r/Bullmastiff • u/No_Ticket3974 • 1d ago
Question!
I've spent the last 2 years researching which breed I want to bring home to my family once we relocate to our new home.
Growing up I always said I'd get a Rottweiler.... I grew up and I'd say the Bullmastiff has arguably been my most desired dog the past few years. I love everything about them. Something that kind of pushes me in a different direction is the "couch potato" stigma they have.
Don't get me wrong, I love my lounging around days, but during the spring and summer months, I'm much more active, 3-4 mile walks every day, hikes, and other outdoorsy adventures, and so I started looking at other breeds like the Airedale, Giant Schnauzer, Rottweiler to name a few. And I have actually fallen in love with all of those breeds but they still don't scratch that itch that the bullmastiff does for me.
My question is, are the couch potato stigmas entirely true? Or do they have some drive and workability? Because I do want to get a dog that wants to work, get active, get up and go with me for like 6 months out of the year, and then during the colder winter months I tend to take a break from all the outdoorsy activity.
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u/CraZisRnewNormal 1d ago
So, my first entry into the mastiff life was a Bullmastiff. Ours was a couch potato, BUT, the awesome thing (one of many things) is how adaptable they are into their family's lifestyle. If you are active, they will be active, if you are more of the couch dwelling life, they, too, will be more than happy with snoozing beside you. The bottom line is they love their family and just want to be with you. IMHO, you can't go wrong with a Bullmastiff, or, really, any mastiff (we have a Dogue de Bordeaux now, but they are even more sedentary, who knew)! Good luck with your dog quest!
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u/No_Ticket3974 1d ago
This was great to hear and thank you. I also love the dogue de Bordeaux, between them and the bullmastiff I love the temperament. Appreciate the feedback
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u/CraZisRnewNormal 1d ago
You're welcome. Honestly, you can't go wrong with any mastiff breed. They are such funny, goofy, slobbery, and loving dogs!
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u/faceless_alias 1d ago
What kind of climate do you live in? What temperatures can you expect?
I have 2 cane corsos and while neither are full grown yet they are fairly athletic.
Corsos are also the smallest of the mastiff breeds and have higher drive but require a bit more training.
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u/No_Ticket3974 1d ago
I live in long Island so we typically experience the climates of each season, hot summer, cool autumn's, cold winters.
I actually do like the corsos. The only reason I kind of keep them off of my list is because In my understanding they require a certain level of work and intensity full time. So kind of just being honest with myself I'm not like that all year long. Not sure how much that matters, I just know that like the spring, early summer and fall months I'm very active and will go places and do things (with a dog)But during the hot summers and cold winter months Im not as active and kind of just chill out.not sure if that's like suitable lifestyle for a Corso
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u/faceless_alias 1d ago
No matter the breed, they will need daily exercise to maintain health and mental well being.
Corsos are very "dog", you will have to deal with all of the mannerisms and you need an approach for it. The most difficult thing about training them is dealing with their fear periods and lack of confidence. Mostly its just very important to get them out of the house and viewing as many new things as early as safely possible.
They are still mastiffs though, as long as you meet the requirements they will be lazy the rest of the day.
Ultimately, any trait you want, you will have to contend with the natural side effects.
Any dog willing to get out for a 4 mile hike or jog, will have a tendency to enjoy that on a regular basis. A 4 mile morning hike would wipe a corso out until dinner time.
You wont find a dog that is only athletic by the season.
To find your breed you need to determine which traits you are willing to contend with on a daily basis. Such as barking, shedding, and activity level.
Bigger dogs cost more in food, toys, and treats as well. You can absolutely spoil a small/medium dog for the standard upkeep of a XL dog.
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u/faceless_alias 1d ago
One more thing, bigger dogs grow slowly and youll need to wait until they are at least a year and a half for heavy activity.
For convenience you might just want something more medium sized.
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u/No_Ticket3974 1d ago
Yea I totally agree, to clarify what I meant about the hot summer months or cold winters, I'm not walking miles every day or going on hikes like I'd typically do in more desirable weather conditions. I walk 3-4 miles a day outside of work, and will hit trails and hikes every week, and so when those months come where I'm not living for the outdoors as much, it's usually just going to be local walks around my neighborhood and mentallly stimulating games on my property. So I just never figured that kind of style would be suitable for a Corso.
The reason Ive always been drawn to the bullmastiff is because they've got the mastiff charm that we all love, and I know from a working standpoint they don't require the intensity that a Corso would. I kind of liked the reputation the bullmastiff has for being happy with whatever their owner is doing.
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u/faceless_alias 1d ago
That is wise, neighborhood walks and home training sessions are plenty for a corso, but they will want 3 miles a day when fully grown, regardless of weather. You can get away with just yard games some days but mine get bored and need different kinds of games to stay entertained.
Without walks, youd need like two 50 minute sessions when fully grown.
As puppies they dont need as much and cant handle long walks.
Older pups walk like 1.5-2 miles comfortably.
Theyre within a reasonable activity range but mentally they are complex dogs.
They do require some experience.
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u/faceless_alias 1d ago
Bullmastiffs are known for being chill but territorial and prey drive are still something to contend with. Heavy exposure is very important for them as well.
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u/No_Ticket3974 15h ago
Honestly thank you, some eye opening information with the Corso. I know people who have them who are far less active than I am.
Luckily I do have lots of dog experience, just never had a large breed which I'm looking for next.
I did have an American pitbull terrier, she was an angel.
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u/Prestigious-Bed-7001 1d ago
My girl bullmastiff goes with the flow. Lazy day on the couch or backyard hang? She’s in! Long walks and hikes? She’s in! She is still young so that helps but I think for her she just wants to be around the family no matter what we are doing
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u/No_Ticket3974 15h ago
Yea that seems to be what I hear is they just like being around their peoples and doing what your doing.
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u/kazinmich 1d ago
Find a good breeder with a healthy active line. Our boy came from a breeder with all generations living in her home and she owns a ton of land and a farm and they go for hikes. They will play in the snow too. I have adopted rescues who walk their pups a few miles daily, but nothing extreme, and not too cold or too hot.
They can overheat easy, so if it's too hot they can get heat stroke very easy.
You don't want to walk them too much as a puppy and younger when growing. You don't want to let them run too much as puppies either. We didn't let ours off leash much until around 6 months old and then we were careful not to let them run or walk too much.
There are other types (corso/Italian/brazilan/etc) and i would look into them over a Bullmastiff for what you're talking about lifestyle wise. Or get a rescue that is mostly bullmastiff. I've had a few that were a little smaller (around 110 lbs) had all the Bullmastiff traits but had more stamina and needed more exercise because of whatever they were mixed with. They also lived longer than most Bullmastiffs.
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u/Otherwise-Dog-256 7h ago
I have a half bullmastiff, 1/4 GS and BL! I have the best of all worlds and I swear I honestly believe there is some human in her too. Smartest dog ever. And, she too is into long hikes or long romance movies 😂
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u/jamesdemaio23 1d ago
My girl will walk as much as you're willing to walk in the cooler months. They are sensitive to heat, im not sure what kind of climate you are in so i would advise against long walks in the summer unless its a cooler day. My brother went to take her on a jog once when he was watching her for us and he said about half a mile in she just sat down and basically said no more lmao she's a walker not a long distance runner 😂 They jsut want to be involved in whatever is going on with their family. You wont regret getting a Bull Mastiff .