Are you interested in getting an Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog as a pet?
But don’t have much information about the breed?
You’ve landed on the right page!
Here, we’ve shared all about the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog. This breed boasts a remarkable lineage. A single-family in America created them. They used to live near the Alapaha River – and that is precisely where the name of the breed came from.
During that time, this dog breed was becoming a rare one. And that family wanted to save it from going extinct.
Like most other Bulldogs, the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog is a stocky, thick, muscular dog. They have superb athleticism.
The best things about them?
Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs don’t drool!
Although people used them on the plantations for working, they’re well-known for being great companion pets. However, they are not friendly with strangers. This makes them perfect guard dogs and watchdogs.
Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog: Quick Facts
Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog: The History
Well, you can find no documentation of the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog before the year 1979. But a lot of evidence points out that this breed has been around for almost 200 years. In some of the Southern states in the USA, people first spotted them.
Some say that the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog is the product of various breeds of bulldogs that people brought to the USA years ago. During those years, Alapaha was a working dog. Therefore, they were not considered family pets.
This breed of dogs used to do loads of work. They drove the cattle and the pigs. They guarded homes. And they even hunted vermin.
During those days, the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs had other names too. While some people called them Otto and Silver Dollar Dogs, others called them Cowdog and Catahoula Bulldogs. Then they began to disappear slowly. And their numbers decreased.
It was then when a group of people decided to breed them so that they didn’t disappear completely.
In the year 1979, they started an official breeding program. So the dogs got a new name – Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog.
Fast forward today, the number of Alapaha dogs has increased. People are now breeding them safely in the USA and elsewhere.
Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog: The Good
- Extremely loyal to the owner and family
- Coat maintenance is easy
- Have an interesting history
- No severe health issues as such. Of course, there are some minor ones
Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog: The Not So Good
- Needs strict training from a young age
- When in public, must be on a leash
- Not suitable for first-time pup owners
- Not much friendly
Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog: Temperament and intelligence
If you give us one word to describe the temperament of Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog, it would be: loyal.
This breed is one of the most loyal ones you can find. When Papa Buck was working on this breed, he named his favorite dog Otto back in the days. Each time Otto died, a new Otto was there. This way, Otto lived for ages. Even after the death of Papa Buck, Otto made sure to guard his grave. This shows how loyal these dogs are!
The Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs are highly affectionate. But they tend to be aggressive as well, especially the males. So when you have an Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog, make sure to train him to be social. Don’t worry; you can teach them with ease.
These dogs are pretty quiet. They are aloof and wary of strangers. But, as they’re fiercely loyal, they can be excellent guard dogs. They love you so much that they can even put their own lives in danger to protect your family. They love to be pampered. So make sure to love them and pay a lot of attention to their needs. They don’t like it if you leave them outside of the house or push them away from your family.
Are Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs Good with Strangers?
Have you invited your family friend to dinner when you have an Alapaha in your home?
Then don’t expect too much from the dog. The chances are that they will not get along at their very first meeting.
This breed stays detached from the strangers. They don’t trust strangers easily. They are cautious. Only after knowing a person well, they act friendly. Till then, they maintain a distance.
Well, this doesn’t mean that your Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog will become aggressive or attack the stranger. But, of course, you need to train them well.
Are the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs Good with Other Dogs?
This dog breed has a high prey drive – all because of their hunting history. So be careful when there are smaller dogs around them.
Socialize your Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog properly, from a very young age. And keep doing that every day by taking out some time. Doing so can help them to be social and get along with other dogs.
Now, if you have another dog in the house with whom your Alapaha has been raised, then it’s a different story!
In that case, your Alapaha will be protective of his fellow four-legged buddy too.
Don’t take cats near your Alapaha. This dog breed never does well with cats.
Are the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog Good with Families?
The short answer is, “yes.”
This dog breed can be an excellent pet for your family.
They are playful, gentle, and love the company of kids.
However, they can be stubborn at times.
If you want your Alapaha to be a great family pet, then make sure to start their training when they’re young. This way, you can socialize out if they have any aggressive tendencies. They need a leader in their pack. Here, the pack is your family. Let the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog know that you are the alpha in the household. This will make them faithful and obedient to you.
Does the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog Get along with Children?
Do you have kids at home?
Has the Alapaha been brought up with them?
If your answer to both the questions is “yes,” then know that you can trust your dog. They’ll be friends with your kids.
However, if your dog is meeting a kid for the first time, make sure to keep an eye on them. See how they react. It can be unsafe if your dog feels threatened by the new kid.
Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog: Health Concerns
There are some common health concerns that Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs have. Watch out!
