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Is a bullmastiff right for me?

Doglover85

Member
Hello everyone! Thanks for allowing me to join the community! I'll apologize in advance for the long post lol.
Well I'm here because eventually I'm wanting to buy a Bullmastiff whenever my wife and I buy a house (3-8 years) . I've read a bunch of info but it all basically seems copy and paste. So instead of doing the bulletpoints of what I want, I'll give my experience and maybe someone can point me in the right direction of this or another breed.
A little about my background;
I'm 35 my wife is 28, I've owned dogs of all sizes, from shih tsus, to Shepards, and pibbles/staffies. Growing up we bred dogs and it was my job to train them. So I've Bred and rescued dogs. I've actually been told I should become a behaviorist and trainer, as I naturally can read dogs and train them very easily. I use a mix of positive reinforcement and mother/alpha cues I've picked up along the way (lightly grabbing the snout if they nip or try to grab food, guiding by the collar if they get stubborn or don't know where I want them, scooting with my body to move them etc) I used to have a deaf dog so I had to use all hand and bodily cues to tell her what to do. Now I just do it naturally and definitely speeds training drastically.
Ive never had to use prong collars or anything of that sort and I don't believe in hitting any animals (it's going to be a bad day if I catch someone)
So 1 newbie-10 being professional in training and being a pack leader, I'd say I'm a sold 9 as Ive never cared about crazy tricks, showing or anything if that nature
.
I don't care about drool as I'm used to dealing with my sister in law's corso (I love him). My knees are shot from Army life, so a good potty walk in the morning and evening with a good game of tug and maybe a little wrestle time is all I'm good for. Both my wife and I currently work overnight, but that isn't a perminant thing. I curb separation anxiety real quick with my current dogs by getting a blanket and rubbing it over the mother and other puppies on one side and me and now my wife on the other side, with a good full Kong and timed leaves nixes any bad behavior real quick.

I'm looking for a couch buddy and a gaurd to take with me to be the "bouncer" of my business,(aka snoozing in my office) and just be a family companion. I plan to have his bed in our room and feed him a raw or semi raw diet. My mother in law is a vet tech so all of our needs are discounted.
We also don't have or want children so that's not a concern. Ive found dogs that were $1200 all the way up to $5k so I have no idea what an average price is.
I already know to get full health screens and all that( my mother bred Shepards) I'm just wary about backyard breeders and the like.

So that's my info, again sorry for the long post, I just like to be thorough lol.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum. I don't have a BM, but my sister-in-law does. I'm a boxer and EM girl for now. I think that with your experience a BM would be a good fit for your home. You sound like you know how to find a good breeder. I know many people have a problem not getting to choose whatever pup they want from a litter, but most responsible breeders will get to know you and what you're looking for in a pup and then match a pup (or several) to your needs. As long as you find a breeder you trust, this usually works out really well for successful placements. I'd expect somewhere between $1500-$2000 for a pet quality pup to be about normal. The last boxer I got was ten years ago and he was pet quality for $1200.


We do have BM owners here that have gotten pups from various types of breeders and I'm sure they'll give their opinions. Wishing you lots of luck and just wanted to say that it's really good to see someone doing their research well ahead of getting a pup. I'm hoping Marke will see this. He has tons of BM experience.
 

Loverboy Skyline

Well-Known Member
It sounds like the BM will be a good fit for you. They are a good dog for people who can only give a limited amount of exercise and they are very protective. In my experience most established reputable breeders start at about $2500 and up, and $2500 will get you a puppy from one of their pet quality litters. The more you pay, the better the pedigree. You might find a good deal for $1500 from someone starting out or from a hobby breeder, but then you take the risk of running into a scammer or someone who doesn't know what they are doing, so in that case you need to do your research to make sure the person is legit.
 

marke

Well-Known Member
i had this guy years ago , he was hanover simon's son ....... he was not lazy , he was afraid of nothing to the point of stupidity , being bold and nosey made him kinda scary to people ....... didn't take a hard correction well , let you know you weren't doing it twice , people , dog , and stranger friendly ........... if it wasn't too hot he could run 6 miles without a problem ....... he was a great dog .one of my favorite all time dogs ....... his pups were some of the best dogs i ever had , better than him ...... in 3 generations he had 8 champions in his pedigree , his mother and father were both international champions , and 4 ROM dogs , he threw himself with anything ......... i believe i gave away most of his pups that i didn't keep ........ unregistered .........

pics don't do him justice , he moved like a freight train , seen a lot of dogs , and he was a sight ......

