26 Years of Breeding American Bulldogs: What We Have Learned

In 1998, Lance saw his first American Bulldog. That was the end of every other breed for us. Twenty-six years later, we are still here. Still breeding. Still learning.

Most breeders do not last 26 years. The ones who do have something in common: they got humbled early, adjusted, and kept going. Here is what that journey taught us.

Lesson 1: The Dog You Like Is Not Always the Dog You Should Breed

When we started, we bred dogs we liked. Dogs that looked good. Dogs with big heads and impressive size. That is what every new breeder does.

What we learned is that "looking good" is not enough. A dog can look incredible standing still and fall apart when it moves. A dog can have a perfect head and a terrible temperament. A dog can win shows and produce nothing worth keeping.

Breeding is not about the individual dog. It is about what that dog produces when paired correctly. That shift in thinking took us years to internalize, and it changed everything about our program.

Lesson 2: Health Testing Is Not Optional

Twenty years ago, DNA testing for dogs barely existed. You bred two dogs and hoped for the best. If a puppy had a problem, you dealt with it.

Today, there is no excuse. We can screen for NCL, ICH, HUU, and other genetic conditions before a breeding ever happens. We can X-ray hips and elbows. We can make informed decisions based on data, not hope.

Every breeder who skips health testing in 2026 is choosing to gamble with their buyers' money and their puppies' lives. We will not do it. Full stop.

Lesson 3: Temperament Is Genetic

You can socialize a nervous dog. You can train an aggressive dog. But you cannot fundamentally change what is built into the genetics. A dog with unstable temperament will produce puppies with unstable temperament, no matter how much training you layer on top.

We evaluate temperament as hard as we evaluate structure. A beautiful dog with a bad brain does not belong in a breeding program. This is non-negotiable at Rosebull.

Lesson 4: The Pedigree Tells the Story

When we bought ABRA in 2005 and started building the pedigree database, we began to see patterns that you cannot see looking at individual dogs. Bloodlines that consistently produce health. Lines that carry hidden problems. Crosses that work and crosses that do not.

The pedigree is not just a piece of paper. It is a map. And the more data you have, the better decisions you make. That is why we built the largest American Bulldog database in the world. Not as a business. As a tool for better breeding.

Lesson 5: Say No More Than You Say Yes

We turn down more breedings than we do. We turn down more buyers than we approve. That is not elitism. It is responsibility.

Not every dog should be bred. Not every home is right for an American Bulldog. Saying yes to everything produces more dogs, not better dogs. And more dogs in the wrong homes creates problems that hurt the breed's reputation.

The breeders who last are the ones who learned to say no.

Lesson 6: The Breed Changed, and That Is OK

The American Bulldog of 2026 is not the American Bulldog of 1998. The breed has evolved. Health testing has improved. Standards have tightened. The community has grown.

Some old-timers resist every change. We did too, for a while. But the breed is better now than it was when we started. Dogs are healthier. Temperaments are more consistent. Breeders are more accountable. That is progress.

The trick is knowing what to hold onto and what to let go of. Structure and temperament are permanent. Trends and fads are temporary. We breed to the standard, not to whatever is popular on Instagram this month.

Lesson 7: It Never Gets Easy

Every litter is stressful. Every puppy going home is emotional. Every health scare is real. Twenty-six years has not made any of that easier. It has just made us better at handling it.

If breeding ever feels easy, you are probably cutting corners. The breeders who care the most are the ones who lose the most sleep. That has been true every single year we have done this.

Why We Are Still Here

We are still here because the dogs are worth it. Every time a buyer sends us a photo of their 8-year-old Rosebull dog still running and playing, it reminds us why we do this. Every time we see a puppy we bred become a champion, or a family guardian, or just the best couch dog someone has ever owned, it is worth all of it.

Twenty-six years. Thousands of dogs evaluated. Hundreds of puppies placed. And we are not done yet.