Bullmastiff
The gamekeeper's night dog: bred to find a poacher in the dark, put him down and hold him there without biting. Sixty parts mastiff to forty parts bulldog.
Photo by Томасина, CC BY-SA 3.0
Overview
The Bullmastiff was made in nineteenth century England by crossing Mastiff with Bulldog, roughly sixty to forty, to make a gamekeeper's dog. Its job was to find a poacher in the dark, knock him down and hold him without biting, and it was bred dark for exactly that work.
It is a hundred to a hundred and thirty pounds and it is quiet, which is the other half of the job description.
Temperament
Calm, confident and quietly protective. Bullmastiffs are affectionate with their families, tolerant of children, and they do not bark much.
They are strong willed and they need early training, because a hundred and thirty pound dog that has decided something is difficult to argue with. They can be dog reactive, particularly with the same sex, and they are naturally suspicious of strangers on their property.
Care and grooming
A short hard coat, a weekly brush. They drool, and the facial folds need wiping.
The health picture is the hard part. Seven to nine years is the realistic expectation, and cancer, particularly lymphoma and mast cell tumours, is a major cause. Hip and elbow dysplasia are common, and bloat is a serious risk in a deep chested dog this size.
Living and exercise
Forty five minutes to an hour a day of moderate exercise, and much less while growing.
They are moderately brachycephalic and they overheat, so summer exercise belongs at the cool ends of the day. They are calmer indoors than their size suggests and they suit a house with a garden rather than a flat.
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