American Bulldogs

American Bulldogs, like all other types of Bulldogs, are the descendants of the ancient Mastiff bred to herd and bring down bulls and hunt large game, such as bears, boars, and large cats. Ancient Mastiff dogs were very powerful and courageous fighters. Many modern working dogs developed from this breed. In England, Mastiff developed into the Bullmastiff, the English Mastiff and the Alaunt dog. The Alaunt dog developed into the first Bulldog around the 5th century. The main aim of the new breed was to control bulls and do routine butchery and farm work. In the medieval times, working abilities of the Bulldog turned it into a bull baiter. Bulldogs were the only dogs that could chase bulls and hang onto their nose or throat. Old time Bulldogs could even throw bulls to the ground.

In the 13th-19th centuries, baiting bulls, bears, lions, and other large carnivores was a popular sport. English Bulldogs performed in staged competitions or simply at the market places. To fight with large animals, a larger and heavier variety of the Bulldog was developed. Speed was no longer important in Bulldogs, as they performed in enclosed areas. English Bulldogs were selected mainly for their endurance and deadly grip. When bull baiting was made illegal in 1835, the breed had lost its only function and was on a brink of extinction if not for the efforts of devoted breeders who preserved the appearance of a fierce fighter in present-day Bulldogs. Several Bulldogs were taken to America in the early 19th century and became the foundation stock for American Bulldogs. English breeders changed the appearance of the English Bulldog greatly.

American Bulldogs were very helpful for the first settlers and farmers of America. They became guard dogs, herders, hunters, and reliable family pets. The dogs known as English Bulldogs turned into blocky mild mannered show dogs with a quiet personality, health problems, and special care requirements. American Bulldogs are actually much closer to the old time Bulldogs than English Bulldogs of today. True English Bulldogs became extinct in the late 19th century.

American Bulldogs survived because they had a work to do. Dogs of this breed were bred for strength, intelligence, and desire to cooperate with humans. The aggression of their ancestors was bred out of them. Many varieties of American Bulldogs appeared in the southern and southwestern states: White English, Old English White, Swamp Bulldog, English Pit, Backwoods Bulldog, and Old Country White.