American Bulldog (UK) Where to Start

Ok, You've researched the breed and you feel you know what an American Bulldog is, thought long and hard why you want one
and have decided that this is the breed for you. The next step, where do you start looking for your ideal puppy and what should you look for in a pup?

Step 1 - Get out and meet people/dogs at shows.
Not everyone likes conformation shows and some people don’t see the point in a breed where the standards are as loose as in the AB, however, for a potential owner they are the starting block in getting to see the different lines and types of AB’s being produced.

Regrettably some puppy farmers know this and turn up at shows with pups in the back of vans, not only does any registry with any sense ban this type of activity.. it is fraught with danger for a potential purchaser. Don’t give these people your hard earned money, they don’t care about the dogs if they sell them this way and therefore you can be sure they have not put any thought into their breedings either. Once at the shows don’t announce to everyone that you are ready to buy a pup as the breeder with the best sales pitch and not necessarily the best dogs will get your cash, rather state you are just looking.

Most dedicated breeders/showers will be busy on a show day but will happily give contact details and arrange for you to see their set-ups later, however, use the show days to judge the dogs yourself. In many cases the Judges decisions are a personal preference anyway so don’t take too much notice of who is winning in the ring but use the time to talk to other new owners who have recent experience of buying dogs from the larger kennels or breeders whose dogs you like. The most important factor when looking at these types of dogs is temperament, look for dogs that are confident in the ring and the surrounding areas.. males at shows may display some aggressiveness to other dogs however any aggressive tendencies to people and you should strike those dogs off your list. The worst type of AB is the insecure one as these tend to become the fear biters and are at best unpredictable.

Take a note pad, talk to people and write down breeders they recommend if you like the dogs.. most will have websites so if you cant contact them on the day you can later. There are usually ad’s in the programmes as well. There are also some good Internet forums too that you can join, do not entertain any advertising sites.. honest and decent breeders WILL NOT advertise on such sites as ukclassifieds including many others these sites are usually for people selling well below average dogs and puppies and such sites should stop advertising in this way.. full stop.

I don’t want to sound rude about breeders but not all are in it for the good of the dogs, like all things some are in it for the money.. so even if you think they are an angel on earth when you meet them at a show ask around and check them out yourself. Most ‘bulldoggers’ are happy to talk dogs with anyone for hours and will love to show you their dogs and pics of their friends dogs.
So ask, they wont bite.. honest..

Step 2 - What to look for in a Breeder.
Now any idiot can get two dogs together one male one female and produce puppies, however.. a true breeder understands each dogs faults and attributes and researches their health and background and breeds with a view to improve the standard of the average pup in the next generation. But how does the prospective puppy owner tell the breeders from the puppy farmers? He or she should research the breeder and inspect their set-up personally armed with a list of questions. Those that I would ask are listed below with comments underneath:

Q1) How long have you been in the breed and what attracted you to it?
The first imports came into the UK in 1998 and importing dogs is a very expensive business so only truly dedicated individuals have personally brought dogs over (although an import is not necessarily a guarantee of getting a better dog than home grown dogs). The people who have had these dogs for a number of years are generally those who like the working aspect and work the dogs themselves.
Be wary of those individuals who have a relatively short time in the breed who are throwing litter after litter, these are the millers - even if they have nice websites.

Q2) What are your dogs strengths and what are their weaknesses?
Any dedicated breeder who is producing a line will understand his dogs well enough to answer this question honestly. Most will sing their dogs strengths (not physical strength) but only a true breeder will be able to identify his dogs faults and will be honest enough to state what they are. Most have breeding programmes aimed at eliminating these faults and therefore they are known.

Q3) Are you planning to keep any of the proposed/actual litter?
It is rare for a true breeder to produce a litter unless they are furthering their line and are hoping to get a keeper for their own programme. If a “breeder” is selling all the puppies ask why? Have they produced the dogs just to sell with no aim to improve the breed? If so they are not interested in the dogs or only the cash.

