American Bulldog
A working farm dog rather than a show one: it was kept to catch stock and guard the place. Taller and far more athletic than the English bulldog behind it.
Overview
The American Bulldog is the working bulldog that stayed working. While the English Bulldog was bred toward an extreme shape for the show ring, the American line kept the athletic farm dog: taller, leaner, longer muzzled and genuinely functional, used for catching stock and guarding farms in the American South.
That conformation is why it is a healthier animal than its English relative, though UK data still gives it a life expectancy at birth of 7.79 years, which is short for a dog of its size.
Temperament
Confident, affectionate with family and protective by default. American Bulldogs are gentle with the people they know and naturally suspicious of the people they do not, which is what they were kept for.
They are strong and determined, and a dog of sixty to a hundred and twenty pounds with a protective instinct needs proper socialisation from the start rather than at the point it becomes a problem. They can be dog reactive.
Care and grooming
A short stiff coat that needs a weekly brush. Skin folds around the face, where present, want wiping.
Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and a hereditary neurological condition called neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis all occur in the breed, and the last has a DNA test. Ask for hip scores and the NCL result.
Living and exercise
An hour or more a day of real exercise, and they enjoy weight pull, spring pole and other strength work.
Breed specific legislation affects this breed in some jurisdictions and insurance can be harder to get. It is worth checking local rules and asking an insurer before buying rather than after.
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