- Cherry eye
Have a look at your Alapaha’s eyes.
Can you see a bulging red dot in the corner of their eyes?
If so, then it’s the cherry eye. This causes if the third eyelid gland of your furry friend prolapses.
Don’t worry; there are treatments for it. They might need surgery.
If the cherry eye condition is at the initial stage, doctors opt to replace their third eye gland. However, if the state becomes severe, doctors might remove the gland altogether.
- Entropion
The Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs have a limited gene pool to breed from. This gives rise to health concerns such as entropion.
Now, what exactly is this condition?
Well, in this condition, the eyelids of your furry buddy get rolled in. Due to discomfort in their eyes, they might rub their eyes frequently.
This can lead to perforations, ulcers, and pain. As a result, their vision can be affected. If not treated on time, the effect will be irreversible and permanent. Entropion needs surgical intervention.
- Hip dysplasia
Hip dysplasia occurs when your Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog’s hips and legs don’t sit together properly. A malformation of the hip bone causes this.
As the femur won’t fit into the hip socket correctly, it forces the femur to rub on the hip. Hip dysplasia can be painful. Also, your dog’s mobility will be limited. If this continues, your dog will become lame.
Getting an Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog: Breeder & Health Checklist
Before getting an Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog from a breeder, have a look at the following points:
- Just as humans, dogs can inherit specific genetic issues and ailments. Is the dog breeder you visited not offering any health guarantee? Run from there!
- If the dog breeder is trustworthy and reputable, they’ll tell you everything about the potential health issues that your dog could face. Also, they’ll let you know what the problems can be.
- You cannot identify even the common health problems when the pups are in their younger years. And when the dog breeder doesn’t provide you with any health guarantee, it can be difficult for you to understand what health concerns they might have. In that case, what you can do is get pet insurance. And look for breeders who try their best to breed healthy dogs.
- Get the documentation on the pup’s parents’ and grandparents’ health status. Don’t believe what the breeders say. Ask for approved certificates.
- Don’t rely on the vet checks entirely. Why? Well, they cannot account for genetic health issues.
- There are breeders who might say that you don’t need to go for genetic testing for the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog. And that they have never faced any problems in the past. Don’t believe what they say and ask for papers.
- Even if the genetic test reports are okay, Alapahas might experience the health conditions mentioned above. But don’t worry. Vets are there for your dog, and with improved medical technologies, your dog can be okay.
- Now, there’s a common issue among all the dog breeds: obesity. So always pay attention to what your dog eats. Give them healthy food to keep their weight in check. After all, a healthy dog means a happy dog!
Training Your Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog
Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs are intelligent. Start to train them when they are young. This will make it easier to train. In addition, they’ll be at a manageable weight and size.
To train your Alapaha, make sure that they work for everything. Don’t give them anything without them making any effort. This will ensure that they are obedient to you. Train them using techniques such as play, treats, and praise. If your pocket permits, you can even send them to a specialized training school.
Exercise for Your Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog
The Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog needs quite a bit of exercise.
Do you have a backyard?
Then make use of it. Take your dog there and let them romp and play.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a large backyard; a small one will also do.
And if you stay in an apartment with no backyard, just make sure that you’re providing your Alapaha with regular exercise opportunities. Again, the time can range between thirty and sixty minutes.
Grooming Your Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog
Similar to many Bulldogs breeds, the Alapaha has short coats. As a result, they don’t shed much. So you don’t need to spend hours grooming them.
The maintenance of the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs is easy.
Once a week, brush their coat. This is to get rid of excess loose hair.
Bath them if they stink. Trim their nails and keep their ears clean.
And don’t forget to give them healthy food. They don’t have any special grooming needs – only the basics.
To be precise, the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs are affectionate, loyal, and slobber-free. They make an excellent companion, pet, and watchdog. BUT not everyone can handle an Alapaha. They’re stubborn, and you need to have previous dog training experience to deal with them. However, it’ll be easy to train them once you establish dominance. So what are you waiting for? Get yourself an Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog today!
Frequently Asked Questions
An Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog is a breed of Bulldog. It is believed that their origin is United States.
An Alapaha Bulldogs has a good temperament and they do well with kids. They belongs to a loyal dog breed and hence also they make a brilliant guard and companion dogs
Yes, Alapaha Bulldogs are very strong and loyal and hence they are considered as one of the best guard dogs in united states.
Forrest is a lover of dogs, the wild outdoors, deep mysterious conversations… and coffee. He is the owner of several websites, including Canine Weekly. He resides in Austin, Texas.