The Bullmastiff Price: Too Much, or Just Right?

Are you interested in bringing the regal, astute Bullmastiff into your life?

If so, you’re probably wondering how much you should expect to pay for one of these muscular pups.

On average, the price of a Bullmastiff will run you about $1,500. Of course, the purebred Bullmastiff price can run closer to $2,000.

However, if you don’t know much about the Bullmastiff going in, then you owe it to yourself – and to him – to do a bit more research on the breed before you buy.

Therefore, let’s take a look at this breed’s temperament, along with some other factors that could make or break your decision to purchase a Bullmastiff.

The Bullmastiff, Up Close

A breed’s history can often give you a particular insight into the kind of dog you’re going to end up bringing home.

For instance, the Bullmastiff has always been an incredible guard dog.

In fact, in 1928, De Beers, the diamond company, used a team of Bullmastiffs to protect their mining interest in South Africa!

So, if you’re looking for a good guard dog, you’ve come to the right place with the Bullmastiff.

Bullmastiff Temperament and Personality

Temperament is perhaps the most important thing to research before you adopt a particular breed of dog.

What follows are some of the more dominant personality traits that tend to pop up in the Bullmastiff breed overall.

This gives you a good idea of the kind of dog you’ll probably end up bringing home.

Alert and Protective

As mentioned earlier, the Bullmastiff is the way to go when you want a dog who will guard your family as much as he will love them.

He is an alert observer who doesn’t bark unless he feels it is absolutely necessary.

In other words, when the Bullmastiff barks, listen up – he’s telling you something you need to be aware of.

And his size makes him courageous because, after all, what offender is stupid enough to stand up to a Bullmastiff?

He’s not aggressive, though – he only asserts himself when the situation calls for it.

Submissive

It may surprise you to learn that a guard dog like the Bullmastiff would ever act submissive…but with you he does.

He’s a confident dog, but he won’t step on his master’s toes. He knows who’s the boss around here and that it isn’t him – doesn’t mean he’ll protect you any less.

Devoted

The Bullmastiff is so devoted to you that it can border on being a bit too much at times.

He does not like when you leave him alone. So just because he’s a good watchdog does not mean you should leave him outside.

Ultimately, his place is by his family’s side.

Good with Children

The Bullmastiff is loving and affectionate, and he cares for the children in his family.

He’s also calm, which is good when you have younger children. You don’t have to worry about him “snapping” because a child is too rambunctious around him.

Don’t neglect to supervise them together, though – the Bullmastiff is still a big dog who can accidentally hurt children or animals smaller than him if he’s not careful.

Bullmastiff Size

The size of a dog can certainly influence whether you want to bring him home or not.

The Bullmastiff, for instance, is quite a large dog.

He tops out at between 24 and 27 inches tall, and between 99 and 130 lbs.

That’s a big dog! In fact, he may be too big for your purposes, which is something that is good to know when you’re only looking at the Bullmastiff puppy price.

Sure, all puppies get bigger, but these puppies aren’t messing around!

Bullmastiff Price – How Much Do Bullmastiffs Cost?

As mentioned above, the Bullmastiff average price is around $1,500.

As for a typical Bullmastiff price range, you may be able to find Bullmastiffs as low as $1,000 or as high as $2,000.

It goes without saying that the Bullmastiff dog price depends largely on where you buy him from, and the lineage of his parents.

You can, however, opt to save a few dollars by going the adoption or rescue route.

Demand

The Bullmastiff is the 51^st most popular dog in the U.S., according to the AKC.

This is a good thing. This doesn’t mean that the breed is so popular that you won’t be able to find one.

It also means that the breed isn’t so rare that everyone who does have one will overprice them.

Bullmastiff Rescue and Adoption

There are two ways you can go if you simply don’t trust breeders: you can rescue, or you can adopt.

Despite sounding like the same thing, these are actually very different.

Rescue

For one thing, when you “rescue” a Bullmastiff, you may be adopting a dog who has spent some time in a foster home.

This is great because foster homes often prep him for every situation to make him more “homeable,” like kids, cats, and other dogs.

The downside is that it may cost $500 or so for a rescue dog for the extra work that goes into them – but you may find that to be worth it.

The American Bullmastiff Association can give you more information if you want to go this route.

Adoption

When you adopt a dog from a shelter, you are adopting a dog who needs a home, just like you are when you rescue.

However, shelters are often overrun and, as a result, they don’t have the time to devote to helping their dogs overcome certain undesirable traits.

This does not mean you should throw the idea of adoption out completely. It just means you may need to be more careful if you choose this option.

Yes, you save more money on the price of ownership, but you adopt the dog in “as is” condition.

You should, therefore, be extra careful if you have young children or other pets in the home.

You should also be prepared to spend more money on training, since you may need extra help in working out a shelter dog’s quirks.

However, please note that this is not always the case. Often, people just can’t care for their dogs anymore and drop them off at the shelter.

They already know how to love and live with a family – they just need a new one.

Bullmastiff Cost of Ownership

However you acquire your new Bullmastiff, you must take note of the additional costs that come with owning one.

For one thing, feeding a dog this size doesn’t come cheap!

And you certainly want to make sure a dog of this size has proper training – but what if it’s too late and he’s already an adult with bad habits?

Here are just a few of the extra costs to consider in owning a Bullmastiff.

Cost of Food

The cost of food is a significant factor in owning a dog this size.

A bag of $35 dog food that might last a month with one breed may only last two weeks with the Bullmastiff.

You should discuss the best possible food option for your Bullmastiff – and within your budget – with your vet.

Health Care Expenses

Perhaps more than anything else, you need to be prepared for the kinds of health problems your Bullmastiff could suffer.

Along with regular vet visits (which could become even more regular in the event of a long-term problem), you might have to consider supplements and medications.

Some of the health problems known to affect the Bullmastiff include:

• Hip dysplasia
• Gastric torsion 
• Eyelid issues
• Cancer
• Hypothyroidism

Most of these problems are not all that different from what other breeds can experience.

Still, it’s good to be aware of them so you can know what to look for in case a symptom rears its ugly head.

Training Programs

The most effective way to train a Bullmastiff is to get to him as early as possible – like six weeks old or so.

However, if you adopt or rescue an adult Bullmastiff, then you may need to consider the costs involved in hiring a professional trainer to help you.

Many trainers will work with you on a particular training program aimed at helping him with one problem in particular, which can be cheaper than a full regimen.

Going a step further, some may offer you a discount if you sign up for multiple lessons.

Grooming Costs

One more cost of ownership to consider is grooming.

The Bullmastiff goes through a shedding season. As such, it is important you are able to keep up with it to keep him looking and feeling his best.

If you find it too overwhelming to deal with, you may want to pay a groomer to help you.

The same goes for if he won’t let you do other things for his hygiene, like clip his nails or brush his teeth.

These things need to be done, so if he won’t let you do them, then you need to factor in the cost of additional help.

Kailyn C.

Kailyn has worked as a professional freelance writer since 2012, and during that time she has written about nearly every dog breed imaginable. Her mother loved Collies, and so Kailyn grew up with three of them throughout her childhood – including a blonde one who was half-blind! Now her home belongs to her first official dog, Macho, a Dogo Argentino rescue.