Q4) Where are the dogs kept? Can I go and see them?
Larger breeding/working establishments have to keep their dogs in kennels and although a necessity I personally prefer puppies to be kept in a normal household environment as it allows them to acclimatise to every day life more than if raised in isolated kennels. That said some very good puppies are produced in larger kennels and the care they may receive can be better than in some households.

Asking to see the bitch and stud dog, if available, will give you an idea of what to expect the puppy to turn out like. They will never be exact and mother nature has a weird sense of humour but the rule of thumb is, if you don’t like the parents for whatever reason then walk away as you will regret your choice when the puppy matures. Both parents should have stable temperaments and allow you with the breeder’s permission to examine them and interact. Be aware that the bitch will not look at her best as she will have had six weeks with a litter and this will be very tiring for her! She should not display any aggressiveness to you when examining the pups once the breeder has calmed her, most bitches enjoy the break from the pups by this stage and so any aggression could be a sign of an unsound temperament and you do not want a puppy from that sort of breeding.

Q5) How do you health screen your breeding stock?
First and foremost is temperament in a breed that is capable of killing a man, most breeders evaluate this first and then move onto other health issues some of which are below:

Hip/Elbow dysplasia is a disease of the joints which prospective owners should be aware of and research. All dedicated breeders will have their dogs x rayed and evaluated and should be able to produce certificates for the results. Check these out yourself with the relevant body, as it is not unheard of for certificates to be falsified. Look for dogs with scores below the BMS of 19 for the breed, although this does not guarantee good hips it reduces the odds of getting a pup with this disease.

NCL is a neurological disorder and again prospective owners should acquaint themselves with this condition. The results of testing should be available and although there is some dispute on the findings of some of the research the best advice I can give is not to buy pups that are carriers when there are pups who available from non-infected lines.

Other diseases associated with this breed are OCD, Entropion and various skin complaints. Check out these issues before seeing breeders as most will claim they have never had an ill dog ever!!!

Q6) What are you hoping to achieve from this breeding?
Again most breeders are looking to produce something they want from a mating, either a higher drive dog for working sport or the next Grand Champion of the conformation ring etc. Ask them honestly what they are looking to get from it, as it may not produce what you want. If you want a dog to walk twice a day and then be a couch potato a puppy from a litter of high drive dogs for the sporting crowd may not be what you want at all!!
Try to be honest with yourself in what you are looking for and what you can handle, good breeders will also try to match the right puppies to the right homes and things like drive will vary in a litter but all good breeders have a plan and removing the cash from you should not be the main part of it.

These are a few sample questions that I would ask but by all means it is not a comprehensive list. Try to ask all the questions and get all the answers before seeing the puppies, most people come over all silly when confronted by a litter of puppies but try to remain objective.. this is a future companion for the next 10-12 years make sure you choose well. Also remember that the conditions the dogs are kept in are a great indicator of the type of person you are dealing with.
Puppy farmers/millers want maximum bottom line profit and will cut corners on the dogs care, health checks etc. They usually have litters always available whereas quality breeders breed rarely and puppies may have waiting lists. Like so many things in life you may have to be patient to get exactly what you want, however.. choose in haste repent in leisure.

What sort of guarantee do you offer with your puppies?
If they say they offer money back if the pup is returned ask if this has ever had to be done and if so why? Also ask for contact details for the other party involved. If there is nothing to hide the breeder will oblige but if they won’t then walk away.

Choosing your puppy.
When confronted by a litter of American Bulldog puppies choosing the right dog for you is a matter of personal preference but there are some simple things to look out for structurally if you wish to show the dog. Try not to fall in love with the first puppy you see until you've taken a good look at the parents, remember that this will be a big, powerful dog, and therefore an even temperament is vital. Obviously all the puppies should be healthy and happy and used to being handled. Research suggests that a lot of important socialisation occurs before a puppy is 8 weeks old so the more exposure they have had to a variety of people the better.