Picture4475a.jpg


Picture41235.jpg


simon3.jpg


Picture4489a.jpg
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with one of his sons , buddah
buddah.jpg


and a pretty nice daughter of his

lb11.jpg
 

Jakesmum

Well-Known Member
I am raising my second BM. The first one didn't prepare me for the energy and attitude of my newest one, my first guy Jake was so super laid back right from a puppy, but looking back at all the health problems he had I have to wonder if he was truly healthy right from a pup (he was our first and I don't think I chose a good breeder, look back at some of my posts). Bruce will be a year old next week and he is full of energy, even outplays the greyhound cross in his puppy daycare. They need a lot of training and need to be around their families. We have his kennel in our room and that's where he sleeps at night and when we have to leave him at home, otherwise our house would be destroyed. He loves people and other animals so much that he is still learning his manners when it comes to proper greetings (that will be our next class). All that being said, he is a wonderful companion! I have been working from home and he is happy to lay beside me for most of the day. Loves going for walks around the block and snoofle his whole way around. He's been great out camping and just being with us.
 

Doglover85

Member
i had this guy years ago , he was hanover simon's son ....... he was not lazy , he was afraid of nothing to the point of stupidity , being bold and nosey made him kinda scary to people ....... didn't take a hard correction well , let you know you weren't doing it twice , people , dog , and stranger friendly ........... if it wasn't too hot he could run 6 miles without a problem ....... he was a great dog .one of my favorite all time dogs ....... his pups were some of the best dogs i ever had , better than him ...... in 3 generations he had 8 champions in his pedigree , his mother and father were both international champions , and 4 ROM dogs , he threw himself with anything ......... i believe i gave away most of his pups that i didn't keep ........ unregistered .........

pics don't do him justice , he moved like a freight train , seen a lot of dogs , and he was a sight ......

Picture4475a.jpg


Picture41235.jpg


simon3.jpg


Picture4489a.jpg
Picture5143a.jpg



with one of his sons , buddah
buddah.jpg


and a pretty nice daughter of his

lb11.jpg
Those are gorgeous dogs! I know some dogs are more energetic than others. When we bred dogs I'd match the puppy to the personality. If the people were athletic I'd give them the most rambunctious dog, if they were more laid back I'd give them the pup that chilled while the rest of the puppies went nuts lol. I'd expect the same from my breeder. I live in Pittsburgh PA and apartments here don't allow large breeds. So while my wife and I save for a house it's pitties for now. I can do some stuff I just cant run longer than short bursts as my knees are completely shot. Everything else is good tho. I trained and play with my sister in laws 160 pound corso and he loves to wrestle. We will have a large yard for any dog we have to run around in I just won't be running along side lol
 

Doglover85

Member
I originally wanted a ddb but that changed over time to the bm. I want a dog that will watch my property but also be playful and chill. As I get older all of my athletic and army injuries are catching up on me. So I want a big dog that can basically do what I need it without me having to guide it if shit gets real.
I treat all of my dogs as if they are my kids and spoil them a lithle more than I should, but they know when I mean business.

I'm 35 now and owned and fostered over 50 animals mostly dogs from shihtsus, border collies, mastadors, labs, staffies and pitties. My uncle taught me how to train dogs and I learned from various sources as I got older to what I do now. I'm actually really good at reading all dogs. I'm usually the one telling owners that their dogs want this or that and I'm always right. I trained my sis in laws corso, and he was nuts as a puppy. And no one even remotely picked up on his cues and needs. I had him doing basic obedience after 3 days and now he listens but if I'm around he gives me all the drooly lovins because I knew he had severe separation anxiety and craved attention by any means he could get it.

