American Bulldog

The American Bulldog is a breed that stands out for having a lot of personality and charm and making devoted friends. These dogs, who are renowned for their robust physique and amiable disposition, make excellent family companions. Training them is a satisfying experience because they have a close relationship with their humans and are frequently eager to please.

American Bulldogs, who were bred originally for farm labor, are renowned for their power and agility. They served a variety of purposes, such as protecting property and capturing livestock. They can now demonstrate their intelligence and athleticism by excelling in events like obedience competitions and agility training, where they are just as adaptable.

The loving character of American Bulldogs is among their most endearing features. They enjoy being a part of family activities and thrive on human interaction. Their lively nature can add happiness to any home, transforming them from mere pets into actual members of the family. They can get along well with children and other pets if given the right socialization and care.

American Bulldogs require the proper socialization and training to succeed, just like any other breed. Since they can be stubborn and strong-willed at times, it’s important to provide them with constant praise. They can develop into well-mannered, amiable, and devoted friends with a little time and effort.

All things considered, the American Bulldog is a breed that embodies power, devotion, and love. This breed might be the ideal choice for you if you’re searching for a dog that can be a loving family member and keep up with an active lifestyle.

Brief historical background of the American Bulldog breed.

The Old English Bulldog, which working-class immigrants brought to North America to keep working dogs to assist on farms, is the ancestor of the American Bulldog. These farmers only produced dogs with specific working traits, disregarding the breed’s purity. Dogs were necessary to assist them in a variety of agricultural tasks. This breed’s intelligence, loyalty, and agility made them excellent for both hunting and working with cattle. American Bulldogs’ powerful jaws and muscular frames made them perfect for hunting wild boar, and their strong moral fiber and agility made them excellent cattle guards and drivers. Originally, they were also employed in bull baiting.

The American Bulldog was almost extinct by the end of World War II, but a few breeders searched the South for these dogs in an effort to bring the breed back to life. The American Bulldog is primarily a family companion and is not endangered today.

American Bulldog: Description. Appearance and Temperament.

The modern American Bulldog is a "jack of all trades", able to guard the house, drive and protect livestock, hunt dangerous animals . Dog owners claim that they can easily clear a 2.5-meter high barrier and can turn around in a square inch. In addition to their magnificent locomotor apparatus, these versatile athletes have iron jaws and heroic health. High fighting qualities gave rise to rumors about the wild nature and increased danger of the breed, but those who are familiar with it unanimously note a very attractive temperament for the owner.

The American bulldog is "programmed" in his genetic makeup to be obedient and devoted since he has spent centuries as a friend and helper, sensitively responding to his owner’s wishes. Legends abound regarding his dependability and carelessness, many of which have valid causes.

In terms of unique devotion, bulldogs get along very well with children, polite and intelligent, excellently lend themselves to training and prone to discipline. If necessary, they are on the basis of the situation and without a team, having an innate desire to give pleasure to the owner, stop unwanted actions at the slightest disapproval on his part. They are not dangerous for outsiders outside the guarded territory, they remember friends at home, loyal to them and other relatives of the owner.
American bulldog is attractive outwardly, everything in it is harmonious, expressive and appropriate. This is a classic fighting dog of the old type, equally possessing tangible power and nobility.

You can spend as much time as you like describing how effortlessly these dogs jump onto a jeep’s roof, overcome obstacles, and hang in midair while using their teeth to demonstrate an iron grip on an object that is attached to a rope. And all of this in such striking proportions. Nobody does such things among the breeds that are similar in size to American bulldogs.

Game "put the picture together"

The American Bulldog is a robust, protective breed that is energetic and devoted to its owners. These dogs are excellent companions and watchdogs because of their amiable nature and close relationship with families. This post will discuss their special traits, requirements for training, and advice on how to raise them in a caring environment. All the important information about American Bulldogs is included in this guide, whether you’re thinking about adopting one or you just want to learn more.

Pros and cons.

