Able Bulldog

		Able Bulldog
		He is not recognized by the F.C.I.


Origin			U.S.A.
Translation			Francis Vandersteen
This breed is also known as			Able Bulldogge

A brief presentation of the Able Bulldog

Originally conceived as a cross for early use in the Leavitt Bulldog breeding program, today's Able Bulldog is a breed apart, developed by Mike May of Pennsylvania, a long-time breeder of Olde English Bulldogges and Leavitt Bulldogs. By crossing selected working lines of American Bulldogs with Leavitt Bulldogs, Mike May set out to create a versatile farm dog that could be used for personal and property protection, hunting/work catching and weight pulling, but also a dog capable of therapy and work and suited to the role of family companion. The aim was not so much to recreate the original British bulldog as to establish a modern, healthy working bulldog.

History of the Able Bulldog

The Able Bulldog is still a developing breed, relying mainly on first-generation crosses and rigorous selection of breeding stock by testing working qualities, but once reasonable uniformity has been achieved, in terms of appearance and temperament, an official breed standard will be written, but Mike May and his partners are more concerned with establishing a satisfactory stock of dogs whose health, personality traits, drive and agility are suited to other breeds than the look of their bulldogs. In this respect, the Able Bulldog is very similar to the legendary bulldogs of old, whose appearance and purity mattered little to their keepers, but their working ability, tenacity and power were what made them so attractive in England and around the world.

Appearance of the Able Bulldog

While the name of this new Molosse is derived from the initials of the American Bulldog breed (AB) and the first two letters of the Leavitt Bulldog (LE), the Able Bulldog label is also indicative of exactly what is expected of this creation. Great attention is paid to intelligence, drive and stable temperament in the selection of dogs included in the Able Bulldog breeding program, because this hard-working dog must not only be robust, athletic and powerful, but also trainable and ready to please its master. The ideal Able Bulldog is muscular, well-boned and functional, with a broad, wide head, well-developed jaws and a reasonably short muzzle, having no difficulty breathing when performing the tasks expected of a working dog. The tail is usually docked, but this is not a requirement.

The coat is short, flat and smooth, preferably in shades of fawn, red, brown, black and brindle, with or without white markings. Uniform white coats are undesirable due to an increased risk of health problems such as skin allergies, deafness and cancer observed in these dogs. The size of Bulldogs Able still varies, but the height should be 48 to 51 centimeters.