History of the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog*
    (Courtesy of Circle L Kennels)

The Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog is the result of many years of effort toward rescuing an almost extinct breed, the old timey "plantation dog" of the Alapaha River region of South Georgia. They were very large, males were usually approximately 90 pounds, very protective of their property, that being whatever their master instructed them as theirs to keep guard over. They were very possessive of their "family"; also, highly intelligent and easily trained.

My granddaddy, PaPa Buck Lane, always had an "Otto". Otto looked after family, house estate, and when in the woods at work, he kept watch over that operation.

PaPa Buck Lane was killed December 17, 1943 by a train. Otto was found on many occasions sitting on PaPa buck Lane's grave. How did he know which grave? All we know is that Otto continued his ever faithful duties to his "undying" master. He continued his duties until an untimely death from a broken heart. Otto would only allow family to come to the grave.

One Otto took a wife and moved her in under the maid's quarters. He carried her food from the "Big House". He continued even after the babies were born. As they got older, he would ease them out, one at a time, to show them around and for short "kindergarten guard and obedience" classes. So, see you really don't need professional guard and obedience training.

Meet Henry, Ashburn's Baretta - by Vicki Brown, Staff Reporter of the Wiregrass Farmer. Henry has been getting state-wide attention ever since he prevented a burglary attempt on his residence at the Strickland's Shell Oil Station early last Wednesday morning, August 10.

Henry is a 100-pound bulldog and he is credited with not only stopping an armed robbery attempt by also saving the life of the night attendant, Hubert Nipper.

The attempt occured on Wednesday morning at aobut 3:30a.m. when two men entered the station office with a sawed-off shotgun. Henry was aroused as the men entered and jumped at the first man knocking both to the ground.

Apparently this attack from the huge bulldog was enough to disorient the robbers as they fled the scene without harm to Nipper.

The Strickland brothers own the dog and have kept him most of his life at the station where he has prevented other burglary attempts.

"He once jumped through a plate glass door in the station office in his rush to attack a burglar," one of the brothers said.

Bulldogs were bred to catch bulls. "They hurl themselves at the bull and grab at the nose and flip them over using their weight as leverage."

Henry once did this with a horse and lost a few teeth in his effort. But the teeth he had lef tfor last Wednesday's occurrence and the weight behind those teeth were enough to chase the robbers away for some 30 miles before their apprehension by police.

In overall personality, the almost 11 year old Henry rates a high score. His daily activities around the satation are generally to relax and enjoy the patrons. at times the Strickland brothers even let him have a cigarette.

The story above was printed in the Wiregrass Farmer.

** NOTE:

This information has been contributed by, and is property of Lana Lou Lane, Circle L Kennels, and is gratefully used here with permission.

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