Bullmastiff's still retain their bold and assertive personalities but always in aim to please their ‘hoomans’. They are natural watchdogs and will respond almost instantly to any signs of threat, although it is very unlikely that they will bark at anything or anyone, having been bred to keep their mouths closed! However, they have and always be fierce protectors. In order to remain well-rounded dogs, they need to be socialized and trained from a young age. This way, they will be more used to strangers and other interesting sounds and smells! They aren’t exactly high-energy dogs and are more than happy to have just a few short walks a day. For this reason, they can also live in smaller homes – just make room for them on the sofa!

The Bullmastiff is a fairly new breed, having been developed around 1860 by English Gamekeepers. They were created in response to a need of a dog that was large in size but also both discreet and courageous. It’s thought that the breed was experimented with for a while, but ultimately a Bulldog crossed with a Mastiff created a dog most according to the requirements wanted. They developed a nickname as the ‘Gamekeepers Night-dog’ and worked both alongside their masters as well as their families as well. As the popularity of poaching declined, the dogs changed their jobs to guard dogs and nowadays, they are more likely seen as family pets.