Zulubull - African Bull Terrier

This African fighting dog is sometimes called the American Zulubull, even though it's still quite rare in the United States and there are no known American breeders. Developed by crossing the Africanis with smaller Boerboels, Ridgebacks, Greyhounds, as well as with the European and American fighting bulldogges and bull-terriers, the Zulubull has been the favoured pit dog of South-African "sport" enthusiasts for nearly a century and has remained more or less unchanged to this day, apart from a periodical influx of Bullterrier and Rhodesian Ridgeback blood which is believed to help maintain its health and working abilities. It is believed by some fanciers that all Zulubulls are descended from the original English Bulldog specimen received by King Shaka as a gift from the British emissaries, but this theory cannot be fully verified.

This powerful bully also makes a capable hunting dog, although it's never employed in packs, but rather as a single hunter, due to the breed\'s dog-aggressive nature. Even a hunting pair consisting of a male and a female dog is rarely seen. Reasonably easy to obedience train, suspicious of strangers and protective of its territory, the Zulubully can make a good watchdog, but is believed by some to be too vicious for the life of an urban companion. The larger hunting strains of the Zulubull are usually much more active and get easily bored and destructive, being a bad choice for a pet, while the smaller fighting type is generally more relaxed and playful with its owner, making a good companion if provided with a lot of exercise and enough mental stimulation. Proper socialization, firm handling and responsible ownership are of utmost importance, because this strong-willed Molosser can be very dominant and stubborn when poorly trained.

This is a very agile breed, an excellent climber and a fast runner. Resilient, driven and energetic, it is capable of working for long periods of time in high temperatures without quiting. Although it resembles some modern American Pit Bull Terriers, the Zulubull is a much leaner dog, with a longer neck, a narrower head and obligatory small slanted eyes. The high-set ears are usually cropped and the tail is docked for working dogs, but specimens left in their natural state are fairly common as well. The coat is short and flat, always brindled, with shades ranging from light fawn and brown dogs to very dark and reverse brindles, with white markings allowed on the chest and paws.

Although brindle coats are seen as obligatory by most fanciers, there are some uniform yellow, fawn, red, black and even bicoloured examples can be found within the hunting variety. Size varies greatly, from fighting specimens that are only 16 inches tall, with most Zullubulls averaging slightly over 20 inches at the withers, while some hunting strains can be even taller.