erally believed to be the closet living relative to this ancestor. When the Old English Bulldog went into decline, because of the outlawing of dog fights, in its native Europe smaller, lap-dog versions were bred in its homeland. In Colonial America, however, the dog still had a working purpose and the larger type survived. American Bulldogs were used to hunt feral pigs in the southern colonies, and even today is used to hunt pigs and razorbacks in the southern and western States.American Bulldogs are stocky and strong dogs. They have a short white coat, which may or may not have patches of black or brown. Their height ranges between 20 – 28 inches at the withers and weigh in between 60 – 125 pounds. This large range is due to the fact that there are two strains of American Bulldogs, the Classic, also known as the Johnson or Bully, and the Standard, which is also known as the Scott or Performance. However the two strains have been interbred and both are a recognized version of the breed. The Standard American Bulldog is often mistaken for the American Pit Bull Terrier, although they are two entirely different breeds.
Despite the common, “Pit Bull” mentality that some people have toward American Bulldogs, they make good family dogs. They are friendly, and happy, at ease with their family and fine with strangers when given the opportunity to get to know them. Although they get along well with children, they do not always realize their own strength and are not an ideal dog for very young children. This is a bred that needs to be well socialized at an early age to people and other pets, cats may pose a problem, but if introduced from puppy hood they are more likely to tolerate them. They can be a stubborn bred, and require a firm hand, but once trained they are faithful and loyal. American Bulldogs need a large yard to run, and do not do well in an apartment life.
