Working Dogs/Show Dogs
 Think about the factors that make a breed what it is.  One factor is the way the breed looks, or, conformation.  What would you think if you were out at an American Bulldog show and saw someone with a 45 pound full grown female.  Bad, right?  Now picture the bitch with curly fur, a 1/4” muzzle and roach back.  We went from “bad” to “what the hell is that?”.  Without conformation, we do not have a breed.  Unless the American Bulldogs we use as breeding stock have good conformation, we could eventually end up with a breed that looks like the dog I just described.  This is not to say that a breeding dog has to be a conformation champion, but a breeder should make it a point to insure (through showing their breeding stock in conformation shows, placing, and getting an honest evaluation from more than one judge) that their dogs are conformationally correct, and not just minimally so.  If you breed a dog with “fair” conformation to a dog with “fair” conformation, right from the first litter, you will produce some pups with poor conformation.  The owners of these pups may breed them, producing worse conformation.  If American Bulldog owners across the country breed this
way, we will no longer recognise the American Bulldog.  I cannot stress enough the importance of  good conformation in a breeding program.
Conformation is not only about looks of a breed, but also about the structure of a breed.  Good conformation in a breeding program will help to insure that the dogs produced will be sound of structure.  The conformation of any breed is based on the structural qualities the breed needs to perform the work it was intended to do.  This is the second factor that makes a breed what it is.  Angulation, muzzle length, muscularity, strength of back and every other bit of what a dog is made of structurally is designed for the physical activity the breed was created to perform.  American Bulldogs were created for bullbaiting.  Think about the qualities a dog would need for this job:

 1.  Physical Qualities:
For bullbaiting, the dog must be strong--really strong.  Notice the frontal mass in the American Bulldog.  This mass gives the dog the strength and leverage to take down the bull.  The dog must be agile and fast, necessitating a strong back, good angulation and lean, hard condition.  The bite of the dog is a reflection of the dogs purpose as well.  The undershot of the American Bulldog is required to prevent the bull from sliding out of the grip through sheer power.  The size of the American Bulldog allows it to possess a balance between speed, agility and power.  An undersized American Bulldog will not possess the power and leverage to work a bull and the oversized American Bulldog will not possess the agility and stamina required.  In today’s American Bulldog, these structural traits are preserved through conformation and used in boar hunting, weight-pulling, Schutzhund, Ringsport and similar activities.

 2.  Temperament:
For bullbaiting, the dog needs genetic confidence, courage, hardness and fighting drive.  The dog is taking on an animal twenty times it’s size with fighting drive to match it’s mass.  Additionally, he American Bulldog must have very high pain tolerance to deal with the battering it takes when bringing down a bull.   The dog must possess stable temperament.  This dog
with the courage and confidence and fighting drive to take on a bull, must be willing to take direction from a comparatively frail human being.  In today’s American Bulldog, this temperament is preserved through boar hunting, Schutzhund, Ringsport and similar activities, which all require the traits we just described.

 In 1922, Max Von Stephanitz said “German Shepherd Dog breeding is working dog breeding or it is not German Shepherd Dog breeding” (The German Shepherd Dog (c) 1922).  We believe that statement holds true for the American Bulldog as well.  We believe this so strongly we’ll repeat it. American Bulldog breeding is working dog breeding or it is not American Bulldog breeding.    The American Bulldog is a working breed.  Period.  Unfortunately, with the new popularity of conformation shows and the influx of breeders, the American Bulldog is in critical danger of developing a show v. work split in the breed.  The beginnings of this split can already be seen at dog shows where conformation stars aren’t worked, or work poorly and where working stars aren’t shown, or show poorly.  We have a breed that can and should do both.  It is up to the breeders to preserve, through both showing and working all breeding stock, both quality conformation and workability in the American Bulldog.
 

