American Bulldog

Breed history:

 It is a breed of English origin and descends from the English Bulldog. But whereas its ancestor was used as a companion dog after the fights with bulls were banned, the American Bulldog was used for different jobs on farms. In this way, this turned out to be a little bigger than its English relative, to have longer legs and to be more nimble. After World War II, this breed almost disappeared, but an old campaigner - John D. Johnson from Summerville, Georgia succeeded to save and revitalize it. The best known subbreeds of this American Bulldog are from the type Johnson and Scott. The ones from the Johnson type have a larger size, with a big head and a short muzzle and have a higher tendency for aggression. Scott dogs are athletic, slender  with longer legs.

Description:

 It is a medium to large-sized, burly dog, with a heavy, compact and thick body. It has a big and wide head, with strong jaws. The nose is big and can have any colour. The eyes are round, big, generally dark and have a wrinkle between them. The ears are medium-sized, half up (tulip shaped), cut or floppy. The neck is strong and brawny, and the tail is thick at the base and placed low, but pointed at the tip. It can be also cut. The fur is short, flat and rough and can have any colour (except full black or blue) or combination between 2 colours. The most frequent are striped red, white, red, fawn.

Personality:

 The American Bulldog has a strong personality, it is imposing and dominant. It is intelligent, calm, brave and determined. It is friendly, very devoted and loving with the family and especially with children. But it is aggressive with strangers and other dogs, especially from the same gender. Ii is advisable that only one more dog be in the same house, preferably of opposite gender.

Grooming:

 This dog's fur doesn't need special care. A casual brushing to remove dead hairs in the shedding period is enough, preferably with a brush with pig bristles.

Living conditions:

 It is a dog with a high level of activity and feels best in an enclosure, next to an active family, where it can move freely. It will adapt to life in a flat too, if it is taken out daily for walks and play. It loves to play with children, to take long walks, to run, to play with the ball. An American Bulldog can jump even 40 inch (1 m) in air. It needs training and socialization.

Training:

 It is an easy dog to train. It is recommended that the training be done on a gentle, friendly tone of voice, but firm without being severe. It must be consistent and well-ballanced.

Usefulness:

 It is a very good watchdog and also a companion dog.