The Canadian Kennel Club
Official Bullmastiff Breed Standard
Origin and Purpose
The Bullmastiff was developed in England by
gamekeepers for protection against poachers. The foundation breeding
for the modern purebred was 60 per cent Mastiff and 40 per cent
bulldog. It is a guard and companion dog, and should be loyal,
obedient, and thus suitable for training.
General Appearance
The Bullmastiff is a powerfully built,
symmetrical dog, showing great strength and activity, but not
cumbersome; upstanding and compact in appearance, with breadth and
depth of skull and body, the latter set in strong, sturdy well boned
legs.The height measured vertically from the ground to the highest
point of the withers, should nearly equal the length measured
horizontally from the forechest to the rear part of the upper thigh,
and should slightly exceed the height at the hips. Bitches are
feminine in appearance, of somewhat lighter bone structure than the
male, but should still convey strength.
Faults: (S) Lack of balance. Poor or light bone structure. (M) Lack
of muscular development. Ranginess
Temperament
The Bullmastiff should be bold, fearless and
courageous, a dependable guard dog; alert and intelligent.
Faults: (S) Viciousness, Shyness (M) Apathy and sluggishness
Size
Height at the highest point of the withers:
Dogs: 25-27 in (63-69 cm) Bitches 24-26 in (61-66 cm)
Weight: Dogs: 110-130 lbs (50-59 kgs), Bitches 100-120 lbs (45-55 kgs)
It is important that the weight be in proportion to height and bone
structure, to ensure balance.
Faults: (S) Over or under maximum height (M) Over or under maximum
weight
Coat and Colour
Coat short and dense, giving good weather
protection.
Colour: any shade of red, fawn or brindle, but the colour must be pure
and clear. A small white marking on chest is permissible but not
desirable.
Faults: (S) White markings other than on the chest (M) Black
shading on body, legs or tail (reds and fawns)
Head
The skull should be large,
equal in breadth, length and depth, with fair amount of wrinkle when
the dog is interested; well developed cheeks. The skull in
circumference may measure the height of the dog. Forehead flat, with
furrow between the eyes. Stop definite.
Faults: (S) Narrow or shallow skull. (M) Domed forehead.
Insufficient stop
The muzzle should be short, broad and deep, in the same
proportion as the skull. The distance from the tip of the nose to the
stop should not exceed one third of the length from the tip of the
nose to the center occiput. Broad under the eyes and nearly parallel
in width to the end of the nose: blunt and cut off square, appearing
in profile in a plane parallel to the line of the skull. A black mask
is essential. The nose should be black, flat and broad
with widely spreading nostrils when viewed from the front. Flews not
to pendulous. The lower jaw broad.
Faults: (S) Muzzle to long, to narrow, pointed or lacking in depth.
Muzzle too short; nostrils set on top; nose pointed, upturned or laid
back; lower jaw narrow. (M) Lack of wrinkle. Flews too pendulous
Teeth preferably level bite or slightly undershot. canine
teeth large and set wide apart; other teeth strong, even and well
placed.
Faults: (S) Teeth overshot. Teeth more than a 1/4 in (.6 cm)
undershot. Wry mouth. (M) Irregular or poorly place teeth. Small
teeth.
Eyes dark or hazel, and of medium size; set apart the width of
the muzzle.
Faults: (M) Light eyes. Eyes to close together or too small.
Ears should be V-shaped and carried close to the cheeks; set
on wide and high, level with the occupit, giving a square appearance
to the skull which is most important. They should be darker in colour
than the body, and the point of the ear when alert, should be level
with the eye.
Faults: (S) Rose ears. (M) Ears to long or to short. Lack of darker
colour.
Well placed arched of moderate length, very
muscular, and almost equal in circumference to the skull
Faults: (S) Neck to short or to long. Neck weak and scrawny.
Forequarters
Proper angulation and proportionate bone
lengths of the forequarters are very important. The shoulder bone
should slope forward and downward from the withers at an angle of 45
degrees from the vertical. The humerus (upper arm) should form a right
angle with the shoulder bone, 45 degrees from the vertical. The
shoulder bone and the humerus should be approximately equal in length.
The length of the foreleg from the ground to the elbow should be
little more than half the distance from the ground to the withers,
approximately 52 per cent. The shoulders and upper arms should be
muscular and powerful, with round heavy bone, vertical and parallel to
each other, set well apart; elbows set close to the body. Pasterns
straight and strong. Feet of medium size, not turning in or out, with
round toes, well arched. Pads thick and tough. Nails black.
Faults: (S) Lack of proportion in bone. Shoulder to steep.
Shoulders overloaded. Elbows turned in or out. Lack of bone in
forelegs. Forelegs bowed. Weak pasterns. Splayed feet. (M) Feet turned
in or out. White nails
Body and Tail
Body compact. Chest wide and deep, with ribs
well sprung and well set down between the forelegs. Back short and
level. Loins wide, muscular; croup slightly arched, with fair depth of
flank.
Faults: (S) Body to long. Shallow chest. Narrow chest. Lack of
ribspring. Sway back. Roach back. Tip of hipbone higher than withers.
(M) To much tuck up
Tail set on high, strong at the root and tapering to the hocks. It
may be carried straight or curved.
Faults: (S) Screw tail. Crank tail. Tail set to low. (M) Tail carried
hound fashion. To long or to short. Too heavily coated.
Hindquarters
It is important that structure, angulation,
and proportionate bone lengths of the hindquarters be in balance with
the forequarters. The pelvis (hip bone) should slope backward and
downward from the spine at an angle of 30 degrees. The femur (upper
thigh bone) should form a right angle with the pelvis. The lower thigh
bone (stifle) should set at an angle of 45 degrees to the vertical.
The pelvis and femur should be approximately equal in length. The
ratio of the lengths of the femur, to the tibia/fibula, to the hock
should be approximately as 4:5:3. The length of the lower leg, from
the ground to the hock joint, should be little less than 30% of the
distance from the ground to the top of the hip bones. The lower leg
should be vertical to the ground. The hip bones should be broad, in
balance with shoulders and rib cage. Hind legs strong and muscular,
with well developed second thighs, denoting power and activity, but
not cumbersome, set parallel to each other and well apart, in balance
with forelegs and body. Feet as in forequarters.
Faults: (S) Lack of proportion in bone. Poor angulation at hip
bone. Narrow hip structure. Stifle to straight or over angulated.
Cowhocks. Bowed hind legs. Splay feet. (M) Feet turned in or out.
White nails.
Gait
The gait should be free, balanced and
vigourous. When viewed from the side the dog should have good reach in
the forequarters and good driving power in the hind hindquarters. The
back should be level and firm, indicating good transmission from back
to front. When viewed from the front (coming towards) or from the rear
(going away), at a moderate pace, the dog shall track in two parallel
lines, neither to close together nor to far apart, so place as to give
a strong well balanced movement. The toes (fore and hind) should point
straight ahead.
Direction to exhibitors and
judges
The dog should be moved in the ring at a
sufficient speed to show fluidity of movement, and not a slow walk.
Faults: (S) Rolling, paddling or weaving when gaited. Any crossing
movement either front or rear. Stilted or restricted movement. Dogs
with structural weakness as evidenced by poor movement should not be
used for breeding.)
Disqualifications
Liver mask. No mask. Yellow eyes.
Note
Faults are classified as Serious and Minor,
indicated as (S) and (M) respectively. Note the minor
faults are either points which would not of themselves contribute to
unsoundness in the dog, or are the result of poor conditioning, which
might be controlled, and are not likely to be hereditary.