Hi all,
I rarely post but had to post for this.
My dearest childhood dog was an American bulldog x Staffordshire Bull Terrier. He was the best. Not once would that dog ever cause harm to anybody, he was with me from the age of 8 until the age of 20. He was truely amazing, he effectively looked like a big staffie. He was gentle and loving, he would rather hurt himself then ever hurt one of us. He didn't need much of anything, he was easy and friendly in all ways and won the hearts of everybody.
He played with every dog, their size or age was totally irrelevant and he always knew just how to play. He would lay down before he even got to certain dogs and only once did that dog not have some kind of life-limiting illness that my boy picked up on. But please note, we socialised him from the very beginning. Regularly up and out with him, he was always well exercised and well socialised- this is so key for a happy and well-balanced dog.
So, although my boy wasn't fully American bulldog I now volunteer with rescues and every one of them I come across has a lovely soul and is very workable. I was lucky enough to grow up alongside my dogs dad (who was a pure American bulldog import) and he was just amazing. He had a wonderful physical presence, a loyalty like no other and wonderfully affectionate.
My boy will always leave this enormous hole and I can entirely recommend both breeds (staffy and American Bulldog) both breeds are getting a lot of bad press but this is misguided and misinformed. These dogs are not sufficiently socialised or balanced enough, any dog that isn't socialised or sufficiently trained has the capability to cause the damage that these poor dogs have. In fact, most people who are treated for dogs bites are bitten by Labradors but this isn't picked up by the tabloids.
Please do not be mistaken when I say this- these dogs need clear boundaries. They are stubborn, they are bull breeds and they are stubborn. This is easily overcome but your training starts from day 1. Exercise them regularly (not just running them out endlessly until they're tired but engaging their brain too), socialize them with people, children and dogs from a young age (positively! make encounters positive but do not let them with children, they are big dogs and can be clumsy). Puppy class is great for this.
There are lots of AB's in rescue who can be rehomed with a family but if you are set on a puppy then talk to Performance Based Kennels (PBK American Bulldogs) these guys know their stuff. These are a working type dog so you will need to commit to that. They are a family orientated dog and need you to be around. I cannot wait to have another AB, or staffy for that matter.
Side note- my beautiful boy groomed my very sickly rescue kitten, he loved him endlessly and really looked after him. They became the best of friends and my boy would often be on the floor while the cat had his rather large bed!
These dogs are not without their health issues, you cannot let them overheat, mid-day summer sun is hard on them. Over exercising them young will cause joint issues in the future so be careful. The AB is actually relatively healthy for such a large dog.
My final note is this, American Bulldogs are NOT appropriate for first time dog owners- you need experience for these dogs due to their size and stubborn streak.
Best of luck with your search!