Character:

The American Bulldog is muscular and possesses great strength.  They also have great tenacity, confidence, and determination.  This breed is very athletic and has endless endurance.  This is a powerful dog.  The American Bulldog should always be a well balanced dog.  The character of the breed is inquisitive and alert!  They are fearless and bold without being overly aggressive.

The American Bulldog is a wonderful companion and family/home protector.  With strangers they can be standoffish or very friendly, they seem to choose who they like within seconds of meeting someone! They should have a very stable temperament and can be strong-willed but usually very obedient if trained properly.

Helpful hints:

·         The owner MUST provide enough exercise and mental stimulation.  The American Bulldog is better off with active families and should utilize their athletic ability in weight pulling, hunting, obedience, farm work, or even Schutzhund.  In the United States this breed has excelled in competition and Schutzhund. 

·         The owner MUST thoroughly socialize the American Bulldog at a young age with other animals and people.  They might have a tendency to be somewhat dog aggressive, but if properly socialized they make good playmates for your other pets!

·         Be prepared for the jumping!  While at a young age this breed can have the tendency to jump and knock things over while romping!

·         These dogs are not pushovers when it comes to training and raising them.  You have to be consistent and show them who is boss.  They are capable of learning a great deal but at the same time they have independent minds and are a dominant breed.

·         Training at an early age is a must! Start early and your job will be a lot easier.  Positive training is the best way to train your puppy/dog.  They respond better with praise than with scorn.  Never scorn your puppy, keep it fun!

·         Even though most of these dogs have massive jowls, they surprisingly don’t slobber that much!  Usually just after drinking or eating. Gas can be another issue as with any bulldog.

·         Health problems usually consist of hips and joints due to breeding untested breeding stock.

·         Be prepared to explain to people that you do not own a pit bull or a boxer.  This breed is a rare breed and is not found very often in certain states. 

*You have to be especially responsible when owning an American Bulldog so that this wonderful breed doesn’t suffer from BSL (Breed Specific Legislation).  Certain breeds are at more of a risk than others, and the American Bulldog is one of them.  If an incident does happen, be known that in the public eye it will ALWAYS be the fault of your dog because it somewhat resembles a pit bull type dog.  It’s sad but true, so be responsible.  We can’t afford to lose this wonderful breed to ignorant law makers!

  
For the history of the American Bulldog and more information on the breed visit:  http://www.bulldoginformation.com/american-bulldog-history.html