Bullmastiff

The Bullmastiff is an English breed of dog of mastiff type and large size, with a solid build and a short muzzle. It was developed as a guard dog in the nineteenth century by cross-breeding the English Mastiff with the now-extinct Old English Bulldog. It was recognised as a breed by The Kennel Club in 1924. History The origins of the Bullmastiff are unclear. In the eighteenth century, in some regions of England, the Old English Mastiff and English Bulldog were commonly inter-bred to produce dogs suitable for work guarding people and their property. By the beginning of the twentieth century this cross-breed was in widespread use as an aid to gamekeepers in the control of poaching. They were bred by gamekeepers for strength, size and speed using a cross of the tough, heavy and aggressive Bulldog of the nineteenth century with the large, strong, less aggressive Mastiff. As a result, the Bullmastiff is known as the Gamekeeper's Night Dog. The Bullmastiff was recognised as a breed by The Kennel Club in 1924. Dogs had to have a minimum of four generations of descent from Bullmastiff stock without input from either Bulldog or Mastiff; cross-bred animals could not be registered. The American Kennel Club recognised it in 1934. It was definitively accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1955.