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FAQ:

Are Bullmastiffs good with children?

Do Bullmastiff Drool? This is link to another page

 How do I trim my Bullmastiff Puppy's Nails?

Is a Bullmastiff a good guard dog?
When do I tape my Bullmastiff Puppy's Ears? or do they really need taped?
How do I properly measure and weigh my Bullmastiff or Bordeaux?
Is your bullmastiff overweight? (most dogs are sadly) 

What is the difference between the Bordeaux and the Bullmastiff?

 

Ten Commandments of Dog Training and Ownership


 When Love Hurts (the Fallout of Spoiling) excellent read

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Are Bullmastiffs good with children?

Bullmastiff's are a very tolerant, gentle and docile breed, that adores and protects his or her family. They have proven themselves beyond our expectations. Children should be taught to respect dogs, dogs are not a toy, nor can they be compared to a human. Although we love them as family, they're still animals. I like what Cesar Millan has to say about this. Dogs are NOT human and when we quit trying to make them human both dog and human can have a better relationship.

NEVER leave a child unsupervised with a Bullmastiff or any dog for that matter, as a child can be cruel and without intention your Bullmastiff may snap back in self-defense. I tell people "Protect you dog from the children!" We have noticed with Bullmastiffs that if they have had enough they will simply move away, this is your cue to tell your child that your dog would like a bit of peace and quiet. If your bullie goes to crate for some peace do NOT allow children to crawl in crate with them.

Allow your bullie some peace and quiet. I have found when small children are running and screaming, as little girls will do, the bullmastiff doesn't know what to do so they retreat to their crate. Leave them alone there. Bullmastiffs love human companionship and affection, you will often find that a bullmastiff will become really excited when they see children, caution is required due to the size of the bullmastiff. Your bullmastiff may unintentionally knock over toddlers or because of their large wagging tails accidentally whip a child's face or legs which can be painful.

Never allow a bullmastiff to play bite with children, this is asking for trouble later!! "Play" biting should never be encouraged by children. Here is great web site that speaks to the Three Leasons Every Bullmastiff should know.

Rough play and chasing games are a NO NO! Bad idea when your adult Bullmastiff who's average weight can reach 125 plus pounds chases children in return. Instead enforce good play, throwing a ball for them to chase (Bullmastiff rarely fetch, they are NOT retrievers. They feel like if you throw the ball you must want it over there so they will leave it where you throw it) , hide and seek, going for walks or simply relaxing and giving the Bullmastiff a good rub and a scratch. (Bullmastiffs love their bellies rubbed) It is also very rewarding for a child to learn and teach the basics of obedience, this also provides a great opportunity for your child to bond with your Bullmastiff .


There are many low fee basic obedience schools within all states, this also provides a great opportunity for your bullmastiff to socialize with other dogs and people.

DON'T ALLOW CHILDREN TO:

Don't allow child to bother dog while he/she is eating! (do you want someone in your plate when you are hungry?)

Don't allow children to play struggle games or keep away where there is a winner and a looser.

Don't allow a child to disturb sleeping Bullmastiff

Don't allow child to sneak up on or try and scare a bullmastiff.

Don't allow children to walk an adult  Bullmastiff in public, a child does not have the strength to pull back a bullmastiff if such a need arises.

Don't allow a child to ride, annoy, pull tail or ears, tease, hit, pull, or jump on a Bullmastiff.

Don't allow children in crate with Bullmastiff (if bullmastiff puts himself in crate leave them alone! they will come out when they are ready)

A couple of very good articles:

Ten Commandments of Dog Training and Ownership

When Love Hurts (the Fallout of Spoiling)

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Do bullmastiff Drool?  

When eating and drinking yes, But I like a nice tight flew to keep drooling to a minimum.   They are nothing like hounds or St Bernard or English Mastiff at least mine are not.  Also in our breed the standard  calls for not to pendulous flews. 

 

How do I trim my Bullmastiff Puppy's Nails?

This doesn't have to be difficult or scary. With practice, it comes easy and your puppy with thank you! Check out my "How to" video.

When do I tape my Bullmastiff Puppy's Ears?

