Martial Dogs

[wong sheung]

I know that I am going to come off as a doomsday survialist, but how many of you have dogs of the fighting/guardian breeds as a pet? I had 2 American Bulldogs, (currently down to 1 as my big male was poisoned). Which breed do you own, and have you done bitework, agitation training, etc. Have any of you participated in ringsport or schutzhund? I love the Bull breeds. I am thinking of getting another AB or getting a South African Boerbel. I doubt very many people would be able to get by either one of these two "gamebred" examples. If they do, daddy is waiting with the 870.

[Water Dragon]

Hey Wong, check out my post on the Mixed board: Attn: Joe "I used to be Pit Dog" Manco. Then, if you're willing give me some info on American Bulldogs.

Thanks

[wong sheung]

Great post on dogs in MMA. I am a huge AB fan. Like Mickey Finn said, there are a lot of breeders who are cross and inbreeding the dogs too much. The breed has become mainstream, and as such is suffering much of the breeding malpractices that the AKC breeds suffer. I will try to be brief.

There are mainly two types of American Bulldogs
1. Johnson (Bully): This is the standard set by John D. Johnson, the supposed originator of the breed. My research has shown that recently, he probably outcrossed bull mastiff and english bulldog to exaggerate the proportions on the original. Funny thing is that at one time, all the breeders got their dogs from the same stock. Johnsons Sandman the Great is the Great,great,great grandfather of many of the breeds best. Everyone, Allen Scott, Big Joe, Masher, et all got their dogs from the "old man." About 10-15 years, you started seeing a lot of Johnsons dogs looking like exaggerated Bull Mastiffs. Why this was done, nobody knows. Johnson standard dogs tend to be larger. Some may reach 160 lbs. They tend to be more man aggressive, which makes them suitable for guard work. They also tend to be extremely undershot. This makes for a good looking dog, but limits his ability to bite and hold. (Which is a great pre-requisite for a guard dog). They will be athletic, but not so much as some of the others. With size comes strength, but also a loss of agility, and extreme endurance.
2. Allen Scott (Standard)
These dogs tend to be smaller. Sometimes, they don't even look bully. They also tend to be more prey driven. They make great hunting dogs, and have extreme endurance, athleticism, and tenacity. A lot of sources have told me that a lot of the original stock was bred back to pit bull stock to increase "gameness." Joe Painter, a dog fighter from the past, was famous for his "dead game" bulldogs. His dogs were smaller, and overtime, developed extreme animal aggression. Some examples of Allen Scott dogs can even look "houndy." A good example of this is the dog used in Homeward Bound II.
Whichever type you select, always buy from a reputable breeder. I found that a combination of both works best. I like a dog to look unique, have incredible physical ability, and yet be docile enough to keep around family and kids. If this sounds good to you, then an American Bulldog is right for you. Caveat Emptor, you get what you pay for. Spend the money and get a good example of this breed, and you can not go wrong. These dogs are not the best fighters (pit bulls are), they do not have the strongest bite (English Mastiffs do), they are not the fastest (Greyhounds are), they do not have the best noses (Beagles or Labs do), but all around, there are few animals in the dog world who can do as many tasks well.
Check out Suregrips kennels, Mountain Gator Kennels, Working American Bulldog Association, Boyd's Bulldogs. Again, do the research, pay the price and you will be as happy as I.

The saddest day in my life was when I had to put my big male down because he was poisoned. He was 117 lbs of lean, mean, I can roll for 1 hour, clear a 7 foot wall, traverse 21 feet in 1 second, break cow femurs with my bicuspids, loving, distrustful and loyal. Bruiser is still missed.