Breed of the Month – The Aussie Bulldog

It’s been said before—people are bred tougher in Australia. The same goes, it would appear, for dogs – at least in the case of the Australian Bulldog in comparison to its British ancestors!

While the Australian Bulldog is not at present accepted as a registered breed with the Australian National Kennel Council, they have fast become a much-loved companion for many a Bulldog-loving Aussie.  And, of course, the Australian Bulldog Society (founded by the original breeders) has its sights set on acceptance by the ANKC as its goal.¹

History

According to Pip Nobes, who, along with Noel and Tina Green, was one of the first breeders of an Aussie Bulldog: “The Australian adventure did not start from any noble premise or lofty ideals, but evolved into that” ². Nobes began developing the first Aussie Bulldog less than 20 years ago in the early 1990’s. She began by breeding a British Bulldog with her husband’s pig-hunting girl “more from curiosity than any other altruistic motive”³.

Cooperation between Nobes and the Greens produced the first two original Aussie Bulldog lines, the Pip Nobes Line and the Jag Line. What eventuated was a bulldog bred for Australian conditionsª. The proof of the success of the breed is that it has fewer of the medical conditions that plague the British variety of the breed.

Temperament

Like its British relative, the Aussie Bulldog is extremely loyal, outgoing and affectionate. While their appearance may seem imposing, the reality is that the Aussie Bulldog is an incredibly good-natured and people-friendly family pet. Having said this, the Aussie Bulldog has a very high muscle-mass, and therefore when excited there may be a danger of the Aussie Bulldog knocking over a small child in its enthusiasm, so Aussies are probably best suited to families with older kids.

Health and Appearance

The health problems afflicting the British Bulldog are well-documented, and a large part of the motive for breeding an Aussie version of the Bulldog, is to try and lessen and eventually eliminate the severity of the common Bulldog ailments. These ailments include breathing difficulties, hip dysplasia and skin conditions associated with the excessive skin folds of the British breed.

According to The Balerow Aussie Bull Blog created by Aussie Bulldog breeders in Sydney, most of the differences in appearance between the two breeds are in some way related to their health. “British Bulldogs tend to have exaggerated short legs, wrinkles, short face, bowing front legs, broad shoulders and very narrow pelvic space. All of which pose problems, not only those that are obvious like breathing problems but can lead to a myriad of issues outlined in our blog on genetic disorders associated with bulldogs.”º

The Aussie Bulldog, sporting a longer muzzle, tends to avoid the common breathing issues of its British cousin. Despite the muzzle, its head still retains the typically handsome square bulldog shape. In addition to this the Aussie is a larger, more athletic dog with longer legs and far less excess skin, further improving the overall health of the dog†.  Having said this, breeders agree “There’s an enormous challenge ahead. It’s probably taken 150-200 years to inflict the genetic damage seen in Bulldogs, and it will take a long time to undo it.”‡

At Dog Diaries we love to see an Aussie excel, and with the help of passionate breeders, that is exactly what our variation on the Bulldog has done.

1. http://www.australianbulldogsociety.com/history.html
2. http://www.australianbulldogsociety.com/history.html
3. http://www.australianbulldogsociety.com/history.html
ª. http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/factsheets/Dogs/Aussie-Bulldog/1904
º. http://aussiebulldogs.net/blog/2007/12/01/what-is-the-difference-between-the-australian-bulldog-and-the-british-bulldog-a-comparison/
†. http://aussiebulldogs.net/blog/2007/12/01/what-is-the-difference-between-the-australian-bulldog-and-the-british-bulldog-a-comparison/
‡. http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/1998/archives/26/roadtests/dog_breeds/aussie_bulldog

Images sourced from: greatdogsite.com, skyrock.net and dogscatspetshops.com