So I focused that energy into patrolling the family farm. Now when he gets antsy you just have to say patrol and he shoots out the door and chases the chickens into their pens and has the other dogs follow him around and he comes back in and is chilled out. My dog now was a severely neglected and abused back yard breeder dog(she escaped being chained to a pipe so the guy could rapid breed her for her first 4 years then she escaped with a puppy that died and way a stray for 2 years) . She had no training at all. It took me a solid 3 months to go from scratch to walking leash free knowing all commands to walking herself on a leash.

She still has her moments but I just scoot her on her pillow and scold her and then she listens lol. I mainly use food and toys to train. I also know when a dog is bored and to stop. Which is why I think a bm is perfect cause I just teach the basics unless the dog craves to do something. And I only do 15-20 minute sessions a day anyway. Usually I start with a potty walk and then some tug then the training then more tug and a treat then just relax. So it all seems like one big play session.
 

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Doglover85

Member
i had this guy years ago , he was hanover simon's son ....... he was not lazy , he was afraid of nothing to the point of stupidity , being bold and nosey made him kinda scary to people ....... didn't take a hard correction well , let you know you weren't doing it twice , people , dog , and stranger friendly ........... if it wasn't too hot he could run 6 miles without a problem ....... he was a great dog .one of my favorite all time dogs ....... his pups were some of the best dogs i ever had , better than him ...... in 3 generations he had 8 champions in his pedigree , his mother and father were both international champions , and 4 ROM dogs , he threw himself with anything ......... i believe i gave away most of his pups that i didn't keep ........ unregistered .........

pics don't do him justice , he moved like a freight train , seen a lot of dogs , and he was a sight ......

Picture4475a.jpg


Picture41235.jpg


simon3.jpg


Picture4489a.jpg
Picture5143a.jpg



with one of his sons , buddah
buddah.jpg


and a pretty nice daughter of his

lb11.jpg
How would he act if corrected? I don't mind a stubborn dog. I find it fun to learn what gets to to listen. And they always make me laugh lol. The first dog I rescued was a kelpie Shepard American pit mix after my first dog died. She was a handful. She would let you know she wanted to play by slamming into you or pouncing on you. It was annoying at first but after awhile we'd play football she would slam into my like crazy but would instantly stop if I said ow or easy. We couldn't let her run so when we were outside she was on a 15 pound 50 foot chain... She damn near sawed the tree it was attached to down as the chain was 3 inches deep. She loved it though. She was a great gaurd dog too. Super loving but if you came on the porch uninvited she'd burst through the screen door and try to rip your balls off lol. Which happened a couple times. (bad neighborhood) But once they left she just wanted to lay and watch TV and get belly rubs. That's really all I'm looking for in a dog. A buddy that will go for a walk then play and train and chill maybe wrestle and watch over the house while we are at work. After work he could sit outside with me and or run the yard play in his pool and be a big goofball that happens to love to chill and watch TV with me. If a dog turns out to be a super athlete I'd put him to work pulling shit on the farm until he was tired lol
 

Loverboy Skyline

Well-Known Member
In general, Bullmastiffs don't take corrections well. Most of them won't be as dominant as the one Marke described, but they object to corrections in other ways, such as shutting down and not listening to you or walking away from you. They might even just play dead and have been known to do that on walks. A funny piece of advice I heard is never walk your Bullmastiff any farther than you are willing to carry him. Mine is pretty dominant for a 6-7 month old, and he already tries to assert himself at times, but I raised big dogs before and I know I have to be strong pack leader. You are probably well aware of that, and I'm sure you'll figure out a way to cope with it.
 

marke

Well-Known Member
How would he act if corrected? I don't mind a stubborn dog.

