The word Bulldog can conjure different images for different people. Bulldogs in America and England look very different from each other, and Bulldogs that live in other parts of the world also have their unique features. In this article, we'll compare the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog with other Bulldog breeds to see how they differ from their Bulldog counterparts around the world.
Many people associate "Bulldog" with the short, stout, bow legged dog with saggy skin on their faces. This Bulldog is also known as the English Bulldog or the British Bulldog. Compared to this Bulldog, the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog has longer legs and a leaner body. As a matter of fact, the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog more closely resembles the Old English Bulldog than the present day English Bulldog does! This is because after the Cruelty to Animals Act passed in England in 1835, effectively ending the blood sport "bull baiting, which Bulldogs were bred for, the bred began to be crossed with other breeds while Bulldogs in America, who had arrived long before, stayed much the same. The temperaments of both dogs are similar; both are docile, protective, devoted to their human families and suitable for children.
French Bulldogs were developed from English Bulldogs by English artisans, mostly lacemakers, as early as the 17th century. When the industrial revolution in England put many of these artisans out of work, they moved to France, taking their smaller Bulldogs with them. The breeders worked to make the Bulldog smaller, and in France they became popular for their skills at ratting and soon became known as French Bulldogs. Compared to the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog, French Bulldogs are much smaller and usually have naturally occurring "bat ears" and a naturally short tail, while Alapahas have longer, folded ears and a longer tail.
The Australian Bulldog is a very recent breed, only dating to the 1990's. The purpose of the development of the Australian Bulldog (also sometimes called the Aussie Bulldog) was to create a breed that resembled the Bulldog, or English Bulldog, without many of the health problems that are inherent in that breed. While Australian Bulldogs have slightly longer legs and are not as stout in body as the English Bulldog, they still more closely resemble an English Bulldog than an Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog.
Without a doubt, the closest Bulldog to the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog is the American Bulldog. Similar in size and stature, these bulldogs came to America at the same time at Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs and many detractors of Alapahas claim that Alapahas are nothing more than American Bulldogs. Alapaha fanciers claim that there are significant differences, and it is true that looked at side by side, there are subtle differences in the two breeds. This may be because the Alapahas were once plantation dogs, and it's possible that plantation farmers bred their dogs with other farmers in the immediate area, creating a unique breed in Southern Georgia.
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