Country of Origin: Australia
Breed Status: The Australian Bulldog is, as of yet, unrecognized by any national kennel clubs, but does have its own national breed club in Australia. Distribution: The Australian Bulldog is, as of the time of this writing, rare outside of Australia, but can be found in slight numbers in Tahiti, Guam, and the continental United States.
Etymology: The Australian Bulldog takes its name from its country of origin.
Other Names: Aussie Bulldog
Breed History: While some sources state that the Australian Bulldog was created in an effort to create a healthier breed of bulldog, this is not quite how things occurred.
The very first breeding occurred out of simple curiosity and only later was the goal of a healthier bulldog strived for. During the early 1990s Pip Nobes crossed a male British Bulldog to her husband, Keith?s, pig dog and planned to put another British over the offspring. It was only after she owned two British Bulldogs who had major health problems (these dogs were not bred from) that the focus started to move from curiosity to a motivation to breed a healthier bulldog.
She continued to put another British Bulldog over the original progeny and it was around this time that she came into contact with Noel Green, who besides breeding dogs for the purpose of pig hunting, was also in the business of buying and selling dogs. The third British Bulldog she used, Maxlyn Hercules Wrath or Boris, was mated to not only Mrs. Nobes? dogs, but also over Mr. Green?s quarter British Bulldog pig dog Dish.
All the original lines came from three lines of Mrs. Nobes (Penny ? pig dog, Chip ? boxer/bulldog, Soda ? pig dog) and the one line of Mr. Green (Dish ? pig dog and her daughter Miss Margarita by Boris).
A word here about the use of pig dog bitches here for anybody throwing their hands up in horror ? keep in mind successful pig dogs are extremely healthy, if they are not able to work they are no good and will not be tolerated by pig dog breeders for work or breeding. They have to be able to run with other dogs and therefore any dogs prone to constantly fighting each other are not tolerated and they have to be extremely loyal to their owners. All valuable traits in anyone?s language. Pig dogs are mixed breed dogs incorporating all sorts of breeds used for the purpose of hunting feral pigs.
At that time Mrs. Nobes read a chapter on the Olde English Bulldogge breeding program written by Carl Semencic, and this enhanced the motivation to breed a healthy bulldog.
So the ?Aussie Bulldog?, a name suggested by Mr. Green, was originally based upon majority blood of the British Bulldog with the large input being from Boxer, Bullmastiff and English Bull Terrier with insignificant portions of other breeds through the pig dogs and further Bullmastiff being added a little later.
The original Aussie Bulldog breed record was first begun in May 1997 by Mrs. Nobes and contained the lines from both breeders, Mr. Green and Mrs. Nobes. In June 1999 however the original register was split, mainly over the basis of incorporating American Bulldog blood. In 2001 Mr. Green sold all his Aussie Bulldogs and records to Mr. Joe Cauchi who was breeding with American Bulldogs. (He later started breeding Aussies again and keeping records via his advertising website UABA). Mrs. Nobes, not including American Bulldog blood into her lines, started using the more formal name of ?Australian Bulldog?.
In October 2004, a foundation group formed the Australian Bulldog Society Inc., a properly constituted incorporated organization, and open to enthusiasts of all lines of this new breed.
- see also History on www.australianbulldogs.com Appearance: The Australian Bulldog is a thickset, medium sized breed whose health is more important than its appearance. Males stand from 17 to 19 inches (43.18 to 48.26 cm) tall and weigh from 61.73 to 77.16 pounds (28 to 35 kg). Females stand from 16 to 19 inches (40.64 to 48.26 cm) and weigh from 52.91 to 66.14 pounds (24 to 30 kg). The head is large while still being proportional to the body. The muzzle is broad and while short, remains long enough to not interfere with breathing. The skin across the nose forms loose folds but is not excessively wrinkled. The Australian Bulldog may possess a bite that ranges from level to undershot. The low-set eyes are wide and may be of any color, although blue eyes are considered undesirable. The small to moderate sized ears are wide-set and may be either rose or button. The moderate length neck is thick and deep. Loose skin forms a small dewlap on both sides of the neck. The chest is broad and deep. The ribs are well sprung and deep. The back is short and straight. The forelegs are wide set but still under the body and straight. The hindquarters are muscular. The feet are round and compact. The tail is high-set, thick at the root, and slightly rounds down. A long or short straight tail, crank tail or pump-handle tail is acceptable, as is a screw tail, although a tight screw tail is undesirable. The coat is short, smooth, and tight to the body. The Australian Bulldog may occur in any brindle, solid white, pied, solid red, fawn, or fallow.
