Bullmastiff

Take a look at Blackie - what do you see? He's big, strong and an excellent watchdog. He's not aggressive but will not back down from and confrontation that threatens our home or family.

In spite of his powerful body and intimidating stare, he's an extremely calm and patient dog, especially with the kids. As is the case with most breeds, he won't tolerate mistreatment, but Blackie seems to understand the difference between abuse and rough-play. If the playing gets out of hand, Blackie just gets up and walks away. He has proved that he can use restraint even when tested.

Blackie does have a tendency to become lazy if not motivated and active, so keeping a regular routine of exercise is vital so that he doesn't become overweight. Sometimes the exercise is in the form of walks and other times it's from playing a game of fetch. After he gets out and starts playing, there are never any signs of laziness. Because of his size, it would probably be impossible to handle him on a leash without early obedience training. That proved to be money well spent, and the beneficial results are clearly evident in his obedient nature and tractability now that he has grown into a mature dog. Even a child can walk him, and the leash never even grows taut.

Above all , Blackie is a loyal companion and family dog that we truly enjoy. He loves to come with us just about everywhere we go and we take him whenever we can; the back of our minivan is his and his alone. Leaving him alone inside the house was not a wise choice, we learned. It's not that he was especially destructive; it's just that his large frame didn't navigate very well around the ceramic dolls and picture frames. He definitely needs his space. Glad we don't live in an apartment. And I didn't like those knick knacks anyway.