American Bulldog History 

  I’m not going to start with wild tale of bulldogs catching in England, coming over on the Mayflower and breeding within the deep south for a couple of hundred years until a Allen Scott and John D Johnson decided to breed to the public. It doesn’t really matter how or where the breed came from.  The truth is for at least five to six decades, they have bred true, some outstanding breeding programs have produced jewels and more importantly consistencies within their own programs, however with all breeds for every great breeder there are three to four dozen that inadvertently destroy their effort and hard work. I was once told, you just don’t know what’s in your bulldogs past what you have produced yourself. A piece of paper and a man’s word is all you have. With that in mind, I have produced my own line, with help from some great partners and good friends, out crossing only to the best the breed had to offer.  Here is some of what I know and admire. 

Sandman the Great, Scott’s Dixieman and Johnson’s Dick the Bruiser the greatest foundation dogs of the breed and interesting enough illustrates the diversity of type and standards.

Smith's Bradley Spot Bull, Hines Country Boy, and Hines Hillbilly represent strong, thick working bulldogs of olde which lacked exaggerated physical features.  Notice that the working bulldogs of the past, did not look like whipetts.  Country Boy's sire Spot bull is oldtime Johnson, off Rayburn Stover’s yard. I was privileged to have a conversation with Rayburn back in 1995, were he opened my eyes to Johnson males crossed with utility catch dog females and line-breeding.  Billy Hines bought most of the best stock off Rayburn's yard, including Lokey, Country Boy, Bossman (indirectly) Robber, and Romeo. Bill continued Rayburn‘s breeding methods, but enhanced the program by seeking non-kennel bulldogs (working stock) from all over the deep south, with Greats like Hillbilly, Jimbo, Crazy Critter, Georgia Girl, Daisy Mae, and the legendary Snowbird with daughters. (below)

Lokey, Bossman and Bishop illustrate phenotype and consistency, as some of the great bulldogs bred true, without tight breeding.  A feat in the older times as diversity was always vast among this breed and major line and inbreeding were not as common, but among a few breeders.

Snowbird, Ladybird II and Battle Axe are the prototype of the old farm utility bulldog, fearless catch dogs, bred and kept in the rural south. Anything past Snowbird, within her pedigree, is purely fictional, as is most of the pedigrees from these great bulldogs. Rather than accept the fact that they are unregistered, folks often feel the need to make up pedigrees, and while lying often make up some whoppers. As a serious breeder for over 15 years, I feel that faking a pedigree is the equivalent to faking a protection title, eight generations of my own line has been an education, a pleasure and hard work.  I would love to breed to or own, any great "woods" bulldog, but I would not feel compelled to make up a pedigree.  If they had the ability of the bulldogs above, without question, but many are breeding to dogs that look like old working dogs.  Which is like saying , hey that guy looks like he could play football -  it means nothing.

Allen Scott with his bulldog Black Jack and John D Johnson with his bulldog Black Elrod Supreme, which in my opinion looks a bit like Azlan, a fat Azlan.  The point is that black bulldogs have been around for a very long time, well before I had them or anyone else for that matter.