Personality and Uses: The Australian Bulldog has been used solely as a calm breed of companion. This is due not only to their healthy nature but also because of their loyal and affectionate disposition. The Australian Bulldog is a breed that needs human attention to stay happy. While the breed loves activity, it is just as happy relaxing. Individuals within the breed may get into the occasional fight with strange dogs. The Australian Bulldog can never be considered as a guard dog because of their friendly nature, it is said that they would be likely to wag their tails in joy as burglars enter their home. The breed is not known for wandering.
The American Bulldog is an athletic, temperamentally sound medium to large sized dog that possesses great strength, agility and confidence. The expression should reflect intelligence and alertness. The sturdy and powerful yet compact frame is characteristically stockier and heavier boned in the males and more refined in the females. Some aloofness with strangers and assertiveness towards other dogs is accepted. However, an American Bulldog should not be excessively timid, shy or aggressive towards man and preferably not overly aggressive with other dogs. Due to its distinctive physical and mental characteristics along with its natural desire to be the total companion and working dog, an American Bulldog should never be confused with uniquely different breeds such as the American Staffordshire Terrier or the American Pit Bull Terrier.
Size-General: Males should range from 24 to 27 inches at the withers and weigh between 90 and 110 pounds. Females should range from 22 to 25 inches at the withers and weigh between 70 and 90 pounds. Weight should be proportional to height and body type. A dog should be well conditioned and not overweight or underweight.
Standard: A leaner and more athletic dog in appearance.
Classic: A larger and more powerful dog in appearance.
Color: Solid or varying degrees of white, all shades of brindle, brown, red, or tan are acceptable. Solid black, black and tan, and/or any degree of merle is unacceptable. A full black mask is not acceptable. **Merle is a dilution of overall body color (black or red) with splotches of darker color giving the effect of "merling" or "marbling" not to be confused with Brindle that gives the effect of "striping".
Coat: Short, less than one inch in length varying from soft to stiff. Long, feathering, or fuzzy coats are unacceptable.
Head: The head should be relatively large and broad in proportion to the size and overall structure of the dog. It should be flat on top giving a squared appearance. There is a defined furrow between the eyes with a distinct, deep stop. The head is well-muscled throughout with prominent cheeks. An excessively narrow head is unacceptable in both types.
Standard: Generally box shaped to wedge in appearance with a slightly shallower stop and less wrinkles.
Classic: Generally box shaped to round in appearance with a more definitive stop and heavier wrinkles.
Eyes: The eyes should be round or almond shape, medium sized, and wide set. Black or dark brown is the preferred color. Other colors are accepted. Black eye rim pigment preferred. Crossed and/or nonsymmetrical eyes are unacceptable.
Muzzle: The muzzle should be relatively broad and square. The large jaws are well-muscled, displaying great strength. Lips are full but not pendulous. Black pigment lining lips preferred. An excessively narrow muzzle is unacceptable in both types.
Standard: muzzle should be 30% to 40% of the overall length of head.
Classic: muzzle should be 25% to 35% of the overall length of head.
Teeth: The teeth should number 42 to 44 and large in size is preferred. Working dogs should not be penalized for broken teeth. Should medical removal of teeth be needed, documentation and verification by a veterinarian is requested.
Bite:
Standard: Reverse scissors is preferred. Moderate underbite, scissors or even bite is acceptable.
Classic: Undershot 1/4 to ? inch preferred. Even bite is not preferred. Scissors bite is unacceptable.
Both types: Teeth should not be visible when the mouth is closed.
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