Flip Video of me taping some ears on 12 wk old female bullmastiff Puppy
You can also check out some examples of ears not taped...read more...

Is your bullmastiff overweight?

A doggy diet? Check out this YouTube video on Purina's answer to a weight loss and exercise regime for your Bullmastiff.

Why AKC Bullmastiff Breeders? What's all the fuss about where you register your dog?

In Webster's Dictionary, registration means a record is made of something. Few people would think a car good just because it's registered. Most people would shop for a type of vehicle that would suit them, is in safe condition, and sells for good price. Just that the car is registered is NOT usually a main selling point. So why are these dog registry abbreviations in these dog ads used as a main selling point? Breeders who don't know better, or are just plain irresponsible, often think it's a license to breed their dogs. Puppy buyers often think they're getting something special when they're not, and they can pay a high price for it. There are many unscrupulous or ignorant breeders out there ready to fill their own wallets. Unlike cars where there is usually only one registry per state, there are many registries for dogs, and it can be pretty confusing. AKC is the largest and most well-known and the ONLY one that insures correct pedigree through DNA testing, but they are not alone out there. Some registries are better than others, as I hope to explain here. ...read more...




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Is a Bullmastiff a good guard dog?

The bullmastiff as a breed was developed in England in the late 19th century to help gamekeepers catch poachers. There was a need for a powerful, fast, rather silent dog that could work as a team with the gamekeeper and take care of both the poacher and the poacher’s dogs. The foundation for the breed is a cross between the mastiff and the 19th century type of bulldog. The behavioral heritage of this breed contains a strong affinity for family members and their friends, as well as a strong guard instinct. The breed was developed to work closely with a small group of people, so this is a “people dog”. A bullmastiff needs to belong to people and live with people, and the dog needs his family to take leadership over the family “pack”...read more..
 

How do I properly measure and weigh my Bullmastiff or Bordeaux?
(I called this "Stupid things people say" when i first wrote it. 

