Australian Bulldog – Facts, Traits & Temperament of This Lovely Dog Breed

The Australian Bulldog is one interesting breed that is popular among many dog lovers because they are among the best companions you can get.

Australian Bulldog Origin

Tina and Noel Green gave the name to the Australian Bulldog. This was foundered from two programs of breeding, the Pip Nobes and N&T Green with earlier years of breeding Bulldog type dogs that were meant to serve as functional Bulldog, coordinating and cooperating together after the earlier Nobes lines and Green Lines.

This specific type of canine had the endurance, size, and strength for doing the job it was set to do. The early breeders made health and personality in the dog their foremost priorities together with maintaining a one of a kind look of a bulldog.

Australian, English and British Bulldogs Enjoy playing

The Aussie Bulldog has been a recognized breed in the eyes of the general public although they have not been registered yet as a pedigreed breed with the ANKC. Every line of Aussie Bulldog should have a breed certificate for their ancestry’s documentation. The United Aussie Bulldog Association issues these certificates through contacting Louise Cauchi, Pip Nobes, and Tina Green.

It was back in 1998 when the breed was heard by the public for the first time as the result of Keith Nobes requesting Pip to write to the Burkes Back Yard and let them aware of the Aussie Bulldog’s combined breeding program.

While on their way home driving from Perth to Toowoomba, Tina and Noel visited Louise and Joe Cauchi in the western suburbs of Sydney and viewed 2 litters of puppies that were of the Australian Bulldog type that makes them around 2 weeks old when the program was aired on the Burkes Back Yard.

The program ignited many inquiries made through email, phone, and mail to N& T Green and Pip Nobes, all of which were interested to purchase a puppy. The breeding programs were both in their early stages, and original from Nobes Lines and Green Lines, with Cauchi’s lines, promptly following.

From then on, they have been continuously increasing the population of the Aussie Bulldog with around 40 to 50 more enthusiastic breeders that joined together all three dog lines. Greens lines and Nobes lines were created heavily based on the Bullmastiff, British Bulldog, a small percentage of the Staffy, and Boxer, followed closely in months to come through introducing dogs of Louise and Cauch based primarily on JD Johnson Line American Bulldogs that don’t have any connection in temperament or physical type to the Scott Line American Bulldog or the American Pitbull.

The Johnson line American Bulldogs are the same in head type and height to the Bullmastiff and Boxer. Their breeding stock currently has five generations of Australian Bulldog to Australian Bulldog all in all. The Aussie Bulldog’s consistency is much better compared to most pedigreed breeds as proven by planned litters.

The Aussie Bulldog is known in other names including:

  • Aussie Bulldog
  • Australian Bosdog

Australian Bulldog Appearance

The appearance of the Australian Bulldog is very similar to the English Bulldog from which this was mainly descended although it remains to be a distinct breed. The Aussie Bulldog puppies are generally larger than their English ancestors, particularly when it comes to height.

A male Aussie Bulldog ideally stands around 17 to 21 inches at the shoulder. On the other hand, females ideally stand around 17 to 20 inches. This breed’s legs are generally straighter and longer compared to those of English Bulldogs. This breed is also very stocky although this is not as thickly built as their English counterparts.

On average, a male Aussie Bulldog has a weight of 60 to 85 pounds, while females have an average weight of 50 to 70 pounds. These canines are generally longer than they are tall up to 10 times longer for the males and around 10 to 15 percent longer for the females.

In spite of the relatively short back of the breed, this should not be too short to the point of impending movement. This breed should ideally possess a body shaped like that of a brick which is just a bit wider at the shoulder area compared to the hips area.

The Australian Bulldog’s tail is among the few features of the breed that remains to be very variable. There are some members of the breed that have the English Bulldog’s stumpy tail while other members have a straight and long tail or a kinked or curled tail.

The face and head of this breed are very similar to the English Bulldog’s but with some features notably less exaggerated. The Aussie Bulldog is a type of brachycephalic breed which means that it has a face pushed in with the muzzle shortened.

The breed also has a much shorter muzzle pushing upwards although this is considerably straighter and longer compared to that of the English Bulldog. The breed also has extremely wide jaws almost as wide as its skill.