Pros

• The coat is smooth, short, and therefore caring for it is quite simple – thorough combing during shedding.
• A good guard and companion.
• They bark little.
• If the upbringing is properly established from puppies, the dog will get along well with children
• Very devoted
• Easy to train

Cons

• Often aggressive towards relatives and other animals (cats, for example)
• Because of A short-haired dog cannot be kept in an outdoor enclosure during the cold season
• The dog is dominant, and therefore 2 males in the house may not get along
• It is not worth getting a newbie, because he may not be able to cope with the characteristic assertiveness and stubbornness of the bulldog. And if you decide to get one, then you must definitely contact a specialist dog trainer.
• American bulldogs often have diseases such as: problems with the cardiovascular system, ligaments, eye diseases, cancer, ichthyosis, dysplasia and allergies.
• The dog is very temperamental, and therefore, in order to moderate its ardor, you need to walk and exercise it a lot.
• Drool !
• Excessive stubbornness in some representatives of the breed.

Breed standard.

The page that lists the most important cynological terms and concepts also contains information on what the breed standard is.

Dog companion and security.

A Synopsis of the History in Brief

The American Bulldog was developed as a "farm dog" to perform labor-intensive tasks on farms. The Bulldog served as the family’s watchdog and bodyguard in addition to being a member of the family.

The American Bulldog is a dog of medium or above average height, strong, athletic and proportionately built. Coat is short. The length of the body slightly exceeds the height at the withers. The head is large, wide, deep in the cranial part. The muzzle is short and wide. The ears are small, triangular in shape, hanging on cartilage, not docked. The tail is long, reaching to the hock joint. The American Bulldog can never be confused with the American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, or Dogo Argentino.
The type of constitution is strong, with elements of coarseness, powerful strong bones and developed muscles.
Sexual dimorphism is well expressed. Males are more massive, larger in size and have more bones than bitches. Bitches are smaller, but without weakness of build and skeleton.

combination of alertness, courage and intelligence, easy-going and friendly towards the owner and family members, energy, mobility. Desire for superiority (dominant behavior) towards other dogs and some distrust of strangers is acceptable. The American Bulldog can be both a companion and a working dog.
Cowardice – a dog is considered excessively cowardly if it does not allow itself to be examined by the judge, is afraid of approaching from behind, is very frightened by unexpected and unusual sounds. An adult (from 1.5 years) American Bulldog, with its tail between its legs and shaking in the ring, should also alert the judge.
Aggressiveness – a dog that attacks or attempts to attack a judge or its handler without provocation is excessively aggressive.
A warlike attitude towards other dogs is not considered a disqualifying feature.

Body with a somewhat longer format. The body’s oblique length cannot be greater than 8% of the height at the withers (format index). Index of elongation: 103 -108% About half the height at the withers corresponds to the depth of the chest. The length of the neck shouldn’t be less than the length of the head; instead, it should be roughly equal to the circumference of the skull in the middle. The length of the muzzle, which makes up between 25% and 35% of the head’s total length, is no more than 7 cm.

Enormous, bulky, proportionate to the body, located deep within the skull, and possessing a short muzzle.

• Cranial part:

• Skull: voluminous, wide, and slightly rounded with a fairly high, slightly flattened forehead. Occipital protuberance is moderately pronounced.
• Stop: deep, well defined

