French Bulldog Mastiff Mix: The Strong French Mastiff

The French Bulldog Mastiff Mix is a great example of a hybrid or designer dog breed. You can also think of this dog as an up-and-coming future purebred dog breed.

Sometimes the French Bulldog Mastiff mix is called the French Mastiff – not to be confused with the Dogue de Bordeaux, which is a separate full purebred dog breed in its own right.

In this article, we will go into detail about the French Bulldog Mastiff mix-breed dog so you can learn if this might be the right pup to add to your family.

French Bulldog Mastiff Mix

The French Bulldog Mastiff mix is a puppy that has one purebred French Bulldog parent and one purebred Mastiff dog parent.

While the most common Mastiff breed parent is the Bull Mastiff, there are actually many different Mastiff dog breeds.

So it is important to learn all you can about each dog parent from the breeder so you have the best chance of predicting the size, coat type, and temperament of your French Mastiff puppy in adulthood.

Watch a French Bulldog and a Mastiff Playing Together

In this adorably cute owner-made YouTube video, you can really get a good sense of the overall size difference between the petite French Bulldog and the giant Mastiff dog breeds.

Luckily, these two pups are the best of friends and love to play and tussle together. But this isn't always the case. And as we will talk about much more here, the size of your French Mastiff puppy in adulthood can definitely be hard to predict!

What Is Hybrid Dog Breeding: A Brief Explanation

Hybrid dog breeding is becoming more popular today for a variety of good reasons.

One of the best reasons is because when a purebred breed line gains more genetic diversity, this tends to add to the health of the breed in the future.

Another great reason is to create a new future purebred dog breed with a mix of desired traits. This is exactly how so many of today's registered purebred dog breeds were first developed.

In the remainder of this article, we will look at how these traits might come together in the French Bulldog Mastiff mix breed and talk about what you need to know before making a lifetime commitment to this hybrid dog breed.

How Does Hybrid Dog Breeding Work: Choosing a Breeder

But before we launch into a discussion of what to expect when you add a French Bulldog Mastiff mix dog to your family, it is vital to understand how to choose a reputable, responsible hybrid dog breeder who is breeding puppies that will meet your needs.

To do this, you need to get at least a basic understanding of how hybrid dog breeding today works.

Hybrid dog breeding works on a generational tiered system, as Breeding Business explains.

Different breeders may work with different generations of hybrid dog parents. The earliest generation, where each parent dog is a full purebred dog, is called "F1."

The next earliest generation, where one parent dog is a full purebred dog and the other dog is an F1 crossbred dog, is called "F1b."

The next generation, where both parent dogs are F1 or F1b crossbred dogs, is called "F2." And so forth and so on – each generation builds on the work of the previous generation as you can see.

This is vitally important to know if your "companion canine shopping list" has some very specific traits on it!

For example, if you live in a very small space with no yard and you need a smaller dog that won't need a lot of exercises, you want to work with a later generation (F2 or later), hybrid dog breeder.

Why is this? It is because the further you get from the original purebred dog pair, the more genetic uniformity you will see in the puppies.

Size, coat type, color, personality, and temperament – all of these traits will become more uniform in puppies from later hybrid generation dog breeders.

All you need to do is ask the breeder what generation(s) they are working with. This will tell you if you are likely to be able to choose a puppy that will meet your needs from their breeding stock.

So now let's delve into the fascinating history of the hybrid dog known as the French Mastiff.

The History of the French Bulldog and the Mastiff

Taking a look at the history of each purebred dog parent can give you great insight into what these dogs were bred to do and what traits your puppy might inherit.

French Bulldog history

The French Bulldog is currently the fourth most popular (out of 195 American Kennel Club registered dog breeds) purebred dog breed in America today.

These dogs were bred out of English Bulldogs crossed with Terriers and Pugs. They have a lot of spirits and a lot of smarts combined with a naturally people-focused personalty.

Mastiff history

The Mastiff is currently the 29th most popular (out of 195 American Kennel Club registered dog breeds) purebred dog breed in America today.

There are many purebred Mastiff breeds. The AKC (American Kennel Club) recognizes these: the Mastiff, the Bull Mastiff, the Neapolitan Mastiff, and the Tibetan Mastiff.

There are also the AKC "mastiff types," which are dogs known to have been bred from or descended from ancient mastiff dogs.

As Michigan State University explains, these include the Pyrenean Mastiff, the Spanish Mastiff, the St. Bernard (formerly the "Alpine Mastiff"), the Dogue de Bordeaux ("Mastiff of Bordeaux"), the Perro de Presa Canario ("Ganado") and the Boerboel, among others.

French Bulldog Mastiff Mix: Personality and Temperament

This is one of the big questions so many prospective dog parents may have, regardless of which breed of dog you are interested in.

What will my puppy be like? What is a French Mastiff puppy like? Studying each parent dog's personality and temperament is a great way to learn more.