he wasn't stubborn at all ........ if you threatened him , he threatened back , he wasn't one to go belly up ........... like i said , he was a sight , looked like a monster , i never pushed back on a threat to find out if he meant it , just moved on and figured out another way ......... he was a good boy
 

BattleDax

Well-Known Member
I'm just now looking at this thread, and it's of great interest to me. I'm doing early research on which breed to go with next when my current Doberman dies. He's a bout 6 1/2 years old, so I could have 2 years, or I could have maybe up to 4 years. Some of you may recognize me here, and know that I've been a Dobe guy for 25 years and am probably going to switch. Top of my list are Corso, Bullmastiff, American Bulldog, and I've even considered the Black Russian Terrier.

@Doglover85 , your wishes and requirements for your next dog are quite similar to mine. @marke your experience with BMs is great. That impressive male in the pics looks just magnificent and sounds larger than life.

I'm glad the topic of corrections came up. I asked about this in another thread here and didn't get any advice. I definitely have never espoused positive-only training, rather I strive to find the appropriate mix of positive/negative. Leash pops and scruff shakes accompanied by my noise that means "no" are the correction. This, and also the e-collar once the dog has been fully trained to it.

My last two Dobes have been from working lines and I think they almost should be a different breed, or variant of the breed. My previous one was a machine with the learning and performing. He was almost robot-like with the learning and performing. It was awesome. Some time after his death, I found what I should have already known: His highly decorated sire was pretty inbred. As it happens, this boy had a problem and unpredictably lashed out at people, including my wife and almost our toddler.

Anyway, I describe him in order to say that he accepted well the fair corrections he was accustomed to; however when I gave into weakness and one time when he was barking at the door to be let in and I whipped the door open and raised my foot and kicked at him with the sole of my shoe, he got aggressive at me.

Which reminds me of my current working Dobe, but this one is actually a problem. I think it's actually mental weakness on his part that he distrusts or even fears me (yeah, yeah, "no bad dogs, just bad trainers" blah blah I know) but if I angrily correct him with a vigorous scruff shake and angry vocal correction he might just bare his teeth and even snap at me. This pisses me off to no end and I'm forced to just back down because what the freak am I going to do, realistically? Yes, sometimes I do the smart thing and issue a command to sit, then praise when he obeys.

So, bringing this back to Bullmastiffs: I' m very curious about the topic of corrections. I know their reputation for not being all that biddable and for being stubborn. I am used to demanding compliance from the trained dog and getting it, or issuing a correction then demanding it again.
 

BattleDax

Well-Known Member
Now, another question: Yes, I've read over and over what the Bullmastiff is all about theoretically – what it was intended to do in the early days and in theory what it would do in terms of protecting home and family. Doglover 85 put it well, above: It's all very copy and paste. It's all theoretical. Heck many breeds include the word "fearless" in the breed standard, which I find utterly ridiculous.

So, I'm asking (hopefully without starting a controversy – please know I am sincerely looking for information and learning): Does anyone have legitimate reports of Bullmastiffs actually protecting? Can anyone point to news articles? Pictures or videos? Any personal experiences? I have not found any.

I hear that the BM is likely to just assess a situation, stand its ground and decide what to do or something like that. Frankly, this just sounds like an ineffective guard dog that might just stand there and let the thief steal the silver, or attack the family. With my Dobermans, though they have not been protection trained, I have hoped they would spring into action and actually bite a home invader and ask questions never. I know that is a bit unrealistic if the dog has not been trained and tested, but I believe that at a minimum, if a an intruder became aggressive with my Doberman, he would get aggressive on them and there wold be bite wounds. If a home invader got aggressive with a family member I am confident my Dobe would get involved and at least interfere. Physicality excites him and he is prone to jump on you and get bitey (and this is with me, his owner).
 

