| Bullmastiffs: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Bullmastiff personality and behavior. |
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My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Bullmastiff, including these excerpts:
"The AKC Standard describes the Bullmastiff as "fearless and confident, yet docile... showing great strength, endurance, and alertness."
Though usually mild-mannered, the powerful Bullmastiff is also serious and self-assured. He is afraid of nothing, and once aroused will seldom back down.
Bullmastiff puppies (up to two or three years old) can be rambunctious and have an aversion to keeping all four feet on the ground at the same time.
Fortunately, adults are calm and quiet and need only moderate exercise to maintain their impressive muscle tone.
This breed is intensely loyal to his family and doesn't like being left outside. If he doesn't get enough companionship or personal attention, he may walk through fences just to be with people.
Though sensible with strangers, the Bullmastiff does have well-established protective and territorial instincts. He must be thoroughly socialized at an early age so that he learns to distinguish friend from foe.
He can be aggressive with other dogs of the same sex, and though he may be fine with the family cat, strange animals will not be accepted onto his property.
Tremendously strong and stubborn, Bullmastiffs are inclined to do things their own way and will test members of the family. However, he will respond to early, consistent obedience training that includes leadership, cheerful praise, and food rewards.
Overall, he's a splendid, capable companion for assertive owners, but without ongoing time and effort, socialization and supervision, he is too much to handle."
History
The Bullmastiff was developed in England by gamekeepers as protection against poachers. The foundation breeding was 60 percent Mastiff and 40 percent Bulldog.
Size
24-27 inches and 100-130 lbs |
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Bullmastiffs
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em
- Is massive and powerful
- Has a short easy-care coat
- Is calm and quiet indoors as an adult
- Makes an imposing watchdog
- Is serious and self-assured with strangers, yet generally mild-mannered unless aroused
- Needs only moderate exercise
A Bullmastiff may be right for you.
| If you don't want to deal with... |
- A huge dog who takes up a lot of space in your house and car
- A heavy dog who wants to sit on your feet, lie on your lap, and lean his weight against your leg
- Rowdiness and exuberant jumping when young
- Destructiveness when bored or left alone too much
- Aggression toward people in some lines, or when not socialized enough
- Aggression toward other animals
- Strong-willed mind of his own, requiring a confident owner who can take charge
- Shedding
- Snorting, snuffling, wheezing, grunting, loud snoring
- Slobbering and drooling
- Gassiness (flatulence)
- Serious health problems and a short lifespan
- Legal liabilities (public perception, future breed bans, insurance problems, increased chance of lawsuits)
A Bullmastiff may not be right for you.
| If I were considering a Bullmastiff... |
My major concerns would be:
- Providing the proper balance of exercise. Young Bullmastiffs need enough exercise to keep them lean and healthy, but not so much that their soft growing bones, joints, and ligaments become over-stressed and damaged. Adult Bullmastiffs need more exercise to keep them in shape, but not in hot or humid weather for fear of overheating. The proper amount of exercise can be difficult to regulate in giant breeds.
Since you have to minimize their exercise, young Bullmastiffs can be very rambunctious. They will romp with uncoordinated gawkiness all over your house. You need to substitute extra quantities of companionship and supervision. Otherwise, left alone, young Bullmastiffs become bored and destructive -- and their powerful jaws can literally destroy your living room.
- Providing enough socialization. Most Bullmastiffs have protective instincts toward strangers. They need extensive exposure to friendly people so they learn to recognize the normal behaviors of "good guys." Then they can recognize the difference when someone acts abnormally. Without careful socialization, they may be suspicious of everyone, which could lead to biting. Some Bullmastiffs go in the opposite direction -- without enough socialization, they become fearful of strangers, which can lead to defensive biting.
| If you have children, I do not recommend a Bullmastiff. Young Bullmastiffs (up to about three years old) can be bulls in a china shop. When they romp and jump, they do so with great vigor, and things can go flying, including people. In addition, Bullmastiffs may try to protect their own children from other children, which could lead to tragedy if kids are simply roughhousing and your Bullmastiff decides to stop it. With such a massive dog, I wouldn't take the risk. |
- Animal aggression. Many Bullmastiffs will not tolerate another dog of the same sex, and some won't tolerate the opposite sex either. Some Bullmastiffs have strong instincts to chase and seize cats and other fleeing creatures. If anything goes wrong in the breeding, socializing, training, handling, or management of this breed, it is capable of seriously injuring or killing other animals.
- The strong temperament. Bullmastiffs are not Golden Retrievers. They have an independent mind of their own and are not pushovers to raise and train. Many Bullmastiffs are willful, obstinate, and dominant (they want to be the boss) and will make you prove that you can make them do things. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.
| To teach your Bullmastiff to listen to you, "Respect Training" is mandatory. My Bullmastiff Training Page discusses the program you need. |
- Shedding. Bullmastiffs shed more than you might think. Their short, coarse hairs come off on your hands when you pet them, and stick tenaciously to your carpeting, upholstery, and clothing.
- Bullmastiff sounds. Because of the short face, Bullmastiffs snort, grunt, and snore loudly. The sounds are endearing to some people; nerve-wracking to others.
- Slobbering. Most people are not prepared for how much Bullmastiffs slobber and drool, especially after eating or drinking. When they shake their heads, you will be toweling saliva and slime off your clothes, furniture, and walls.
- Gassiness (flatulence) that can send you running for cover. Fortunately, Bullmastiffs who are fed a natural diet of real meat and other fresh foods have much less trouble with gassiness. See my Bullmastiff Health Page for more information.
- Serious health problems. The lifespan of a Bullmastiff is short and an alarming number are crippled by bone and joint diseases and/or succumb to cancer in middle age.
- Legal liabilities. Bullmastiffs may be targeted for "banning" in certain areas, or refusal of homeowner insurance policies. Your friends and neighbors may be uncomfortable around this breed. In this day and age, the legal liabilities of owning any breed that looks intimidating and has a history as a guard dog should be seriously considered. People are quicker to sue if such a dog does anything even remotely questionable.
| Frankly, most Bullmastiffs are "too much dog" for the average household. This is a serious working dog with tremendous strength. Very few people really have the knowledge, facilities, or skills necessary to manage this breed. |
| Not all Bullmastiffs are alike! |
- There are energetic Bullmastiffs, and placid Bullmastiffs.
- Hard-headed Bullmastiffs, and sweet-natured Bullmastiffs.
- Serious Bullmastiffs, and good-natured goofballs.
- Introverted Bullmastiffs, and Bullmastiffs who love everyone.
| If you acquire a Bullmastiff puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." |
| If you're considering an adult Bullmastiff... |
There are plenty of adult Bullmastiffs who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.
When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.
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