Can anyone recomend good bullmastiff breeders/lines?  Or perhaps tell me a bit about the bullmastiffs they own and what lines they come from?

I'm asking on here because there must be close to a hundred breeders or more on champdogs and its really hard to know where to start.

I'm not interested in showing dogs so show success is not how I would measure a good breeder or line. 

I'm looking for dogs with good reputation for health and if possible longevity (in the context of large breeds so 10+).  I'm looking for fit dogs that don't have excessively short muzzles or very undershot jaws - so breeders who make a point of exercising their dogs very well would be nice.  There seems to a bit of variation in the heads of bullmastiffs and my preference is for the dogs with longer muzzles and shorter jowls.

Temperament pretty much goes without saying but I would imagine the vast majority of breeders do their best in this area anyway.  I'd be very interested in any breeder who works their dogs in any capacity (probably for fun rather than competition) - i.e. in obedience or KC Good Citizen or any activity that tests the dogs trainability.

I know the bullmastiff is a laid back breed of dog and doesn't have the same work ethic as border collies or Labradors (that's part of what I love about them) but the original breed was supposed to be a fit, active, intelligent guard dog of very sound mind and body and I'm looking for breeders/lines that most embody what the breed was originally intended to be.

Any help to give me a starting point in my research would be much appreciated.  Thanks.

they are a great breed to have, we have 2 here father and daughter, they are very laid back breed but the girls can be a little more excitiable than the boys, there are very few line that are known for longevity, of 10 + but saying that my girls grandfather was 10 1/2 when he passed away and is out lived by his mother and her grandmother is still going strong at nearly 9 years old their are very few line that are known for longevity.

Drop me a pm i know of some puppys from very good lines that sound just what your looking for.

my onlyadvice on it would be ensure that the breeder uses only elbow screened stock for breeding.

Hi we have bullies as well, my best advice to you is not to jump in and getting the first puppy you see, go to some shows and have a look at the dogs yourself as you are right there are many different types out there, that way you can decide what you want and actually see the different lines for yourself. You can also meet other people with them that can give you lots of info, just please don't rush.

Only buy a puppy that has both parents hip and elbowed scored that are under the breed average so under 25/26 total for the hips. Heart testing would be good but doubt you will get it in this country as most people here don't.

Id also be careful as there are a lot of BYB breeding this breed at the moment if the pup looks cheap don't buy as it will bite you later in vet bills as this breed can suffer various problems when they get older e.g. HD of hips and elbows, heart problems, cherry eye (rare in bullies but crops up in other mastiff breeds) and cancer.

Most puppies are £600/£700 and upwards so beware any that are cheaper. I love bullmastiffs with all my heart they have been part of our family for years with my nan owning the first one called Bella, and I cant see myself without one. The down side is the vet bills and food bills are as big as the dog witch need to be a consideration, as well as the fact that they are very hard headed so need lots of interaction with other dogs and people the day you take it home.

Denny is right our bitches tend to be more of a handful than the males.

Thank you for your replies and PM's.  I'm not going to be getting a puppy anytime soon, I am still very much at the research stage but I don't have the time/lifestyle to allow me to visit a lot of shows at the moment so I'm quite reliant on internet information at the moment. 

If I find the right breeders/lines that give me confidence that I might get what I'm looking for from their dogs then I will invest the time in going to meet them personally or see their dogs at shows.  There is just so much information out there, I'm looking to filter some of it to what is important to me. Thanks again.