French Bulldog personality and temperament

The French Bulldog is well-known for their ability to learn tricks and entertain. But they are happiest just sitting in the laps of their people. They are also known to be very good with kids and other family pets.

Typically, Frenchies won't bark unless they think there are something to bark about, which makes them very good watchdogs.

However, be warned that French Bulldogs really don't like to be left alone….ever. Luckily, these dogs do keep up a grueling nap schedule. But when your Frenchie is awake, you can expect them to want complete attention.

Mastiff personality and temperament

Mastiffs are truly ancient dogs. They are known to be calm, dignified, brave, and surprisingly gentle given their great size.

Many mastiff-type breeds such as the St. Bernard have long been used in search and rescue and service dog work. They tend to be great with kids and are very protective of "their" people.

French Bulldog Mastiff personality and temperament

From this, you can at least guess that your French Bulldog Mastiff mix is going to be you-focused and will likely get along well with other cats and dogs.

You can also expect that your French Mastiff will be a good watchdog and family guard dog.

French Bulldog Mastiff Mix: Size, Height and Weight

This is where so much of the uncertainty lies, at least in earlier crossbreeding programs. Will your puppy grow up to stay small or become a giant?

French Bulldog size, height, and weight

French Bulldogs are traditionally small but not tiny. They will normally weigh less than 30 pounds fully grown and stand no taller than 14 inches (measured paw pads to shoulders).

These dogs are stocky but petite and can easily pack on the pounds – Frenchies do love to eat.

Mastiff size, height, and weight

Mastiffs, as you've no doubt guessed by now, are massive. These dogs are firmly in the giant dog category and can easily top 230 pounds, although some are as "small" like 120 pounds (usually these are the females).

Mastiffs can easily be 36" tall or taller (paw pads to shoulders) as adults.

French Bulldog Mastiff size, height, and weight

Because there is so much disparity between the size, height, and weight of the two-parent dogs, you may see two very differently-sized puppies even within a single litter, especially in F1 or F1b litters.

When you get to the later tiers of hybrid breeding programs, you can expect to see a lot more size and height uniformity in litters.

French Bulldog Mastiff Mix: Training and Exercise Needs

Whether you love to run and hike and stay active or you prefer binge-watching television on the couch, you probably want a dog that matches your activity preferences.

So let's look at what the French Mastiff will most likely need in terms of training and exercise.

French Bulldog training and exercise needs

The French Bulldog is sufficiently small to need some exercise daily to avoid putting on weight.

However, these dogs have very short muzzles, which means they can't tolerate the too-vigorous exercise, heat, or water sports.

Frenchies are typically very happy living indoors with short walks and indoor playtime.

They are very smart, which can mean sometimes they are a little stubborn, but positive reinforcement-based training is a good way to teach your dog the basic training commands.

Mastiff training and exercise needs

Mastiffs, for all that they are enormous size-wise, can live very happily in small spaces because they are mostly sedentary.

However, they are smart and can be slightly stubborn if they get bored during training. By keeping sessions short and very positive, you will easily be able to train your Mastiff in the basic commands.

French Bulldog Mastiff training and exercise needs

This overview tells you that you are going to have a smart, slightly stubborn, indoor dog in your French Mastiff.

French Bulldog Mastiff Mix: Shedding, Grooming and Coat Care

Another big question dog owners worry about is shedding. Let's take a look at how each parent dog stacks up in this important area.

French Bulldog Mastiff shedding, grooming, and coat care

There isn't a lot of analysis required here. Both breeds have a short, dense, flat coat that sheds year-round and seasonally.

French Bulldog Mastiff Mix: Longevity and Health

Health and longevity are some of the most important aspects of committing to any companion canine.

French Bulldog longevity and health

The French Bulldog typically has a life expectancy of 10 to 14 years.

According to the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) database, French Bulldogs should be tested for these known heritable or genetic health issues prior to breeding:

• Patellar luxation.
• Hip dysplasia.
• Autoimmune thyroiditis.
• Juvenile cataracts and eye issues.
• Cardiac conditions.

Mastiff longevity and health

As with so many giant-size dog breeds, the Mastiff typically has a life expectancy of six to 10 years.

According to the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) database, mastiff dogs should be tested for these known heritable or genetic health issues prior to breeding:

• Hip and elbow dysplasia.
• Cardiac and eye issues.
• Autoimmune thyroiditis.
• Cystinuria.

French Bulldog Mastiff longevity and health

What this brief overview tells you is that it is so important to verify that your breeder has ordered all the required and recommended CHIC tests for each parent dog.

This is the best way to avoid making a lifetime commitment to a puppy that has inherited genetic health issues that could be life-limiting (and very expensive to treat or correct).

French Bulldog Mastiff Mix: Is This the Right Dog for You?

Now you have enough information to start considering whether the French Mastiff might be the right next companion canine for you.