• Nose leather: large with wide, open nostrils. The earlobe color is black, brown is acceptable, depending on the color.
• Muzzle: short, deep and wide at the base, moderately filled under the eyes, with a clear transition from the forehead to muzzle. Slightly narrows towards the nose, the bridge of the nose is wide and straight. The interbrow furrow is clearly visible. The width of the muzzle under the eyes should be approximately equal to half the width of the cranial part. Obbrenous arcs are moderately expressed.
• Lips: dense, moderately raw, but not saggy. The front edge of the upper lip is closed with the front edge of the lower lip. Black pigment is preferred, brown – allowed.
• Allowed (at the age of 15 months.) Small depigmented areas.
• Jaws / teeth: jaws are wide, lower jaw, with a pronounced massive chin. Bite forms – tight undershot, undershot (teeth should not be visible when the mouth is closed).
• Teeth are strong and healthy (without signs of disease). Incisors are in a single line if possible, canines are large and wide apart. Absence of up to 2 first premolars is allowed. Dogs are not penalized for broken or worn teeth, if this does not interfere with determining the bite. When the mouth is closed, the incisors and canines of the lower jaw should not be visible, the tongue should not be visible. Preference is given to larger teeth.
• Cheeks: with strong muscles, well developed, rounded.
• Eyes: rounded, small, not bulging and not too deep-set, wide apart. Set straight. Eyelids are tightly fitting, not drooping. When viewed from the front, the whites of the eyes should not be visible. Eyes should not have noticeable eye problems.
• Eye color: from dark brown to light hazel, preferably as dark as possible, lighter eyes are allowed. The eyes should be shiny, have a lively and energetic expression. The eyelids are pigmented, a full outline is desirable, tightly fitting. Small depigmented areas are allowed, up to 24 months of age.
• Ears: hanging on a strong cartilage at the base, which supports the ear on the forehead line (high-set). Medium size, should not be longer than the distance from the base of the ear to the outer corner of the eye. Ear shape is triangular with a rounded end. Ears can be either "rose" shaped, or fit to the head in the form "envelope".

Strong and bulky. The neck is angled 45 degrees with respect to the upper line. The nape of the neck has a distinct shape. A little dewlap is fine. From the tip of the nose to the occipital protuberance, the length of the neck should not be shorter than the length of the head.

• Top line: almost straight, slightly convex in the lumbar region. In puppies and juniors, a slight high rear is acceptable.
• Withers: well defined.
• Back: strong, straight, wide and muscular.
• Loin: strong, elastic, slightly convex.
• Crop: slightly sloping, rounded and wide, with developed massive muscles.
• Chest: wide and deep, reaching to the elbows. The forechest is well developed, the forechest is pronounced. Ribs well sprung, rounded, not flat. Desirably long false ribs.
• Bottom line: smooth, moderately tucked up in the groin area. Abdomen moderately tucked up, not pendulous and not sharply tucked up.

Hefty in the middle and gradually tapering towards the finish. comparatively low set. The tail should ideally reach the hocks. The tail ought to be kink-free and straight. It can bend smoothly at the end and runs at the level of the back when in motion.

• Forelegs: when viewed from the front, straight and parallel to each other with good voluminous bone, wide set. The distance between the forelimbs should be noticeably greater than between the hind legs.

• Shoulder blades: obliquely directed, with massive relief muscles.
• Shoulders: wide with massive relief muscles. Scapulohumeral angle no more than 100 degrees. Should not be very short and straight.
• Elbows: directed strictly back.
• Forearm: straight without curvature, wide with massive bone and developed muscles, vertical and parallel to each other.
• Wrists: wide and strong.
• Mescarpuss: relatively short, strong and voluminous, when viewed from the side they can be slightly sloping. When viewed from the front, straight and strong.
• Forelegs: front paws are round, strong, with short, compressed toes. paw pads are well developed and elastic. The hind legs have a slightly more elongated shape.

• Hips: Moderately long and wide, with developed muscles.
• Shins: not long, wide with developed muscles.
• Hocks: strong, dry, moderately pronounced.
• Metacarpus: wide, set vertically to the ground.
• Hind legs: arched, slightly narrower and longer than the front.

Powerful, agile, and well-coordinated. Typical gait: brisk, not sluggish trot.

Kshort, no longer than 1.5 cm, shiny, and well-fitting.

white, white and brindle, white and red, brindle.
White: pure white or with spots of acceptable colors – brindle or red.
White and brindle: white with significant patches of any acceptable color, or colored with large areas of white.
White and red: from dark red to light fawn.
Brindle or red and brindle: from very dark, with red or fawn stripes, to light, with sparse dark brindle on a lighter, red background. Brindle color is allowed: brown brindle on a lighter, red or fawn background. With brown brindle color, brown pigmentation of the nose and lips is allowed.
Preference is given to brighter and more saturated shades.
Colored dogs must have significant areas of white, at least 1/3.
Isolated pigmented areas of skin with discolored hair above them are not considered fault.

