American Bulldog?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Hauntmom

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2011
Messages
156
Location (City and/or State)
Mesa, AZ
Hello my family is looking into getting a dog and we are thinking about getting an American Bulldog. Does anyone have one that can tell what they think of them? We have a 4 year old and a 1 one year and we also have 5 cats. If they grow up with the cats will that be ok? Any tips would be great Thanks!!!
 

DeanS

SULCATA OASIS
10 Year Member!
Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
4,407
Location (City and/or State)
SoCal
I love the breed, myself! Don't know about the cats...but they are loyal to the family! They get big...I've seen 'em as large as 145 lbs...food for thought!
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
I have never owned one. Great dogs though, of the ones I do know. However, I have heard both American and English are not good with cats. I can't confirm this, but maybe something you could look into. See if you can find a rescue to answer your questions. They should be honest, where some breeders won't be. Good luck. Keep us updated on what you get and of course pics.
 

african cake queen

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2011
Messages
2,212
Location (City and/or State)
ct.usa
hi, i have an english bulldog. my bully get along with other animals. he has a cat. they are good friends. an american bulldog a couple of doors down, doesnt like dogs or cats. i think its because they dont excersize or walk him. he must be around 150 pounds. my english is 3 yrs. and 49 pounds. i get my dog out around people, cats , rabbits and other dogs. he loves the dog park too. my first and last bulldog. 'lol'
 

Hauntmom

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2011
Messages
156
Location (City and/or State)
Mesa, AZ
well if we do get one it wont be till Dec cuz the hubby wants to make it a Christmas gift. Just trying to do some research before we get anything.
 

Laura

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2007
Messages
7,502
Location (City and/or State)
Foothills above Sacramento CA
do a search on them. They tend to not be good with cats or other dogs.. and they are showing up as banned dogs on some lists.. Insurance etc...
 

jeninak907

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2012
Messages
223
Location (City and/or State)
South Carolina
American bull dogs are wonderful pets! Raise them up to be respectful of other pets; cats, torts othere dogs and you will have no problem. It is always the peoples fault when a dog gets a bad rap. They need lots of exercise and eat lots of food so be prepaired to take your dog on lots of walks daily, not just when it suits you. This type of dog needs to be walked 3x a day for 1-2 hrs. at a time And yes they get huge! 100-150 lbs. Fallow thre rule of exercise disapline affection and you should have a well ballanced dog no matter the breed!
 

Shannon and Jason

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2012
Messages
300
Location (City and/or State)
South Arkansas
I would like to tell you that American bulldogs are the most loyal and loving dog you could ever ask for!!! They are stubborn and require a lot of attention in order to properly train. They tend to only have 1 owner (they look at as the alpha) so once you decided who is going to be in charge then you must be firm at all times. Yes your puppy will be ok with cats if they are raised around them and taught how to interact with other animals. They have a BAD REPUTATION BUT ITS NOT THEIR FAULT!!! The dog will turn out how ever you raise it to be. They are not born vicious they are turned that way by neglectful ignorant people who should have never been allowed to have an animal. I can take any breed of dog and make it as kind as I want or as mean as I want. So if this is the dog for you do your research and be a responsible owner. Please remember folks don't blame the breed blame the irresponsible owners who created the situation.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Shannon and Jason said:
I would like to tell you that American bulldogs are the most loyal and loving dog you could ever ask for!!! They are stubborn and require a lot of attention in order to properly train. They tend to only have 1 owner (they look at as the alpha) so once you decided who is going to be in charge then you must be firm at all times. Yes your puppy will be ok with cats if they are raised around them and taught how to interact with other animals. They have a BAD REPUTATION BUT ITS NOT THEIR FAULT!!! The dog will turn out how ever you raise it to be. They are not born vicious they are turned that way by neglectful ignorant people who should have never been allowed to have an animal. I can take any breed of dog and make it as kind as I want or as mean as I want. So if this is the dog for you do your research and be a responsible owner. Please remember folks don't blame the breed blame the irresponsible owners who created the situation.

