American Bulldog

Did You Know?

• Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) has been identified in some American Bulldogs.
• The American Bulldog is predisposed to allergic skin disease, ichthyosis, solar dermatosis, and squamous cell carcinoma.
• A review of patient records in the US from over 600 hospitals found the American Bulldog to be predisposed to juvenile-onset demodicosis with a 3.4 odds ratio.

History

The concept of a standardized dog breed is relatively recent, tied to the establishment of kennel clubs and breed registries, which began in the United States in 1884. Before that, no formal records existed; instead, there were informal landrace strains, their characteristics shaped largely by the origins of a dog’s parents or owner. Dogs similar to English bulldogs were noted by ancient Romans, who called them "pugnaces Britanniae." While the terminology for dogs has shifted over centuries, these animals are considered the forerunners of the alaunt and, later, the bulldog.

Dogs were used in bull-baiting from the 13th century onward, but the earliest known written reference to bulldogs by name appears in a 17th-century letter requesting them be sent from London to St. Sebastian, Spain. Various strains of English bulldogs emerged for different jobs: driving cattle, baiting bulls, working on farms, and serving butchers. These dogs reached the North American British colonies as working animals, where small farm and ranch owners employed them as guardians, stock dogs, and catch dogs.

In 1800, the book Cynographia Britannica formally described the bulldog’s physical and behavioral traits. Bull-baiting was outlawed in the United Kingdom in 1835, prompting British breeders to reduce the breed’s aggressive and athletic qualities. The ban did not apply in the United States, but bull-baiting declined there as entertainment, which contributed to the dogs becoming rare.

Appearance

The American Bulldog is a stocky, heavily built dog with a large head and muscular shoulders and forearms. Its short, smooth coat requires little maintenance beyond occasional bathing, and it sheds lightly to moderately. Historically predominantly white with patches of red, black, or brindle, the breed now appears in many colors including black, red, brown, fawn, and all shades of brindle. Black pigmentation on the nose and eye rims is preferred, though some pink is allowed.

Eye color is typically brown, but heterochromia occurs and is considered a cosmetic fault. The breed tends to drool more than others. The Bully type is larger and heavier with a shorter muzzle, but not so short as to cause breathing difficulty. Standard types are more athletic with longer muzzles and a square head.

Many modern dogs are hybrids of the two types. Weight ranges from 27 to 54 kg, height from 52 to 70 cm at the withers, though some nonworking stock greatly exceed these dimensions.