Somewhat thick, forming folds in the head and neck area, or tightly stretched.

Men’s 58–68 cm (ideally 63–65 cm). Bitches between 55 and 65 cm; 58 to 60 cm is ideal.

A mature dog should weigh between 45 and 60 kg. Mature bitches should weigh between 35 and 50 kg.

Depending on the degree of severity, any departure from the aforementioned standards should be regarded as either a vice or a fault.

• Some lightness of build, characteristic only of young dogs.
• Slight depigmented areas of the nose.
• Non-linear arrangement of teeth, small teeth, teeth damaged as a result of disease.
• Ears are semi-erect on cartilage, heavy, thick, sluggishly carried.
• High-set tail.
• Too short tail (to the stifle joint)
• Unbalanced movement, weak drive from the hindquarters, mincing step, ambling at the trot.

• Timidity, timidity.
• Muzzle is long, wedge-shaped, strongly tapering towards nose.
• Gray nose.
• Too bulging eyes with a bulging cornea, not covered by the eyelids, developed conjunctiva, raw drooping eyelids
• Gray, yellow or green eyes, different eye colors, uneven eye color, complete lack of pigmentation of the eyelid.
• Straight bite.
• Ears that are too large and low-set.
• Sagging, roached or narrow back, sunken or roached loin, sloping croup, narrow pelvis, narrow, flat, barrel-shaped chest, pendulous belly
• Toe-in, clubfoot, forearm curvature, insufficient shoulder joint (120 degrees or more), close stride, elbows turned outward or inward, elbows that are too loose, soft pastern, flat or splayed paw.
• Weak muscles, narrow hips, too blunt or too sharp joint angles, barrel-shaped stride, close and weak hocks, stifles that turn outward when moving, sabre-hocked.
• Kinked tail, tail thrown back, tail like a corkscrew, docked tail.
• Ticking – speckles (numerous small spots covering all white areas). Blue – brindle – gray (blue) brindles on a red background.
• Full black mask. Brindle or red colors, without white areas, or with very small areas of white.
• Mature male weight less than 35 kg, mature female weight less than 27 kg.

• Excessive cowardice or aggressiveness.
• Blindness and deafness
• Blue eyes (one or both) in combination with any color
• Squint, asymmetry of the eyes, entropion and ectropion of the eyelids
• Pronounced undershot bite, scissor bite.
• Absence of more than 2 front premolars, skewed incisor line, lower jaw teeth visible when the mouth is closed.
• Significant tilt, or asymmetry of the jaw
• Hocks very close together (cowhipped)
• Long, wavy coat
• Full black mask, completely black, blue, and black and tan, piebald with black spots without brindle, tricolor and marble colors.
• Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism.

American Bulldogs are devoted family members and friends in addition to being powerful, athletic canines. For those who have the time and energy to spend with them, they make wonderful pets because of their loving disposition and playful nature. These dogs can fit into a range of lifestyles, whether you’re looking for a couch buddy or a running partner.

A rewarding experience can come from training an American Bulldog. Because they are perceptive and eager to please, they react favorably to praise. You can teach them a variety of commands and skills if you are consistent and patient. Additionally important is early socialization, which fosters the development of well-rounded adults who feel at ease in a variety of settings.

The physical requirements of the breed should be known to prospective owners, though. They must exercise frequently to stay happy and healthy. Their energy can be used more constructively by taking long walks, playing in the yard, or even participating in agility training. Their minds can be kept active by offering games or puzzle toys that stimulate their minds.

All things considered, if you’re thinking about getting an American Bulldog, get ready for a devoted and caring friend. They may prosper as members of your family if given the right upbringing, instruction, and socialization. Just keep in mind that, much like any breed, they require love and care in order to thrive and develop into the greatest friends.