True and False Questions Answered about the American Bulldog

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The American Bulldog is one of the most popular dog breeds in the country. It’s big, bulky and even a bit intimidating, and many people simply do not know enough about them to make a correct assumption as far as behavior and temperament are concerned. Those who have a dog of this nature understand that they’re very good family pets, but those who don’t have them wonder if their large heads and scary faces make for a poor family pet.

This is a dog that’s spent centuries being bred as a guard dog, and it is in the dog’s nature to protect and guard. This means that many people are going to consider this dog too scary because of its protective nature and its suspicion of strangers. Before you write this dog off as too much to handle with kids and a house, understand that it’s not often that dogs are exactly as they seem. They can be intimidating looking and sweet as pie, or vice versa. You simply have to understand what to expect with this dog. We’ve delved into the temperament and the expectations one might have of an American bully and we’ve decided that you should know what to expect with a dog like this so we’ve dug up a little true or false information for you.

True or False: The American Bulldog Needs Lots of Obedience Training

True; these are dogs that will forever act like spoiled puppies if you do not immediately begin the obedience training that they require. This means that for the first six months of this dog’s life, you need to teach it to obey simple commands such sitting, and you should offer treats when they do. Following the six month mark, it becomes imperative to add other obedience commands to the mix including stop, heel, come, and down. This is just as much to teach the dog to understand these commands as it is to make sure the dog understand that you are the alpha in the relationship. Without establishing this role in your relationship, you’re going to find it incredibly hard to keep the dog under control as he gets older and bigger. That’s why you start young and stick with it.

True or False: American Bulldogs Are Great with Other Dogs

False; but kind of true. As a puppy, this is a dog that might play very well with other dogs. They are playful and a bit rough, which is to be expected from dogs. However, by the time your dog is 1 to 2-years-old, it begins to mature and become more aggressive toward other dogs. This means that if you have another dog or you have doggie play dates, it might become necessary to watch your bully. This dog will become aggressive and could cause serious issues with other dogs around this time. We’d hate to see your dog cause injury to other dogs because of this. Not all dogs will have this problem if they are properly socialized, but it can happen and dog owners should be aware of this. Proper training can help to ease this situation if it becomes a problem, but it’s not always easy to predict whether or not a dog will have long-lasting issues such as an inability to get along with other dogs.

True or False: American Bulldogs Have Numerous Health Problems

True and false; this is a breed that is prone to some health issues, but no more so than other breeds. It’s commonly known to have hip dysplasia. It’s imperative that you talk to the dog’s breeder about this issue to ensure that the dog has been checked and cleared by the vet. It’s also common for these dogs to have a small issue with skin disorders, such as mange. You can prevent these by carefully taking care of your dog, and you can treat them with trips to the vet. You might need to go to the vet more often than just annual checkups with a dog of this nature, but it’s not an issue to have. All dogs are prone to health issues of any type. You  just don’t know until you have one whether or not your dog is more so than others.

True or False: The American Bulldog Needs Lots of Socialization

True; you need to make sure this dog is around a lot of people during the first three months of its life in your home. Experts recommend that you have dozens of people over to your house (some say 100 people) so that your dog becomes familiar with how to behave when there are people around he or she does not know. You don’t need to have a party to do this. People don’t need to come over at the same time. The point is to socialize your dog by introducing him or her to new people and new behaviors, including new smells, new voices and an understanding of how people are. This helps the dog learn to behave around others and recognize that not everyone in the world is a threat to his or her family. This also helps to deal with shy dogs and aggressive dogs.

True or False: American Bulldogs are Dangerous Around Children

False; the American Bulldog is actually a wonderful dog for children. These dogs are very protective and very loving and feel that kids are in need of that type of behavior. They are very likely to take your children under their wing and do everything in their power to protect them. However, they’re big, playful dogs and they can sometimes have their natural predatory instinct set off by kids who are too loud, too fast and too crazy at home. If you’re going to have a dog of this nature around your kids, you absolutely must be present at all times. You cannot leave the dog alone with the kids and you have to teach your children proper dog etiquette if you want them to be safe around animals.

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