How to measure your dog correctly, was the name of this article but it's changed to: Stupid things people say about their dog's (and horse's) weight and height. by Sonya Worley You should, however, find some helpful info should you be looking for it. Here is a good link with a nice diagram of How to Measure Your Dog and it shows where to measure to on a dog's back. You don't measure up on their neck but at the tip of withers. The instrument you use to measure is called a Wicket. Here is a link, “How to build your own Wicket”. Here is a link to build a WICKET from PVC pipe. And of course eHow has a page, "How to wicket your dog”, and a good blog about “To wicket or not to wicket in the ring”. Personally, I have never been in a ring where this has happened. Some breeds call for it more than others. I have friend that shows small dogs and has been in the ring when someone called for a wicket. The thing is it takes time and usually judges must stay on time to get the groups done at end of day so they can go on with Best in Show. Personally, I don't think I would make an enemy for life by calling another dog too short or too tall and have them thrown out of ring, and the word from AKC (if only judge were not human and could do all things correctly when under pressure). A few of MY words about height and weight of dogs (and horses) I've given up getting upset when people exaggerate about weight, height etc. of their dog, horse (fish) etc. I've found some people like to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the truth. I'm amused as I type this because I have had total strangers come up to me and begin telling me how much their _______________ weighs. So, when people do this I just smile and realize they have no idea how foolishly they are presenting themselves. One example that stands out is when I had Simba, a large champion red Bullmastiff male, with me in a feed store, now mind you we had JUST left the vets office where Simba weighted in at 141lbs. He is a tall boy and carries that weight very well with ribs slightly showing. This guy says, "I have a boxer that big". I said, "Really?" I mean HELLO people. What do you say to that kind of statement?? Another time I had a client fly in from South America, we were at the airport hotel outside on the lawn and I had Champion Kasius with me. He is an extremely nice Bordeaux male that was sire to the puppy this man was picking up. This stranger walks up and says, "I have a 200-pound Bullmastiff female at home", then quickly adds, "and she is NOT fat". Okay what do you say to that? "Shut up stupid"?? Or maybe "you have STUPID stamped on your forehead"?? But he will not shut up or leave us alone. He goes on and on and on. Neither I, nor the gentleman that is playing with his new puppy after traveling all day wanted to hear anything this man had to say about his "200-pound bullmastiff" at home. I should  video these strange people. They could find themselves on America's Funniest Home Videos or You Tube!! Here is video done by Purina about an over weight bullmastiff. The bullmastiff weighted in at 135 and the vets all agreed she was 30% over weight. She wasn't a small frame girl at all. So as I type I'm thinking about meeting people and when they find out I have horses they proceed to tell me about their 17 or 18 hand horse. Now are these people ignorant of what constitutes a "hand" in a horse (4 inches) or were they riding a Percheron or a Clydesdale (in their childhood daydreams)? You see VERY few horses are this large (some warm blooded do get large). I'm 5 foot 4 inches tall (with my tennis shoes on, and who's outside barefoot with the horses?). If a horse were 16 hands tall their withers would be at the top of my head. That is a HUGE horse. I couldn't jump on a horse this size, and would need a mounting block to get on. My point being very few people have even been in the same pasture with an 18-hand horse let alone ridden or owned one. If you have ever been to Bush Garden in FL you can stand by a statue of a Clydesdale and that gives you more of a feel for how truly large these guys are! Here is link to a site that lists all the horse breeds and little about them. Here is another site that talks about measuring your horse., and the "Cowboy Way" to measure your horse. I like this site as there is nice gray mare in pix that is a nice size and she is 14.2 hands. If you are jumping off after you rope a calf, you will need to get back on in the pasture. A horse that is 15.2 is all I can do to swing up bare back and I usually have to put them down hill and NOT have chaps on. It's nice when they just come running to me when I call and snug up against the pipe fence for me to mount. :) That's my kind of horse. So here again is my point, if you clicked into the link the "Cowboy Way" and you saw that nice size horse why would anyone open their mouth and let something come out as stupid as, "I used to have a horse and he/she/it was 17/18 hands tall", Really? Okay I'm on roll. So let's talk about small dogs. How many of you have heard people brag about how small their dog is. "My dog only weighs 2 pounds" Really??? How healthy can a 2 pound dog be? Just get around some Chihuahua enthusiast and they like to brag how small their dog is. They are small! I'm just not sure that's a great thing. Maybe I could just sum it up to say, "People like to brag"!! But bragging can turn into lying and when breeders lie about how big their dogs are it does get under my skin at times. I was just at a Bullmastiff site and the people say "______" is 29 inches tall. I can tell from the pix he is about 25 inches. I'm thinking, "Are you measuring at the top of his neck"? At least they didn't lie (I don't think) about his weight and had him at 130 lbs. And they have a female that is 27 inches tall. Yes, I could paste their link in here I'm telling the truth! People are really this uneducated or willing to lie to make their dog appear "better". Things that make you go "hummmm". Now I'm not saying there has never been a 28 or 29 inch Bullmastiff. I saw a Blazin dog at a KC show and this boy was the biggest Bullmastiff I have ever seen! His feet looked like small dinner plates!!! But it's rare, rare, rare and outside of the breed standard and often at the cost of health issues. So, now having said that a bullmastiff neck should be almost as big around as they are tall, if your little girl wears a 22 inch collar she is probably not much taller than 22 inches. My Megan was about 22 inches tall. Very bulldog and wide as she was tall! Well okay, almost. I could set a dinner plate on her back and it wouldn't fall off! She weighed 120 pounds. She was every bit of 20 pounds overweight. But if someone asked how much does she weigh and I said 120 pounds they probably would get a different mental picture than what the reality is. . (I loved this girl!) When you view her picture, just look at the amount of day light under the dog from belly to ground. Here is your first clue. There is a bullmastiff web site out their where they have a child holding their stud dog that obviously has abnormally short legs (this can be a throwback to a dwarf gene). Just check out the distance from the hock to the ground. This isn't rocket science just simple dog structure. One thing I like about international shows, (most shows held in other countries) they usually weigh the dog and wicket them AT THE SHOW. So if someone goes around bragging (lying) about what their dog weighs every one finds out at the dog show. Just talking weight does not give accurate picture of what a dog is. Now having said that bone does weigh! And I like a heavy boned dog but I do NOT like a fat dog. Here are some links. This boy CH Lakeview's OutCast came to me and my sister for the price of $10,000.00 (YES I'm bragging!) weighing 121 pounds. He stayed at that weight the whole time we owned him. Very active athletic male and he was HUGE. He never carried any extra weight, always very hard bodied. Take a look at him. When people saw him they would say, "I'll bet he weighs 150 pounds!" But the truth is he did not. Now here is Bordeaux "Ovado” that is every bit of 27 inches tall and weighed 142 in these pictures. I just had him to vet to ship sperm a few days before these pictures were taken. In the show picture of this boy taken a year later he has put on weight and is pushing over 150.... But it takes a tall dog with huge bone to carry that weight well. So on the topic of your dog's weight it's a good thing to take them to the vet's office (take your left foot off the scale) and get an accurate weight and have the vet record it so if someone calls they can call your vet to verify (means establish the truth) the dog's weight and NOT what you think they weigh or what they look like they weigh. There is a big difference. I'm not done with this article but that's enough for one night! P.S. My husband read this said I sound like a woman with raging PMS. Okay I can see that. Perhaps I'm just raging against BS or Stupidity! So YOU have a story someone stood flat footed and told you. Please share and if you wish I’ll post ONLY if you are willing to sign your name. You are welcome to change names in story to protect the guilty, the stupid and the ignorant.
(Pix of 19 hand horse in the right column Again a 'hand' is 4 inches.  Do the math). How big will my Bordeaux puppy get? A picture is worth a thousand words. Check out our picture gallery of Clyde.

