American Bulldogs

The American Bulldog breed is specifically a domestic dog. This breed of dog can be broken down into three different types: the Bully or Classic type (also know as the Johnson type), the Standard or Performance type (also known as the Scott type), and the Hybrid type. The Johnson type and Scott type are named after the breeders who were most influential in developing those types of breeds. John D. Johnson influenced the Bully type and Alan Scott influenced the Standard type. It is said that the American Bulldogs stem from a working type bulldog found in the Southern and Midwestern parts of the United States. These working type bulldogs were generally working on ranches and farms. History shows that many other breeds may have affected the outcome of the American Bulldog breed including breeds like Boxers, Saint Bernards, Pointers, and English Bulldogs.

The original Bulldog was brought to America by working class immigrants. When they moved to America, they wanted to be sure to bring their working dogs. Small time farmers and ranchers greatly benefited from these Bulldogs. They were used for many tasks on the farms such as farm guard dogs, stock dogs, and catch dogs. These dogs were a basic generic bulldog type. There were no specific decisions made when breeding. Dog Breeders mainly used any of these generic bulldogs to create a breed based on their best working dog characteristics.

However, by the end of World War II, these generic Bulldogs and their strains were starting to become extinct. When John D. Johnson found this out, he decided to bring back the breed. He searched for a variety of Bulldogs with the best traits and began recording their pedigrees and family trees. Johnson’s main goal was to create a Bulldog that was a large sized farm guardian dog, much like the Bulldogs of older generations. Alan Scott joined him in this quest and began to carefully breed American Bulldogs. At the beginning, Johnson and Scott had similar ideas of the perfect American Bulldog. However, over time, their visions began to part ways for what they believed the ideal American Bulldog should be. This split resulted in two very different and distinct types of American Bulldogs. John Johnson preferred a massively large dog with a shorter muzzle that acted more as a guardian type of dog. Alan Scott was more drawn to creating a smaller, more athletic and fit dog with a longer muzzle that would be used for cattle catching and wild boar hunting. As time went on, both Johnson and Scott, along with other skilled breeders in other breeds, began creating their idea of the perfect working Bulldog. Return to top

The original name of the breed was called the American Pit Bulldog and was even registered with the National Kennel Club under that name in the 1970s. However, the breed was later renamed the American Bulldog in order to avoid confusion with the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The American Bulldog was recognized by the United Kennel Club in January 1999. This breed of dog is currently recognized by the National Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club, and the American Bulldog Association. The American Bulldog is now thriving and increasing in popularity. You can see them playing the role of a working and protecting dog or also as a family pet. They are now safe from extinction, compared to the breed’s past threat of disappearance.

The American Bulldog has a very distinct appearance. This breed of dog is a well-built, stocky, strong dog with a very large head, extremely powerful jaws, and an impressively muscular build. The American Bulldog’s coat is short and normally very smooth, causing it to be a lighter shedder. The traditional coat color of the American Bulldog is mostly white with patches of brindle or red. However, recently, the colors of this breed’s coat has grown to include a variety of color patterns such as red, fawn, brown, and all shades of brindle. Occasionally, blue, tri color, tan, and black colored coats are seen. However, these coat colors are considered undesirable by most breed standards. Black pigmentation on the nose and eye rims is often seen on this breed. American Bulldogs usually have brown eye color, but split eyes, where one eye is blue and one is brown, has also been seen. A known fact about bulldogs is that they are droolers and the American Bulldog is no exception. It is most often seen in the Bully type of American Bulldogs, which is usually a heavier, bigger dog with a short muzzle. The Standard or Performance type of American Bulldogs have longer muzzles with a more athletic built. However, many of the more modern American Bulldogs are a combination of both the Bully type and the Standard type, creating the Hybrid type. The average weight of the American Bulldog is about 60 to 120 pounds. They range from about 20 to 28 inches at the withers. However, American Bulldogs that are not working dogs have been known to greatly exceed these standards.

The temperament of the American Bulldog is often seen as generally social and active. They are typically very confident and are known to be extremely comfortable with their families. They share an impressive bond with their owners. As a young American Bulldog, this breed is often shy and standoffish around strangers. Yet, as they grow older and mature, the American Bulldog builds extreme confidence. With children, the American Bulldog breed can act proper around them as long as they are trained and socialized together early on, so they understand their limits. It is important to practice good training techniques with this breed and interacting them with other dogs, animals, and people. If this is done properly, you will be more likely to have complete control over this breed in their natural environment and in places unfamiliar to them. This early training is essential for the American Bulldog breed’s well being. The best way to start this training is by taking them for walks regularly around local parks. This type of breed has a history of working as a farm dog that could catch wild boar and cattle, kill vermin, and guard its owner’s property. Some American Bulldogs tend to be extremely protective of their owners and therefore, aggression is not uncommon with this breed. However, as long as you train your Bulldog early on and socialize it with other animals and people, this breed of dog has potential to be a wonderful family pet.

The American Bulldog breed has an average lifespan of about 10 to 16 years. Overall, their health tends to be strong. Being so physically active prevents this breed from having too many serious health problems. However, there are some health issues that have been send in the American Bulldog breed. Health problems that are common to the general population of American Bulldogs include Hip Dysplasia, Cherry Eye, Elbow Dysplasia, Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis, Ichthyosis, ACL tears, disorders of the kidney and thyroid, Entropion, Bone Cancer, and Ectropion. In order to screen breeding animals for Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis and Ichthyosis, there are DNA test available to help breeders. There are a few other health issues that are associated with the American Bulldogs but are often only found within certain genetic lines and are not seen overall with the entire breed. It is important to keep your American Bulldog on a healthy diet high in protein, with quality carbs, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Because of their size and muscular build, these key items in their diet are essential. In 2010, the American Bulldog was awarded the title as the best breed of the decade. With its friendly and social personality, along with its strong, hardworking ethics, it is easy to understand why. This breed has a variety of well-rounded personality traits and unique characteristics that make it easy for an owner to fall in love. As long as you train and take care of your Bulldog properly, you are right on track to owning one of the best pets of the decade. Return to top

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