Bullmastiff Complete Profile

Written by Dooziedog.com


Key Facts:

Size: Large - giant Height: 61 - 69cm (24 - 27 inches) Weight: 41 - 59 kg (90 - 130 lb) Life Span: 10 years Grooming: Easy Exercise: Medium Feeding: Demanding Temperament: Reserved & faithful Country of Origin: Britain AKC Group: Working

Temperament: The Bullmastiff is reliable, alert, lovable and independent. Bullmastiffs are not suitable as children's pets, with their weight reaching up to 60kg. But Bullmastiffs do make good family companions, as they are trustworthy and are utterly faithful. They have strong guarding instincts and only bark to attract attention, sorepparttar causes should always be investigated. The Bullmastiff should be thorougly trained when young, as unobedient dogs of this size can be unsafe.

Grooming: Coat care forrepparttar 147986 Bullmastiff is minimal and only occasional brushing is necessary.

Exercise: The Bullmastiff has an average demand for exercise and is satisfied with an outing or two a day with opportunites to run and play offrepparttar 147987 lead.

Feeding: Bullmastiffs have a demanding appetite, which isn't surprising considering their large frame. They are slow to mature physically and they need plenty of calcium and vitamins until they are 18 months old.

History: Duringrepparttar 147988 17th and 18th centuries when poaching was common in Britain,repparttar 147989 gamekeepers foundrepparttar 147990 Mastiffs too slow and cumbersome to be effective deterrents. Bulldogs were more active and agile in those days but were too small to bring a poacher torepparttar 147991 ground. The gamekeepers foundrepparttar 147992 answer by crossingrepparttar 147993 Mastiff withrepparttar 147994 Bulldog. This cross-breeding produced a dog that retainedrepparttar 147995 desired size and strength but with increased agility. While serving their purpose, Bullmastiffs varied greatly in appearance. It wasn't until 1924 that their conformity was established and they warranted breed registration in Britain.

Frosty, The Wandering Vagabond Cat

Written by Michael LaRocca


FROSTY, THE WANDERING VAGABOND CAT Copyright 2004, Michael LaRocca

For a long time, we had a four-pet home. Daisyrepparttar border collie mix and Beberepparttar 147985 dachshund/doberman mix. Witchie and Taz,repparttar 147986 Siamese couple. Pumpkin wandered into this mess for a disruptive while. What was especially disruptive is that Taz and Pumpkin, two males, became best buddies. Then Pumpkin left us.

Weeks later, Taz was still depressed. No more running up and downrepparttar 147987 stairs and making weird noises at three inrepparttar 147988 morning. Always looking outrepparttar 147989 windows or atrepparttar 147990 doors as if Pumpkin would show up at any moment. Witchie was happy, damn her, but Taz was miserable.

Finally, we visitedrepparttar 147991 Humane Society to bring home a new little buddy for my son Taz. Once again, things didn't quite work out as I'd planned.

A skinny white male with some black and brown highlights, one year old, told me with his eyes to stop looking at those other cats.

"You know you want me. That's right, me. Over here, you idiot. I'mrepparttar 147992 cat you want."

Who was I to argue?

It seems that this fellow, Lucas, was adopted fromrepparttar 147993 Humane Society at six weeks of age. A year later, his parents moved into an apartment that didn't allow pets, so he was back.

We changed his name to Frosty. Don't ask me why.

There were two things I didn't realize about Frosty. He was much larger than Taz, and he had never lived with any animals except humans.

He adapted torepparttar 147994 dogs quickly. They tried to herd him like Pumpkin, but he simply stood his ground until they rushed past. Sometimes Bebe, being uncoordinated, crashed into him. This becamerepparttar 147995 new ritual,repparttar 147996 failed herding of Frosty.

Frosty first walked into my house knowing that he owned it. That was fine with Taz, but not with Witchie. Frosty was a bit taller thanrepparttar 147997 Siamese, and as I fed him he quickly grew larger than they were. He also had youth on his side, since he was one and Witchie was at least seven. She didn't care. She had to teach him his place, and that was that.

The war of wills was fun to watch. He trained Lisa and me quickly enough, andrepparttar 147998 dogs, but Witchie was untrainable. So was Frosty, it turned out.

Witchie decided that Frosty wasn't allowed onrepparttar 147999 floor. Whenever he sprang down from a piece of furniture, she charged at him hissing and swatting until he ran for dear life and sprang onto something else. This went on for months.

I think Taz tried to play with him once, but Frosty wasn't interested. Also, given his size and his attitude, he was scary. Taz was torn in his loyalties again, upsetting Witchie. If looks could kill, Witchie would berepparttar 148000 world's finest assassin.

Inrepparttar 148001 year that I owned him, Frosty left me one mouse, but that's only because he didn't catch very many. When he hunted, he got fat. When he was fat, he was too slow to catch mice. When he lost enough weight, after failing to catch mice, his speed returned and he caught them again. Lacking Pumpkin's natural camouflage, he didn't catch very many to begin with.

Finally, Witchie accepted him as a King worthy of Her Majestyrepparttar 148002 Queen. They ruled their domain together, as reluctant equals. I'd have bet real money that such a thing was impossible. Young Taz, meanwhile, accepted his new role as Court Jester.

The rules at feeding time changed when Frosty arrived.

At a certain time of day, usually too dang early, Witchie demanded a can of food. Nobody can demand anything like a loud squawking Siamese, as their owners and neighbors can attest. I fed her and she ate her fill, which wasn't much. Ifrepparttar 148003 food didn't meet with her approval, she ate none at all. She resumed demanding food instead, even more insulted than before. What a terrible affront it is to her dignity to feed her inadequate food.

I eventually learned that cats don't eat what they can't smell. As they get older, their sense of smell fades. In other words, stinky food is best.

I always fed Witchie onrepparttar 148004 counter, forrepparttar 148005 very obvious reason thatrepparttar 148006 dogs would steal her food otherwise. I also keptrepparttar 148007 litter box offrepparttar 148008 floor, becauserepparttar 148009 dogs were obsessed with it as well.

When Witchie finished eating, Taz ate two bites. He preferred crunchy dog food, which was fine withrepparttar 148010 dogs, but he had to put in a little showing just on general principle. Then Daisy and Bebe fought forrepparttar 148011 leftovers.

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