Loverboy Skyline

Well-Known Member
BattleDax,
I owned 2 American Bulldogs in the past and trained one of them in Schutzhund. I currently own a Bullmastiff. I don't train him in protection sports because there are no clubs near enough to me and besides, the weather in Florida only makes it possible to train hard for 3-4 months out of the year. Also, my BM does not take corrections well at all. He will shut down quickly and refuse to do anything. I did manage to correct him past that one time. If you give a hard enough correction, you might get him to accept that obeying you is better than taking punishment, but I stopped trying to train him at a high obedience level because there's no point to it when he's basically just a show dog and a pet. He is great with basic commands and has his CGC and that's all he needs right now.

My AB loved protection sports, but it was just a fun sport to him. I think he actually enjoyed getting hit with the stick and didn't take it seriously. He also caught wild hogs, and that was serious stuff. He feared nothing and would probably die before giving up in a real fight, but he was not a great watchdog. He didn't bark at strangers and he was instant friends with everybody. He was the kind of dog you can leave at home with guests and know there won't be any problems. I could pay a house sitter to come if I was away and she would sleep with the dog.

My Bullmastiff is completely different. If I play tug-of-war and start hitting him on his side he actually takes it seriously. He barks at anything suspicious and started that at a young age. He is wary of strangers, especially those to approach him directly and want to hug or pet him, but he will sometimes come up to someone who is just minding his own business. My wife disguised herself with a hood one time and approached him while he was in the backyard. I didn't see it, but she said he growled and was in position to attack her. She was scared that would actually try to jump the fence to get to her, so she ran away. He has convinced my wife that he would protect us from any intruders, but since I know more about dogs and protection training I'm more skeptical. I know he can put up a good front, but whether he can or cannot stand up to a real threat who doesn't back away is an unknown. Regardless, he's a better guard dog than my American Bulldog just for the intimidation factor. I have talked to other BM owners, and I think my BM is more protective, more active, and less people friendly than a lot of other BM's. He happens to come from European bloodlines so that may have something to do with it.
 

Doglover85

Member
Now, another question: Yes, I've read over and over what the Bullmastiff is all about theoretically – what it was intended to do in the early days and in theory what it would do in terms of protecting home and family. Doglover 85 put it well, above: It's all very copy and paste. It's all theoretical. Heck many breeds include the word "fearless" in the breed standard, which I find utterly ridiculous.

So, I'm asking (hopefully without starting a controversy – please know I am sincerely looking for information and learning): Does anyone have legitimate reports of Bullmastiffs actually protecting? Can anyone point to news articles? Pictures or videos? Any personal experiences? I have not found any.

I hear that the BM is likely to just assess a situation, stand its ground and decide what to do or something like that. Frankly, this just sounds like an ineffective guard dog that might just stand there and let the thief steal the silver, or attack the family. With my Dobermans, though they have not been protection trained, I have hoped they would spring into action and actually bite a home invader and ask questions never. I know that is a bit unrealistic if the dog has not been trained and tested, but I believe that at a minimum, if a an intruder became aggressive with my Doberman, he would get aggressive on them and there wold be bite wounds. If a home invader got aggressive with a family member I am confident my Dobe would get involved and at least interfere. Physicality excites him and he is prone to jump on you and get bitey (and this is with me, his owner).

My sister in law has a huge cane corso and I've had friends that had 2 180 pound English mastiffs. I've just never seen a bullmastiff in person. Since I've posted this I've been in touch with a breeder(Sonya at lonelycreek bullmastiffs, who is everything I've been looking for in a breeder and then some) In my experience in training all the dogs I've had or helped with, including military attack dogs, it's 98% positive and 2% negative. I'll give an example to that later. As far as dobe's I've personally never liked them as they are too shady to me. I've had nothing but negative experiences with them, even in controlled environment. They take everything personal in a negative way. And if they are inbred they can snap or die suddenly. To go from a dobe to a mastiff is like going from mike Tyson to danier Cormier lol.
So the reason why your dog got aggressive, it's the same as if we were roommates and you forgot your key and I swung the door open and did a "this is Sparta" kick and slammed the door in your face. You'd get pretty pissed off too. I've found guardian breeds just want to make you happy. So if you treat them like an unruly dog they will shut down and or get aggressive.

