American Bulldog
Descended from the Old English Bulldog, American Bulldog, as is generally accepted, can be a part of American culture and history, and may be used as one of an American cultural icon. Strong and tough as American Bulldogs are, this breed indeed pretty much like bulldog, not only in appearance, but they did real bulldog work.
| Other Names | Old Country Bulldog, Southern White White English Old Southern White Bulldog Hill Bulldog Country Bulldog English White Bulldog |
| Color | All white or white with patches of red or varying degrees of brown, brindle, or fawn. |
| Height | Males: 22-27 inches. Females: 20-25 inches. |
| Weight | Males: 75-125 pounds. Females: 60-100 pounds. |
| Life Span | 10–15 years |
| Personality | Loyal, Self-Confident |
| Exercise | Energetic |
| Origin |
| Popularity | #194 |
| Groom Needs | Occasional Bath/Brush and Seasonal Shedding |
| Kids Friendly | Yes with supervision |
| Dog Friendly | Yes with supervision |
| Watch Dog | |
| Family Dog | |
| Litter Size | 7–16 puppies |
American Bulldog Video
Introduction
The American Bulldog is a stocky, muscular dog, and is a great help on the farm, agile and actually designed to chase down stray cattle – can you believe that some have been known to jump over 6 feet into the air! He comes with great affection for his owners, and is super intelligent, which makes him a protective family dog. But these dogs aren’t meant to be on their own protecting the house. No, they need plenty of exercise and human interaction from their pet parents. He stands around 28 inches at the shoulders and weighs around 120 pounds. They are happy dogs but need plenty of space to roam and be taken on plenty of walks. If their mental and physical needs aren’t met they can become destructive and bored. These dogs can come in different colors, but traditionally they are white and have patches of red, brindle or black. Their coat is short and they shed moderately through the year. No extensive grooming is required. All in all when you have an American Bulldog joined your family, you get an affectionate, intelligent, and protective family dog. With kind, firm, and patient training and care, American Bulldogs can make loving family companions.
Living with American Bulldog
The task of grooming an American Bulldog can be pretty easy. Hardly do owner need to pay much attention to their bath problems as this low-maintenance breed has short and harsh coat, except when they become very dirty in enjoyable outdoor exercise. Regular brushing with a brush and nail trimming every other week, aid in making your pet look brilliant. It is worth noting the seasonal coat shedding problems, however, their short hair are easy to be gathered up. Monthly ear cleaning and regular teeth brushing can prevent the growth of bacteria. American Bulldogs look well on conditions that owners pay attentions to every details of grooming.
American Bulldogs require lots of activity since exercise can help decrease possible bone and joint damage. Kept in back yard for too long will make it hard for American Bulldogs to release pent-up energy, leading to a bad influence on their behavior problems. It’s advisable to apply non-impact exercises which are less-strenuous exercise than adult dogs when American Bulldogs are young, while a vast arrays of activities from jogs, hikes, tug-a-war games, to training exercises for American Bulldogs when they are adults. 30 minutes of exercise per day is enough to keep them mentally and physically healthy. Fun and interactive activity will contribute the pet-owner emotional tightness, such as brisk walking, running or playing fetch with your dog. There is one notable thing that is also chewing exercise, keeping your pet mentally health. Good to choose durable, non-toxic, premium-quality and odorless toys to support their habits.
American Bulldogs are not critical about food, yet owners should try to offer them dog food of premium quality. With a variety of dog foods in the market, owners should distinguish the formula of American Bulldog puppies from American Bulldog adults. The intake of calcium will do harm to the development of American Bulldog puppies, and large-breed puppy food for the first 14 months of their life in order to make them grow slowly and steadily. Large-breed foods are applicable to American Bulldog adults, and it’s also good to add some supplements of genuine values that can beneficial effects on their joint, muscle and coat care.
Known to be healthy overall, hardly will American Bulldogs suffer from some disease. However, it’s advisable to always follow the recommendations of their veterinarian and maintain a schedule of examinations and vaccinations as he suggest. Potential genetic health problems exist so breeders should do health screen for fear of certain genetic diseases.
There are several common problems below.
Joint Dysplasia are not inevitable as long as American Bulldog puppies are fed to large-breed puppy food of great quality and brought out to take appropriate amount of exercise.
To avoid Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Problems which is also common among this breed, causing severe hindlimb lameness, owners should control their weight, keep on strenuous exercise, and other measurements that are good for their health.
When a red lump shows up that protrudes on the inner corner of the eye and your pet can feel a sense of irritation and excessive tearing, owner should not hesitate to visit doctor to seek out a good solution, such as surgical replacement of the gland.
Bone cancer, as is reported, spreads and grows quickly in American Bulldogs. If the worst case happens, however, amputation of the affected bone and chemotherapy are unavoidable.
Total Annual Cost: $2429
Cost is estimated for the first year and may vary depending on many factors, such as dog food, health care, leash, collar, licensing, possible fencing, crates, training and obedience classes, dog-walking, grooming, treats, toys, flea, tick, and heart-worm meds, microchips, etc.
American Bulldog, originally served as a catch dog in history, can be very vigorous, athletic and springy. The training can be of an easy task, as they are tenacious. But the stubborn personality of American Bulldog, however, makes the training somehow difficult, and many American Bulldogs naturally want to be in charge. Trainers need to be careful about the training field as they’re normally unaware of their size and strength, making it easily for these kind of large dog to knock over and hurt kids or unwary adults.
Handler needs to be experienced enough to take control of the strong-willed breed. Consistent guide and kindness during training are required and these characteristics of handler play an important role in training an American Bulldog. They need early socialization as many dogs are, and the early training might counter their exuberance and make them structured play and work, keeping their brains engaged. Handler should learn to make this breed eager to work for your smile, so that they will do well in certain tasks. American Bulldogs are good at obedience, weight-pull matches, agility. Training process should be enjoyable and entertaining for these dogs, using positive training techniques and rewards to encourage them frequently. Be critical appropriately especially these’re destructive behaviors, and rules and routines should be put in place early and stick to them as dogs grow up. Once owner build a good boundaries between each other, the pet-owner emotion tightness will be intensifies.
History
The American Bulldog originates from the United States of America and is a descendant of the English bulldog which was brought to North America by working-class immigrants. They wanted to use the dogs for farm work.
They used to be used in the barbaric sport of bull-baiting a long time ago, but these days they are good at being working farm dogs and wonderful family companions.
They nearly became extinct by the time World War II was over but fortunately, the breed was revived again.
The ancestor of this dog is the Old English Bulldog, which was brought to North America by working-class immigrants as early as the 17th century.
All modern American Bulldogs today can trace their roots to four bulldog strains; the Williamson, Scott, Bailey & Johnson, are all from the Alabama/Georgia area.
The breed was not known by its modern name until the 1980s. The breed name that we know so well, the American Bulldog, actually was known by a lot of different names before it became the standard American Bulldog.
The American Bulldog was recognized by the AKC in 1890. At one time they were ranked in the top ten most popular dogs. They continue to be highly popular today – that’s a wonderful tribute to his solid credentials as a lovable companion.