The original bulldog came to America with the settlers in the southern part of America, who came from the West Midlands of England. This breed of dog was used by the small farmers and the ranchers so that they can act as guardians, catch dog and stock dog. This is a generic breed of bulldog and it has no pedigree.

This breed became almost extinct after World War II. It is the credit of Mr. John D. Johnson that this breed was revived. He found best specimens of these working class dogs and started maintaining pedigree and the family tree. He wanted to make a breed of old farming guard bulldog. He was joined in this mission by Alan Scott, however, both of them split later on and with this started two different types of American Bulldog. Over time these two breeders as well as the other breeders crossed the breeds and were successful in creating an ideal guardian dog. Earlier the breed was known as American Pit Bulldog and later the name became American Bulldog.

General Description

This breed is a well built and strong looking dog and it has powerful jaws. Other unique features include a large head and a muscular body. The coat of this dog is short and smooth. You would find this dog to shed moderately. Normally, the coat is white with red or brindle or brown and fawn. They have black pigmentation on the nose and the eye rims and sometimes have hints of pink also. Their eyes are usually brown but sometimes you might find one blue eye and another brown. The Bully type of American Bulldog is a larger and heavier variety of dog and has a shorter muzzle. The front legs are heavy boned, straight and strong. The tail is low-set and is thick at the base.

General Health

These dogs live about 10-16 years, and they are strong, physically active, and mostly healthy. However, there are some health problems such as neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, elbow dysplasia, bone cancer, hip dysplasia, cherry eye which are common to the general population of the breed.

Weight

General weight of American Bulldogs is between 27 to 54 kg and the height is 52 to 70 cm.

Character

These are confident, social and active dogs that are at ease with the families of their owners. When they are young they might be shy of strangers but when they mature they gain confidence. They mix well with children if they are exposed to children at a young age. If they are trained well then they make excellent pets. It is better to train them by taking them for walks regularly. Also if trained well then these dogs can catch and hold wild boar and guard owner's property. Often they are hostile towards other pets but with proper socializing training they can adjust with other pets. Without proper training and handling these dogs might become hard to handle.

Maintenance

These dogs need diet rich in protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. The coat needs to be brushed regularly with a firm brush. They should be bathed only if necessary.

American Bulldog Photos