I have a German mastiff, does that count?
I'm assuming you ment English Mastiff when you said 'Mastiff'. Both English Mastiffs and Bull Mastiffs are wonderful breeds. But of course it is very important that you do your research.
A lot of people admire Mastiffs for their appearence but are not ready to own such a giant dog. With a big dog comes bigger responsibilities. Bigger vet bills, bigger food bills..bigger everything! Training is very important to start at an early age. Trust me when I say, you do not want to be at the end of a 200lb untrained Mastiff's lead! But English Mastiffs are great dogs. Very loyal and sweet natured. They are very dedicated to their families, and are normally great with children.
As for bullmastiffs, (one of my most favorite breeds!!)...They are a shorter, more compact dog with a more muscular look..Usually weighing between 130-140. They also tend to be more high energy and can be a bit stubborn at times.
They are wonderful dogs. Very loyal and protective, and like the EM, they make wonderful family dogs and are usually good with children when properly socialized.
I think it would be very helpful for you to talk to reputable breeders, ask them questions, and lots of them! A good breeder will be more than willing to answer any and all questions that you may throw at them.
here are a couple websites you may want to check out as well.
http://www.bullmastiffinfo.org/
http://bullmastiff.us/
http://www.mastiffweb.com/
http://mastiff.org/
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