English Mastiffs And Bull Mastiffs: This Is One Gentle Giant
Posted: Wednesday, July 11, 2007
by Richard Livitski
http://www.dog-names-and-more.com
The Bull Mastiff and the English Mastiff have a long colorful history. Yet the thing that stands out most about this breed is not that it's a gentle family dog, but that this dog is so big that it can out weigh it's master!
Here are more facts about this interesting breed…
History
Despite the passing of thousands of years, most breed experts suggest that modern day Mastiffs are similar in shape and size to their ancestors. The origins of all Mastiffs dates back to 2000 B.C. in Asia, although the original ancestors were probably most like the English Mastiff, as they were extremely tall, muscular and weighed a great deal. Because of this, many will claim that the English is the "true" Mastiff. Sources suggest that over a thousand years or so, Romans crossed over the Swiss Alps for war and in search of land brought the Mastiffs from Asia. From here, the breed began to grow in popularity in Europe and other varieties of the breed began to pop up.
Description
Remember that there will be some variation in the description of a Mastiff, but all are similar in size and shape. There is no mistaking Mastiffs as a large breed dog that weighs between 120-200 pounds. Although the hair color and length will change depending on the type of Mastiff, almost all are shorthaired and are available in colors ranging from brown, red, brindle to black. The muzzle will almost always be short, wide and black in color, framed with short, floppy ears and a long, thin tail.
There are many different varieties of the Mastiff. Many were originally different breeds of dog that were at one point crossed to create different versions of the Mastiff. These varieties include the English, Bull, Neapolitan, French and Tibetan, with the most popular varieties being Bull and English. The Bull is especially predominant throughout North America.
The largest of the breed is the English version, sometimes weighing over 200 pounds. The only major difference between the Bull and English Mastiff is that the English will look considerably stockier and may be upwards of 30 inches tall, while the Bull is usually no taller than 27 inches. There is debate over which of the two is the original Mastiff, but most breeders will consider the English Mastiff the original breed. Another major difference between the English and Bull is that the Bull Mastiff has an extremely powerful head that is wide and a more sleek and muscular body.
Neapolitan Mastiff dogs are wrinklier, with the entire body full of wrinkles, including the muzzle, the neck, chest, and through the legs and underbelly. Keep in mind that while this type of Mastiff might look significantly smaller than the Bull or English, the weight is simply distributed different, as the Neapolitan is significantly shorter than the Bull or English.
The French Mastiff, also known as the Dogue de Bordeaux or the Bordeaux Bulldog by the French, will only weigh around 140 pounds and will be significantly shorter and stockier. The French looks significantly different because of a much wider head that may resemble a mixture of a Mastiff and a Rottweiler, at least in width. As well, the French muzzle may be a solid red, as most French Mastiffs are a solid red color, making the French red from head to toe.
You may not immediately recognize the Tibetan Mastiff as fitting with the breed, because it looks very different from the others. Instead of a short coat, it has a medium to long double coat of fur that is available in a variety of different colors, but not usually singular in color. This breed also has a longer muzzle that is more rounded and narrow than the other Mastiffs.
Breed Temperament
Mastiffs absolutely love to be part of the family! They are considered a gentle family pet that does well with children but because of their size, they will make an excellent watchdog as well. Despite their large stature, they usually do not make good guard dogs, because they are most often too laid back. Even though they are gentle with children, because of their size, it is best to keep an eye on them with small children because they could easily knock a child over.
Keep in mind that because of early breeding as bull baiters, cow herder and fighters they will need training from a small puppy to ensure that they do not become aggressive in any way. This should not scare potential owners, though, as most aggressive tendencies are long gone in these dogs. Most actually may tend to be on the lazy and laid back side and many owners will suggest that they have to reward their Mastiffs in order to get them to work. Although Mastiffs will be okay without a great deal of exercise, it is important to exercise them regularly to keep them healthy and at an ideal weight.
