Bulldogs in England in the 1600’s were working dogs whose duties included guarding their master’s property and driving and catching cattle.  Cattle of that era were possessed of sharp hooves and horns and were smaller and faster than the cattle of today.  The Bulldog had to have great physical strength, speed, agility and endurance in order to survive the work for which it was bred.
Bull baiting was a method developed by English farmers in the 17th century to test their Bulldog breeding stock and ensure that the genes of only the strongest and most capable Bulldogs contributed to future generations.
In the mid-1700’s as the British began to colonize the southern region of North America, Bulldogs were imported to America by farmer’s whose livestock roamed free on hundreds of acres.  Bulldogs continued their tradition of herding and catching in the new country.

Over the years, as the cattle became larger and more docile, the need for the Bulldog’s catching skills in England was greatly diminished.  In the early 1800’s bullbaiting in England was outlawed and the appearance of the Bulldog breed began to shift from the 85-100 lb lean and leggy dog of the 1700’s to the stocky, more exaggerated modern day English Bulldog breed.  However, in the still untamed Southern United States, the Bulldog’s skills in herding livestock and guarding homesteads proved more valuable than ever.  In fact, the Bullog’s duties expanded to hunting and catching wild boar and keeping predators such as mountain lions at bay.  In America the breed was developed into a strong utility dog with more bone, more leg and more muscle than it’s English counterpart.

Bulldogs became known in the south as English Whites, White English or Southern Bulldogs.  They continued their work as farm utility dogs and guardians well into the 20th century and still perform much of that work today.
In the early 1970’s, Alan Scott of Alabama and John D. Johnson of Georgia formalized the name of this southern bulldog to the American Bulldog.  The two gentlemen began keeping records of the pedigrees of these dogs and registered the American Bulldog with the National Kennel Club and the Animal Research Foundation.
Because Alan Scott’s dogs were used primarily as catch dogs and farm dogs, his line developed into a smaller, more agile and speedy line of American Bulldog.  Mr. Johnson’s dogs were produced to be loving family pets and guardians.  He produced dogs that were a larger and heavier boned line of American Bulldog.  These two distinct types are known today as the Standard (Scott) type and the Classic (Johnson) type.  Both types of American Bulldogs retain the qualities of the original Bulldog of England.

 Today’s American Bulldog is tenacious, courageous, powerful, confident and strong.  These qualities, combined with their intelligence, affectionate nature and devotion to home and family make the American Bulldog an all-around working dog and wonderful family pet.
 

Two American Bulldogs of Yesteryear
A Standard (Hybred) Type of Today	A Johnson Type of Today

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