Now for the 98/2. My in laws corso its a 175 pound tank. He's huge and barely any body fat. Her friend was training him to grab treats easy. Now I can't stand her friend mainly from other interactions but this one made me lose all respect for her. She'd hand out a treat he'd snap she'd slap him hard across the face( because it's the only way big dogs listen according to her lol) and do it again. He wasn't getting the message. So after basically saying if that was my dog your teeth would be coming out the back of your head, I showed her the correct way. Same thing here's a treat he'd snap but I'd grab his muzzle and in a low growly voice yelled no! Easy! Then I did it again he went easier but still snapped. So I did it again. This time he went super gentle. So I made a huge stink about it. And did it again and went all out again. That's all it took.
Mastiffs don't do repetition very well. You get 3 chances and they they'll stop listening to you. If you get nasty or demanding they will basically be like fuck you dude and go take a nap, or snap at you.
Now let's say you're eating and they come to get what's on your plate, my method again grab the muzzle and in a growly voice just yell no! And make them sit stay in another room. That's all it takes. Now if a dog is going nuts lunging and all that, I use my body to move them and distract them. No kicking hitting or any of that bullshit. I just remove them by grabbing their harness(I don't believe in collars or choke chains etc) directing their muzzle and make them have eye contact and tell them bad etc. Within seconds I get them to stop. Now when I grab them it's the same as grabbing a toddlers arm or hand to repremand them no pain or anything just even pressure. It replicates how their mothers correct them so it makes an impact.
As far as guarding prowess I've never been near a bullmastiff, but my in laws corso goes from snoring to charging or figuring out if he needs to charge in a matter of seconds. It just comes natural to them. They have almost bloodhound level noses so they can tell if someone they know is coming or someone they don't etc. He's a farm dog and the boss dog. He's usually the one going after the chickens when the roosters jump at people lol.

That being said mastiffs only respond to positive and food reinforcement. Only keep training to no more than 10 minutes at a time and if you have to go into the 2% it's basically would you beat the shit out of a toddler that wasn't listening, or grab them and tell them no? That's all it takes. In all the years I've trained dogs I've never needed to hit them use an E collar or even a prong collar. I hate collars in general and keep tags on their harnesses. Otherwise in house nothing is worn. I don't have a stigma against them because they can be good in certain cases, just personally don't like or need them.
Harsh training leads to an aggressive animal it's plain and simple. Unless you're highly skilled you can channel that aggression for protection work, but unless you're robot like in your training and consistency it will bleed over to times that don't call for it. So it's better safe than sorry.

When I was in the army and trained on the sleeve and suit with our airforce k9 (gsd) handler, even he used mostly positive methods except for attack training( punching, hitting the dog while apprehending a suspect so they are used to it and ignore it) but even after that he'd get a steak and a full day of spoiling and babying. Dogs are like toddlers, depending on how you treat them will depend how you want them to turn out. They will do what you ask but only on their own terms. You show a dog love and respect, they will show the same. If you can keep calm in the worst and toughest situations they'll respect you more and know you're in charge. If youre harsh when you do corrections and demand top level obedience every time. A mastiff isn't a right fit for you. They just want to make you happy at all times but on their terms. If they see you as a calm consistent leader that gives them all the good lovin but sets firm boundaries and enforces it in a calm but stern manner they will get the point right away, but they will always test those boundaries. When you train them they will listen one or 2 times, but eventually in their head it's "I've sat and stayedand rolled over 2 times each now, move on or I'm going to nap" , and you'll never break them out of that.
 

