"I've owned dogs all my life and have never been as challenged or rewarded as working with this dog. Rose was a rather destructive puppy, but only when left alone. I had to crate her during periods when my wife and I would both be away to keep her from destroying our home or ingesting foreign objects. By the time she was a year old, she could easily jump the 6+ foot fence surrounding our property and would at the sight of a dog walker, car, squirrel, or even once, a butterfly!. I thought we had taken on more than we could handle, but she learned commands and tricks faster than any dog I'd ever had. She would be so calm at home all day, but as soon as we'd have company, she'd run laps around the house, "attack" toys, and shove them into the thigh/crotch of our poor guests. We began educate ourselves, and the first step was to walk her 2 miles a day, play fetch and Frisbee for marathon sessions, built her a "spring pole" of sorts, and even take long bike rides with her on leash. Her excitability at newcomers decreased right away, and her furniture-chewing habit ceased. Currently at almost 4 years old, she's the best dog I could ever hope for. I shudder to think that we considered giving her up for adoption, and now people ask us how we have such a well-trained dog! "

"This animal needed lots of exercise. LOTS! And Rose required being handled a bit more sternly than the labs, rottie, and mostly mixed breeds I'd owned previously. Only one harsh correction was usually needed, two thousand light vocal reprimands meant nothing. Today if we are playing fetch and the ball goes over the fence, she looks at me almost trembling and I can either tell her "get it" (allowing her to hop the fence, retrieve, and hop back) or give her a stay command. At 18 months of age, I never believed this dog could restrain herself from any impulse. I only have one dog of this breed to draw on, but I'd venture to say that the American Bulldog needs stimulation, love, play, but most of all exercise and an occasional heavy hand early on, so we could establish her place in our pack. She has made my wife and I far more physically active than we had been, and even that is life enhancing."

"This dog (and perhaps breed) would not have been good for everyone, and it was a close call that we kept her long enough for her to turn out so perfect for us. They are incredibly powerful, playing tug with her has to be experienced to be believed. At only 78 pounds, Rose can jump, pull, and bite like nothing else. She once jumped up and bit a tree limb and just hung and shook after I took her rope toy down from the limb. Their enthusiasm is a big part of their charm, but I would not recommend this breed to a busy person who can't devote the time. She is great around kids, cats, other dogs, and even just barks or whimpers when she encounters a snake or turtle while we're camping. But Rose was on the fast track to being given up, when we realized she simply needed more exercise and for us to be more firm with her."

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"Zeus, my male American Bulldog at 2 ½ years old. He is a really big lap dog and loves to cuddle. He requires a lot of exercise or he can get himself into trouble (he is very strong). The most important thing in raising him was being firm and consistent on everything. He is very smart and learns things quickly even bad habits. He is somewhat protective of females and children around strangers but if introduced love everyone."

Zeus, the male American Bulldog at 2 ½ years old jumping in the lake.

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