Not AMBully is a pitty mix **UPDATED pic HEAVY**

very high rate of hip dysplasia; some are dog aggressive; lots of bad breeders out there right now because the breed is becoming popular, always a bad thing for the health of the breed. Does the owner of the litter have a really good reason for breeding the litter + OFA certificates on the hips and elbows? if not run far far away.

the health problems vary depending on the bloodline and TYPE of bulldog. if its Johnson(looks like a GIANT english bulldog) then you may expect breathing problems, hip/joint problems, and they dont handle heat very well.. which falls under breathing problems.

mine are Scott/Williamson straight working lines. the only "health" problem i have run into is  when Kaydee herniated a disk which paralysed her. the vet didnt say it was a hereditary thing or not. he just said "it happens..... it even happens to people for no reason". When i told him Kaydee had been playing HARD the day before with a 90 lb dog (he body slammed her, flipped her in the air and she landed on her back) he said that probably did it..... and that can happen to anyone/dog.

If your friend is GIVING you this pup then, other than doing homework and thinking long and hard about it, i dont see any reason not to go for it... i would be leery of a giant big headed bulldog though. i know people who own them and work them in protection, so its not an "All Dog" problem.

i think thats mostly because the AKC hasnt gotten their claws in them.... yet. the majority of people who own Am Bulls use them for some sort of sport or protection.

They can do just about any job. one guy in Australia uses them to herd sheep and cattle...  he's on youtube showing off his handy work.

I wont compare them to a bull terrier... they're more like..... German Shepherds... only a bit more laid back. I've heard people say they're hard to set off.... that is people who train them for protection. Its harder to provoke one when compared to a shepherd.. but when you do, look out. There isnt a warning like "growlsnarl" ... its more like "watch watch watch-bite!" you can see it in their eyes if they dont like or trust someone.. sometimes thats all the warning you'll get.

To have a dog like this i highly recommend a strict training routine - professional if you can afford it - and must always be the boss. they will happily take over your bed, kitchen, sofa if you let them. they're a very dominant breed....... but they have to be in their line of work. they also tend to challenge you in subtle ways, but its nothing to freak out over.

they're not like a pit bull... they arent dog aggressive like a pit bull. but they can be gender aggressive. Kaydee does NOT like another female..... there was only one female dog she tolerated, and even then she was trying hard to tolerate her. But Kaydee has never met a boy she didnt like. Same goes for Ben.... he loves the ladies, and he does a better job getting along with boys.. but he has been in one fight, with another male dog... it could have been worse than it was (my fault.. i underestimated Ben because he WAS getting along with that dog until i handed out treats to everyone) Since that day i just dont risk it... and you find that will be your life after a while.... dont risk it. no dog parks. no offleash beaches with other dogs.... you'll find that if you go to a secluded area with your dog you'll call him/her in a hurry if people show up suddenly.

Now to sum it all up....... THERE IS NEVER A SURE THING .... with any dog. its all about what you expose it to and train it to do. mine are GUARD DOGS so i dont expose them to strange dogs. and I dont scold them for barking at strangers who drive up or knock on the door.. 

Well it turns out most of the information I got was bits & pieces of the truth, but when I went to my friends to see the pup I couldn't leave her there. My friend is a really nice person that has over commited herself, she has 5 dogs & I think about 5 horses. I know her thru horses she has two horses boarding at the property I live on. She also is single with 3 kids. This poor woman is struggling, I have taken on caring for a mare that is about to drop a foal in Nov for her too. Almost could be counted as a hoarder she means well but just can't make ends meet.

They were all covered in fleas & the house was not very nice smelt etc. So long story short Tui the pup is a bitsa which may not be the best but I had to help my friend & the pup out. The dog is an american bull dog/pitty cross & the bitch is a small pitty. So the dog is more pitty than american bull dog. Only tiny she will be lucky to push over knee height but has a lovely nature & was given the thumbs up from the vet health wise etc.

She is very attentive & listens quite well apart from when there is food around, we are working on our leaves hehe. But think she will be a nice pup & my other dog is very sweet with her taken on the daddy role, shuffles her along etc.

Will post pics once I get a chance to get some nice pics.

Like Mudpuppy said, this breed is prone to hip dysplasia.

It is a genetic condition, but if you do some things you can lessen the chances of arthritis setting in even if your puppy has inherited a tendency towards HD.

