A few Breed Specific Questions

[AR-HICK]

You want a Bullmastiff, get one! You have done your research and understand what you are getting into. Barking is not a problem unless you teach it as a trick (my mistake) and it isn't a problem except he thinks when I ask him to sit and look at him that he should bark for a treat. That is only a problem when he is working at the nursing home. When your dog starts barking everyone will know who's dog it is!!!
The activity level of your dog depends on you(IMHO) and don't worry about your dog keeping you up at night. Mine can sleep 20 hours a day or be highly active, but when he gets a chance for a nap it is sawing logs time. SNORING may keep you awake at night or lull you to sleep, but there will be snoring. Exercise will do you both good, but I do have a concern about your strength handling a BM. POWERFUL they are and I am not little and my dog wants to go someplace really bad, it is difficult to keep him from whatever has his attention and I outweigh him by 80-90 lbs.
As far as are you a good fit, YES! Your Bully will sleep while you are gone and want your attention when you are home. Will love going to work with you and doing anything you take your pup with you anywhere you can, you will get lots of attention. They LOVE people and may develop dog aggression, get ready. That is where my concerns lie; my Bully likes yorkie's and schnauzers and won't miss a chance to growl and go after one. It happens so quick and it is wagging tail and ok, then lunge and growl with mouth wide open!
Professional training is a must! Petsmart is fine for starters, but you will need a little more than that. PRO's: Not barking dogs- not sympathy barker either (in my experience, actually kinda scares my dog or makes him uneasy). Will adapt to your home. Great companion and bonds well. Intelligent- independent thinker and wants to do things their way. Very trainable, but not driven to please like a border collie.

CON's Big and Strong. Shedding, everything I read said they don't shed much and that is a bunch of crap. Don't wash your dog with shampoo, rinse with a water hose and towel dry. Potty training-slow process (depends on the dog). Vet bills- large dogs are more costly. Intelligent- independent thinker and wants to do things their way.
Don't worry about the puppy personality, get your pup from a good breeder and your puppy will do it's very best to be a wonderful companion and occasionally pain in the rear.

 

[EverythingEnglishMastiff]

They don't shed in the sense that their coat dries up and falls out like a GSD's coat does. They constantly are losing hair like humans, not seasonally shedding like some breeds of dogs do.

 

[Jakesmum]

My bullmastiff is my first dog. I spent time with a friends and fell in love with the breed. When my husband and I decided to get him I was the one that took him to all of his training and spent the time with him to make sure he was properly trained, he wasn't hard to train, he just has a mind of his own and learned at his own pace. Kennel training him saved our house and sanity, now as an adult dog he still loves going to his kennel as that's his safe place. He's very quiet, will only bark to notify us if there is something odd outside or one of his friends is walking past, but it's one bark and then he's done. He sheds a ton and it's a constant battle to keep up with the fur in the house.

 

[Sinnister]

My first pup was BM. I started obedience/puppy training when she arrived. She's a good dog and you'll probably be able to handle her fine. They are incredibly strong though. That can't be understated. I like to think of myself as a pretty strong guy outweighing her by a good 130lbs. Doesn't matter much. When she wants to go I have to fully flex my arm and anchor my feet down. They aren't GSDs. Sure they are smart and you will see the intelligence, but they surely will not perform what you want them to all day without seeing the need to do so. And I'm not talking constant treats here. Mine will ignore them completely if something else is more appealing. The dog aggression thing...not sure if that's happening to my girl now that she's starting to get out of the puppy stage at 2.5 years old. But having 2 yappy neighbour dogs that constantly fence fight her in the back yard is not helpful. So I've only let her out to run around there if the other 2 terrors are inside. She did start to dig a bit under the fence to get better acquainted. I'm assuming just to play but not sure. Shed? Yes. Snore? Yes. Drool? Not as much as the internet write-ups would lead you to believe. She's relatively dry mouthed unless she's eyeing something delicious or just drank some water. But others will have good advice for you as I am still learning as I go. Good luck.

 

[JennyC]

My first two dogs are the ones I have now 3 month old BM and a 9 month old BM, they are half brothers (same father) I love them and wouldn't go any other breed. MY boys don't bark hardley every but when they are playing. The dogs in our neighborhood bark and when we are walking my boys just look at them and they don't bark back. I have a pretty big house which is nice for but they are always with us anyway. Potty training for my older puppy only took about 3 months to fully potty train, we also have the invisible fence which really helped because he would go out and play. If you don't mind the drool, the inability to realize how big they are, always having a new friend around you, and not leaving them alone a ton then I totally recommend a BM. oh and not to mention the nice feeding bill you will have. They are great dogs.