Our Mission
Welcome to Britten's American Bulldogs. At our house we continue Mr John D Johnson's (RIP)
American Bulldog legacy, producing 100% Johnson American Bulldogs. We strive for
conformation, health, working ability, tenacity, and over all temperament. Our American Bulldogs
are the perfect family pet, and guardian. American Bulldogs are also my families' passion. All of
our dogs are pets and part of the family. They are not treated like livestock. We do not breed dogs
for a living. I have served active duty in the United States Navy as a Seabee for the past 12 years
while my wife is a high school history teacher. I am the third generation in my family to produce
American Bulldogs. American bulldogs have been in my family since 1945. I grew up listening to
my fathers stories of the American Bulldogs my grandparents raised when he was a boy on the
family farm. I knew one day I would have some of my own. So when my wife and I decided to get a
dog I already had the breed picked out. My wife and I bought our first American Bulldog for home
protection, and after seeing how smart, trainable, and protective the American Bulldog was, we
were hooked and fell into the family tradition. If your looking for a dog that the neighborhood
children can play with, but will stand it's ground to protect it's family and home, we have the
American Bulldog you are looking for. We only have one or two litters a year. All of our puppies
are family raised, and socialized with children, other dogs, and cats from birth. So if you are
interested you can call us, or stop by anytime.

Phil Allen (RIP) said "100% Johnson American Bulldogs are like
potato chips, you can't have just one"

Johnathan and Ashley Britten
Britten's American Bulldogs
Located in Gulfport, Mississippi
(228)-860-3245 OR (228)-860-0956
seabeesscw@yahoo.com
Britten's Champion American Bulldogs
Home Of The Champion Johnson American
Bulldogs
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE BRITTEN DOGS
VFW POST 2539
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American Bulldog History

The Bulldog was brought by immigrants from England in the late 1700's and early 1800's.  
They settled in what is now the Southeastern United States.  This Bulldog has gone by
many names, Old Southern White, White English and just plain Bulldog.  He was used on
farms and plantations throughout the South.  His main job was guarding the homestead.  
He was also used as a catch dog to round up free ranging livestock such as hogs and
cattle.

By the late 1940's, due to the decline in the number of family farms and the migration of
people to the cities, these Bulldogs had declined greatly in numbers and could only be
found in small pockets in areas of Northern Florida, Northern Georgia and the Sand
Mountain area of Northeastern Alabama.  After returning from World War II,  John D.
Johnson of Summerville, Georgia, remembering the bulldogs his family had owned in his
youth, began collecting the best representations of these bulldogs.

Until the early 1970's, this bulldog had never been registered as a breed.  By this time,
John D. Johnson and Alan Scott near Fort Payne, Alabama had joined forces.  Having
decided to begin registering their dogs, they chose the National Kennel Club for their
registry, called their dogs American Pit Bulldogs, and wrote the first American Bulldog
Breed Standard.  On July 7, 1970 the National Kennel Club approved the breed standard
and started registering the first American Pit Bulldogs.  Johnson and Scott began
promoting their dogs and influencing others to register their dogs. They also began
holding shows. Joe Painter came up with the idea to remove the Pit from the American Pit
Bulldog name to eliminate the confusion with the Pit Bull Terrier, and the breed became
known as American Bulldogs.

At some point Scott and Johnson had a disagreement and quit holding shows and using
each other's dogs in their breeding programs.  Gradually their idea of what type of dog
they wanted changed.  Scott wanted a smaller, more agile dog and bred for those traits.  
Due to personal problems, Alan Scott eventually sold most of his dogs and quit breeding
for more than a decade.  Though untrue, at one point some even thought him to be dead.
 Later Scott was able to retrieve some of his line and rebuild his Owl Hollow Kennel.  He
has a farm just north of Fort Payne where he raises Percheron Horses and American
Bulldogs.

John D. Johnson changed his choice of registry to the Animal Research Foundation and
continued to breed his dogs.  His dogs gradually evolved into a tall big boned bulldog
with a noticeably broad head and short muzzle.  He and his wife, Mildred, raised bulldogs
for many years. To distinguish his dogs from other Johnson type American Bulldogs,
Johnson recently started calling his dogs "John D. Johnson Bulldogs". A registry for the
John D. Johnson Bulldog was started by Mike and Joan Farley, but is apparently now
defunct.  Although Mildred passed away in 2001, Mr. Johnson still has a few of his
bulldogs at his home in Summerville, Georgia before his passing in 2008, while the
majority of his better dogs are at the new kennel managed by Scott Weaver. They have
formed a partnership and trademarked the new kennel, calling it the Johnson Kennels llc.  
 

American Bulldog enthusiasts all over the world owe a debt of gratitude to Alan Scott and
John D. Johnson.  It was through their foresight in establishing a named breed that we
have the dogs of today.  Lest we forget others of note,  like Cel Ashley, W. C. Bailey,
Lance Kettles and his father, The Williamsons, Rayburn Stover, Darin Jones, and Joe
Painter, should be also considered founding fathers of the American Bulldog.  For surely,
you can still see their names in some of the old pedigrees of that early time.
American Bulldogs are powerful dogs bred for versatility.  They are loyal, bold and
fearless.  They make an excellent family companion, bonding strongly with their owners.   
They do have a stubborn streak, so obedience training is strongly recommended. The
courage of the American Bulldog is unparallel, with stories of heroism abounding in areas
of the South where the "Bulldog" was first found.

They are still used as guardians of the home and on farms to catch escaped cattle and
hogs. They are also adept at driving cattle. They make excellent dogs to hunt and catch
destructive feral hogs or the feared razorback both of which are regarded as destructive
pests who destroy farm land and subdivision landscaping with equal abandon.  Although
once considered only as guardians of the farm, American Bulldogs have enjoyed a surge
in popularity.  They excel at Canine Sporting Events such as Weight Pulling and in
protection work such as Schutzhund.  As their popularity has grown, so have the
registries.

In the years since Johnson and Scott started registering American Bulldogs, many
registries have come along. The National Kennel Club (NKC) was the founding registry for
the breed in 1970, with the Animal Research Foundation (ARF) not far behind.   Some
twenty years later, in the early 1990's,  Cayce Couturier founded the American Bulldog
Association (ABA) and started registering American Bulldogs and holding shows.  He also
produced a magazine he called the American Bulldog Review. He sold the magazine to
Gary Fuller in 2007.  Fuller has since opened the magazine up for advertising to all
breeders, regardless of their choice of registry.  The Backwoods Bulldog Club (BBC)
came along in the mid 1990's, holding their first show in May 1997, but only formed a
registry in 2002.  They still hold BBC shows, as does The American Bulldog Registry &
Archives (ABRA) which was established in 1999.  Not to be left outdone, the United
Kennel Club also recognized the American Bulldog, and then started registering American
Bulldogs in 1999.

Each of the afore named registries, except United Kennel Club (UKC), have separate
standards and show rings for the two American Bulldog types, Scott Type (Standard/
Performance) and Bully Type (Classic/Johnson).  The UKC standard is more of a hybrid
of the two types of American Bulldogs, with all dogs showing in the same ring. Although
the NKC once practiced this one ring format, they have since recognized the necessity of
the two separate rings for different types.

There are several breed clubs, The United American Bulldog Association, Southern
American Bulldog Coalition, and the All American Bulldog Club. These breed clubs
sponsor events such as conformation and working shows.  They are dedicated to the
preservation of the American Bulldog and serve as ambassadors to the world to show the
many and varied attributes of the American Bulldog.
UABA CLASSIC 2

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