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American Bulldog
Breeding
How to breed
an American Bulldog
Background of
American Bulldog breed
American Bulldogs descended from English Bulldogs, who arrived on the shores of America along with immigration in the late 1800s (and may have been here as early as the 17th century). They were widely used as farm hands and a very popular working breed during the past 1-2 hundred years!
Popularity
The AKC ranked ‘Bulldog’ breeds as 5th most popular in 2020, but doesn’t currently present a ranking for the American Bulldog on their breed-specific page. The photo shown of the 5th ranked bulldog is closer to that of an English Bulldog and further from an American Bulldog.
Health concerns when
breeding American Bulldogs
The largest health concern is the need for a cesarian section and happens during labor and delivery. It is vitally important this be scheduled with a veterinarian in advance! Though they tend to be much healthier than their English Bulldog counterparts, this breed can suffer from more health problems than most.
Hip Dysplasia
Hip Dysplasia is a hyp joint deformity, where the ‘ball and socket’ portions of the joint don’t grow at the same rate and don’t integrate properly. This can be very uncomfortable for the dog. Proper weight management is very important to both limit and manage that discomfort!
Nerve Disease
A progressive neurological disease called Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis can be found in bulldogs, along with many other breeds. The condition can lead to weakness in all four limbs, sometimes causing blindness. Genetic testing can eliminate the mutation causing this.
Thyroid Issues
Hypothyroidism (the body doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone) is more common in bulldogs. This can cause behavioral changes (fear, aggression), weight gain, skin diseases, etc.
Perform pre-breeding
health checks
The next thing you need to do is do the whole body health check before mating.
- Physically check both stud and female for any abnormalities.
- Check the body condition score; it should be 5
- All necessary blood tests should be done.
- Fecal tests are done to check for intestinal worms.
- Both stud and female must be vaccinated.
- Do a biological screening test for their genetic lineage.
- Check the age of your dogs; they must be mature.
When to start breeding?
Your American Bulldog dam should be at least two years of age before you begin breeding. Breeding too early can increase the risk of complications, potentially even endangering the life of pups and mother.
Whelping
Otherwise known as ‘labor’, the act of the Dam (mother of the litter) giving birth
Stud and brood bitch
The vast majority of ethical dog breeders won’t breed their own pets, but rather spay/neuter them. Instead, they will seek a specific Stud (breeding male) and Brood Bitch (breeding female) designated for breeding because they offer such exemplary qualities.
The bitch needs to be evaluated for her health, conformation and temperament prior to breeding, which is where the genetic testing comes in. Many brood bitches will already have paperwork. The sire also needs to be considered!
Of course you don’t want to reproduce any unfavorable qualities! Simply avoid breeding any animals that present unwanted traits.
The importance of
genetic diversity
Though American Bulldogs tend to be much healthier than their English counterparts, many still suffer from a lack of genetic diversity. In fact, this is partially what has led to so many health issues in English Bulldogs. Some breeders have even begun cross-breeding bulldogs with other breeds to strengthen the overall health.
At one time, human royalty would live very short lives and often give birth to children with defects, or offspring that would soon develop severe health complications, exactly because breeding within that royal family was a tradition for so long. You never want to breed dogs with close relations.
Genetic Testing
Thanks to scientific advancements, breeders now have the ability to map a male or female’s genome, determining the likelihood they, or their offspring, will develop genetic or hereditary health conditions later in life. This is both an ethical practice any breeder is morally obligated to utilize and helps ensure the ongoing health of a breed’s lineage!
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Managing labor
Through human selective breeding over many years and generations, the bulldog’s head (skull) has grown larger in proportion to his body. This means most of them simply can’t give birth naturally, and will need human intervention. The pelvic canal isn’t large enough to accommodate delivery, and will likely result in the death of both dam and pups if assistance isn’t given.
Because the puppy mortality rate is unusually high for this breed, having a veterinarian on standby to assist with delivery could make all the difference for these little ones!
Scheduled caesarean (C)-sections
Because it is often very difficult for any Bulldog breed to give birth naturally, it’s important to schedule C-sections with your veterinarian ahead of time. The assistance of an experienced veterinarian will also help decrease the unusually high puppy mortality rate for this breed.
Emergency C-sections can cost upwards of $2,000 USD at an emergency animal hospital or emergency clinic but planned deliveries tend to range around $500 USD. It’s clearly much more cost-effective to avoid the risks of natural birth and schedule this ahead of time!
Ethics of care
Breeding American Bulldogs can involve more treatments and costly medical care compared to most other breeds. Make sure you’re aware of this, and prepared to handle any expenses that might come your way!
Delivery
- Keeping track of the number of placentas corresponding to puppies delivered is important because a placenta left inside the bitch can cause drastic health problems!
- Take over personally if the bitch fails to sever an umbilical cord or remove a sac. The puppy’s oxygen supply depends on it!
- Remove mucus or any fluids from the pup’s nose and mouth, while rubbing gently to stimulate circulation.
- Suckling soon after birth is very important for the pups. They will ingest a special kind of milk called Colostrum, offering vital nutrients not found at the same quality anywhere else!
- Ensure the pups are kept warm
Because you are whelping bulldogs, you should have an experienced veterinarian or at least an experienced breeder with you. Ideally, C-sections should be performed by a veterinarian and planned ahead of time. No one should be whelping bulldogs for the first time alone.
If done ethically, dog breeding can be a wonderful experience