I'm not sure anyone is blaming a breed here. I never blame a breed. It is the owners. However, not all breeds should be around certain other animals. Some breeds have the natural instinct to chase and kill or accidental hurt certain other aminals. You can only train a dog, you can not remove its natural instinct. Now, if you have a dog that instinctually hunts rabbits and you have that dog and a rabbit that gets along great. There will be a time that a slip of some sort is made, and that rabbit will be dead. Is it the dogs fault? Of course not. The human should have known better then to let the slip happen or to even put the two together. I have seen it too many times with others dogs and we have seen enough of it in here with the best train dog, gets along with all the pets, yet, the tortoise (which is a slow mover)just got chewed up or killed. It is still the humans fault, but it is the instinct of the dog to do it.
Any type of dog, but mostly the ones originally bred for fighting or guarding needs the right owner, training, dedication, and lots of proper excercise .
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
wellington said:
I'm not sure anyone is blaming a breed here. I never blame a breed. It is the owners. However, not all breeds should be around certain other animals. Some breeds have the natural instinct to chase and kill or accidental hurt certain other aminals. You can only train a dog, you can not remove its natural instinct. Now, if you have a dog that instinctually hunts rabbits and you have that dog and a rabbit that gets along great. There will be a time that a slip of some sort is made, and that rabbit will be dead. Is it the dogs fault? Of course not. The human should have known better then to let the slip happen or to even put the two together. I have seen it too many times with others dogs and we have seen enough of it in here with the best train dog, gets along with all the pets, yet, the tortoise (which is a slow mover)just got chewed up or killed. It is still the humans fault, but it is the instinct of the dog to do it.
Any type of dog, but mostly the ones originally bred for fighting or guarding needs the right owner, training, dedication, and lots of proper excercise .

So every German Shepard, Rottweiler, Doberman, Beauceron, Mastiff, Malinois, etc... Is just a child mauler waiting for a slip? They were all bred to be guard dogs and bite people. That is the "natural instinct" that we have bred into these guard dog breeds.

I don't agree with you about this. Instinct does play a part, to some extent, but this is much more about how they are raised, handled and trained on a daily basis. Remember, I'm the guy who fixes it when it's done incorrectly.

American bulldogs are a great breed. They are very powerful, often uninhibited, and need a strong minded owner. Some of them are big lazy lovable lumps, and others are highly driven and need direction from the right leader. If you get the right dog and you are the right person, they can be excellent. Get the wrong AB into the hands of an inexperienced or weak handler, and it will lead to serious problems. Their personalities are much more variable than most breeds. Enlist the help of a competent puppy tester to choose your puppy and hire a trainer to get you started the right way and help you with proper obedience down the road.
 

Shannon and Jason

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2012
Messages
300
Location (City and/or State)
South Arkansas
wellington said:
Shannon and Jason said:
I would like to tell you that American bulldogs are the most loyal and loving dog you could ever ask for!!! They are stubborn and require a lot of attention in order to properly train. They tend to only have 1 owner (they look at as the alpha) so once you decided who is going to be in charge then you must be firm at all times. Yes your puppy will be ok with cats if they are raised around them and taught how to interact with other animals. They have a BAD REPUTATION BUT ITS NOT THEIR FAULT!!! The dog will turn out how ever you raise it to be. They are not born vicious they are turned that way by neglectful ignorant people who should have never been allowed to have an animal. I can take any breed of dog and make it as kind as I want or as mean as I want. So if this is the dog for you do your research and be a responsible owner. Please remember folks don't blame the breed blame the irresponsible owners who created the situation.

I'm not sure anyone is blaming a breed here. I never blame a breed. It is the owners. However, not all breeds should be around certain other animals. Some breeds have the natural instinct to chase and kill or accidental hurt certain other aminals. You can only train a dog, you can not remove its natural instinct. Now, if you have a dog that instinctually hunts rabbits and you have that dog and a rabbit that gets along great. There will be a time that a slip of some sort is made, and that rabbit will be dead. Is it the dogs fault? Of course not. The human should have known better then to let the slip happen or to even put the two together. I have seen it too many times with others dogs and we have seen enough of it in here with the best train dog, gets along with all the pets, yet, the tortoise (which is a slow mover)just got chewed up or killed. It is still the humans fault, but it is the instinct of the dog to do it.
Any type of dog, but mostly the ones originally bred for fighting or guarding needs the right owner, training, dedication, and lots of proper excercise .

