The American Bulldog is a powerfully-built dog that stands up to 27 inches at the withers, and can weigh as much as 125 pounds. There are actually 3 variants within the breed, the Bully, the Standard and a hybrid of the two. These variants are often referred to as, Johnson type or Scott type, after the main developers of the breed.

The overall impression is one of power with a stocky frame, a large head. a short face, and powerful, crushing jaws. The breed is short coated and predominantly white in color, with patches of black, red, brown, brindle or fawn.

The descendent of the American Bulldog is the Old English Bulldog, a long legged and athletic dog, quite unlike the English Bulldog of today. They were originally brought to America by English settlers and were used as farm dogs.

However, the breed declined in popularity and had almost become extinct by the end of World War II. Two breeders, John D. Johnson and Alan Scott, took up the challenge of restoring the breed. Although they originally breed dogs of similar physique, they later diverged, Scott breeding leaner, more athletic dogs for hunting, Johnson favoring heavier dogs suited to guard dog work. This is the origin of the current variants.

Currently the breed is accredited by the United Kennel Club, and several other international accreditation agencies, but not by the AKC.

The American Bulldog is an agile, fearless and confident dog. But despite its fearsome looks, it is not naturally aggressive. In fact, these dogs make excellent family pets, devoted, affectionate, and exceptionally good with children. They also get on well with other dogs, and even cats they’ve been raised with.

As with any dog this powerful, training, socialization and leadership are a must. They are intelligent dogs and learn quickly, even if the can be a bit stubborn at times. Positive training methods work best, and the dog will learn more quickly if training is done on a consistent basis every day. Housebreaking this breed is known to be difficult.

In addition to training, this dog will require a significant amount of exercise. Forget what you know about the lethargic English Bulldog, these are high-energy dogs. A long daily walk is definitely required, and the American Bulldog also loves to play.

Finding unique names for an American Bulldog is never easy. But with an online puppy names resource, like puppy-names-hq.com, you’ll have lots of choice. This site has 1000s of excellent names, including an huge selection of girl dog names.

This is a very easy dog to maintain, as they shed minimally. All that is needed is a good brush down once or twice a week to keep the coat in top condition.

The American Bulldog is generally healthy and can live as long as 16 years. Health problems that do occur in the breed include hip and elbow dysplasia, cherry eye, entropion, and bone cancer.

The American Bulldog will be able to live in an apartment as long as his daily exercise needs are met. However, a house with garden would be the preferred option.

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