General distinctive features of the Alapakh purebred bulldog, mention of the ancestors of the species, the creation of the breed and the formation of an association, the current state.
General distinctive features of the Alapakh purebred bulldog
Alapakhs are powerful dogs. They boast large, square heads and compact, extremely muscular bodies. They have thick, broad muzzles with large noses and a slightly protruding lower jaw. Round eyes can be of any color, but dark brown is preferred. The ears are small or medium in size, set high on the head.
It is known that alapakhs are confident animals, who are always wary of what is happening around them. Dogs have a strong bond with their owners and their families, but as a rule, they are quite cautious and distant from strangers. Bulldogs completely ignore unfamiliar fellows. At home, they are wonderful pets and excellent watchdogs.
The history of the ancient ancestors of the Alapakh purebred bulldogs
There is written evidence and old photographs that irrefutably prove that canines resembling the Alapakh purebred bulldogs or alapaha blue blood bulldogs existed in America over two hundred years ago, in many southern regions. This statement is true for most modern American bulldog breeds today. Regardless of whether the modern Alapakh Purebred Bulldog is the actual embodiment of these dogs of ancient origin, there is a controversial issue associated with the documented crossbreeding of other canine species in the line, with the aim of increasing the breed qualities at the beginning of its selection.
It is believed that the ancestors of the Alapakh Purebred Bulldogs, like many American bull-type breeds, are now extinct old American Bulldogs, which at that time were known by different, mainly territorial names. They were: southern white bulldog, old-type bulldog, English bulldog, mountain bulldog, rural working bulldog, big bulldog. These early varieties are also believed to be descendants of the now extinct Old English Bulldog. A breed known for its rugged temperament and popularity during the 18th century as a pickling and fighting dog in England.
Application of the Alapakh Bulldog
The first Bulldogs are believed to have arrived in America in the 17th century, as the story of Governor Richard Nichols (1624-1672) notes. The first British colonial governor of the New York province used them as part of an organized urban bull-baiting spectacle. By their nature, the violent behavior of these large, dangerous animals required the use of bulldogs, who were trained to grab and hold the bull by the nose until a rope was thrown around its neck.
Also during the 17th century, immigrants from the West Midlands, England, made up the majority of settlers in the American South, bringing their native Bulldogs with them. In their homeland, the old-fashioned working bulldogs were used to catch and manage livestock and guard their master's property. Such traits were retained in the breed by these working class immigrants who used their pets for a variety of tasks. For example, such as: the farmer's assistant, as pickling and fighting dogs.
Although at that time, by today's standards, these dogs were not considered a true breed, they became the main progenitors of the southern bulldog. Pedigrees were not recorded, and breeding decisions were based on the task and the results of the individual qualities of the dog. This led to a divergence of the Bulldog lines as they were selectively bred for different roles.
Pedigree, origin, purpose of creation of the Alapakh purebred bulldog
The Alapakh lineage can be traced to the combination of four different types of early southern bulldogs under the names Otto, Silver Dollar, Kovdog, and Catahula Bulldog. Lana Lu Lane wanted to preserve her grandfather's dog and her working skills, which lead to the Otto lineage, the predecessor of the modern Alapakh Bulldog.
Otto, like most early American Bulldogs, was descended from southeastern mountain dogs brought in and used by working-class immigrants. Initially, the breed was not very well known to the general public, as its distribution was limited to rural southern plantations, where it was used as a versatile working dog. As with most useful or working canines, the primary goal of early breeding alapahs was to create a dog that was perfect for the job.
Undesirable traits such as cowardice, shyness, and sensitivity to noise were eliminated, while strength and physical stamina were enhanced. Through selective breeding by the likes of Buck Lane, Ales Kithels, Meter Cel Ashley, Louis Hedgwood, Veit Nation's and David Clarke, the Otto line has been refined to create the perfect mate. These bulldogs can still be found in relatively pure form in isolated areas of the south in the countryside.
