BULLDOG BUYERS BEWARE!
Although the AB is registered by a few all-breed type registries and even a few kitchen table type registries, the ABA is the only professional full time registry that adheres to strict standards, such as requiring photos and accurate pedigrees. Other registries will register pure bred American Pit Bull Terriers and obvious Pit Bull or other breed crosses as American Bulldogs. The ABA’s goal is not to register every dog claiming to be an American Bulldog, but to register those that fit the phenotype. Please see the ABA standard included in this pamphlet.
When buying rare breeds, it is best to adhere to the old time advise of BUYER BEWARE. If you are interested in an American Bulldog puppy, there are plenty of honorable breeders whose main interest is the good of the breed and who will honor their guarantees. The trick is to find the honorable breeders and avoid the con men. To assist newcomers in this goal the American Bulldog Association started publishing a quarterly magazine. For information on this magazine please see ABA's American Bulldog Review magazine.
All dogs calling themselves American Bulldogs are not created equal, or are their breeders.
Many breeders are representing dogs of dubious lineage as pure-bred American Bulldogs to the unwary public.
Put the odds in your favor by insisting on an ABA registered dog for your hard earned bucks.
The American Bulldog Association is the only full time professional registry for American Bulldogs exclusively, and has the most comprehensive authentic pedigree base. Reputable breeders consider the ABA the parent organization a registrar of the breed.
Beware of Rare Breed Registries. They register any breed that comes along or that someone wants to make up. Some even register other animals like goats, sheep, pigs, etc. They are in the business of selling numbers and they have an unlimited supply. They are not that particular on the qualifications for registration, only that the fee is included.
All breed magazines like Dog World and Dog Fancy are replete with less than honorable people trying to jump on the band wagon of the growing popularity of the breed. Some of these breeders offer registration from various rare breed registries, while others offer no registration at all. There are even breeders who prints up their own "official" papers and pedigrees which aren't worth the paper they are printed on, to give to customers.
The ABA was established in 1989, a time when there was only 3 or 4 American Bulldogs ads in Dog World magazine. We have watched many scam artists and flim flam men come and go since than. Those people do not want to sell dogs to educated informed customers. They are using the popularity of the breed to snare first timers and part them from their dollars.
The breeders of ABA registered dogs are in the breed for the long haul. They are devoted to the breed and want to deal with educated customers. They honor their guarantees and are breeding functional, representative examples of the breed.