In the second half of the XIXth century, increased intensity of poaching caused a threat of game extinction. In order to prevent it the English landowners asked the dog breeders to create a new breed, whose representatives would be able to track down a poacher and to hold him down until huntsman arrival. The breeders achieved it by crossbreeding mastiff and English bulldog. Hence the name - bullmastiff.
Bullmastiff has solid angular skull, high and wide head, short muzzle. V-shaped ears are set on wide and high. Chest is wide and deep, back is short and straight. Forelegs are solid and strong, hindlegs are powerful and muscular. Short and dense coat provides with good protection against water and weather conditions. Colour of the coat covers various shades of fawn or red and sometimes may be brindled. Bullmastiff is massive, active, tough, strong, faithfull, keen and alert dog.
FCI Standard No. 157
Full House GINGER BOY owner M i G. Krupinscy
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Great Britain
DATE OF PUBLICATIO OF VALID BREED STANDARD: March 1994
FCI CLASSIFICATION: Group 2: Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid Breeds - Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and Other Breeds
Section 2.1: Mastiff type. Working trial is not obligatory.
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Powerfully built, massive but not heavy. Strong and active.
CHARACTERISTICS: Showing great strength and endurance. Active and reliable.
TEMPERAMENT: Keen and alert, faithfull.
HEAD AND SKULL: Head, seen from each side, powerful and angular with a fair amount of wrinkle when alert. Circumference of skull equal to animal's height measured in withers. Skull has to be wide and deep with well developed cheeks. Rather short muzzle, distance between the top of muzzle and the edge of forehead should constitute 1/3 of the distance measured from the top of nose to the occipital bump. Muzzle wide under the eyes, slightly narrowing towards the nose, angular with blunt end. Muzzle's line straight in profile. Front of the muzlle and bridge of nose create right angle. Jaw wide, without narrowing. Nose black, wide with broad nostrils. Flews not too pendulous, cannot exceed jaw's bottom line.
EYES: Dark or nut-brown. Medium sized, set on just on the width of muzzle, with forehead furrow between them. Light or yellow eyes are treated as serious fault.
EARS: V-shaped, bended backside, set on high and wide stressing the square appearance of the skull, which is a very important feature. Rather small, darker in colour than the body. When dog is excited tops of the ears should be placed on the level of eyes. Ears in shape of rose petals are treated as serious fault.
BITE: Preferred tong bite. Slightly undershot bite is admissible but unwelcome. Fangs large and set wide apart.
NECK: Well developed, of moderate length, very muscular. It's circumference is almost equal with circumference of skull.
FORELEGS: Chest wide and deep, well set down between the forelegs. Wide forechest. Shoulder blades oblique, muscular and strong but not overloaded. Forelegs straight and strong, well boned, set well apart. Paws straight and tough.
TOPLINE: Straight and rather short, stressing the outlook of stocky body. Although, too short topline adversely affects bullmastiff's mobility. Curved topline is treated as serious fault.
HINDLEGS: Loin broad and muscular with proportionally developed second thigh. Hind legs strong and muscular. Well developed, but not too heavy, shank underlines strenght and mobility. Moderate angulation at hocks. Cowhocks are treated as serious fault.
TAIL: Set on high, strong at thee root, narrowing, with end at the height of hocks. Straight or curved, never raised in hound dog fashion. Bents are treated as serious fault.
STEPS/MOTION: Best described with strenght and utility. Legs in motion cannot cross nor interweave one another. Right foreleg nad left hindleg should be raised nad put down simultaneously. Compact topline guarantees balanced and harmonious motion, without being affected by strong hindlegs movements.
COAT: Short, tough and tightly adhering. Resistant to adverse weather conditions. Long, silky or wooly coat is treated as serious fault.
COLOUR: All shades of fawn, red and brindle. Colour should be clear and clean. Very small white spots on the chest are admissible. Other white markings are treated as serious fault. Muzzle dark, towards the eyes gradually becoming ligher. Eyes in dark frames.
SIZE:
Height in withers:
Dogs: 63.5 do 68.5 cm
Bitches: 61 do 66 cm
Weight:
Dogs: 50 - 59 kg
Bitches: 41 - 50 kg
FAULTS: All deviations from the breed standard have to be treated as faults. The judgement of fault should correspond to the degree of deviation.
ATTENTION: Dogs are obliged to have both testicles - fully developed and placed in scrotum.