In describing these early Otto-type bulldogs, Lana Lou Lane states, “My dad always said that Buck’s grandfather had bulldogs all his life and all males were called“Otto”. Otto took care of the family, home and plantation when he was in the forest at work. After the death of his grandfather, Otto constantly went to his grave, continuing his eternal duty to his immortal master …"
However, the silver dollar line created by William Chester was probably the most influential in the creation of the modern Alapah purebred Bulldog. The dogs, which were the result of crosses between the Old Mountain Bulldog of the Great Sandy Mountain region in northwestern Alabama and the Lookout Mauten area of South Tennessee, Pit Bull Terriers and Catahula Leopards, lived with him for thirty years, and were used for corral cattle livestock.
The dog named "Blue Boy" was bought by Lana Lou Lane from Chester. From him was brought out "Marcella Lana" - a dog that would later be advertised as the founder of her line of Alapakh purebred Bulldog.
Later, there was a scandal about this, as Lana Lou Lane, the self-styled creator of the breed, claimed that the "Blue Boy" appeared in her kennel and even provided breed documentation. In fact, several of the William Chester dogs of the Silver Dollar line were used in the creation of the new breed.
Mr. Chester believed that all of his dogs should be vigorously tested on live animals as part of the culling process for the breeding process. Most of his dogs were considered aggressive towards humans - a trait he didn't care about.
The power of the cowdog created by Cecil Evans was the result of his desire to make the perfect working dog. In the 1940s, there were several unsuccessful breeding attempts to create a dog with the necessary aggression and the strong trapping characteristics he was looking for.
He came to believe that the current line of Southern White Bulldogs he was using in his breeding program had been diluted to the point that many of their tenacious qualities were lost compared to their English counterparts. Therefore, he embarked on a quest to find a line of Bulldogs that still retained the original strength and tenacity of fishing.
In his opinion, the local bulldogs did not meet such requirements. He followed the path of Mr. Clifford Derwent of London, England, who at the time was trying to maintain the wild fighting and pickling qualities of his bulldogs. Mr. Evans bought several of Mr. Derwent's Bulldogs and, with the help of his brother-in-law Bob Williams, successfully developed the now famous Kovdog. Many believe that this breed played an important role in the breeding of the early Alapakh purebred Bulldogs.
The Catahula Bulldog, credited to Kenny Houston, the owner of Big Game hunting gear in Florida, was actually created by a cowboy and sportsman named Howard Karnathan in the 1960s. Mr. Karnatan, owner of bulldogs and catahula leopard dogs, admired the intelligence, stamina, speed and high energy of the catahula, but was disappointed with the breed's natural aloofness towards strangers and the lack of a strong bite.
To select an exemplary dog that would exhibit the best features of both breeds, he infused the Bulldog into the Catochula lines to create the “Catochula Bulldog”. Karnatan said, “I needed a dog to be a companion and protector for my children and my home, but I also needed a dog to help me with farming duties. "Bulldog Katokhula" exactly matches my purpose."
Mr. Houston continued to breed them, buying some from Mr. Karnatan and studying his breeding methods. The work done by Mr. Houston consisted of crossing older Southern White Bulldogs with Catahula leopard dogs, as he tended to be fond of large athletic dogs in the 90-100 pound range.
He felt that with such parameters, their endurance and speed allowed them to maintain the strength under heavy loads necessary to keep their prey. The most famous puppy to come out of his breeding program was the Blue Muskie. This particular dog was of particular interest to Lana Lou Lane for the blue-merle coloration that often appeared in her offspring.
Establishment of an association for the recovery of the Alapakh Bulldog
Four types of local bulldogs were endangered and in an attempt to save them, a group of southerners teamed up to form the Alapah Purebred Bulldog Association in 1979. The original founders of the organization were: Lana Lou Lane, Pete Strickland, Oscar and Betty Wilkerson, Nathan and Katie Waldron, and several others.
