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History
When you look pictures of the Old English Bulldogs around the Victorian period, you see dogs that closely resemble many of today's AB's or the ones we are trying to produce here at Main Man Kennels. We are producing predominately Johnson's dogs, or hybrid with at least 90% Johnson in the pedigree. Allot of breeders say the AB is direct descendant of the Old English Bulldog taken to America by early settlers. We cannot agree or disagree with that statement with any certainty. But we can say that the AB has been around since the very early parts of the 20th century. Mr Johnson talks about the first bulldogs his father aquired around 1903, then the dogs were simply known as bulldogs. The word 'American Bulldog' did not come till much later. Physical FeaturesAmerican Bulldogs can be as short as 21/22 inches, or as tall as 26/27 inches art the shoulder. their weight ranges from about 80-140lbs. These sizes are for mature males; the bitches tend to be smaller. Female dogs range from 60lbs- 100lbs in weight. Although individual dogs can vary slightly in looks, the AB can generally be described as being a "muscular dog of medium height" the head and muzzle is box shaped or pumpkin shaped, fairly large and broad for the size of the dog. The muzzle is generally broad, deep and short. the bite is undershot with the teeth visible, and sometimes not visible. An even or scissor bite is sometimes allowed. The body is deep, broad and generally stocky. The dog is powerful and athletic with remarkable speed and agility in short distances. His hind quarters are moderately angulated, broad and muscular. His front legs are the same. There is no hint of any exaggeration. The AB is a powerful, balanced, heavy weight in the range of medium-sized dogs.Strains The points that we are about to make here are broad generalisations and cannot be put to every individual dog. In Britain today the 3 predominate strains of the American bulldog (AB). There is the Scott type (Bred by Alan Scott), the Hines type (bred by Bill Hines) and also the Johnson type (By Mr John.D.Johnson). Of course there are hybrids which is a combination of any one of these strains. The Johnson type tend to be heavier boned and more muscular dogs with a shorter snout giving the head a broader appearance. The Scotts and Hines types tend to have a leaner, more athletic appearance and can resemble the pit bull terrier in appearance, which is not a slight in anyway because I have kept PBT and would never say the AB is a better dog or vice- versa. Some people even say the Scott/Hines type are better for catch work which is what that AB was bred for, we don't really believe this and think the ability to work depend on the individual dog. Our preference for the Johnson's dog is based purely on what we think a bulldog should look like and behave like.Behaviouristics Bulldogs tend to be very playful, loving, kind and loyal creatures, which make excellent family pets and guard dogs. They can be trusted around children with adult supervision, bulldogs have a high pain threshold and this is what makes them good around children. They can poke, pinch and claw at him all day long, all he will do is wag his tail and look for a quieter spot to rest. We cannot say the same for other types of dogs! |
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