Hybrid or designer dogs are created by crossing two purebred dogs of two different breeds together to produce a new breed.
This isn’t a new concept, but it first started with small hybrids, and only pretty recently it has expanded to large and giant breed dogs.
What is A Great Dane Bullmastiff Mix?
These puppies are some of the largest dogs you will ever see. They are a mixture of a Great Dane and a Bullmastiff. The pups are called a Great Daniff or a Daniff for short.
The two large breeds of dogs are very family-oriented, loving, and affectionate. The Bullmastiff is more laid back than a high-energy Great Dane.
The Great Dane is easier to train than a Bullmastiff, who can be a bit stubborn at times. This crossbreed creates a new dog with the best qualities of both breeds.
Looking at the history of the two-parent breeds and all aspects of them will help you to decide if this massive hybrid dog is right for your family.
Great Dane History
Great Danes originated in Germany and were called boar hounds at the time. The Great Danes were of a very large size needed in order to take down angry boars, but they were also obedient enough to back off when ordered to do so.
They were also guardians and protectors of their families. Great Danes weren’t overly aggressive as guard dogs, but their sheer size and loud bark were enough to drive thieves away.
Today, Great Danes make excellent guardians and protectors of their families and they are not overly aggressive as their ancestors were.
Bullmastiff History
The Bullmastiff has its origins in England, where he was known as “The Gamekeeper’s Night Dog.” Poaching of animals was done mainly at night when it was harder to see the thieves.
The gamekeepers needed a very brave dog that was also big and swift to take down the men and pin them to the ground in the middle of the night.
They bred Mastiffs with Bulldogs and hit on the perfect ratio for these dogs, at 60 percent Mastiff and 40 percent Bulldog. Today, Bullmastiffs are family companion dogs who are large and loving family members.
Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Get a Great Dane Bullmastiff Mix
This designer dog will be a very large dog since it is a cross between a large breed of dog of the Bullmastiff and a giant breed of dog of a Great Dane.
It may not be the best idea for new dog owners as they will have extraordinary size and strength.
Daniffs also need a large secure area in which to get exercise and they don’t do well in small places. If you have a home with a fenced backyard and a doggie door, it would be the ideal place for this massive pet.
You will also need to set aside a lot of time for training and socializing your pup as soon as you adopt it because he will be very large and needs to know the appropriate behavior.
Daniffs are a mixture of two dogs that both tend to drool, so your pup will more than likely also drool, which can be a large amount as he gets older and larger. To some families, this is a deal-breaker as they don’t want dogs drooling on the furniture or on themselves.
Reasons Why You Should Get a Great Dane Bullmastiff Mix
Both parent breeds of a Daniff are wonderful family members that will guard and protect their property and the entire family. A Daniff is quite calm and does love to snuggle with his family.
Many breeders suggest a new owner enrolling in puppy classes for training and socialization from a very young age. These classes will help you to bond with your newfound pet and they can instill a bond for the entire life of your dog.
The grooming needs of a Daniff are nearly non-existent as both parent breeds have short and straight hair that only requires a quick brushing to keep up their coats.
Appearance, Coats, and Colors of a Great Dane Bullmastiff Mix
Each of the parent breeds has similar body shapes and you can be sure that your pooch will grow up to be a very large size. Both parent breeds have a square boxy head with a broad and deep muzzle and dark eyes.
The Great Dane is very large but is also powerful and graceful all in one package. Their coat is dense and short and often it appears glossy in the sunlight.
Males are a bit taller and heavier than females, as is common in almost all dog breeds. Males are thicker in the shoulders, hips, and legs.
Great Danes can reach a size of 28 to 32 inches tall and a final weight of 110 to 175 pounds upon maturity.
Great Danes have a huge selection of coat colors from which to choose, including black, black and white, brindle, blue, fawn, harlequin, merle, silver, and mantle. All colors of coats have very short and straight hair in a single coat.
Bullmastiffs are also very large dogs, with the males being 25 to 27 inches tall and weighing 100 to 130 pounds when mature. Females can reach 24 to 26 inches tall when fully grown and weigh between 100 to 120 pounds.
A Bullmastiff is a dog that shows great strength and endurance as well as being very alert and built powerfully.
This breed of dog has several coat colors as well, including fawn, fawn brindle, red, red brindle, red fawn, and red fawn brindle.
Personality, Traits, and Lifespan of a Great Dane Bullmastiff Mix
Since the two parent breeds of your Daniff have a lot of personality and traits in common, it’s pretty easy to decide what your pretty pooch will be as he grows into a larger-than-life dog. He will be one of the most affectionate and loving dogs you’ve ever seen in your life.
Daniffs love all family members, from infants to toddlers up to teenagers, and all adults and older people as well.
Your Daniff will be good with strangers and other pets as well. He will make a great guard dog but needs to be trained at an early age consistently to ensure he understands how to behave in different situations.
He may look intimidating to strangers, but your furry pal will not be aggressive towards others.
A Daniff also requires a lot of mental stimulation that they can have from interactive toys and training classes to keep it busy so it doesn’t become destructive, as your dog will not like being left alone for long periods of time.
The Great Dane’s life span is 7 to 10 years and the Bullmastiff has a lifespan of 7 to 9 years, so the lifespan of your Daniff will be about 7 to 10 years–which is pretty short, but all large and giant breed dogs live shorter lives than small dogs.