With the creation of ABBA, a closed breed book was adopted. This meant that no other dogs outside of the original already listed in the book could be registered or introduced into the breed if their pedigree could not be traced. Then, between Lana Lu Lane and other members of the dealership, issues began to be raised about the closed herdbook, as a result of which Lana Lu Lane left ABBA in 1985.
Creation of a new, "not clean" line of the Alapakh purebred bulldog
It is believed that under the pressure of Lana, more individuals of the Alapakh purebred Bulldogs, merlot color, were reproduced. Her desire to maximize her profits led to the creation of her own line of alapahs, adding again Catahula, but to the already existing lines. This was in direct violation of the standards and practices set out by the association. Thus, the ABBA members refused to register the hybrids of the mixed variety.
After leaving the association, Lana Lu Lane contacted Mr. Tom D. Stodhill of the Animal Research Foundation (ARF) in 1986 regarding the registration and conservation of her rare breed of Bulldog. At the time, the ARF was recognized as one of many so-called "third party" registries that printed undocumented pedigrees and registration documents on animals for a fee.
This created a loophole for people like Lana Lou Lane to deviate from the established breed club and register individually bred breeds through Merit registration programs. Merit Registration Programs allow a person to breed two separate species of dog together and call them by the name of any breed or completely different breed. This creates new breeds or modifies those already registered.
Regarding Alapakh Purebred Bulldogs, the ARF registry was most commonly used by ARF registered breeders to sell American Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier and Leopard Catahula leopard dogs to unsuspecting buyers as purebred Alapakh Bulldogs.
As a very accomplished entrepreneur, Laura Lane Lu knew that her success in marketing and selling mestizo of her breed would depend on good publicity and showing, and her Bulldog registration with the ARF. Of the 800 dogs she bred as true Alapakh Purebred Bulldogs, more than one third of them were blended with other breeds and registered through the ARF. Lane created a kennel she named Circle L Kennels.
On closer inspection of the pedigrees of some of her dogs, it becomes apparent that in order to retain her title as the creator of the breed, falsified pedigrees were submitted to the ARF to reinforce this fact. It is also interesting to note that Ms. Lane stated in her marketing and promotional material that she created Alapahs in 1986, which matches her earliest dog registrations. However, her 1979 signature, in the tribal position of the ABBA, serves as proof of her awareness that the breed existed before she claimed to be created.
Ms. Lane successfully harnessed the power of the press in her Dog World & Dog Fancy advertisements so well that the general public truly believed she founded the breed. All this hype appears to have been done with the intention of further strengthening its position with potential buyers while hiding the truth.
The state of the Alapakh purebred Bulldog breed today
At the same time, the Alapakh Purebred Bulldog Association (ABBA) continued to operate as usual by breeding its own Alapakh line from the closed studbook ranks. Two separate lines of this species, spanning multiple breed registries, have helped create conflicting accounts of the overall early development of Alapakh Purebred Bulldogs.
There was also a conflict between Ms Lane, ARF and ABBA over two separate breed variations. One of them is simply called the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog and is a line registered by the Purebred Alapaha Bulldog Association (ABBA). Another line is called the Lana Lou Lane Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog and is registered with the Alapaha Research Center (ARC).
Sadly, Alapaha fell into the hands of those who thought they could use the shortcut to create the "Exotic Breed". Many different species were used in order to give Alapakha a certain color, causing great damage to the breed. These mixed mestizos (for the unknowing, general public) defamed the general idea of appearance and temperament. Alapaha never intended to be a “blue-eyed animal with a bird's eye view.
Today, Alapaha is bred not only in the southern regions of the United States, but all over the world, from South Africa to the Philippines, in Kita, New Zealand, Europe and America, strictly following the standards set by the Alapaha Purebred Bulldog Association. The Alapakh Purebred Bulldogs found in these countries come from the southeastern United States. Breeders who have an exceptional love of the breed, not money, follow the same basic breeding criteria: health, temperament, performance.