Most Aussie Bulldogs have a bit of an underbite yet their teeth should not be visible when the mouth of the canine is closed. The Australian Bulldog’s face has a significant amount of extra skin yet an Australian Bulldog puppy should not be too heavily wrinkled.

Breeders deliberately try to lessen eye problems in the breed and the result is that their eyes are neither protruding nor sunken. The ears of this breed are small for the canine’s size, folding down either to the sides or front of the head.

The Australian Bulldog’s coat is virtually similar to that of their English counterpart, smooth, short, and tightly fighting. This breed may come in all colors found on other dogs other than blue, pied-black, and black. The canines found in these colors may not enter the show ring and shouldn’t be bred but they can make as good pets like other members of the breed. In practice, the majority of Australian Bulldogs are brown and white or brown and brindle even though white is notably less prominent in the breed than the American or English Bulldogs.

Australian Bulldog Pictures

Dog Smiling
Black and White AU bulldog puppy
Adult AU Bulldog
Dog looks guilty

Aussie Bulldog Puppy Playing outside

Photos Credit to [1][2][3][4][5]

Australian Bulldog Temperament

The Aussie Bulldog puppy is exclusively bred as a companion animal for families. The developers of the breed exclusively chose only to breed the puppies with the best temperaments around children and adults alike. The Aussie Bulldog only wants to spend time with its family that they form a close bond with. The Australian Bulldog is not a one-person canine, which means that they form equally strong attachments to all members of the family.

An Aussie Bulldog that has been properly socialized with kids is often really great with them. The breed is not just very tolerant of the jerky movements and loud noises and roughhousing of kids as they are also very affectionate and playful with them.

If socialized the right way, this breed is also very tolerant of strangers in general. The truth is that most members of the breed are very friendly with strangers and consider every acquaintance as a possible source of affection and treats or playmate. The breed is somewhat territorial and quite alert and most members of the breed make capable and even excellent watchdogs. Even though their appearance may be more than enough for deterring intruders, the Aussie Bulldog tends to be a very poor guard dog since it is more likely for them to follow a robber home instead of attacking them.

This breed is considerably better compared with other canines to most similar breeds. In general, this breed shows low dog aggression levels and most of these dogs love to share their lives with several other male and female dogs. But, Australian Bulldogs aren’t a breed that would tolerate aggression from some dogs and won’t back down from the confirmation if one may come their way. Aside from that, several breed members develop territorial problems with strange dogs, in particular, the unneutered males.

Aussie Bulldogs tend to accept attitude to non-canine animals and have low prey drives. Since it’s also the case with some breed, Aussie Bulldogs haven’t been exposed to some animals that would chase them, yet once socialization is already done. Some would leave other animals or pets in peace.

These bulldogs are basically eager to please and less stubborn than some related breeds. Due to this, the breed doesn’t provide a lot of training difficulties, particularly when the training sessions were started at your dog’s young age. But, Australian Bulldogs will not probably obey your commands immediately and most of these dogs can be stubborn.

While this dog is intelligent, some breed members do not have the desire or ability to reach top-end training of breeds including Standard Poodle or German Shepherd. For those who are searching for a dog that would learn basic obedience, manners, and some tricks would be satisfied with Australian Bulldogs, yet those who are searching for an obedience champion might be advised to find some breeds.

Health Issue

The primary reason that Australian Bulldogs were bred was to make a dog with better health compared to English Bulldogs. The addition of non-bulldog blood and some physical changes were made to reach the said goal. At present, ABS has the strictest health guidelines for all of its breeders to follow any breed club. ABS has banned dog breeding with some conditions, placed some restrictions on the dogs with others, and limited dog breeding, which has been produced dogs with such conditions.

Every Australian bulldog organization recommends that breeders screen for possible screen genetic defects and some do. Due to this, Australian Bulldogs have better health than English Bulldogs and continues to improve with every generation.

But, in spite of continuing the best efforts of the breeders of Australian Bulldogs, health issues haven’t been eliminated from this dog. It still suffers from all problems found in English Bulldogs though typically at low rates. Several disreputable breeders haven’t followed the set procedures by ABS and some breed organizations. This means that finding the best and most trustworthy breeder is important. It doesn’t appear that any dog breed wide health surveys were conducted for Australian Bulldogs. The lifespan of the previous generation of Australian Bulldog was about 10 years, yet with the healthier generations, it can live longer than expected.