BattleDax

Well-Known Member
My sister in law has a huge cane corso and I've had friends that had 2 180 pound English mastiffs. I've just never seen a bullmastiff in person. Since I've posted this I've been in touch with a breeder(Sonya at lonelycreek bullmastiffs, who is everything I've been looking for in a breeder and then some)
Just by way of an initial response here: I have been looking at a bunch of Sonya Worley's Yourtube videos lately! I've looked her website up and down, and I have had one email exchange with her – her reply was fairly short but that's to be expected of a breeder who seems to be fairly busy. I am pretty confident that she's a good breeder. I think she at least hip-tests her breeding stock. I like the look of her Bullmastiffs fairly well. They are not overdone with excessive flew and dewlap and excessive brachiocephalic snout.

Just last night, in fact, I watched the video of her and her assistant bathing "Tuffy," the brindle female. I can learn so much by watching videos of a breeder's actual dogs. Near the end of the video, Tuffy gave a suitable defensive response to a visitor in the distance – a low, defensive bark and keen interest and alert posture. Now, who knows what the dog would have done if allowed to go greet the visitor instead of being there with its two people and in a bathtub.

I also watched a video of her holding a young pup. She made mention of snipping the nose, which I've heard her mention before. I take this to mean doing something to open up the nostrils a bit. I'd really like to learn more about this. But near the end of this video Sonya reiterated that she likes to breed BMs to be able to work (she cites running 5 miles, which might kill some other BMs). She says she wants your BM to be able to do the work it's made to do – to be your guard dog. I very much like the sound of this.

On that note, I did, several weeks ago, send Sonya a 2nd email in which I asked about the guarding ability of BMs. I don't know if she was put off by it, or simply by the length of the email, because I got no reply.
 

LOKI-EFC

Well-Known Member
If you have owned dogs before and have decided you are ready for a bullmastiff.... Then you are ready, no amount of reading online will prepare you for hands on experience with any breed of dog, 99 percent of what is written on the sites you will find is written by digital marketers or seos and the content is just regurgitated nonsense for the most part.

Now, here is where my opinion differs from alot of people who own dogs in general these days and probably msot on this forum.

Learn how to correct your dog properly, this is the most important piece of advice I can dispense. Positive Only reinforcement does not work for 99.9 percent of dogs, it is great for teaching dogs new skills but if you want a safe and in control dog you must correct your dog or quite simply it will not obey you when soemthing interests it more than you, no amount of liver or chicken will deter a dog from chasing an animal it wants to chase, a dog will not recall all the time every time simply because you have treats.

In my experience bullmastiffs are no more sensitive to physical corrections than other breeds I have owned infact they have a higher threshold to physical pressure.

But where I have found they are sensitive is harsh telling offs, shouting at them may make them sulk or completely ignore your command.

This notion of mastiff breeds being good at picking out who is a threat and who isnt, I have found to be largely false, mine is quite simply suspicious and wary of every single person she has not been introduced to multiple times.

With family and friends she is as sweet as pie and family often comment about how gentle she is.

She is so highly suspicious of other people and dogs that I would never allow another person to walk or handle her as only I can control her thanks to bond and consistent training.

I learnt the hard way with positive only reinforcent that it creates a unruly dog and have come to realise now why so many dogs are reactive and out of control, these rehoming shelters have a lot to answer for as they perpetuate the myth of positive only reinforcement and create a never ending cycle of unwanted dogs.

I would say train functional only commands, heel, sit, down, place and break.

Buy an e collar, the et-300 I recommend and receive training by a professional on how to correctly condition your dog to it and how to use it.

For great instructional videos on training and all things k9 related chekc out shield k9 on YouTube, this channel has been a well of knowledge for me.

In terms of energy I selected the bullmastiff because I too wanted a low energy mastiff, what a mis calculation that was, my bullmastiff bounces of the walls and has a super high energy level worse than my old labrador, she requires a lot of exercise and mental stimulation.

Too sum it up bullmastiffs are strong willed, energetic, fun, dopey at home, serious with strangers, high guard instincts.

If you want one and have trained dogs before dive right in.
 

LOKI-EFC

Well-Known Member
Oh, one last thing skimming through some previous comments there are some statements that are simply not true, correcting dogs does not creste aggressive animals that is completely not true, most animals including dogs use physical corrections to correct members of their of species, mothers do this to pups, mother and fathers do this to their pack, it teaches them right from wrong, what is acceptable.

