Taylor Made Bullmastiffs

The breed originated in Great Britain in the middle of the 19th century. The estate owners hired gamekeepers to guard all of the edible wildlife so it could be used by the estate owners to feed the estates' hundreds of employees. Poaching was a capital offense during those days, so the law enforcement needed the felons to be delivered to them alive. Gamekeepers needed best help possible for this job - they needed dogs that were fast, quiet and obedient.  They also had to be powerful and courageous, they could not hesitate to jump on and hold a poacher until the gamekeeper would take him to the sheriff. Two breeds came to mind: a Mastiff and a Bulldog. A Mastiff because it was a guard dog, and a Bulldog because he was a fearless fighter. There were several problems with using either one of the breeds: 1. The Mastiff was too massive and too slow to tackle the poachers and probably not as agressive because it had been a family pet for generations. 2. The Bulldog with its massive forequarters and head with its relatively short legs, was too slow and unfortunately too ferocious. Bulldog being not too obedient could maim or kill the poacher before the gamekeeper got there.

So, this is how the Bullmastiff came to be. A 60% Mastiff and 40% Bulldog. Very powerful, very athletic, one that moved quickly and quietly. One, who is very intelligent and very obedient. Bullmastiff had no problems jumping and knocking down the poacher and holding him there until the gamekeeper came and took him to the sheriff alive.

The colors of the new Bullmastiff were variety of brindle, red and fawn. All of them had a black mask. The brindle color was said to be preferred by the gamekeepers because it was more difficult to see them at night.

The English Kennel Club recognized The Bullmastiff breed in 1924 and American Kennel Club followed in 1933.