Come visit us at our location in Sanford directly behind the Paw Park Dog Park

Caesar's rescuer has a lot to say about this guy!  He is now neutered and completely vetted.

 

Caesar was purchased from a family who had a purebred American Bulldog and purebred Boxer that accidentally had a litter together... of 15!!  Caesar was one of those puppies.  The woman who bought him had a boyfriend who turned out to be a jerk.  He wanted to cut Caesar's ears, chop his tail, and inject him with hormones to beef him up and make him look tougher.  As if he's not tough enough already!!!  The guy also wouldn't allow for Caesar to be neutered.  Thankfully, the woman told him that all of this was out of the question and threatened to report him to the ASPCA if he followed through with any of it.  Eventually she left him, but in doing so was not in the position to continue to care for Caesar.  Her father took him in but soon found out that his landlord did not approve.  After discussing option with his rescuer, he realized he didn't have a choice but to turn Caesar over to us.  It was a very difficult decision for their entire family but after a lot of tears and handwritten notes about his personality, Caesar is now safely with us.

 

Caesar could benefit from some obedience training, as he was not raised with any real boundaries.  He is a big lover who just wants to lick you and be with you all the time, but he is fairly large (60 lbs.), powerful and clumsy!  He needs someone strong to handle him and who is familiar with his breed, or handling larger strong dogs in general.  He can be pushy if not in a home with strong leadership.  Caesar is protective of his home and will bark loudly at anyone who enters the house.

Caesar jumps up on people with nearly every greeting, in a playful way.  Because of his size, he could easily knock people over and this behavior needs to be trained.  He also pulls very hard on the lead and could use some training in that area as well.  He will rear up like a horse when he disagrees with a correction or gets distracted by something outdoors.  Caesar does have some anxiety toward objects with wheels, such as bicycles or motorcycles.  He does respond pretty well to a heavy chain-link training collar.  Any other collar or nylon and he will chew through it!

 

Caesar has been fed kibble by hand since he was a pup just to make sure he has a gentle mouth and no food aggression.  He is exceptionally gentle in taking food from hands.  He has absolutely no food aggression.

 

Caesar is highly intelligent and ready and willing to learn.  He is eager to please.  He learned how to Sit, Stay, Shake, and Lay Down all in 15-20 minutes of training!!  He is crate trained and will go in the crate by saying, "Inside Caesar" but does not like to be left alone at first.  However, when let out of the crate he does not bolt and he sits like a gentleman and waits to be told to come out.  He is housetrained and has actually held it for 10 hours before!

 

Caesar is not socialized with cats and will give chase if he sees one outside.  He is well socialized with other dogs and has even lived in a home with three Chihuahuas!  He does tend to want to run toward a dog when he sees one, as he is very playful and energetic, but other dogs may not always share his enthusiasm.  However, Caesar seems very respectful and has responded to "warnings" from other dogs very well and leaves them alone immediately.

 

Caesar is wonderful with children of all ages.  In his last neighborhood the children nicknamed him "Thunder" because of the sound his feet made while running and playing with them.  However, because of his size and clumsiness, he has accidentally knocked some over in play, with no injuries.  When around an infant, Caesar actually licked the baby's feet and laid by her crib all day, as if to protect her from harm.  He seems to flourish around children and they always perk up his mood.

 

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, early Bulldogs were used in the bloody sport of bull bating. Some of these dogs emigrated with their masters from England to America. Eventually the English Bulldog was bred down in size and his personality was softened, but the American version remained a larger, fiercer dog. The American version has longer legs and more speed and agility than the English show dog. Thanks to the efforts of John D. Johnson of Summerville, Georgia the American Bulldog exists today. After he returned from WW II he was disappointed to find that, like the English Mastiff, they were almost completely extinct. He then decided to gather the best he could find from all across the rural south and bring them back from the brink of extinction. He has been breeding these dogs longer than anyone else in the world and his father bred them before him. He is an old man now (in his 80's) and these dogs have always existed in his family. He is the sole reason why they exist today. If it were not for his efforts they surely would be gone. He has been breeding them non-stop since then. The American Bulldog has also been used as a guard and in hunting bear, wild boar, squirrel and raccoon. They have even been trained to drive cattle and guard stock from predators. Farmers prize these dogs for their stamina, protectiveness, intelligence and working abilities. Some of the American Bulldogs talents are hunting, watchdogging, tracking, weight pulling, and guarding. An American Bulldog should never be confused with uniquely different breeds such as the American Staffordshire Terrier or the American Pit Bull Terrier. The American Bulldog is a brave and determined, but not hostile dog. Alert and self-confident, this breed genuinely loves children. It is known for its acts of heroism towards its master. These dogs have fought wild dogs, bulls and even fire. It is said "fighting off one of these dogs is like fighting an animal that possesses an alligator's head and a python's body." Yet when called off by their handler, they immediately obey. No wonder they are said to have "true grit, true devotion and true love." Because of its strong protective instincts, the American Bulldog should be well-socialized and obedience trained at an early age. Some may be aggressive with other dogs and reserved with strangers. They need to be around people to be truly happy. This breed tends to drool and slobber. They have a life expectancy of up to 16 years.