Bull Daniff

The Bull Daniff is a new breed with very little detailed history.  It is believed that this designer breed originated in the United States and was recognized by the International Designer Canine Registry in 2009. Both the Bullmastiff and the Great Dane can be traced back to ancient times.  The Bullmastiff is a working breed, originating in Britain in the 1800s. Gamekeepers bred the Mastiff and the Bulldog to help them ward off poachers. A gamekeeper’s job is to take care of the wild animals and birds that lived on the estate, which were kept for hunting. The Bullmastiff is known as the “Gamekeeper’s Night Dog”.  The Bullmastiff was fast, large and strong and would run down and detain a poacher until the gamekeeper arrived.  The Bullmastiff were imported into the United States in the 1920s by oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller. The dogs were used to guard his country estate. Sylvester Stallone used his beloved Bullmastiff, Butkus in the Rocky movie.  Other celebrities that have owned Bullmastiff include Bob Dylan, Jon Bon Jovi, Christina Aguilera and Marlon Brando. The Bullmastiff has a genetic background of approximately 60% Mastiff and 40% Bulldog. The American Kennel Club recognized the Bullmastiff in 1934. There are Egyptian artifacts depicting drawings of large dogs resembling the Great Dane dating back to 3000 B.C. There are also Chinese writings describing the Great Dane in 1121 B.C. It is believed that Assyrians traded the breed to the Greeks and Romans.  These dogs were then probably bred with the English Mastiff and the Irish Wolfhound. In the 16th century, the Great Dane was bred in Germany to hunt wild boars and were called “Boar Hounds”. They were also owned by the German nobles as guard dogs and companions. The Great Dane became the National dog of Germany in 1876. Great Danes came to the United States starting in the mid-1800s. The American Kennel Club recognized the Great Dane in 1887. During World War II, a bomb was dropped through the roof of a British home.  Inside was a Great Dane by the name of Juliana.  Juliana proceeded to urinate on the bomb, which diffused the bomb.  She was awarded a Blue Cross medal for her “brave” actions. Juliana was awarded her second medal for alerting her owners that there was a fire in their shoe shop. There are three beloved Great Dane cartoon dogs Scooby Doo, Marmaduke and Astro Jetson. Great Danes have made it into many celebrities’ homes such as Marilyn Monroe, Greg Louganis, Cameron Diaz, Adam West and Jayne Mansfield.