Hi all. Where to start with this one?

I have a 12 month old Bullmastiff, it was always my plan to show this boy. We went to ringcraft and entered into our 1st show last year. Around 3 weeks before the show we were at ringcraft and a lovely lady who has been within the breed for many many years gave me some advice. His rear was growing faster than the front and his movement was awful, I knew something was not right with him but being completly new was not quite sure what. She advised complete cage rest, no walks, no running, no ringcraft :(.
I left that session feeling as if I had really let my boy down for not knowing sooner. So for 4 months as advised he stayed indoors.
Now his movement is fine and in December I thought great get him back on the lead and back to ringcraft in the new year. Wrong, he now pulls when on his lead understandably bless him. He gets so excited when hes going out.

Now heres where asking for someone to show him comes in. At the end of December I found out I was pregnant and after speaking with my other half he asked me not to take my boy to ringcraft. Hes scared that I will get pulled over or something will happen to harm the baby. He agreed to let me go with the Whippet we have (big difference I know) but I really dont want to give up on my big boy. So I'm asking is there anyone in the Coventry and Warwickshire area that loves to show and would like to have a go with my boy. I will be going to ringcraft with the little one and would love for someone to come along and handle the big one. I will pay all the ringcraft fees and if you wanted to take him to a show will pay entry fees etc and come along. This is kind of my last resort before I resign him to never being shown.

If you would like to have a go with him please pm me.

Thanks all :)

I'm not in your area but still wanted to comment for anyone else reading this post with a young dog. It's perfectly normal for young dogs to grow at different stages, dogs of any breed will go through stages when their back ends are higher than their fronts and their movement is awful - isolation is NOT the answer for any pup. Young dogs require intensive socialisation and training. Large and giant breeds shouldn't have forced exercise as youngsters but they can go out and meet people, play with other dogs and go to ringcraft :-)

> a lovely lady who has been within the breed for many many years gave me some advice

Perhaps this lady might want to handle him. I may do her good to see how he's turned out.

Hi Tigger2 and tooolz, I know exactly what your saying and when given the advice I asked the questions. But when told by someone who has been in the breed for the best part of 40 years that he was to have nothing, being a novice and wanting to do what was best for my boy I listened. When told that if I didnt the possibility of him getting HD was high it scared me alot.

> We went to ringcraft and entered into our 1st show last year. Around 3 weeks before the show we were at ringcraft and a lovely lady who has been within the breed for many many years gave me some advice. His rear was growing faster than the front and his movement was awful, I knew something was not right with him but being completly new was not quite sure what. She advised complete cage rest, no walks, no running, no ringcraft :-(.

Apologies for butting in.  Was that really genuine breed advice?  It sounds astonishing that someone would advocate cage rest for what is a normal growth pattern in most youngsters.

The cynic in me has to wonder if she was simply keeping him out the ring...

> I thought great get him back on the lead and back to ringcraft in the new year. Wrong, he now pulls when on his lead understandably bless him. He gets so excited when hes going out.

Irrespective of who shows him this is something that will probably need to be addressed.  I understand your OH's concern about you being pulled over so is he willing to take your exuberant boy to training classes for you?  A good class will help enormously to tackle this problem and give him some much needed extra socialisation.  You really need to be able to get him to a stage that you can walk him without problems before you have the baby.  Good luck with him :)

Thank you Dogs A Babe, my OH walks him daily for me at the moment, trying to eradicate the pulling but he has no interest in showing. Shame as I think he would be good at it :).
I wondered about the advice too but being my local breed specialist so to speak I had no reason to not listen to her. Others within the breed had looked my boy over and said he was worth a go in the ring. We look to these people to guide us when we are new to these things and now I feel a little cheated maybe :(

It may not have been completely bad advice, but perhaps a bit extreme.  There may have been some middle ground.  ...but onwards and upwards

Here's a link to The Association of Pet Dog Trainers.  It's worth looking for a local class, many do them in the evening as well as during the day or weekends, that can teach your husband how to achieve a reliable walk to heel. 

The other advantage of classes is that the brain training element can knock a dog out for hours - my very active dog used to come home and sleep for the rest of the day.

Oh dear, I hope that doesn't suggest it's because he has a pea brain....

Thank you thats brilliant. I want to do it myself but the other half wont have it, hmmmm I wonder if I send him to football on Saturday mornings I could plan my escape................ lol

Just wanted to add that I have looked at the list of local trainers and there is one literally 10 minutes from home. Will be contacting her this evening :)
Still as I am intending on showing both my dogs anyway if anyone would like to handle one of them I would still like to hear from you :)

Have you asked the breeder of your dog or the owner of the sire? Those are often the most likely people happy to help out.