 

What is the difference between the Bordeaux and the Bullmastiff?

My sister Tonya's opinion is stated first and mine follow in ( ).
by Tonya White and Sonya Worley

Bordeaux's are one of the oldest pure breed of dogs in the world.
Bordeaux's are more intelligent. (in my sister's opinion. Not mine)
Bordeaux's have more health concerns. (It's sad but true. We have had 10 yr old Bordeaux but that is not common)
Bordeaux's are more calm and laid back. (if they have a correct temperament)
Bordeaux's are usually a little better in the house. (except when they drink water. Can you say 'grab a towel')
Bordeaux's do well in the cold weather. (they love to play in the snow, but still need warm dry dog house when done)
Bordeaux's are not big chewers or diggers. (some do, some don't same with the bullmastiff) Bordeaux are stubborn. (so are bullies!) Bordeaux love the water and will swim if taken swimming when they are pups.
Both are great with children WHEN RAISED WITH THEM and taught children are higher in the pack order.
Both are good with cats WHEN RAISED WITH THEM! And NEVER allowed to chase them! (I've had some bullmastiff do well with THEIR cats but will still eat your neighbors cat when given the opportunity)
Both are classified as a "Working Dog" as a Guard Dog (Guard is WHO they are in their heart, you do not train them to guard)
Breed standard for size is the same in both breeds, one is not bigger then the other. (in each breed you have larger ones and smaller more bulldog ones)
Both breeds can be very dog aggressive (especially towards other dogs) if not well socialized, male or female. (They don't call them "Bitches" for nothing folks!)
Both breeds….an un-neutered male will still be aggressive toward other male dogs even if socialized.
Bullmastiff's were created in the 1800's and are a relatively new breed. They are 60% English Mastiff & 40% Bulldog. (not the bulldog or the Mastiff you see today though) Bullmastiff's are tougher/stronger then a Bordeaux. (as puppy you can feel the difference in the hardness of their body when you hold them)
Bullmastiff's are generally healthier. (Bullmastiff have been in the USA longer and good breeders have been health testing longer and been stricter about what is allowed in the breeding program)
Bullmastiff's hate the cold and don't do well in extreme heat. (they HATE the heat!)
Bullmastiff's obey a command when given. (if you insist and have trained them well!) Bullmastiff's can NOT swim. (typically speaking. I have had a few that did like the water, I have fished more than one out of my mother's swimming pool before they drown)
You can visit my sister Tonya's web site by going to www.PuppyCreek.com Where she only raises the Dogue de Bordeaux. She has some of the nicest dogs (and pedigrees) in the USA.

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