The healthiest Aussie Bulldogs can be sensitive to heat. Even if this dog is better suited to extreme temperatures in Australia compared to its ancestors, it must be protected carefully when the thermostat rises. Pushed-in face basically means that this bulldog can’t breathe quite easily as most other breeds. It can’t also use air to cool itself off quickly. Due to this, Australian Bulldogs suffer from heatstroke and die at both low temperatures and quicker than most breeds.

Some of the health issues of Australian Bulldogs are as follows:

The other health issues of this dog are snoring, shortness of breath, heart murmur, spinal deformities, deafness, entropion, severe elongated soft palette, epilepsy, and so much more.

Lifespan

The average lifespan of Australian Bulldogs is ten to twelve years.                           

Foods and Grooming Guide for Aussie Bulldogs

An Australian Bulldog is basically a medium-sized breed and must be fed with a diet that is formulated for dogs of its size. Moreover, it is essential to take note that such dogs are active, so they can benefit from dog foods that are of high quality and formulated for active dogs.

Australian Bulldogs are actually a low maintenance breed of dog. They do not really require professional grooming compared to some dogs. You will only have to provide them with regular brushing.

It is important to remember that these Bulldogs do shed even if not excessively. Owners have to wipe off skin folds on the face of the dog at least once in a day and if possible, after each meal. Or else, water, food, grime, and dirt will be lodged in between skin folds that could result in some skin infections and irritations. This breed must have its ears cleaned regularly for the same reason.

Read Also: What Brand of Dry Dog food is the Best For English Bulldogs?

Where Can I Find Australian Bulldogs?

Some of the clubs where Australian Bulldogs are recognized include the following:

Taking Care Your Australian Bulldogs Puppies

Like with some dog breeds, an Australian Bulldog puppy basically requires training and socialization from a young age. Socialization can help dogs to get along well with some dogs and kids. Training is actually necessary when controlling the independence and energy streak that is sometimes seen in this dog breed.

Living with Aussie Bulldogs

Australian Bulldogs aren’t recommended for apartment life, yet they can also live in smaller spaces if exercised in a sufficient manner. This dog breed is actually an indoor dog and must not be left outside throughout the day inside the kennel. Bulldogs dog great in temperate climates as they can chill quickly in cold weather. However, they find it hard to cool off in hot weather conditions.

When compared to some dogs, Aussie Bulldogs are a proud looking dog once viewed with expression. They can be a good family companion as they enjoy the affection of their owners. They do not show aggression to people. They just lay back while having a good time and showing off their abilities as a watchdog. They are stable in nature with predictable characters. They enjoy playing water.

At an early age, Australian Bulldogs must start socialization and obedience training. The lifespan of these dogs will depend on how healthy their lifestyle is. If you provide your dog with a proper and healthy balanced diet and exercise on a regular basis, it can live more than 10 years.

Training and Exercise

Australian Bulldogs are an intelligent breed that benefits from early socialization and training. This bulldog has a dominant streak with some dogs. Therefore, socialization would be essential to avoid this.

Australian Bulldogs can be loyal with their families and aim to please, so they’ll respond well to some positive training methods. Such dogs do well with a consistent and firm hand in training and crave leadership from their masters. These bulldogs may be trained for obedience and love playing some games including Frisbee. They also like swimming.

Aussie bulldogs require lots of exercises that include a long daily walk. They also like to swim in the summer.

Are Australian Bulldogs Aggressive?

Australian Bulldog is not aggressive to other dogs, animals or people. In fact, this dog seeks comfort and affection from its owners and has a personable demeanor. Without training, Australian bulldog can be a little rambunctious.

This dog is actually rarely aggressive to people, but it can be a good watchdog. Aussie bulldogs can be dominant to some dogs when it comes to their own territory. However, there is nothing you should worry about if they have undergone proper socialization.

Conclusion

An Australian bulldog can be a great family member like some dogs out there. However, it is important that you train this dog as early as possible and make sure to provide it with proper care to be healthy always and away from any possible illnesses.

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