The first step is to always keep your puppy LEAN. Skinny enough so that people regularly comment at how thin she is, poor thing! (most people are used to seeing dogs heavier than they should be.) Look at this body condition scale. Ignore the part where they say 5 is ideal. What you want to aim for is somewhere between a three and a four. http://www.purina.com/dogs/health/bodycondition.aspx

I went to a health seminar and one of the speakers was an orthopedic vet. We were talking about elbow conditions and injuries. Then we progressed to the topic of keeping a dog lean to prevent injuries or reduce pain if they already had a problem. This vet said that the dog in that scale at a 5 was too heavy if you wanted to do active dog sports like agility (hunting etc) and avoid injuries. He said an ideal weight was somewhere between a three and a four.

You also want to avoid fast growth. That is a risk factor for HD. You might look into feeding a large breed puppy formula, they are supposed to promote slow growth. (Of course they don't work if you feed extra.)  Also avoid play and games that involve a lot of jumping up like frisbee.

Finally, you might want to wait until she is six months old or so before spaying. There is some evidence that very early spaying/neutering may put them at slightly increased risk for HD and cruciate ligament injuries.

But most importantly, enjoy your new puppy! Have you thought of a name? Pictures??

 How sweet of you and congrats on the new pup!  It is very kind and generous of you to take care of this woman's horse and to take a pup to help out - and I know you were thinking of getting another dog anyway

Good luck to you!

as for some of hte health issues I wonder how prevalent they are in the breed in New Zealand, I think it's interesting that there is even an American Bulldog (mix) there as they aren't super prevalent in the US except for certain areas

anyway looking forward to pics!

Yeah my vet advised me to keep her weight down, it's funny I have an older huntaway dobbie X that I have issues getting weight on & then this little girl that I will have probs getting too round. She'll eat anything in her sight. The other night I filled a cup with juice & put it on the coffee table she drank out of my glass that was a first. Chip is so not like that.

Yeah I have been pondering on getting another pup for while now, was looking at a much bigger breed ie/ mastiff but quite pleased I have a smaller dog now. Will get some photos tonight or tomorrow for you guys, she is quite the cutie. Already melted my olds hearts that weren't too impressed I had got another dog, I live by myself in a small converted garage on 36 acres. But being single & not making the best money I do alright, also live in really cheap accommdation that suits me perfectly. I have my horse & dogs etc we have a ball. But shouldn't really tie myself down with pets but I love em and they keep me sane along with out of mischief . I don't care that I don't have a flash house or nice leather couches. I have my furbabies hehe

honestly on that much land, plus the horses, you should have no problems keeping her in good physical condition! they eat a lot because they're so active :D years ago when i was still working everyone was gone for the day... Kaydee was in the house as usual.. but someone left the pantry door open and she gorged herself on a whole bag of dog biscuits and half the bag of kibble!!  

she managed to hold it in until we got home, a miracle! but boy was she STINKY for the next couple of days, not to mention different colour poop due to the biscuits and the dye in them - we dont buy that brand anymore....

so.. yeah.. bulldog = gluttons.. lol

kpwlee

as for some of hte health issues I wonder how prevalent they are in the breed in New Zealand, I think it's interesting that there is even an American Bulldog (mix) there as they aren't super prevalent in the US except for certain areas

only guessing because i dont know for sure... but i do know in Australia they have a feral pig problem and they use bulldogs to catch them.. AmBulls are just one of the breeds used. so it doesnt surprise me much there's even Ambulls in Holland, England, Scotland, Austria.... and i think South Africa..

DumDog

but i do know in Australia they have a feral pig problem and they use bulldogs to catch them.. AmBulls are just one of the breeds used. so it doesnt surprise me much there's even Ambulls in Holland, England, Scotland, Austria.... and i think South Africa..

Neat!

you might want to wait until she is six months old or so before spaying. There is some evidence that very early spaying/neutering may put them at slightly increased risk for HD and cruciate ligament injuries

Best to wait until 12-18 months before spaying.  Let the growth plates close first.  If you spay to early...that's when you put them at a greater risk for HD and other skeletal/joint problems...JMO.

Good luck with your new pup...enjoy!  Can't wait to see pics.

She got all hyped up when I was doing our photoshoot was pretty funny so there is some nutty puppy pics in here too

 Oh she is adorable!!

Thanks I am quite the proud fur mummy

she is so totally cute!

congrats and good luck!