American Bulldog Facts – Wisdom Panel™ Dog Breeds

The American Bulldog is considered the closest surviving relative of the Old English Bulldog. Experts believe Bulldogs arrived in the United States as early as the 17th century, along with immigrant farmers and ranchers who put them to work as farm guardians (protecting livestock), stock dogs (herding livestock), and catch dogs (catching and holding mature livestock for slaughter).

By the late 1940s, the Bulldogs approached extinction. But thanks to breeding programs set up by John D. Johnson and Alan Scott, the American Bulldog survived. There are now two American Bulldog types named after the breeders: the Johnson, also known as the classic or bully type, and the Scott, which is sometimes called the standard or performance type.

In 1970, the National Kennel Club officially recognized and registered the American Bulldog breed. The American Bulldog Association started in 1989. And a year later, the United Kennel Club recognized the breed in the working class.