Lory
New Member
Gus was a rescue, so we don't know anything about his history; I was told that he is a bullmastiff, but his tail is docked and I've read that this is not normal for the breed, so I am wondering if he might be mixed? He was very difficult to handle when we first brought him home. Whenever we took him out, he would relentlessly jump up and grab hold of one of my arms (same with my husband, when he took him) and hold it in an iron grip. We were covered with bruises for the first several weeks. He's a good citizen now, and generally well mannered. He only tries to jump up and be mouthy when he is very happy, but I make him "sit" before I give him love and he settles down pretty quickly.
He stands about 23" tall and now weighs 135 lbs. When he was found (wandering the streets of DC) he was estimated to be approx. 18 months old, and was intact. Can anyone provide insight as to why his tail is docked, and was the "bite and hold" behavior natural or the result of some sort of training? I understand that this is what this breed does, but expected it to be directed to someone else and not the person walking him. He is my sweet angel now, but it was a tough first month! I've attached a couple of photos. Does he look like a full bullmastiff, or a mix? It doesn't matter, but I've always wondered. Thanks!
He stands about 23" tall and now weighs 135 lbs. When he was found (wandering the streets of DC) he was estimated to be approx. 18 months old, and was intact. Can anyone provide insight as to why his tail is docked, and was the "bite and hold" behavior natural or the result of some sort of training? I understand that this is what this breed does, but expected it to be directed to someone else and not the person walking him. He is my sweet angel now, but it was a tough first month! I've attached a couple of photos. Does he look like a full bullmastiff, or a mix? It doesn't matter, but I've always wondered. Thanks!