These dogs are not toddlers and in no way is a simple no enough, this is regurgitated information, these dogs are large carnivores with high prey drives and can inflict serious damage if not kept under control.

To say one way of correcting is fine but then to say using collars isn't is jsut completly irrational.

Bullmastiffs can also be trained for longer periods than 10 minutes at a time don't believe everything you read on the Internet, it's largely nonsense.

And this basis of dogs will do as you ask but only on their owns terms is a dangerous statement, whether people like it or not, you are the owner and master of your dog and have full legal responsibility to make sure your dog listens to you everytime and is safe for the public, letting a dog do what he wants on his terms is a recipe for disaster.

Also for the person asking about mastiffs and actually protective instincts, for putting on a display barking etc not allowing people on property mastiffs are great and very intimidating, but if I wanted a dog to actually confront an armed man on the street who was trying to attack me I'd go with a well trained protection GSD.
 

Doglover85

Member
Oh, one last thing skimming through some previous comments there are some statements that are simply not true, correcting dogs does not creste aggressive animals that is completely not true, most animals including dogs use physical corrections to correct members of their of species, mothers do this to pups, mother and fathers do this to their pack, it teaches them right from wrong, what is acceptable.

These dogs are not toddlers and in no way is a simple no enough, this is regurgitated information, these dogs are large carnivores with high prey drives and can inflict serious damage if not kept under control.

To say one way of correcting is fine but then to say using collars isn't is jsut completly irrational.

Bullmastiffs can also be trained for longer periods than 10 minutes at a time don't believe everything you read on the Internet, it's largely nonsense.

And this basis of dogs will do as you ask but only on their owns terms is a dangerous statement, whether people like it or not, you are the owner and master of your dog and have full legal responsibility to make sure your dog listens to you everytime and is safe for the public, letting a dog do what he wants on his terms is a recipe for disaster.

Also for the person asking about mastiffs and actually protective instincts, for putting on a display barking etc not allowing people on property mastiffs are great and very intimidating, but if I wanted a dog to actually confront an armed man on the street who was trying to attack me I'd go with a well trained protection GSD.
I've never needed E or prong collars, and I've trained all my dogs without professional help. While in the army we had an airforce mp and his dog who showed me how he trained his dog for military purposes. I fully agree with the positive only reinforcement. I believe in 98% positive and 2% aggressive correction. It can be anything from a forceful body nudge, to grabbing of a muzzle, or in the extreme case where there is a fight either the wheel barrel methong or bite stick. I make all of my training into a game and have trained all of my dogs to exactly where I want them in less than 4 months. I've recently talked to someone who is a professional high level protection trainer that works with the military to train the trainers. He believes the best way to keep any guardian breed a guardian breed is to socialize them as such. Keep it at a minimum and at a distance. Work on obedience first and don't go to dog parks or anything don't let people approach them but let them see you're in control when you tell them no they can't pet the dog. By them complying and walking away the dog knows hey that's a good person. But if a person insists and acts like an idiot they learn that is not a good person. Now you can let people touch them and pet them but keep it brief. It's more get them use to the vet poking and prodding. He also mentioned all mastiffs have an amazing memory in that say aunt Rosie comes over all the time he knows aunt rosie is okay. And say you need her to feed the dog because you're at work vacation etc, and is house or dog sitting. They know they are allowed because they come right in when they visit. Now is aunt Rosie's husband comes and isn't over much, he might get chased or attacked because the dog knows he's not allowed in. It makes sense because you don't train a gaurd dog to be a sociable golden retriever, because you'll just have a confused gaurd dog and they'll act out as such. I've already talked to the breeder I'm going with and talk with her on a daily basis. So I feel I'm well prepared. It was more of a matter of seeing videos of a dog and being in it's presence are 2 different things. I'm not going to be showing him but I will make him behave in public, but because I told him too, not because he loves everyone if that makes sense.