Content
- American bulldog: origin
- American Bulldog: characteristics
- american bulldog: personality
- American Bulldog: care
- American Bulldog: education
- American Bulldog: health
O american bulldog or american bulldog, is a powerful, athletic and courageous dog that instills great respect. This dog is one of the most similar to the original 19th century bulldog. The inexperienced eye can confuse the bulldog American with the boxer, pittbull or Argentine bulldog, as there are many similarities between these breeds. However, each of them has distinct characteristics that allow them to be differentiated. In this form of PeritoAnimal, we will clarify everything about this dog.
The race descends directly from the original bulldog dogs, now extinct, from 19th century England. After World War II, the American bulldog was also practically extinct, but some breeders rescued the breed. Among the breeders are John D. Johnson and Alan Scott, who originated the two main types of this breed. Johnson bred dogs are more muscular and robust, and his type is known as "bully" or classic. Scott's bred dogs are more athletic and less robust, and their type is known as "standard." Anyway, most of the current american bulldog are hybrids of these two types. Currently, the breed is not recognized by the FCI, but by the United Kennel Club (UKC) and the American Bulldog Registry & Archives (ABRA).
Source
- America
- U.S
- Rustic
- muscular
- short ears
- toy
- Small
- Medium
- Great
- Giant
- 15-35
- 35-45
- 45-55
- 55-70
- 70-80
- more than 80
- 1-3
- 3-10
- 10-25
- 25-45
- 45-100
- 8-10
- 10-12
- 12-14
- 15-20
- Low
- Average
- High
- Sociable
- very faithful
- Active
- Dominant
- floors
- Houses
- hiking
- Surveillance
- Sport
- Cold
- Warm
- Moderate
- Short
- Hard
- Dry
American bulldog: origin
The American Bulldog shares much of its history with other bulldog dogs and similar breeds. Thus, the English bulldog and the pitbull are just two examples of dogs he shares history with.
Its origins go back to the combat and hunting dogs that were used in the first half of the first century. However, it is in its recent history that the breed is defined and takes the form of the current American bulldog. In the 19th century, bulldog dogs were used in Great Britain as guardians, protectors, shepherds (helping to drive and manage the cattle) and helping the butchers to kill the cattle. In that same century, the cruel "sport" of fights between dogs and bulls, in which bulldog dogs were used, was common. It reached its peak in 1835, however, the British authorities forbid the bloody "sport" and the bulldog it gradually disappears. Over time, the crossing of these dogs with others less tall and aggressive, gave rise to the current English bulldog. Meanwhile, some British immigrants who brought their bulldogs to North America kept the breed unchanged because it helped them a lot in controlling and hunting large and dangerous animals like wild pigs. These animals, almost without any alteration, were the ones that gave rise to the current American bulldog.
After World War II, the breed was virtually extinct in the United States. Fortunately for the American Bulldog, John D. Johnson and Alan Scott, together with other lesser known breeders, worked intensively recovering the most typical dogs they found, thus forming a group of founders to recover the breed. It is thanks to these people that today the american bulldog survives. Johnson developed a sturdier and stronger variety of the American bulldog, which is known as the "bully" or "classic". On the other hand, Scott has developed a lighter, more athletic variety known as the "standard". these are the two main varieties used to recover the American bulldog, but nowadays it is very difficult to find them in their pure state. Most American Bulldogs today are hybrids between the two varieties.
Today, this imposing and powerful race is no longer in danger of extinction. Although they are not well known, today's American Bulldogs stand out as multi-purpose working dogs, performing guarding, protecting, hunting and, of course, as pets.
American Bulldog: characteristics
Males measure between 57 and 67 centimeters at the withers, while females measure between 53 and 65 centimeters at the withers. The standard for this breed does not indicate an ideal weight range, but it does indicate that weight should be proportional to size. Naturally, the dogs of "standard" type are lighter and those of "bully" type are heavier.
