merican Bulldogs are strong, stocky dogs that look tough but have a gentle and sensitive nature. They are friendly, affectionate and make great watch dogs.
| Recommended for | Active families |
| Breed Classification | Foundation Stock Service |
| Other names | White English Southern Bulldog (historical) |
| Lifespan | 8-15 years |
| Size | Medium to large |
| Temperament | Loyal, friendly, gentle |
| Intelligence | Average |
| Tendency to bark | Low |
| Maintenance Level | Medium |
| Health Risk | Higher than average probability of developing health issues during its lifetime, hence the cost to insure is above average. |
Breed history of American Bulldogs
The American Bulldog is a descendant of the English Bulldog. It is believed that the bulldog was in America as early as the 18th century. Many came to the United States in the 1700’s and 1800’s, with immigrants who brought their working bulldogs with them.
Historically, American Bulldogs were bred to be a utility dog used for working the farm. Small farmers and ranchers used this all-around working dog for many tasks including farm guardians, stock dogs, and catch dogs. The breed largely survived, particularly in the southern states, because of its ability to bring down and catch feral cattle and pigs.
The breed almost died out during WWI and WWII, with the only surviving dogs kept on farms primarily in the southeastern United States. The two men who are recognized as the pioneers of bringing the breed back from possible extinction are John D. Johnson and Alan Scott.
Post WWII, Johnson gathered the best examples of the breed he could find and began a breeding program which led to the “Classic” type of American Bulldog. Scott joined Johnson’s efforts in reviving the breed and began breeding the Johnson Bulldog bloodline with other non-Johnson Bulldogs to develop what is now known as the “Standard” type of American Bulldog.
Many of today’s American Bulldogs are a combination of the Classic and Standard types, resulting in a third type referred to as “Hybrid”. Many of the American Bulldogs in Australia today are this hybrid type.
Physical description of American Bulldogs
The American Bulldog is medium to large sized, stocky and powerfully built. American Bulldogs are bigger, faster and more agile than their British Bulldog counterparts.
As there are a few types of American Bulldog, they can vary quite widely in appearance. In general, they have a broad, square-shaped head with a broad, strong jaw, distinctive half-erect, pendant-shaped ears and almond- to round- shaped brown eyes. Their muscular build and strong legs enable them to jump very high, in some cases up to 6 feet.
They have short, coarse fur which in the past was mostly white, but now comes in a variety of patterns and colours.
| Weight range | Males 30 – 59 kg; females 27 – 41 kg |
| Height range | Males 50 – 71 cm tall; females 50 – 61 cm |
| Colours | White, white combined with black, brindle, brown or tan |
| Coat length | Short |