The Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog is a “Guardian” breed. The ABBB is the bulldog from the Southern Georgia Alapaha River region. When you need a protector who is home when you’re not. They don’t look for a fight, but they will definitely defend their family or themselves..

Alert. Protective. Intelligent. These are the qualities of the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog, whose name connotes its regal bearing. Alapahas make wonderful companions. They are also excellent watchdogs and are fiercely protective of whatever they are asked to guard. The Alapaha has a sturdy, muscular frame and is powerfully built, agile, and athletic. The ABBB is THE bulldog from the Southern Georgia Alapaha River region. The Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs were used during the plantation days as watchdogs, working livestock dogs, and as family members. The ABBB is athletic, intelligent, possessive, protective and defensive. They are the “down to earth” dog for the family. The ABBB is excellent with children and other animals. The temperament of the ARF Alapaha was bred for bravery, courage, intelligence, with a strong yearning to protect/guard the Bulldog’s livestock and family. Weak nerves are not supposed to be attributed the the ARF Alapaha. The ARF Alapaha stands content and willing to inspect and evaluate before reacting.

Today’s Alapahas range in weight with the males averaging 21”-25” at withers 75-100 pounds and female averaging 19” – 23” at withers 60-80 pounds.

The Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog is capable of demonstrating loyal dedication, and willing to protect at an early age as young as 8 weeks, then let me introduce you to the “Alapaha”. The puppies are extremely intelligent. In 3 to 5 days in your household, they adapt to their new family. You don’t adopt an “Alapaha”, they adopt you.

The beginning of the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog around the late 70s or early 80s, her dad had an Otto (Rumored to be a White English Bulldog), her mom Ms. Vivian Lane raised pits. Lana kept a pup off that cross, Roseanna Lane. Roseanna Lane went down the road & was bred to a Catahoula Leopard dog. That is where the color of the Merle gene came from. This produced Marcelle Lane. In 1986, Ms. Lana Lou Lane contacted the Animal Research Foundation regarding a rare breed known as the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog. Ms. Lane’s purpose in calling and talking to ARF’s founder, Mr. Tom D. Stodghill, was because Mr. Stodghill had registered a number of rare breeds within the foundation. She asked Mr. Stodghill to provide her a plan so that she could ensure the survival of the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog and how to be involved in the ARF Certified Breeder’s Program. Mr. Stodghill provided Ms. Lane with the necessary ARF documents and she became the first Certified breeder of Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs.

Other certified breeders were Jane Otterbein, Dan Henry, Anne Caubet, Joe Shay, Mike Conners, Jo Hutchison, Lori Douglas, Carlos Amarol, TJ Priz, James Oldham, Rick & Linda Daiber, Marker Ray Nicholas, and Kenny & Cindy Smith.

From 1986 – 2001 ARF registered just under 700 Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs. As a businesswoman, Ms. Lane knew that if the world was going to learn of her breed of bulldog, she would have to have a “recognized registry” to register her bulldogs, an advertising plan, and a dog-showing plan. Therefore, she chose the Animal Research Foundation, ARF, to register her dogs, “Dog World Magazine”, for national exposure, and she chose Ms. Jane Otterbein to show her dogs in rare breed venues. Further, she produced her own video tape [which was available, from the original registry of the ARF] and other printed matter, as a means of marketing her bulldogs to prospective buyers. Furthermore, Ms. Lane created a kennel name for herself, which she referred to as, “Circle L Kennels” / “Circle L Farms”. On her kennel/farm, she owned, bred and raised a number of breeds of canines, some of which were Rat Terriers, Toy Fox Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers [a/k/a American Staffordshire Terriers], Catahoulas, American Bulldogs, and an “American Bulldog/Catahoula” cross, known as a “Catahoula Bulldog”. However, her number-one-selling dog was her ARF- registered, “old timey plantation dog”, which she named the “ALAPAHA BLUE BLOOD BULLDOG”, so named for the Alapaha River Region of Southern Georgia, which passed near her home in Rebecca, Georgia.

The ABBA Alapaha was later produced by the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog Association.
Raoul T Coleman is, the creator of the Alapaha Blue-Blood Bulldog Association. Mr. Coleman’s aim to acquire a naturally defensive companion bulldog that he could market to the general public. He started his program with a female named Savannah; Savannah was an all white female White English Bulldog (WEB) of around 65lbs. During his search for foundation lines, Ray Coleman discovered the Lana Lou Lane Alapaha Blue-Blood Bulldog in the region of Alapaha River in Georgia, at this time her dogs were established and as such had been registered by the Animal Research Foundation for well over a decade. Lana’s Alapaha Blue-Blood Bulldog was known for its natural guardian instinct of their owners and livestock from strangers, their high prey drive, and their stability soundness. These were traits that Coleman desired for his own breed. So around 1998 Ray Coleman carried Savannah out to Twin Elm Alapaha Kennels (owned by Jane Otterbein) to be bred to a Lana Lou Lane ARF Alapaha named Lana’s Datanka Del Rio, that was currently owned by Jane Otterbein. Mr. Coleman then acquired numerous other Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs for his breeding program in California and later created the Alapaha Blue-Blood Bulldog Association, that would only recognize his own bloodlines that he created by breeding with numerous ARF Alapaha stock.

The ABBA Alapaha first started becoming distinguished in around 2000s when the association was first created to recognize Ray Coleman’s line of Alapahas. These Alapahas were generally a tad shorter, with more Bulldog phenotype. Although most ABBA lines are not as large in height compared to the ARF lines, they make up in structure. The ABBA Alapaha has a well defined chest with well noticeable shoulder muscle. The temperament of the ABBA Alapaha is commonly much the same as the ARF Alapaha with more of an reaction rather than evaluating a situation. The ABBA Alapaha is very much trainable and dutiful in their abilities of working and performance events. The ABBA Alapaha is an athletic, power-packed, medium to large sized dog (with the absence of excessive bulk). Light on its feet, it should move with power and determination; giving the impression of great strength for its medium/large size.

Article was written by Mr Joshua Antoine from the United Alapaha Bulldog Kennel.