Dog Breeds : American Bulldog

American Bulldog
Other names Old Country Bulldog
Country of origin United States
Weight Male 27-60 kg (75-125 lb)
Height Male 50-71 cm (20-28 in)
Coat Short, harsh Color Combinations of solid or degrees of white; all shades of brindle, brown, red, or tan Litter size 6-12 puppies
Life span 8-15 years

The American Bulldog is a breed of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Though larger in size, they are the closest surviving relative of the Old English Bulldog because they were not altered to as great an extent while in Colonial America as their European cousins. There are generally considered to be two types of American Bulldog, the Johnson type and the Scott type, named after the breeders who were influential in developing them, John D. Johnson and Allen Scott. These are more commonly known as Classic or Bully type and Standard or Performance type. Appearance

The American Bulldog is a stocky and well built, strong-looking dog. Its coat is short and either white, white with patches, black and white brindle, fawn and white, fawn and white brindle or a combination of all of these and some of them may even have what is called a blue patch. The color conformation is quite varied, but white must be somewhere in the coat for the dog to be confirmed in most ABD clubs. The Johnson type is a larger dog with a shorter muzzle than the Scott type. However, many modern American Bulldogs are a combination of the two types. In general, American Bulldogs weigh between 27 to 57 kg (60 to 125 lb) and are 52 to 70 cm (20 to 28 in) at the withers but have been known to greatly exceed that.

Confusion with other breeds
There are two distinct strains of American Bulldogs, Classic (Johnson, Bully) and Standard (Scott, Performance) which is often mistaken for its second cousin, the American Pit Bull Terrier because of its appearance, and for its much smaller European relatives because of its name. The American Bulldog is different from any of these. The American Bulldog is massive in comparison to the French Bulldog or Bulldog as it still resembles the Old English Bulldog and was never down bred to be a lap dog.
The Standard American Bulldog does resemble the pit bull-type breeds on many points, such as being muscular dogs that can be all white or white with patches. However, the pit bull's head is in the shape of a wedge coming to a more rounded point at the muzzle, whereas an American Bulldog's is box-shaped. The American Bulldog's ears are also typically uncropped, and its head is heavier and a little bulkier.

Temperament
An American Bulldog is typically a happy, friendly, and assertive dog that is at ease with its family and fine with outsiders with whom the dog is acquainted. They are quite fond of children but sometimes do not know their own strength. Thus, as with all dogs, they should be supervised with small children. They bond strongly with their master and family but, because of strong guarding instincts and a somewhat dominant attitude, they should be socialized and obedience trained early to expose them to other dogs and people and to ensure that they can be controlled around company as they mature. It should be noted that an American Bulldog is best with an experienced owner, as they are powerful, willful dogs.

They are working dogs with high energy drives, and so American Bulldogs do best in a home with a backyard and preferably a "job" to do. They are not always well behaved towards cats and smaller pets, but correct socialization at an early age can greatly increase the chances of them accepting these animals. This behavior is a reflection of a breed trait called prey drive. High prey drive is a desirable trait in an American Bulldog, as they were bred to hunt herbivores. American bulldog puppies can be relatively difficult to housebreak and train, thus it is important to be persistent.

History in England
The history of Mastiff-type dogs in the British Isles dates back beyond the arrival of Caesar, who reported of the ferocious dogs. With the arrival of the Normans in 1066 came Alaunts from the continent. The breeding of the indigenous mastiffs to the newly arrived ones produced the Mastiff and Bulldog of England. An interesting aside is that all descriptions of the Alaunts (there were three types) mention an all white, or almost entirely white coat - a feature the American Bulldog shares with several other Mastiff-type breeds, including the all-white Argentine Dogo.

In England during the 17th and 18th centuries, Bulldogs were used on farms to hold livestock; as butchers' dogs; and as guardians, as well as for other tasks. This eventually led to bloodsports such as bull-baiting, popular for both entertainment and the potential for gambling. These practices extended not only from the British Isles but also to the colonies acquired during this time, including what is now the United States and in particular the South; many settlers brought their dogs with them to help around the farm, hunt in the woods, guard property, and use in gambling and sport.

In 1835, the sport of bull-baiting was outlawed in the United Kingdom and, over time, the Bulldog there became a common pet, being bred into today's more compact and complacent version. The product was as much the efforts of selectively bred bulldogs as it was the introduction of the Pug. Conversely, the American strain maintained its utilitarian purpose, and thus underwent fewer modifications; even as its popularity declined in favor of other breeds. Even the slight modifications the bulldog underwent in England up to the Industrial Revolution (pre 1835), were absent in the American strain. (Most settlers of the American South came from the West Midlands and as a result of the Civil War between Royalists and Parliamentarians, well before the Industrial Revolution). Bulldogs in England were originally working dogs who drove and caught cattle and guarded their masters' property. The breed's strength, courage, and familiarity with livestock led to its popularity in the brutal sport of bull baiting. When this sport was outlawed in England, the original type of Bulldog disappeared from Britain and was replaced with the shorter, stockier, less athletic dog we now know as the English Bulldog.

History in the United States
The original Bulldog, however, was preserved by working class immigrants who brought their working dogs with them to the American South. Small farmers and ranchers used this all-around working dog for many tasks. By the end of World War II, however, the breed was almost extinct. Mr. John D. Johnson, a returning war veteran, decided to resurrect this breed. Along with Alan Scott and several other breeders, Johnson began carefully to breed American Bulldogs, keeping careful records and always with an eye for maintaining the breed's health and working abilities. The American Bulldog was recognized by the United Kennel Club on January 1, 1999.

Perhaps the most important role of the bulldog and the reason for its survival and in fact why it thrived through out the South was because of the presence of feral pigs, introduced to the New World and without predators. The bulldogs were the settlers' only means of sufficiently dealing with the vermin. By World War II, the breed was near extinction until John D. Johnson and his father scoured the backroads of the South looking for the best specimens to revive the breed. During this time a young Alan Scott grew an interest in Mr. Johnson's dogs and began to work with him on the revitalization process. At some point, Alan Scott began infusing non-Johnson catch bulldogs from working southern farms with John D. Johnson's line creating the now Standard American Bulldog. At another point, Mr. Johnson began crossing his line with an atavistic Bulldog from the North that had maintained its genetic athletic vigor. This created a falling out between Johnson and Scott causing them to go their separate ways and breed the two significantly different versions of the American Bulldog.

Recent History
American Bulldogs are now safe from extinction and are enjoying a healthy increase in popularity, either as a working dog or as a loving family pet. All over the world, they are used variously as "hog dogs" (catching escaped pigs or hunting razorbacks), as cattle drovers and as working K-9s. American Bulldogs also successfully compete in several dog sports such as Schutzhund, French Ring street protection sport, Iron Dog(r) competition and weight pulling.