Bullmastiffs are a very popular large breed of dog. They are a cross between the Bulldog and the Mastiff - a very successful cross that combines the best of both dogs. They have the size, power and courage of the Mastiff with the speed and aggressiveness of the Bulldog.

In the early 19th century, they were given the nickname of "Gamekeeper's Night-Dog" for their work at night catching poachers. To this day, they are still remembered from their work catching and holding poachers. What made them so unique was that they would capture the poacher and perhaps knock them down, but they would never attack. They need no training to be a guard dog as this comes naturally to them. Other breeds have to be specifically trained to know how to stop a stranger and detain them but not attack them. They would hold them until their master came. To the Bullmastiff, this comes naturally. The Bullmastiff was chosen over the Mastiff for the poaching duties which were also due to their great obedient nature.

If you have any questions as to how big this dog can be, just remember Hercules, the Mastiff that made the Guinness Book of Records as the largest dog in the world at 284 pounds. Granted, he was 100% Mastiff, but the Bullmastiff is not far behind them! This is definitely where they got their size from. There have been a few different "world's largest dogs" that were Mastiffs.

One Bullmastiff was a star on television; you may remember seeing him. His name was Mac and he's owned by Brian and Tracy Ferrick. Mac (CH. Keeper's Midnite Marauder) appeared in a Honda Odyssey commercial for a moving advertisement in 1998. Karl Lewis Miller, a world famous trainer, trained Mac. This particular commercial was also shown during the Super Bowl in 1999. How many dog owners can say their dog was part of the whole Super Bowl experience?

The Bullmastiff was registered in the American Kennel Club in 1934 and today has an AKC ranking of 53, which is very good considering all the dogs that are in the registry. When cross breeding the Bulldog and the Mastiff to create the Bullmastiff, England prefers the mixture to be 50% Mastiff to 50% Bulldog, whereas Americans wants them to be 60% Mastiff with 40% Bulldog.

The Bullmastiff has become such a popular dog that there are stores that sell many different merchandise items with the Bullmastiff emblazoned on them. Whether it is shirts, coffee mugs, hats, flags, or bumper stickers, these items are loved by the many owners of this wonderful animal. In addition to the many items that are available in many of the online stores, many of them will custom design items for the Bullmastiff owners. These make great gifts for that hard-to-buy person.

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