Ursa Major Bullmastiffs

frequently asked questions

collected during hours and hours of sitting on the show bench with
Brannock and KT at the Cow Palace...

How much do they weigh?

Brannock and KT weigh 140 and 110 pounds respectively.  Yeah, they outweigh a lot of people.  But they have no clue how big and strong they are.   Mostly because I don't let on to them.

How much do they eat?

They eat about 2-4 cups premium dog food twice a day.  They'd need a lot more of that cheap grocery store stuff since it's mostly filler and not nearly as nutritious.  I look at it this way:  Premium dog food goes for about $1/pound.  How much of what you eat is that cheap?  So why would you begrudge your best bud the good stuff?

Aren't you afraid of them?

(Asked while I was sitting on the bench squeezed between two adult male bullmastiffs with my arms around the dogs)  Do I look like I'm afraid of them?  Bullmastiffs are the gentlest of dogs.  They have to be, they're way too big for us to allow otherwise.  When Brannock first came home at 8 weeks old and 16 pounds, I taught him right away that I'm bigger and stronger than he is and he'd better do as I say.  He's a smart dog.   He learned this lesson right away and he's never ever forgotten it.  He still thinks it's true.  These two are easier to control than a lot of other dogs half their size - gentle temperment and early firm gentle discipline.

Do they need a lot of space?

Well yes and no.  They're big, they need enough room to turn around in at least.  But they don't need as much room to run in as other dogs do because they're not as active as for instance a labrador retriever.  They love walks and they'll run (fast!) if there's a reason for it but their favorite activity is lying at your feet and adoring you all day long.  And they're not much for playing fetch either.  If you really wanted that stick, you wouldn't have thrown it away, now would you?

Are they good with children?

Again, yes and no.  They're very gentle and easygoing but they are big and heavy and clumsy and they can easily knock over and hurt a small child without even realizing it.  No dog of any size should ever be alone with any small child.  And they don't play the kinds of games that older children like, like fetch and tug and chase.  But plenty of families with children include bullmastiffs in the household without problems.

How long do they live?

Large breed dogs as a rule don't live very long.  Bullmastiffs average 8-10 years. While this is a much shorter life span than the smaller breeds, Bullmastiffs are generally healthy for the majority of their life span, escaping the arthritic, incontinent, deaf, blind, irritable and smelly years that the longer lived smaller breeds must endure. Smaller dogs may be geriatric for several years.  

Do they get hip dysplasia?

All large breeds have problems with this.  Responsible dog breeders have their dogs screened before using them to breed and then only use dogs rated Good or Excellent.  KT is Good and Brannock is Excellent.  Only 4% of Bullmastiffs rate Excellent.

Do they snore?

Yes.

Do they drool?

Well, not like a St. Bernard does.  But yeah, the males definitely drool.  The females aren't so bad.

What's the difference between a bullmastiff and a mastiff?

Bullmastiffs are a cross between bulldogs and mastiffs.   That's where they get the pugged in face.  Aren't they adorable?  They're also smaller and more agile than mastiffs, making better guard dogs.  They were bred to be night watch dogs on big estates, back when poachers didn't think twice about murdering game wardens.  They're real good at it, too.  No, they don't kill their victim.  They just hunt you down and knock you down and hold you til the game warden comes to arrest you.  And there's not a lot you can do about it.

More questions?  Send email to:  ursamaster@msn.com