Page 40 - ShowSight Presents The Bullmastiff

championship, but they should not be winning groups and bests in show! While we applaud judges that reward soundness, it should not come at the expense of incor- rect body proportion, length of back, or head type. Many judges also seem to focus on cosmetic flaws rather than structure, which includes correct nearly square pro- portion, proper shoulder layback (difficult to find in this breed) and moderate front and rear angulation, as well, of course, cor- rect head type.
Type is misunderstood, and we can have a variety of types in the ring, which include Bullmastiffs that look like Mas- tiffs (too big, too much flew), Shar Pei (too heavily wrinkled), Rhodesian Ridge- backs (too refined and snipey), Staffy Bulls (short) and Dogue de Bordeaux (round heads, incorrect topline, red color and coat texture). Bullmastiffs are a compact, deep, square dog. A long, rectangular Bullmas- tiff is incorrect.
Silhouette
From the Bullmastiff Standard: “That of a symmetrical animal, showing great strength, endurance, and alertness; pow- erfully built but active. “Body should be compact. Back—short, giving the impres- sion of a well-balanced dog. “Propor- tion—The length from tip of breastbone to rear of thigh exceeds the height from withers to ground only slightly, resulting in a nearly square appearance.” These are some of the most important words defin- ing type in the Bullmastiff Standard. The “general appearance” in our standard gives one a good sense of Bullmastiff type—
“symmetrical (nearly square/balanced), great strength (sound), powerfully built (substantial).” But if any Bullmastiff sticks his head through a hole in the fence, would you absolutely identify it as a Bullmastiff? If you don’t, it is the most serious fault of all. If there is a Mastiff and Bullmastiff standing on a hillside in the distance, one is rectangular the other square, which is the Bullmastiff? If a Bullmastiff needs to look like a Bullmastiff, it must be nearly square. You need to read and study the standard and engage in other means of education to best understand Bullmastiff breed type.
The most frequently mentioned concept in the Bullmastiff standard has to do with proportion. The standard alternatively refers to the Bullmastiff as “symmetrical, nearly square, compact, short backed, and well balanced.” This suggests that an essen- tial Bullmastiff characteristic is a nearly square appearance. It is important to keep in mind that it is not only size, but also proportion that distinguishes the Bull- mastiff from the larger and longer Mastiff. In profile, and from all angles, the Bull- mastiff should appear square. Thus when considering the Bullmastiff, an important point to remember is that long is always wrong. Nearly square proportion every bit defines breed type as the squareness of the head and muzzle. Proportion and size is what defines the difference between a Mas- tiff and Bullmastiff.
Head
The concept of squareness also applies when considering the Bullmastiff head.
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, AUGUST 2014 • 189