Standards
Health
Barf
Ethic rules for
breeding
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The history of the Bullmastiff
The race originates from Great Britain, but a Great Britain which was very different
from what we know today. Most of the land was owned by the landed gentry and the
rest was owned by peasants farmers who had to provide for themselves by cultivating their land
and breeding cattle.
The "natural cattle " or to be more exact the game, was owned solely by the gentry, and there was no
way that the peasants had access to that particular food. The penalty for poaching back in the year 1000 was
the death penalty. That was in later years " eased " to deportation to Australia, and in our time to heavy fines or
imprisonment. With such major consequences it is not surprising that the poachers would go to extremes to
avoid getting caught and thereby made the game keeper's job very dangerous.
The poacher's weapons normally consisted of heavy clubs and the so called " lurchers " - dogs that were a mixture of
a sheep dog and a greyhound. Lurchers could both drive the game onto the set up traps, and also defend the poachers if
they happened to be disturbed by the game keepers. The landowner's countermove was to breed a dog that could
withstand the lurchers and also hold the poacher down until the game keeper could get there. These dogs were called "The Game Keepers
Night Dog".
The breeding of that dog was not really systematised because of the combination of usability and strength being of the utmost importance in a
breeder animal. The consequence was that in some of the ancestors to the Bullmastiff, blood from e.g. Great Danes and Blood Hounds
was found.
The exact time for systematic breeding of the race "Bullmastiff", as we know it today, is unknown.
In a number of earlier publications there are references to a combination Bulldog - Mastiff, but these dogs were very different to
today's Bullmastiffs.
The description of the temperament of the Bullmastiff goes back to the usability that was necessary for past time game keepers.
It was most important that the dogs were naturally quiet so they did not warn the poachers off by barking.
Likewise it was necessary that
the dogs were fast, agile, strong and enduring to be able to overpower the lurcher and then to catch and hold down the poacher.
Last but not least was it important that the game keeper could control the dog so it would let go of the poacher again.
It was a complete bloodless affair because the dogs were muzzled.
The Game Keepers Night Dog lived with the family wherefore a stable temperament was a must.
The Bullmastiff of today has a more gentle disposition.
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