Great Dane Bullmastiff Mix Puppies for Sale
A Great Dane puppy can be priced between $600 and $3,000 depending on whether it has championship bloodlines.
The price is on the lower end of the spectrum for a healthy family companion though. Bullmastiff pups usually sell for somewhere between $2,000 and $6,000 each.
Daniffs range in price from $500 to over $1,000 for a puppy from a breeder.
Since the breed is fairly new, you may be able to find a Daniff in a shelter, but it’s highly unlikely and you really should adopt a puppy so you know it is trained and socialized properly.
Very large and mature dogs that were not trained and socialized as they should be can be aggressive.
Grooming Your Great Dane Bullmastiff Mix
Your Daniff comes from two dogs that have very little needs in the grooming department. Your pooch will have short and straight hair that only requires a quick brushing once a week with a medium bristle brush.
In shedding season twice a year, your four-legged family member will need daily brushing to help remove all the loose hair and spread natural oils throughout his coat.
You should also keep your dog’s nails trimmed because if they are too long, they can make it painful for a dog to walk.
When you brush your dog, make sure and examine his skin to make sure it’s not too oily or too dry. This can be a condition brought on by his dog food.
Just as all dog breeds, your Daniff only requires bathing when he gets messy or about every 2 to 3 months. Make sure to use dog shampoo as it is formulated for the correct pH balance of your dog’s skin.
Your Daniff may have cropped ears like a Great Dane or he may have floppy ears like a Bullmastiff. If he has floppy ears, you should check them each time you brush your dog and clean them while looking for any signs of infections.
Flop ears don’t allow great air circulation and dogs with these types of ears have more ear infections than dogs with cropped ears that stand straight upon their head.
Great Dane Bullmastiff Mix Health Problems
The Great Dane is a giant dog breed as he can suffer from hip dysplasia just by being a large dog that is heavy and growing quickly.
This occurs when the hip joints don’t align properly. Great Danes may also have health issues of bloat, cardiac diseases, and eye issues.
The Bullmastiff also may inherit the health issues of hip and elbow dysplasia, bloat, heart and eye disorders.
A Daniff would be susceptible to all of these conditions since both parent breeds may have them and they could inherit the same issues.
However, a reputable breeder will have health screened both parents of your puppy before breeding them and they will have documentation of the results.
Breeders will also supply you with a healthy puppy guarantee. These two pieces of paperwork will put your mind at ease that your new family member will be healthy and well.
Great Dane Bullmastiff MIx Food Requirements
Your Daniff will need to eat a large or giant breed of dog food for puppies and then adult dogs. It will ensure that your pup has slow and steady growth to avoid dysplasia of the joints. Puppies should have several small meals a day to prevent bloat and two meals a day as adults.
You should also make certain not to exercise your dog just before or after eating to avoid bloat as well.
Great Dane Bullmastiff Exercise Requirements
Daniffs love to exercise and play in the yard, no matter what age they are. A brisk walk 2 to 3 times a day or about an hour of exercise per day will be plenty to keep your pup in tip-top shape.
Since this is a very large breed that may have dysplasia, you should not exercise your dog strenuously until after he is 2 years old to allow his joints to mature as they should first.
Some Daniffs are more sedate than others and the Bullmastiff part of the heritage doesn’t make a good running partner, but, does make a great walking partner.
If your particular pooch takes more after the Great Dane side of his heritage, he may make a great running partner for a member of your family.
The Great Dane side of the family loves participating in activities such as agility and dog sports.
However, the Bullmastiff side of the family is more of a quiet dog. Your puppy may take after one side more than the other or he could be a lovely mix of 50/50 for exercise needs and sports.
Great Dane Bullmastiff Mix Training
Great Danes and Bullmastiffs are very intelligent and pretty easy to train as they want to please their owner.
The Bullmastiff can be stubborn at times during training or he may just doze off during a training session.
Daniffs get the best qualities of each of the breeds when it comes to training. He is quieter than the Great Dane but is also playful, intelligent, and friendly with all other pets.
From the Bullmastiff’s side, a Daniff gets calmness, alertness, and patient. The combination of these qualities makes your Daniff pretty easy to train at everything.
Training should start as soon as you take your new puppy home though. Since he will grow up to be very large and strong, he needs to learn the basic commands of sit, stay, leave it, come, and down right away.
Even as an older puppy, he can weigh 100 pounds and easily knock small kids over.
You should also make certain your new family friend walks well on a leash from a young age.
As he grows older and bigger, his strength will be massive and if he would decide to chase a squirrel while walking on a leash, you could be in for quite a ride–or dragging.
Great Dane Bullmastiff Mix and Families
Daniffs are the perfect dog to add to a family. They are so incredibly loving and caring, as well as being a guardian and protector.
They have a medium amount of energy and absolutely love children and realize how to be gentle with them.
Your Daniff may decide to be a lap dog even when he is huge and fully mature because he enjoys being close to family members at all times.
Great Dane Bullmastiff Mix and Other Pets
Your hybrid puppy is very accommodating and affectionate to other pets in the household–even cats. He will welcome a new four-legged family member and will likely be snuggling with them right away.
You should train your pooch from a young age not to be rough with other pets because he will get very large and then the other pets will seem small to him. You wouldn’t want a dog of well over a hundred pounds to sit on a cat.
If you have a big heart, then this may just be the most perfect hybrid dog for you. As long as you have enough room for him to stay busy, he will love and protect you and your family while also hanging out on the couch with you and watching a movie together.