Problems
 It is important to consider the problems facing the American Bulldog breed when researching a breeder.  The two biggest problems facing the American Bulldog are poor hips and poor temperament.  You will find American Bulldogs with other problems such as allergies and eye disorders, but none of these threaten to cause the extinction of the American Bulldog breed, as we know it, as rapidly and thoroughly as hip dysplasia and poor temperament will.
First we will address the problem of hip dysplasia.  Hip Dysplasia is an umbrella term that encompasses all hip malformations including joint laxity and degenerative joint disease.  Depending on whom you talk to, Hip Dysplasia has a frequency rate in the American Bulldog of 50 - 90%.  Keep in mind that Hip Dysplasia expresses itself in varying degrees:  Mild, moderate, severe and crippling.  A dog of any breed with mild dysplasia may never show symptoms of this disease.  American Bulldogs, with their great tolerance for pain and high drive, often show no physical symptoms with even moderate or severe dysplasia.  So, if an American Bulldog shows no symptoms of dysplasia, why shouldn’t it be bred?  Simple.  Hip Dysplasia is a genetic fault.  While there are countless dysplastic American Bulldogs that show no physical symptoms, there are a great many that are crippled by this debilitating condition.  Unless we systematically remove dogs from our breeding programs that possess any degree of dysplasia, this fault will continue to be passed down from generation to generation increasing in severity until you have a breed that can no longer function.  Additionally, if you’ve ever experienced the heartbreak of euthanizing your own crippled dog, you would certainly understand the need for hip certifying breeding stock.  When breeders consistently hip certify their breeding stock, over generations of breeding, hip dysplasia in significantly reduced.  A breed can go from dysplastic to sound in approximately ten to twenty generations.  You will vastly improve your chances of getting a non-dysplastic dog if you purchase from a breeder that uses the OFA or PennHip method of certification (veterinarian evaluation is fine for a housepet but useless for breeding stock).  Keep in mind that dysplasia may still occur.  This is a dysplastic breed and it will take generations to remove this problem.  If a breeder is hip certifying their breeding stock and occasionally produces a dysplastic pup, it would be unfair to criticise that breeder.  A good guarantee that the breeder stands by is very important (see further in article).
Now we will address the temperament problem plaguing American Bulldogs.
Indiscriminate breeding practices are polluting our breed with shy, anti-social, fear biting, tail tucking, cowering American Bulldogs.  With anti-breed legislation sweeping our country, and the tragic incident in January 2000 when an American Bulldog with very poor temperament killed a child, there is no quicker way to assure the extinction of our breed than producing fear-biting or overly aggressive dogs.  American Bulldogs should have the ability to go from protection work on the training field to therapy work in the nursing home.
Temperament problems can be genetic and environmental.  It is very difficult to tell whether a dog with weak nerve is that way due to genetics or environment, therefore, that dog should NOT be bred.  It is not good enough to guess that the nasty neighbour who yelled at your puppy caused his anti-social behaviour.  Guessing is not KNOWING.  In any case, if a dog has a solid, strong nerve base, the occasional negative experience will
not have lifelong repercussions.  On a large scale, for the preservation of our breed, we must be concerned about anti-breed legislation.  On a smaller, more personal scale...how enjoyable is a dog that is afraid to leave it’s house or worse--that you are afraid to leave the house with?

Guarantee
A reputable, ethical breeder will offer a guarantee on any puppy that they breed and provide you with a written copy of that guarantee upon request.  There are a variety of guarantees currently being offered by American Bulldog breeders.  These can range from a simple general health guarantee to one that covers all genetic defects.  There are show guarantees, work guarantees, breeding guarantees and the list goes on.  Often, the price of
the puppy depends upon the type of puppy you want and the guarantee that you would need to go with it.  For example, you may want just a pet that you have no intention of breeding.....a guarantee that covers only crippling hip dysplasia may be all you need.  On the other hand, you may pay more for a puppy that is breed worthy as an adult....for that puppy you may require a hip certification guarantee.  A breeder can promise you the moon, stars and sun and then turn their back on you when things go bad.  It is important to find a breeder that you trust, that can provide you with references and that is willing to work with you to offer you a guarantee that you are both comfortable with.

Conclusion
 If you want a puppy that will grow into a structurally sound dog with a good stable temperament that looks and works like an American Bulldog was meant to, it is crucial to find a breeder with a good breeding program.  A breeder is more likely to produce an excellent product if they are interested in and concerned for the future of the breed.  A good breeder will work hard to find excellent breeding stock, take the time to show, work and hip certify their dogs, offer a guarantee that they will stand by and take an active part in the American Bulldog Community.  A good breeder can be found in the person who has done all the above and is breeding their first litter, or in the person who has been around for years and whose kennel has consistently produced excellent American Bulldogs.  Additionally, a good breeder will help you select the right puppy to fit your needs (for more information on puppy selection, see our article Temperament Testing Puppies in the January 15, 1999 issue of The American Bulldog Journal; or, follow the link to articles at www.Topline.org).  Once you find the breeder that is right for you, you may be rewarded with a lifelong friendship between you, your puppy and your breeder.

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