dog, the importance is being physically and mentally fit for the job the dog was developed to do.