BULLMASTIFF BREED HISTORY

The Bullmastiff is British in origin, until 1924 the breed was registered under the heading "Any other breed or Variety of British Colonial or Foreign Dogs Not Classified". Being referred to as a "holding dog" or the "gamekeeper's night dog". They are a man-made breed being produced for the need of larger breeds in the era of large game preserves that were being robbed to by poachers. This was at least as far back as the mid Nineteenth Century and even earlier. The progenitor of the breed were selected carefully by those who studied the breed that would make the perfect deterrent to the gamekeepers aggressive enemy. The dogs of today have been bred not so much as a working dog but as a pet, a companion and a guard dog. Today's fancier have long since discouraged the hyphenated name Bull-Mastiff which signified the hybrid.

The first step in producing the Bullmastiff was carefully cross breeding. The Bullmastiff is made up of 40% Bulldog and 60% Mastiff, the Bulldog chosen for his speed, tenacity and ferocity; the Mastiff for his great size, weight and power. The desired outcome being a dog that could catch, down a man without mauling. A brindle colour, at that time, was most desired, to draw as little as possible attention to the dog. The colour came from the Bulldog genes, which also gave them the type of mouth needed to enable the dog to hold his catch indefinitely while still being able to breathe.

The first specimen to reach championship status in England was a silver-fawn brindled English bitch, Ch.Farcroft Silvo, in 1928. Other countries that had adopted the breed were some what slower in registering their first champions. American breeders had waited until 1949 to see their first champion titled, male Ch. Lancelot of Northcastle, a 80 Kg Mastiff type dog, that would not be acclaimed today.

Bullmastiffs were first imported into the United States as guard dogs for a huge country estate in New York. They were employed to Africa to work in the Diamond mines. Australia imported its first dog before World War 2, but these were encouraged not to reproduce, the foundation stock coming from later imports.

The Bullmastiff of today can be found and imported all over the world.

BULLMASTIFF BREED STANDARDS

GENERAL APPEARANCE - Powerful build, symmetrical, showing great strength, but not cumbersome; sound and active.

CHARACTERISTICS - Powerful, enduring, active and reliable.

TEMPREMENT - High spirited, alert and faithful.

HEAD AND SKULL - Skull large and square, viewed from every angle, fair wrinkle when interested, but not when in repose. Circumference of skull may equal height of dog measured at top of shoulder; broad and deep with well filled cheeks. Pronounced stop. Muzzle short; distance from tip of nose to stop approximately one third of length from tip of nose to center of occiput, broad under eyes and sustaining nearly same width to end of nose; blunt and cut off square, forming right angle with upper line of face, and at same time proportionate with skull. under jaw broad to end. Nose broad with widely spreading nostrils; flat, neither pointed nor turned up in profile. Flews not pendulous, never hanging below level of lower jaw.

EYES - Dark or hazel, of medium size, set apart the width of muzzle with furrow between. Light or yellow eyes highly undesirable.

EARS - V-shaped, folded back, set on widened high, level of occiput giving square appearance to skull which is most important. Small and deeper in colour than body. point of ear level with eye when alert. Rose ears highly undesirable.

MOUTH - Level desired but slightly undershot allowed but not preferred. canine teeth large and set wide apart, other teeth strong, even and well placed.

NECK - Well arched, moderate length, very muscular and almost equal to skull in circumference.

FOREQUARTERS - Chest, wide and deep, well let down between forelegs, with deep brisket. Shoulders muscular, sloping and powerful, not overloaded. Forelegs powerful and straight, well boned, set wide apart, presenting a straight front. Pasterns straight and strong.

BODY - Back short and straight, giving compact carriage, but not so short as to interfere with activity. Roach and sway backs highly undesirable.

HINDQUARTERS - Loins wide and muscular with fair depth of flank. Hind legs strong and muscular, with well developed second thighs, denoting power and activity, not cumbersome. Hocks moderately bent. Cow hocks highly undesirable.

FEET - Well arched, cat like, with rounded toes, pads hard. Dark toe nails desirable. Splayed feet highly undesirable.

TAIL - Set high, strong at root and tapering, reaching to hocks, carried straight or curved, but not hound fashion. Crank tails highly undesirable.

GAIT/MOVEMENT - Movement indicates power and sense of purpose. When moving straight neither front nor hind legs should cross or plait, right front and left rear leg raising and falling at the same time. A firm back line unimpaired by powerful thrust from hind legs denoting a balanced and harmonious movement.

COAT - Short and hard, weather resistant, lying flat to body. Long, silky or woolly coats highly undesirable.

COLOUR - Any shade of brindle, fawn or red; colour to be pure and clear. A slight white marking on chest permissible. Other white markings undesirable. Black muzzle essential, toning off towards eyes, with dark markings around eyes contributing to expression

SIZE - Height: Dogs 63.5-68.5 cms (25-27 ins) at shoulder Bitches 61-66 cms (24-26 ins) at shoulder. Weight: Dogs 50-59 kg (110-130 lbs) Bitches 41-50 kg (90-110 lbs)

FAULTS - Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

NOTE - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.