Some people may believe that once you see an American bulldog, you've seen them all. This is where they are wrong. American bulldogs may belong to one particular breed but this breed has quite a few different kinds to its name. There are approximately 5 distinct kinds of American bulldog that bulldog lovers can choose from and these are the Johnson, the Standard, the Painter, the Old Southern and the Hybrids.

The Johnson

Also known as the classic, these American bulldog types are often referred to as the bully types. These dogs are the larger and wider kinds of bulldogs that have the rather short muzzle that is often the trademark of the bulldog. The Johnson is the more commonly seen bulldog that has the facial wrinkles and the drooping lips.

The Standard

Called the Scott type or the Performance type, these are more masculine than the Johnson types. These bulldogs are sleeker and lighter than the classic American bulldog and have a pit-bull like appearance. This type of American bulldog is more agile and is somewhat aggressive as well as having a pretty strong prey drive. Their muzzles are longer and they have longer legs, which is why they can move faster and are more structurally sound than their classic counterparts.

The Painter

Sometimes called Margentina, these American bulldog types are known as the smaller yet tougher fighting dogs of the breed. These dogs were rumored to have been inbred with a mixture of pit bull blood to help account for a fierce nature, although this information is not substantiated. This kind of American bulldog type was said to have been a pretty problematic type due to inbreeding.

The Old Southern

These white American bulldogs are also called White English and are said to be the original bulldog types that were used in developing the other types of American bulldogs. Also called the true American Bulldog type, the White English bulldogs are often used to help infuse new blood into the new breeds of American bulldogs being raised.

The Hybrid

Just as the name denotes, the hybrid of the American bulldog is a type of bulldog that is a combination of any of the first four types of bulldogs mentioned. The cross-breeding of these different kinds of American bulldogs are often done for the purpose of coming up with better bulldogs that have the best of the features of these different American bulldog types. These hybrids are essentially the most common of the bulldog types you may see pet owners having today. The most common hybrids are those that are descended from a combination of the most prevalent types of American bulldogs, the Johnson and the Standard. These two kinds of American bulldog types share some of their best genes in a lot of these hybrids through the breeding know how of certain popular American bulldog kennels and breeders.