Life Span
8-10 years
Suitability with Children
Yes, can be trusted with all children
Suitability with Other Pets
Yes, but males may have dominant tendencies
Common Ailments
This breed is prone to hip dysphasia that can lead to arthritis. Are also prone to eye disease and eyelid problems, such as a cherry eye. As well as bloat, cancer and tumors.
Trainability
Are sensitive to tone of voice, so will do best with gentle guidance training. The entire breed is known for being especially easy to train with consistency and reinforcement from a puppy.
Living Conditions
Will need daily exercise, but can adapt to most living conditions.
Required Exercise
Medium
Maintenance Costs
High
When Richard Livitski isn't busy digging up information about Mastiffs, he's busy running his dog names website http://www.dog-names-and-more.com where dog names as well as grooming, training, and dog care tips can be found.
This Article has been viewed 35,306 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
More commentsWell written and well-researched, this gave me more than the information I was looking for. Enjoyed it!
Thank you. This article was quite informative. God bless ya and all english and bull mastiff owners cause they do sound like expensive yet wonderful pets or should I say friends..
I found this artical verry informative and true, I have had one great Dane, one Dane/mastiff mix and I find myself now with my family looking at either a english great dane or a bull mastiff... not sure yet..Unless it was actually born in England there is no such breed as "English Great Dane"
That said, if you want a heavier Great Dane, one that is more "Mastiff-like" try to bring one right from Germany. North American Great Dane breeding seems to favour taller, lankier dogs. Many breeders are breeding lines far too tightly and this is resulting in a lot of health problems. Get papers and look for an outcross unless oyu want your dog story to have an unhappy ending.
The Bullmastiff was created by breeding English mastiffs and Bulldogs. It's a fairly new breed of dog. How could it be the "Original?" You have them lumped together as one breed and they are not. So how can ay of the rest of the information be true?but it was not bred with the bull dog that is the problem it was never bred with the bull dog if it was it would only be about 19 inches tall and look nothng like they do i have a bull mastiff
I own a kennel. You are incorrect.
From the Bullmastiffinfo web site:
"The Bullmastiff breed, as its name suggests, is a combination of the Mastiff and the Bulldog. It was created in England in the mid-1800s; the only guarding breed to originate in England."
Please stop spreading misinformation about these two breeds.
I enjoyed reading this alot. Our family has a 8 month old. I'm a little confused as I was told this breed shouldn't get much exercise for the first 18 months because it grows so quickly and the joints could get messed up. I've tried walking with him a few times, but he hates going for walks which I find unusual for any dog. Love the breed though. Thanks for the article!
I have a English Bull Mastif he is really a cool dog he is about 8months old he was give to me buy a family member,So because he is english bull how much should weigh at a year old?There is no such thing as an "English Bull Mastiff"
The best dog, I just had to put my bullmastiff down today at 10 1/2 years old, no major issues her whole life then all the sudden uterus infection we battled it with antibiotics, no luck. The vet said she more likely would not survive surgery at her age. I had her since she was 8 weeks old and she has been the best dog I had ever had, I highly recommend this breed to anyone as a faithfull companion, sadly miss Dutchess (Dutch)
Yes, my daughter was mauled by a neighbor's Mastiff in Dec. 2010. It was a terrifying experience for her. He was on a rope connected in their garage and he lunged out at my daughter and was able to knock her down and then began biting her. She had to have stitches in 9 different places. Three in her head. If he would have caught her a little lower on her neck she could have been paralyzed. He had biten me earlier in the year on my leg, but I didn't report it because I wanted to get along with the neighbors. Do warn people that this bred can be dangerous and training is very important. By the way they didn't put the dog down. They only sent him to obedience school. We remain afraid to even go into our yard in fear that he will get lose and harm our grandchildren.
I'm looking for an English Bull Mastiff (male) puppy. I have researched the breed and I'm very interested in purchasing. Do you know af a reliable and respondsible breeder in or near New Jersey?
For starters I've shown and bred both of these breeds and this article is is VERY inaccurate. Bull Mastiffs and English Mastiffs are recognized and shown as completely different breeds.
Temperament and size are very different. I mean what the heck, technically a Great Dane is a German Mastiff, why don't you lump them in here too?
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