The Bull Mastiff is believed to be a cross between the English Mastiff and the Old English Bulldog. It is thought that the original purpose for creating this breed was to deal with poachers. Today the breed is a common family pet providing companionship and entertainment to many families.

Size

Male Bull Mastiffs will typically grow to be 25 to 27 inches tall at the withers and 110 to 140 pounds. Females tend to reach 24 to 26 inches at the withers, and 100 to 120 pounds. Though smaller than some of the other mastiff breeds these are very strong dogs.

Color

As for show quality, any shade of red, brindle or fawn is accepted provided the color is pure and clear. In the U.S. the term "pure and clear" is not mentioned in the standard. Fawn is a light tan or blond color similar to what would be called dun on a horse while the red is a earthy, red-brown tone. The range of color can vary from a deep red to a light red mixing with the fawn that is often referred to as a red-fawn. While a small white marking on the chest is allowed other white markings are considered unwanted. A black muzzle is a must with the black fading away towards the eyes and dark markings around eyes lending to the expression.

Temperament

Bull Mastiffs are very lovable, loving, loyal, brave and calm dogs with those it is familiar with. Its protective instinct is very intense and it will defend its owners against anything or anyone it thinks is a threat. However, it does not usually attack to protect. Rather, it prefers to knock the intruder down with its large size and massive strength and then pin them to the ground or floor. Another common act of protection is to simply stand in front of the stranger/intruder and stubbornly refuse to allow them passage. Bull Mastiffs tend to get extremely attached to their families and are happiest when they can live in the house with them. Early socialization is important because of their protective nature in combination with their huge size and natural wariness of of those it does not know. Bull Mastiff are a bit fickle when it comes to getting along with other dogs; maybe they will and then again maybe not. The Bull Mastiff does well with children and is quite affectionate towards them. However, supervision should be continuous when they are with smaller children; these animals are so large that they could accidentally knock smaller children over. One more advantage of the Bull Mastiff is that they don't bark much which makes these good apartment dogs.

Health

Bull Mastiffs, like all the mastiff breeds, are prone to certain hereditary diseases. These include:

* Hip dysplasia

* Elbow dysplasia

* Entropion

* Hypothyroidism

* Lymphoma cancer

* Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), a particular problem since the trait is an autosomal dominant one. Simply put, they have a tendency to go blind and the genetic trait is dominant in both sexes. However there are ways to find out if your pup of choice has the gene.