Is The Apbt The True Bulldog Or A Terrier Cross?

[BGD 6,385]

 

 

 

Far too much evidence of crossing in terriers for me to believe those fantasist yanks

The APBT is definitely as close as you'll get to the original bulldog though with some lines being more bulldoggy and almost indistinguishable from the original bulldog looks wise.

I know the American Bulldog is thought by many to be a relative new breed but I've seen pictures from the 1800's of white Bulldog type dogs that look exactly like the American Bulldog.

There was definitely a type of farm mutt that resembled the modern American bulldog dating back to the early days of the colony, the creators of the AB just slapped a name on them and started trying to fix a type.

Very true and many of these American Bulldogs of today are probably new creations, but like you said back in the day there was definitely Bulldog type farm dogs in the south of America.

Oh yeah there was plenty of other breeds used in the creation of the AB but it was definitely based on an already existing "type" which was probably a lot closer to the original bulldog than other breed.

 

I'm guilty of referring to my APBTs as bulldogs but that's just an easy shorthand, not claiming they're the original pure Bulldog of old.

Edited August 14, 2015 by BGD

[jeemes 3,546]

 

Um, am I being thick here,Why would it be a bulldog if it's called pitbull terrier?

The original Bulldogs long gone, the British put pug in to get the cute ikkle squashed faces

The Americans crossed God knows what to get the American bulldog/homestead dog.

The APBT is still called the Bulldog by many in the fancy.

 

Thats how people try to change history and thinking by changing words but it doesnt alter the truth.

[WILF 44,323]

This has the making of a good tread, keep going boys as it's very interesting reading.

[Astanley 11,467]

Too much importance given to names/labels IMHO ,as for the Americans using different breeds to "fix a type " it doesnt sound right ,its an old ,oft quoted truism that " form follows function " ie you keep breeding the fastest dogs together you end up with a dog that looks like a greyhound , you contiually breed the best fighters ,you end up with a pitbull ,a performance breed is not a breed where people use outcrosses to get a look or type . I dont know for sure but I,m guessing that breeding the best bull baiters together would give you a dog similar in appearance to an APBT ,given that bull baiting and dog fighting dogs would share similar attributes its likely that dogs used for the bull entered into the gene pool of fighting dogs , so direct descendents ? no , but maybe a shared bloodline and a similarity in appearance and temperement led to a catchall type label being given .

[BGD 6,385]

Too much importance given to names/labels IMHO ,as for the Americans using different breeds to "fix a type " it doesnt sound right ,its an old ,oft quoted truism that " form follows function " ie you keep breeding the fastest dogs together you end up with a dog that looks like a greyhound , you contiually breed the best fighters ,you end up with a pitbull ,a performance breed is not a breed where people use outcrosses to get a look or type . I dont know for sure but I,m guessing that breeding the best bull baiters together would give you a dog similar in appearance to an APBT ,given that bull baiting and dog fighting dogs would share similar attributes its likely that dogs used for the bull entered into the gene pool of fighting dogs , so direct descendents ? no , but maybe a shared bloodline and a similarity in appearance and temperement led to a catchall type label being given .

 

 

When talking about the Americans using different breeds and "fixing a type" I was talking about the American Bulldog, not the APBT. The American Bulldog was always bred on looks first and function second

[DogFox123 1,379]

 

Too much importance given to names/labels IMHO ,as for the Americans using different breeds to "fix a type " it doesnt sound right ,its an old ,oft quoted truism that " form follows function " ie you keep breeding the fastest dogs together you end up with a dog that looks like a greyhound , you contiually breed the best fighters ,you end up with a pitbull ,a performance breed is not a breed where people use outcrosses to get a look or type . I dont know for sure but I,m guessing that breeding the best bull baiters together would give you a dog similar in appearance to an APBT ,given that bull baiting and dog fighting dogs would share similar attributes its likely that dogs used for the bull entered into the gene pool of fighting dogs , so direct descendents ? no , but maybe a shared bloodline and a similarity in appearance and temperement led to a catchall type label being given .

 

 

When talking about the Americans using different breeds and "fixing a type" I was talking about the American Bulldog, not the APBT. The American Bulldog was always bred on looks first and function second

The old type Bulldogs that were used on the farms back in the day were definitely bred for function first and foremost, if I'm not mistaken it was Johnson that started breeding a "type" so to speak, bringing in such breeds like the English Bulldog and Mastiff into the mix.

[WILF 44,323]

Let me start by saying I have no knowledge about bull breeds at all, but to me the APBT is defined by being a racier, more athletic looking animal and a bulldog is more heavy set.

Personally, I always liked the racy looking animals better.

[DogFox123 1,379]

I don't believe the old story that the Terrier was crossed with the Bulldog because the Bulldog was too slow for fighting, how the hell can a dog that is bred to bring a Bull to be bay be a slow animal? I think the Terriers of those days brought a hell of a lot more than speed and agility to the package.

[Waz 4,210]

Always seen them as "bull & terrier" crosses from a very long time ago.

[keepdiggin 9,221]

 

Too much importance given to names/labels IMHO ,as for the Americans using different breeds to "fix a type " it doesnt sound right ,its an old ,oft quoted truism that " form follows function " ie you keep breeding the fastest dogs together you end up with a dog that looks like a greyhound , you contiually breed the best fighters ,you end up with a pitbull ,a performance breed is not a breed where people use outcrosses to get a look or type . I dont know for sure but I,m guessing that breeding the best bull baiters together would give you a dog similar in appearance to an APBT ,given that bull baiting and dog fighting dogs would share similar attributes its likely that dogs used for the bull entered into the gene pool of fighting dogs , so direct descendents ? no , but maybe a shared bloodline and a similarity in appearance and temperement led to a catchall type label being given .

 

 

When talking about the Americans using different breeds and "fixing a type" I was talking about the American Bulldog, not the APBT. The American Bulldog was always bred on looks first and function second

 

really?

[marshman 7,756]

supreme athletes whatever they are !

 

[DogFox123 1,379]

I think it's nigh on impossible to deny terrier blood in these dogs....

 

http://www.game-dog.com/gallery/files/6/5/7/colbys_galtie_the_irish_dog.jpg

[BGD 6,385]

I don't believe the old story that the Terrier was crossed with the Bulldog because the Bulldog was too slow for fighting, how the hell can a dog that is bred to bring a Bull to be bay be a slow animal? I think the Terriers of those days brought a hell of a lot more than speed and agility to the package.

I often see Americans with no experience of terriers say that adding terrier to the bulldog would of decreased gameness. Obviously they never met a real digging terrier

[gnasher16 29,662]

In certain circles the term " Bulldog " within the breed of American Pit Bull Terriers is reserved specifically for the very best examples of the breed......" that dogs a real bulldog " for example would not be a description used for a poor representative or an unproven dog so its not generally used as a term to describe a breed but a quality of animal within that breed......Americans use it to describe a fighting Apbt regardless but in Europe it tends to be used as more of a badge of honour type of word.

For me theres no doubt about the cross of bull and terrier it doesnt take a clever person to see this is a breed with the rugged brutality and aggression of a bulldog and the persistence desire and tenacity of a terrier...........when you see dogs of the breed even today who are a million miles away from pit dogs and are poor representatives of the breed yet still hold elements of these traits it tells me these are " bull and terrier " traits that have been heightened by man to such a level that even the poor ones still maintain the traits......no book or mans writings will convince me anything different to the story my eye can see in front of me.

Edited August 14, 2015 by gnasher16

[BGD 6,385]

Perfectly put gnash