I wasn't meaning for it to come across that way, I'm sorry, I am very passinate about this breed. I raised American Bulldogs from the time I was old enough to help my dad til my early 20's. We always tried to make sure that our dogs went to good compatiable homes. I stopped when I had to go pick up a pup I had sold a year earlier his owner (very slick man who came across as an animal lover, had a great big back yard with all the things a puppy would love he fooled me) took a kind gentle pup and turned him into a fighter. It has taken me several yrs to get Torque back to a gentle baby around people. But he still gets nervous around other animals. I gave my dad my other dogs so I could focus on him alone. I wasn't trying to say someone on here was blaming the breed It's kina my slogan when discussing them now. So people realize its not the dogs fault it's the person who owned it. Once again I am sorry if I offended anyone not my intention. I just really love these animals!
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Tom said:
wellington said:
I'm not sure anyone is blaming a breed here. I never blame a breed. It is the owners. However, not all breeds should be around certain other animals. Some breeds have the natural instinct to chase and kill or accidental hurt certain other aminals. You can only train a dog, you can not remove its natural instinct. Now, if you have a dog that instinctually hunts rabbits and you have that dog and a rabbit that gets along great. There will be a time that a slip of some sort is made, and that rabbit will be dead. Is it the dogs fault? Of course not. The human should have known better then to let the slip happen or to even put the two together. I have seen it too many times with others dogs and we have seen enough of it in here with the best train dog, gets along with all the pets, yet, the tortoise (which is a slow mover)just got chewed up or killed. It is still the humans fault, but it is the instinct of the dog to do it.
Any type of dog, but mostly the ones originally bred for fighting or guarding needs the right owner, training, dedication, and lots of proper excercise .

So every German Shepard, Rottweiler, Doberman, Beauceron, Mastiff, Malinois, etc... Is just a child mauler waiting for a slip? They were all bred to be guard dogs and bite people. That is the "natural instinct" that we have bred into these guard dog breeds.

I don't agree with you about this. Instinct does play a part, to some extent, but this is much more about how they are raised, handled and trained on a daily basis. Remember, I'm the guy who fixes it when it's done incorrectly.

American bulldogs are a great breed. They are very powerful, often uninhibited, and need a strong minded owner. Some of them are big lazy lovable lumps, and others are highly driven and need direction from the right leader. If you get the right dog and you are the right person, they can be excellent. Get the wrong AB into the hands of an inexperienced or weak handler, and it will lead to serious problems. Their personalities are much more variable than most breeds. Enlist the help of a competent puppy tester to choose your puppy and hire a trainer to get you started the right way and help you with proper obedience down the road.

I don't think you understood. Yes, I do think that every dog can slip. I dont care how well you(not you Tom or anyone in peticular) think you have that dog trained. the slip, usually happens when you are not there to catch it. Not the dogs fault, but the owners fault. If you put a dog in a situation that he was bred to do. That situation is not supervised by the owner/trainer, then, yes, one of the times you do this, most likely something bad will happen. However, I am were referring to a cat. I am not referring to any humans. However, as far as humans. If you have any of the dogs you mentioned. You let a baby lay on the floor, wiggle, screech and scream like they do, and that baby and the dog are together unsupervised, then yes, you are asking for a something you really don't want. Will it happen every time? No, is it possible it will never happen? Yes, should you take the risk? NEVER. That is not proper dog ownership. (Again, this is not pointed at anyone in particular) Common sense, knowing your breed, knowing your dog, and knowing their red zone button, is, in my opinion, every dog owners responsibility. Knowing these things, will keep your dog from ever reacting to their instinct.


Shannon and Jason said:
wellington said:
Shannon and Jason said:
I would like to tell you that American bulldogs are the most loyal and loving dog you could ever ask for!!! They are stubborn and require a lot of attention in order to properly train. They tend to only have 1 owner (they look at as the alpha) so once you decided who is going to be in charge then you must be firm at all times. Yes your puppy will be ok with cats if they are raised around them and taught how to interact with other animals. They have a BAD REPUTATION BUT ITS NOT THEIR FAULT!!! The dog will turn out how ever you raise it to be. They are not born vicious they are turned that way by neglectful ignorant people who should have never been allowed to have an animal. I can take any breed of dog and make it as kind as I want or as mean as I want. So if this is the dog for you do your research and be a responsible owner. Please remember folks don't blame the breed blame the irresponsible owners who created the situation.



I'm not sure anyone is blaming a breed here. I never blame a breed. It is the owners. However, not all breeds should be around certain other animals. Some breeds have the natural instinct to chase and kill or accidental hurt certain other aminals. You can only train a dog, you can not remove its natural instinct. Now, if you have a dog that instinctually hunts rabbits and you have that dog and a rabbit that gets along great. There will be a time that a slip of some sort is made, and that rabbit will be dead. Is it the dogs fault? Of course not. The human should have known better then to let the slip happen or to even put the two together. I have seen it too many times with others dogs and we have seen enough of it in here with the best train dog, gets along with all the pets, yet, the tortoise (which is a slow mover)just got chewed up or killed. It is still the humans fault, but it is the instinct of the dog to do it.
Any type of dog, but mostly the ones originally bred for fighting or guarding needs the right owner, training, dedication, and lots of proper excercise .