They dont live local to us I'm afraid. They own both dam and sire and I'm afraid to say they no longer show within the breed. They used to and did so for quite some time, but I think a partnership between them and another breeder/exhibitor went a little pear shaped.

I can see in some ways why she advised on cage rest but why she would advise on stopping ringcraft etc. when he wouldn't be walking much I don't understand?  Sorry, I would have tried with him but unfortunately I'm in Manchester!

Is there no one at ringcraft able to help out?  Perhaps ask the committee, they might know of a member who's not coming at the moment as they don't have a dog of their own to show but would be longing to get back in the ring

Thanks all for your comments. I am going to join a new rigcraft club next week so will ask there if they know of anyone. Really do want to show this boy :)

Hello we show bullies as well (woop woop), I don't think cage rest was the best advice as he needs good muscle tone to be in the ring with the other boys but DONT over exercise him. If the breeder shows they might be able to help you as they would like to see their own stock in the ring. Why don't you  become members of one of the breed clubs i.e. Southern Bullmastiff Society, the British Bullmastiff League, the welsh and west of England etc.

Messy movement at the front is normal in young dogs esp Bullmastiffs and many are still shown even in the bigger kennels so that they are used to the ring for later on, Id work on the pulling as he would be near on impossible in the ring if he pulls as they are shown on a very small chain and leather lead set.

Oh and don't show side on its front on with bullies, so if you haven't already start doing this so that he's not confused at his first show. I don't see why if you go to one of the society shows that somebody there wont do it, just flutter your eye lashes.

Get your boy out as quick as possible and really work on the him getting used to other bigger dogs as he will have to stand right next to them with no probs at all in the ring as well as bitches.

Good Luck

Iv just looked at your site, the bitch looks nice as well brindles are doing very well in the ring at the moment :) the last southern bullmstiffs championship show I went to top dog, top bitch, and top puppy were all brindles.

Ah yes my stripey git Big Babba Roxy as shes known :) shes 6 this year, that pic was taken back in 2007 just after she had been put to Evenstar Legion @ Astonpride. No puppies unfortunatley and a hell of a few years for me which is why I waited until last year to get another puppy. I love speaking to other people with Bullmastiffs :) most people I encounter get bored of my rabbiting on quite quickly.

:) same here, my friends cant see what I can see in the big slobbery dogs, we only show the one in the avatar at the mo bit love it all the same To be honest we really go the shows to speak to like minded people as bullies are a bit well... special. If you go to society shows some of the bigger ones can have up to 60/70 in all the colors which is lovely to see, as mum has a bit of a thing for really dark reds or fawn/apricot.

My boy is a fawn/apricot, registered fawn but not quite light enough. I love the brindles myself, am going to crufts this year. I love seeing all the dogs and its nice to see so many brindles flying the flag now :). This pregnancy lark does get in the way lol. Think I'm going to ingnore the OH and get out with my boy, get him right on the lead bless him.

When your at Crufts speak to people there about a handler or being helped out they might help you. We're not going this year as Sophie is in heat :( not fair I wanted to go shopping and get really useless over priced stuff :(:(:(

Lol, you can still do that but without the dog :)

An older junior handler may relish the opportunity of trying their hand with him, so worth asking at ring craft.

> Think I'm going to ingnore the OH and get out with my boy, get him right on the lead bless him.

You could use a head collar like a Gentle leader (seen one work well with your breed) and that would make walking him far safer for you.

I have a head collar for him and it works ok up until he slips it off :) but hes only had it for a week so will be continuing with that one. Hes such a loving gentle boy just a bit excited when he sees his lead. You can stand him beautifully and check every inch of his body (unless you touch a tickly spot) its just on the move he seems to forget your there.

Keep going with the head collar all of our are walked on them and are even taken to shows with them on when outside the ring. They hate them at first but keep an eye out if he has folds on his face (some do, some don't) make sure that the head collar doesn't push them down into his eyes as he wont like that. Junior handlers are a good idea as Brainless has said

Also make sure he isn't attached only to the head collar, he would be attached to a collar too, so in case he gets it off he is still secure.

Yes hes also attached to his normal collar, much to his disappointment when he does slip his head collar.
Out of interest what type of head collar do you use? I have him on a Gencon all in one at the moment, it does not ride up into his eyes but at the same time seems a little slim to walk such a powerful dog on.

Congratulations on your future new arrival... have sent you a PM

Small update on my boy. I have just got back from a long walk around our local country park. Hardly any pulling and what was the 1st enjoyable walk for some time.
Way to go big man :)

Yay well done, keep up the good work