An American Bulldog is typically a happy, friendly, and
assertive dog that is at ease with its family and fine
with strangers as they get to know the stranger in
question. They are quite fond of children but sometimes
do not know their own strength. Thus, as with all dogs,
they should be supervised with small children. They bond
strongly with their master and family but, because of
strong guarding instincts and a somewhat dominant
attitude, they need a firm but fair hand; they should be
socialized and obedience trained early to expose them to
other dogs and people and to ensure that they can be
controlled around company as they get older and larger,
they can be stubborn/strong willed and mischievous if
not exercised enough. It should be noted that an
American Bulldog is not a dog that should be purchased
by people who are not experienced dog owners. It's a
powerful and strong headed dog who needs an owner with
determination and knowledge about training.
They are
working dogs with high energy drives. They need room to
expend their energy, and so American Bulldogs do best in
a home with a backyard and preferably a "job" to do. A
tired well worked bulldog is a happy bulldog. They are
not always well behaved towards cats and smaller pets,
but correct socialization at an early age can greatly
increase the chances of them accepting these animals.
This behavior is a reflection of a breed trait called
prey drive. High prey drive is a desirable trait in an
American Bulldog. A well bred American Bulldog is a
catch dog of large herbivores. They can be stubborn with
training though once they are trained they tend to obey
their masters faithfully. American bulldog puppies can
be relatively difficult to housebreak, thus it is
important to be persistent.