The American Bulldog is a medium to large dog, very powerful, athletic and muscular. It has a robust body, its body is slightly wider than it is tall. The long, wide head of this dog gives the impression of great power. The skull is parallel to the top line of the muzzle and the stop it is pronounced and sudden. The muzzle is wide and thick, with strong jaws and muscular cheeks. Lips are moderately thick but not hanging and mostly black. In "bully" type dogs, the muzzle length is between 25% and 35% of the total head length. In the "standard" type, the length of the muzzle varies between 30% and 40% of the total length of the head. The bite of these dogs is very powerful, it is one of the characteristics of all bulldog dogs. At the american bulldog of the "standard" type, it is common to have an inverted scissor bite, but a slight undershot is also normal. In bulldog bulldogs, a 1/4-inch undershot is common. The nose is wide and long and has wide nostrils. They may have brown, brown and gray noses, but the color in most cases is black. Depigmentation (pink nose) is unacceptable. The American Bulldog's eyes are medium and wide apart. Its shape can range from round to almond and any color is acceptable, but dark brown or black is the most common. The most common color for the edge of the eyelids is black. The ears of these dogs are small or medium and of high insertion. They can be loose, semi-erect or pink. The UKC standard accepts cropped ears, but indicates that they prefer them naturally. The ABRA standard does not accept clipped ears.
The neck is muscular, strong and narrows from the shoulders to the head. At its widest point, it is almost as wide as the bulldog's head. It might introduce a little chat. All extremities are strong and muscular and have thick, well-developed bones. The feet are round, medium, well arched. The chest of the American Bulldog is deep and moderately wide. The topline slopes slightly from the cross (top point at shoulder height) to the muscular back. The back lumbar is short, wide and slightly arched and has a very slight sloping croup. The tail, low set, is thick at the base and ends in a point. Reach the hock when at rest and must never curl. The UKC accepts tail docking, although it prefers full tails. ABRA does not accept docked tails.
the hair is short, with a texture that can range from smooth to rough. It must be less than an inch in length and any color combination is possible. However, it is impossible to have a black american bulldog, pure blue and tricolor. At least 10% of the body should be white, and most American bulldogs have most of their body that color.
The trot of these dogs is fluid, powerful, well coordinated and indicates no effort. During the same, the topline remains level, the legs do not move in or out, and the feet do not cross. However, as the bulldog speeds up, the feet tend to converge on the body's center of balance.
american bulldog: personality
the typical dogamerican bulldog is determined and courageous, but not necessarily aggressive. excellent guardian due to its strong protective instinct, it can be aggressive towards strangers and other dogs when it is not properly socialized or when it does not have good self-control. Therefore, it is very important to socialize him as a puppy and train obedience to develop the necessary self-control.
It is also a excellent hunter, especially when it comes to hunting large animals as it stands out compared to other dog breeds. However, its strong instinct ofprey it can be a disadvantage for those who have the American Bulldog as a pet. This instinct can make the dog tend to "hunt" small animals such as other pets and small breed dogs. One way to help him control himself is to practice a dog sport such as agility or schutzhund with the dog. Since this breed is very difficult, protective dog sports such as mondioring for example, they can be very useful when you have experienced trainers.
American Bulldog: care
These dogs need a lot of exercise, so they better have a garden where they can run freely. It's true that they can live in an apartment, but for that it's necessary long time to accompany them.
If the American bulldog lives in a house with a garden or an apartment, it's better if he lives inside and goes out for exercise. Although it is a race of great physical strength, it does not have much protection against changing weather conditions. Likewise, you need to take a walk at least once a day (better if it's more) to exercise and socialize, even if he has a garden to play with.
The care of the American Bulldog's fur is very simple and easy to perform. It is recommended only when necessary. As these dogs lose hair regularly, brushing should be done at least three times a week.
American Bulldog: education
Before adopting an American bulldog, you should know that he needs a steady, calm, and consistent trainer. For him, it is important that his caregiver is aware of what it means to be the leader of the herd and to follow orders and some rules.
Despite its physical strength and perhaps because of its strong personality, the American bulldog does not respond well to traditional training. It's best to look at canine training from a different perspective, through clicker training or another variant of positive training. You will need patience to educate him, however it is a very smart dog which can offer us very gratifying and good results. He will have no difficulty learning tricks and obeying whenever we apply positive training.
American Bulldog: health
In general, the american bulldog dog is healthy because it is one of the races with less hereditary problems. Anyway, don't neglect your health because you're not immune to disease. Two of the most common clinical problems in this breed are hip dysplasia and tumors. Due to its size and weight, it can also develop other bone problems during growth, so this should be taken into account. With the right care, these dogs have a life expectancy that varies between 8 and 16 years.