Regardless of gender, the Bullmastiff breed is a desirable household pet renowned for its seriousness in fulfilling its guarding duty without holding back its quirky and fun nature when around kids or family. Knowing whether you should get a male or a female Bullmastiff is necessary and this can be found out by determining which one clicks with you more.
Nevertheless, gender should not be the ultimate deciding factor for you. To arrive at a better decision, this article will show you the differences between the male and the female Bullmastiff, no matter how subtle they are.
Physical Differences
Male
Applicable to other dog breeds, the male Bullmastiff is genetically predetermined to be much larger both in height and weight compared to his counterpart. The American Kennel Club (AKC) has set ideal measurements which would qualify your dog in shows if exhibiting him in contests is one of your goals for your buddy.
If measured at withers, the male Bullmastiff should be 25 to 27 inches tall. This has to be complemented by a healthy weight that could range from 110 to 130 pounds. Anything less or more than the desired proportions is discouraged.
Female
Although female Bullmastiffs are shorter and weigh less than male Bullmastiffs, they still are seen to be large dogs. There is only a little difference regarding the measurement between the two sexes but dog owners do not fail in considering that.
Females are expected to be 24 to 26 inches from foot to shoulder and have to be 100 to 120 pounds in mass.
Note: There is not much difference when it comes to physical features. Both dogs possess the same kind of traits such as a coat that is short and dense serving as great protection against snow, rain, and cold.
They have to display a mask on their muzzles similar to their Mastiff parent and a darker shade should more or less cover their little ears. They have a bulky look but are not necessarily overweight in appearance. Rather, they show a magnificent build which gives off an impression of being muscular and fit. There are no wrinkles present in the body except on their Bulldoggy faces.
The AKC has also acknowledged fawn, brindle, and red as the main and only colors present for both genders.
Temperamental Differences
Male
The Male Bullmastiff is a typically happy-go-lucky dog. Since he tends to mature a little later than the females, you’ll get to have a large dog with a puppy mindset for a longer time. He’s less serious and overly playful to the point that he could end up becoming careless and clumsy.
He can easily fall in love with kids and wouldn’t say no if asked to have a little game. Monitoring how he interacts and reacts with your children is still necessary as he could end up exhibiting mouthy behavior which can be of concern for parents.
It is not very ideal to leave this dog all by himself, especially if wasn’t trained to deal with the loneliness while you’re gone. However, if he has been left with activities to preoccupy him, expect him to play without any restrictions. The Male Bullmastiff does not go by the rules. He loves to do things in his term.
Female
The female is more emotionally and mentally developed than the male Bullmastiff. This doesn’t make her a better dog, however, since these are just inherent for her.
She’s more sensitive to her owner’s emotions and feelings and shows a bit more seriousness around the house. Being calm, clean, and careful are some of the hallmarks of a female no matter the dog breed in most cases. This sounds delightful for owners who resonate with this kind of personality.
She’s more gentle when dealing with your kids. Most female dogs perceive small children as their puppies, hence the extra care they show. One dominant trait that shows, however, is that she will try to tame and control them.
When it comes to strangers, the female Bullmastiff’s protective instinct sparks greatly. The intensity increases when she is a nursing mother. With that, she generally does not get along well with unfamiliar people.
Trainability Level
You might need a longer time and extra patience if you are training a male Bullmastiff. The case is different for the female dog, however, since she matures faster than the other.
When a dog has reached a certain mental age capable of grasping new learnings, instilling important drills won’t be that overwhelming and that’s another advantage for the female Bullmastiff.
Despite this contrast in trainability level, Bullmastiffs, in general, remain stubborn, but the tables could turn if they are trained early. They would both need an owner who has experience training dogs and has a firm authority- someone they’d see as the pack leader.
Compatibility With Kids
Once the Bullmastiff gets used to the family and grows to love the kids, he’ll show an impressive friendly personality that seems to mismatch his intimidating look. Still, it is necessary not to compromise the safety of your children, especially if you have a toddler who spends most of his time with the housepet.
This is a large canine and he could unintentionally sit on a kid’s leg, arms, or cause unwanted injuries. It’s possible too that he’ll snap when handled roughly.
To prevent this from happening, training both the dog and child is a priority. Teach the dog to mellow down his playful bites and the kid not to provoke the dog such as taking away his food.
Compatibility With Other Dogs
The compatibility of the Bullmastiff toward other dogs boils down more to how trained he or she was rather than the nature of its sex. If the Bullmastiff has been socialized early on and has been taught that it is alright to make friends with others, it will be open to forming new bonds.
It is highly recommended that if ever you get a new dog, going for the opposite sex will lower the chances of conflict at your home. The Bullmastiff is dubbed as a breed that gets very uneasy with the presence of other canines, but by taking measures, he’ll live to tolerate other pets in the house or even those he regularly meets in the dog park.
Who’s a Better Guard Dog?
Regardless of gender, the Bullmastiff takes pride in his history as a guarding dog. A male Bullmastiff’s priority, however, is to ensure that no one trespasses his territory. He’ll scout around your house and show alertness to any slight movements or peculiar and suspicious sounds.
Meanwhile, the female Bullmastiff prioritizes the safety of the kids and her family. She prefers staying indoors and has no sense of motivation to patrol outside like what males do. If someone breaks in, no doubt she’ll alert her owners about it. Despite her laziness to ensure the whole safety of her fortress, a female Bullmastiff will not have second thoughts of pouncing on the intruder, especially when the stakes are high.
The Difference in Price for a Male and Female Bullmastiff
If we only take gender as a determiner of the price range, female Bullmastiffs are mostly priced higher than males. By going for the female, you can already start a breeding business which can eventually give you huge profits if done right. In some cases, breeders suggest to potential dog owners that they go for the male, so the breeders can keep the females and sell out more males.
However, this is not just the only factor affecting puppy price, but yet again, it plays a vital role before breeders set a price tag.
Pros and Cons of a Male Bullmastiff
Pros:
- Great home protector
- Can easily adjust to apartment-style living
- Affectionate
- Child-friendly
- Active and playful
- Needs little exercise
Cons:
- Prone to many health problems
- Needs intensive dog training
- Tends to be messy
- Unfriendly to other pets
- He can be too clingy
- Can be challenging to handle
Pros and Cons of a Female Bullmastiff
Pros:
- She has a great mother instinct
- Matures fast
- More trainable
- Extra gentle with kids
- Can be independent
- More quiet and clean
- More intelligent and organized
Cons:
- Very unfriendly to others
- Quite stubborn
- Has a higher aggression level
- Could be demanding and controlling
- Not as playful as male dogs
Should I Get a Male or a Female Bullmastiff?
It depends on what your home and family needs. Although we go out looking for the perfect companion, you have to instead, assess your situation or lifestyle and determine which gender your household could accommodate. Moreover, despite the general differences in both sexes, these could still change depending on how the dogs are bred.
There is what we call genetic temperament and no matter how fascinating one gender is than the other, if the parents have bad behavior, the general personality will vary.
