bullmastiff
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Powerful, symmetrical displaying great strength, without being heavy; healthy and active.
Personality: Active, reliable and firm.
Energy Level : Very Active. This dog is active and energetic, and needs daily exercise.
Good with children: Yes.
Good with other dogs: With supervision.
Grooming: Seasonal.
Life expectancy : 8-10 years old.
Bark level: Bark when necessary.
HISTORICAL SUMMARY
The Bullmastiff evolved from the Old English Mastiff and the Bulldog. First used as a guard dog and in ancient times it helped in the apprehension of poachers. The Bullmastiff is intelligent and observant; he is completely reliable, both physically and mentally, and can quickly assess a situation. Your bravery, courage and defense against invaders is legendary.
Country of Origin: Great Britain.
BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT: Powerful, firm, active and reliable. Enthusiastic, alert and faithful.
HEAD:
CRANIAL REGION
Skull: Broad and square, seen from any angle. Some wrinkles when at attention, but not when at rest. Long and deep.
Stop: Pronounced.
FACIAL REGION
Nose: Nostrils wide open. Nose wide with widely open nostrils; flat, neither pointed nor projecting upwards when viewed in profile.
Muzzle: Short; the distance from the nose of the nose to the stop is approximately one third of the distance from the nose of the nose to the center of the occiput; wide under the eyes, supporting approximately the same width to the base of the muzzle. Truncated and ending square, forming a right angle to the upper line of the muzzle and at the same time proportional to the skull.
Lips: Not pendulous, never exceeding the level of the jaw.
Jaws and Teeth: Jaw wide to the end. Torques (pincer bite, edge to edge) is desired, however a slight undershot is allowed but not preferred. Canines wide and set apart, other teeth strong, level and well set.
Cheeks: Quite full.
Eyes: Dark or brown, of medium size, set further than the width of the muzzle, with a groove between them. Light or yellow eyes are highly undesirable.
Ears: V-shaped, falling back, set high and set apart, at the level of the occiput, giving a square appearance to the skull, which is very important. Small, darker in color than the body. The tip of the ear, when at attention, is at eye level. Pink ears are highly undesirable.
NECK: Well sprung, of moderate length, very muscular and almost equal in circumference to the skull.
TRUNK
Back: Short and straight, giving it a compact bearing, but not so short as to interfere with its activity. Carpelled or sealed back is highly undesirable.
Loin: Broad and muscular, with good depth on the flanks.
Chest: Broad and deep, well let down between the forelegs, with a deep sternum.
TAIL : Set high, strong at the root and tapering, reaching to the hocks, carried straight or curved, but not like a hound. Crank tail is highly undesirable.
MEMBERS
PREVIOUS: Legs well apart, presenting a straight front.
Shoulders: Muscular, slanted and powerful, not overloaded.
Forearm: Powerful and straight, of good bone.
Pasterns: Straight and strong.
Feet: Well arched, cat feet, with round toes, hard pads. Dark nails are desirable. Flat paws are highly undesirable.
HINDQUARTERS: Strong and muscular legs.
Thighs: Well developed, denoting power and activity; not heavy.
Hocks: Moderately bent. Cow hocks are highly undesirable.
Feet: Well arched, like cat's feet; hard pillows. Dark nails are desirable. Flat paws are highly undesirable.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: Indicates potency and objectivity. In straight motion, neither the fore nor hind legs intersect or interfere. Right anterior and left posterior are raised and lowered at the same time. Firm topline, firmly transmitting the propulsion produced by the hindquarters, revealing balance and harmony of movement.
COAT
Hair: Short and hard, weather resistant, close to the whole body. Long, silky or woolly coat is highly undesirable.
COLOR: Any shade of brindle, fawn or red; the color should be pure and crisp. A small white patch on the chest is allowed. Any other white spot is undesirable. Black mask is essential, as are dark shades towards the eyes that are outlined in black, which contributes to the typical expression.
SIZE: Height at the withers: Males: 64 to 69 cm. Females: 61 to 66 cm.
FAULTS
Any deviation from this standard should be considered a fault and penalized in exact proportion to its severity and its effects on the health and well-being of the dog.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS
• Aggressiveness or excessive shyness.
• Any dog that shows any sign of physical or behavioral anomaly must be disqualified.
• Atypical dogs.