American Bulldog. Abe Fishman
America in the 1980s saw the development of several distinct lines of American Bulldogs that greatly influenced the dogs we see today.
The third of these men was one John D. Johnson of the state of Georgia. Johnson’s Bulldogs had been essentially the same as Scott’s prior to the late 1970s. More than any other breeder then or since, Johnson responded to the novice puppy purchasers’ demands for oversized, “bully-looking” dogs. Seemingly overnight, “Johnson dogs” grew dramatically in size. Whereas in 1980 and before, Johnson’s big dogs weighed no more than 80 or 85 pounds, by 1985 Johnson was advertising Bulldogs that weighed as much as 135 pounds. The appearance of the dogs changed just as dramatically.
Although the “lines” of American Bulldog are relatively new, this is by no means a new breed.
There are many rumors about the many breeds with which Johnson crossed his Bulldogs in order to achieve the size and the entirely new look. Rather than speculate here, let us pass on the following information. At the core of Johnson’s bloodlines from about 1980 on is a bitch by the name of Bullmede’s Queen. Queen was bred and owned by Mr. Dave Leavitt, then of Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. Leavitt was very honest about the breeding techniques he used in his own production of dogs; he intended to recreate the “Olde English Bulldogge,” theoretically the Bulldog in its original form. An examination of Leavitt’s bloodlines will clearly demonstrate that Queen, an important bitch in Johnson’s breeding of American Bulldogs, was in fact part Pit Bull, part show-variety English Bulldog and part Bullmastiff. The reader can speculate along with so many others regarding what else Johnson may have crossed into his “American Bulldog” lines from that point on. What we do know for sure is that his dogs became so different from all other American Bulldogs that many no longer consider his dogs to be of the same breed.
We must understand this if we are to find a proper Bulldog for ourselves and to attempt to preserve the true American Bulldog for dog owners in years to come. It is not an American Bulldog out of any one of these lines, or an American Bulldog out of a conglomeration of these lines, that will be the best American Bulldog. It is a Bulldog of old working lines that will be the true American Bulldog.
THE OLD AND THE NEW
The three lines mentioned here, and all other lines you will hear reference to, are newly created lines, but the American Bulldog is by no means a newly created breed. This is a very old working breed that has been very adversely impacted by cross-breeding in recent years. This breed was essentially pure-bred before any of the men whose names are connected to the various lines were born. It remained in a very homogeneous form for many decades, and it was only when we began to think in terms of “lines” that the breed became as thoroughly genetically diluted as it is today.
THE AMERICAN BULLDOG IN EUROPE
During the 1990s, the explosion of interest in the American Bulldog began to spread beyond the shores of the United States. With all of the cross-breeding that has occurred and continues to occur among American Bulldog breeders in the US, it is highly beneficial to the breed to find itself in the hands of European breeders. Hopefully, European breeders will not view cross-breeding to other breeds as an option when breeding to improve their American Bulldog stock. Also, European breeders have quickly expressed an interest in breeding dogs with a willingness to work, rather than dogs intended only to scare their neighbors. One word of caution: keep in mind that protection work was never the primary function of the American Bulldog. Catch work and ranch work is what this breed was designed for. While testing a dog in Schutzhund trials demonstrates a certain degree of working ability within this breed, one must bear in mind that the American Bulldog was never intended to be a man-biter. This breed was developed to be tested on game much more deadly than man, and the extraordinary agility and tenacity demonstrated while catching free-range hogs in the field are infinitely more dangerous and demanding than “man work” will ever be.
PERSONAL PROTECTOR
Many of today’s American Bulldogs are purchased for basic home guardian and personal protection work. One thing the various lines of American Bulldogs have in common is the fact that all tend to be useful protection dogs, since breeders tend to favor stock with strong protective instincts. Further, owners of American Bulldogs often engage in training their dogs to become guard dogs. What owners need to realize, though, is that this is not the breed’s original function and that proper protection is obtained only through proper training. Furthermore, the American Bulldog’s wonderful pet potential should never be overlooked.
THE FAMILY PET
Many an American Bulldog is brought home to be a family pet, too. The Bulldog often makes a fine family pet. It is not an overly active breed. It is not a breed that is likely to roam away from its home property. It can be, and often is, a playful breed, and while any play between any dog and any child should always be supervised by an adult, the American Bulldog is usually a good pet for an older child. Pet American Bulldog owners often attest to their dogs’ loving and even goofy personalities.
MODERN USES FOR THE AMERICAN BULLDOG
As we know, the American Bulldog was very likely developed for use as a farm dog. The responsibilities of a farm dog were varied. They included catch work (catching and holding mature livestock for slaughter) and the protection of livestock from free-roaming dogs and packs of wild dogs. The American Bulldog in its working form is still used for this kind of work today. Given the popularity of the breed among pet owners presently, the percentage of American Bulldogs actually employed for farm and catch work is quite small indeed.
We have alluded to the fact that some American Bulldogs, such as those of the “Painter Line,” were used as fighting dogs in the past. It was not only the modern cross-bred American Bulldog that was used as a fighting dog, however. There are many old-time stories from people who knew the American Bulldog breed during the 1940s and 1950s that tell of serious organized dog fights in which American Bulldogs, rather than Pit Bulls, were matched.
The bottom line is that today’s American Bulldog has much to offer a family who will raise him right, devote time and effort to train and socialize him properly and give him the attention he needs. This breed is a wonderful companion, but the American Bulldog must know who’s the boss—you!
In discussing the temperament of the American Bulldog, we must consider that the range in type within the breed today is so great and the genetic material composing this breed is so varied that the physical and temperamental characteristics of your dog will depend upon his specific ancestry. One or more of the giant breeds were crossed into some American Bulldog lines in the recent past, so common sense dictates that the lines in question will produce dogs displaying the characteristics of those giant breeds. On the other end of the spectrum, if the Pit Bull was crossed into the line from which your dog descends, chances are that your dog will display characteristics that are more like the Pit Bull. If your dog is from pure, or nearly pure, old-time working American Bulldog lines, that is another matter altogether.
SUSPICIOUS MINDS
The American Bulldog is a protective dog, but he should never be an overly hot-headed dog. He should greet strangers with