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Temperament
The Bullmastiff is courageous, loyal, calm, and loving with those
it knows. It has a very strong protective instinct and will defend
its owners against anything it perceives as a threat. However,
it does not normally attack to protect. Instead, it knocks the
intruder over with its massive size and pins them to the ground,
or, will simply stand in front of the stranger/intruder and refuse
to let them pass. Bullmastiffs become intensely attached to their
families and do best when they can live inside with them. Their
protective instinct combined with their great size and natural
wariness of strangers means that early socialization is a must.
The Bullmastiff may or may not get along well with other dogs.
Occasionally, females in heat will also not get along with other
females. The Bullmastiff gets along well with children and is
very loving towards them. Parental supervision must be maintained
when they are with children; they may knock smaller children
down accidentally because of their large size. |
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AKC BullmastiffBreed
Standard - Working Group
http://www.akc.org/breeds/bullmastiff/index.cfm
Roastiff
Breed Standard - Working Group
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.
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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.
Approved
February 8, 1992
Effective March 31, 1992
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Health
Bullmastiffs are prone to certain hereditary diseases. These
include:
· Hip dysplasia
· Elbow dysplasia
· Entropion
· Hypothyroidism
· Lymphoma cancer
· Progressive retinal atrophy, a particular problem since
the trait is an autosomal dominant one.
· Arthritis
History
Bred by English gamekeepers in the 1800s to tackle poachers,
the Bullmastiff (also known as a Gamekeeper's Night Dog) was
a cross of 40% English Bulldog for its agility and tenacity (which
was the Old English Bulldog, not the short, fat Bulldog of today)
and 60% English Mastiff for its size, strength and loyalty. They
bark much less often than other breeds, but when they bark they
will make your head turn, as it is dark and hollow sounding.
The Bullmastiff was recognized as a pure-bred dog in 1924 by
the English Kennel Club. In October, 1933, The American Kennel
Club recognized the Bullmastiff. The first standard for the breed
was approved in 1935.
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Robbie
Williams has a Bullmastiff named Duke
Henry's
childhood dog Olive in the film "Stay".
Agent
11 (Spot) from See Spot Run was a Bullmastiff.
Paul
Sr., the owner of Orange County Choppers, has 2 Bullmastiffs
named Gus and Marty.
Reverend
Frank (Robin Williams) owns a Bullmastiff in License to Wed.
·he
comic strip Pooch Cafe has a Bullmastiff named Droolia as a regular
character.
The
1999 movie, The Dogwalker was about a woman who owned a Bullmastiff.
Cujo
- a playful ghost dog from Danny Phantom turns into a 30 ft overgrown
bullmastiff when angered.
The
video for the John Conlee song Doghouse used a Bullmastiff named
Sachmo
In
the movie "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star", the
family dog was a bullmastiff.
In
the movie "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1939) the
hound was a Bullmastiff chosen for his abnormally large size
for that of a dog, and of the breed in particular.
In
the movie Fancy Pants (1950) the dog chase scene near the end
of the film includes a Bullmastiff.
In
the Grant Morrison/Frank Quitely comic We3, a bull mastiff is
portrayed as the antagonistic Weapon 4.
In the movie "Homeward Bound- Lost in San Francisco"
Pete the junkyard dog is a bullmastiff.
"Hooch"
in the Tom Hanks movie "Turner and Hooch" is often
mistaken for a bullmastiff. Hooch is actually a Dogue de Bordeaux
(French Mastiff).
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