Our Breeding Program

We at Boyd's Bulldogs have developed a breeding program using the best we can find of the Johnson-type, Scott-Williamson-type and White English-type bulldogs. Our breedings average 70% Johnson, 15% Scott, and 15% White English, with the goal of producing awesome, intelligent bulldogs in the 85-100 lb. range, with large bulldoggy heads, broad bodies, good hips, great athletic ability and graceful movement, outgoing with medium to high drives for families or working, and finally free from the genetic problems that have plagued related breeds, such as the English Bulldog, The English Bull Terrier, and the Bullmastiff. It is our sincere desire to maintain the American Bulldog's good qualities, improve on its deficiencies and prevent the degeneration that has happened to its cousins.

One way we have chosen to keep the breed close to its roots is by using old dogs and old pedigrees. While some breeders take pride in the number of generations of dogs of their breeding they can stack up, we take pride in just the opposite. Stacking up generations of dogs means that young and unproven dogs are bred, then moved in order to make space for their offspring. We, on the other hand, go to considerable expense to use the oldest and most proven dogs we can find. Old dogs have withstood the test of time, have working and show titles and health evaluations that young dogs have not attained, and have a proven record of what they produce. Examples of this type of breeding are our first breeding to Rip N' Woody when he was ten, Tug O'War when he was nine, Tatanka when he was nine, Hammer when he was nine, Velvet when he was nine, and so on. The sooner our pedigrees go back to the old and very well-proven stud dogs and brood bitches, the better for us. You will find many of the top historical stud dogs and brood bitches well forward in our pedigrees. This may cost us some in the conformational consistency of our litters, but that is a small price to pay for the health, vigor, and historical legacy we get with the offspring of dogs with "heirloom" pedigrees.

4 week old pups out of Rob Boyd's "The Hammer", BST I & II, PH 0.35, 0.42 x Boyd's Country Bumpkin, OFA Good

6 week old pups Gr. Ch. Boyd's Air Jordan, OFA Good hips and elbows x Tory Hesta, OFA Good, hips & elbows

Our program to develop and maintain these great dogs involves rigorous selection for physical type, temperament, and soundness. The few dogs that pass our selection for physical type and sound temperament are then subjected to hip evaluation by the OFA and/or Penn-Hip, which unfortunately also eliminates many fine dogs. Any eye or skin problems that appear as a dog develops also result in disqualification as a breeding animal. We have tested and had many dogs titled in Schutzhund, a German dog sport that requires intelligence and discipline, as well as courage and athleticism. Dogs titled under our ownership include: Mikie, SchH III, BST; Woodchip, SchH BH, SchH I, CD 1; Tatanka, SchH BH, SchH I; Reba, SchH BH, SchH I, AD, Korung; and Moleque received a ROM (Register of Merit) from the WABA for the number of dogs she's produced with working titles. Another part of our program is to show and promote these dogs at whatever rare breed shows we are able to attend. Matt is also a recognized judge for the ABA and the ABNA and has traveled nationally and internationally to judge shows. Upon request, puppies are temperament-tested in order to match puppies with their functions in their new homes, be it as a Schutzhund sport dog, or as a family or jogging companion dog.

Boyd's/Hines Moleque, OFA Excellent hanging out with Boyd's Rippin' Woodchip, SchH I, when she was a pup

Our son, Caleb, with Woody/Moleque litter you can see Mikie here as a pup

Several unusual parts of our breeding program are to sell all breeding-quality males with two stud services back to Boyd's Bulldogs' bitches, and to offer incentives for working or showing your Boyd's Bulldog. As breeders who wish to improve the breed, but with limited space and energy, the stud-services-back term is a way of selecting the very best of what we produce in order to maximize the next generation. The Boyds will cover breeding-related costs and will not owe an additional stud fee. The owner of the dog will have no limitations to their own breeding , and the chance of using a given dog is slim, as all the males are sold in this way. If one trains a Boyd's Bulldog to a Schutzhund I or French Ring 1 title, or gets it trained and in service as a working police K-9, we will offer the owner a second pup for free. Likewise, if one shows a Boyd's Bulldog to an ABA championship, or trains it to a BST/WST, or a French Ring Brevet, we will offer a 50% discount on a second pup for each of these accomplishments (credit not to be over one puppy for training or show titles).

Our Policy on NCL Carrier Puppies:

Many of our dogs are used as seedstock in kennels around the world, so we will replace with a puppy any of our dogs purchased for breeding purposes before February 2005 that tests positive as a carrier of ceroid lipofuscinosis. Additionally, we will offer half-price replacement puppies to those who have bought Boyd-lineage puppies for breeding purposes from other breeders who won't replace dogs testing positive as carriers of NCL. Offer void if dog has been bred since Jan. 2005 when DNA testing became available. Note: It's OK to breed a carrier of NCL if bred to a tested non-carrier, (they won't produce the disease) but then the whole litter must be tested to determine who the carriers are, and buyers should be notified. The less carriers are bred, the less the problem is passed on.

Thanks to the University of Missouri's DNA test for NCL, ceroid lipofuscinosis has become the easiest of genetic problems to deal with. Imagine a blood test that can be done at three days old that could identify not only dogs that would end up having (affected) bad hips or a poor temperament when grown, but could also identify if the dog had the potential (carrier) to ever produce such a problem! Since many of the breed's finest working and show dogs have tested positive as carriers, it would be harmful to the breed if the finest dogs out there are not bred, though the puppies of carriers must be tested.

Since several of our best dogs are NCL carriers, we will continue to do breedings with them, as well as other outstanding dogs that happen to be carriers. Breeding a carrier to a non-carrier will produce around 50% of the puppies who carry the disease recessively, so we offer these puppies for sale with a $200 spay/ neuter rebate. Because the gene occurs at random, often the finest pups in the litter will be carriers. This allows people looking for a quality pet to get a good one with a little price break. Occasionally a carrier pup will be of such high quality that a working/ showing buyer will take on the pup with knowledge that a higher level of commitment will be required in testing and following through on any carrier puppies such a dog produces. We understand that some carriers may end up being bred, but as with all other traits, it is the breeder's responsiblity to only breed the best, and the buyer's responsiblity to require that from the breeder.