Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs are well loved for their docile temperaments, their energy and agility and their devotion to their families, but the one characteristic that that stands out and makes them prized by their owners is their natural guarding and protecting instincts.
Never aggressive and only acting when a threat is perceived, these clever watchdogs tend to keep a cool head while they pause and reflect on a situation before acting. In this article, we'll take a look at the history of the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog for clues as to why these dogs are natural guardians and why these intelligent protectors might be a good choice for you and your family.
While the origins of the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog are surrounded by some controversy, most agree that these dogs were developed in the Alapaha River region of Southern Georgia to work as all around farm dogs or "plantation dogs." In addition to versatile tasks such as working as "catch dogs" for cattle and hogs and hunting, these dogs were prized for their guard and protection skills. These dogs were very protective, bordering on possessive, of their families and were intelligent enough to protect any property that their owners put them in charge of. The need of good, trustworthy clever dogs was so strong on a large parcel of land like a plantation, that plantation owners only kept dogs that were very intelligent and highly trainable.
As plantations faded with history, these bulldogs threatened to fade as well, and were nearly extinct but were preserved thanks to the efforts of the Lane family of Rebecca, Georgia. Over three generations of the family worked to keep the breed alive, resulting in Lana Lou Lane contacting the Animal Research Foundation in an effort to have the breed recognized. It is because of Lane's work to promote the breed that these dogs even exist today.
Because the plantation owners only kept the best and brightest of these dogs, their descendants have inherited many of the same instincts, especially their natural inclination towards protection. Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs are devoted to their families and are remarkably courageous in their efforts to protect the people they love. This natural instinct does make them suspicious of guests. For the most part, these dogs will accept newcomers once their owners have made it clear that the guests are welcome, but this doesn't mean that these dogs won't benefit from obedience training and socialization. Training your Alapaha to sit and come on command and getting used to the presence of other people and pets will go a long way in helping the dog understand cues that others will give when they are friendly or mean harm.
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