I wasn't meaning for it to come across that way, I'm sorry, I am very passinate about this breed. I raised American Bulldogs from the time I was old enough to help my dad til my early 20's. We always tried to make sure that our dogs went to good compatiable homes. I stopped when I had to go pick up a pup I had sold a year earlier his owner (very slick man who came across as an animal lover, had a great big back yard with all the things a puppy would love he fooled me) took a kind gentle pup and turned him into a fighter. It has taken me several yrs to get Torque back to a gentle baby around people. But he still gets nervous around other animals. I gave my dad my other dogs so I could focus on him alone. I wasn't trying to say someone on here was blaming the breed It's kina my slogan when discussing them now. So people realize its not the dogs fault it's the person who owned it. Once again I am sorry if I offended anyone not my intention. I just really love these animals!

I totally understand. I ran across the same misconception when I raised Chinese Shar-Pei. Very passionate about them and always will be. my all time fave breed. I just don't really think anyone on here has the closed mind mentality that lots of people do. I hope. :)
 

Chinque

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
395
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
I love bulldogs, but, I'm not sure that it'll get along with 5 cats. If you decide against the breed, we have 3 dogs, 2 of which are puggles (a pug bred with a beagle) and they get along just fine with our 2 cats, they are also fairly small if you would like a smaller dog, weighing about 30 lbs. Warning: they get REALLY fat REALLY easily and need to be walked a few days each week!
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Okay Barb. We're pretty much on the same page now.

We are also in agreement that no dog of any breed should ever be left alone with a young child (or a tortoise, or a cat for that matter).

Just grant me two things: Every dog is an individual, regardless of breed. And problem dogs of any breed ARE the fault of the humans involved.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Tom said:
Okay Barb. We're pretty much on the same page now.

We are also in agreement that no dog of any breed should ever be left alone with a young child (or a tortoise, or a cat for that matter).

Just grant me two things: Every dog is an individual, regardless of breed. And problem dogs of any breed ARE the fault of the humans involved.

Always Tom. If I didn't stress that its not the dog or breed in my first post, so sorry. I thought I did. I would never blame any dog or breed. It is human error or stupidity. I do believe though that one in a million, can be the dog, but due to some type of illness or chromosome mix up of some sort. I have seen this in a six week old chow pup. Meaner then the meanest guard dog you could ever find. If I hadn't seen him act the way he did with my own eyes, I would never believed it. I knew and worked for the breeder. It was Long time ago, so I can't remember how many in the litter, but it was at least four, I think six though. This one looked normal, actually a beautiful chow pup. Just something went bad in his make up. That is so very rare though.
 

RedFootMomma

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2012
Messages
17
So today I have discovered that I am a stupid, irresponsible pet owner. Thanks! I was a kennel manager for an English bulldog breeder with extensive dog handling experience. The pup I rescued (anyone remember the bad food from China?) was dying & the breeder couldn't be bothered so I took responsibility. Months later, after being raised with my children from 5 weeks, (did i mention bad breeder?) while playing with my then 9 year old son in the backyard, she chased him down and attacked him. Ok, my fault, not supervising, had no idea this was necessary, she had NEVER exhibited this behavior before. Did not blame the dog. Then, after being raised with cats, she attacked & killed one of our cats- the same cat she slept next to & shared kibble with. Again, my fault, cat went out the dog door like she had daily for years. When unsupervised, dogs may act on instinct exhibiting behaviors you would never expect. I brought that bully back from the brink of death, but something wasn't ok in her head- she just snapped. My fault according to this forum. We found her a new home with a loving couple familiar with the breed with no kids and no cats. We are all human, we all make mistakes. Maybe instead of blanket judgements we can be a tad more compassionate? This was a tragedy for all of us. My suggestion: choose a breed known for being good with children not for how they look : ) Best wishes
 

Angi

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
2,745
Location (City and/or State)
La Mesa, CA.
My two cents..... big dog = big poop and a lot of work to clean up. Not good with little kids. Little dog = little easy to clean up poop.I had a HUGE English Lab, Rat Terrier and now I have a little Poodle. The big Lab had to be put down because he was very old and in bad health , very sad but boy did it make cleaning the yard easier. I have found that having a poodle is very nice because she is small, but also does not shed. That is something else you may want to think about with small kids. I know these are not things you asked about but when you are a busy mom simple things can make life easier.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top