A year ago my wife and I decided to finally pull  the trigger and get a dog after wanting one for years.  After some research and many discussions we settled on an American Bulldog.  My wife wanted a dog that would be loyal and a good companion, one that would be obedient, one that would be great with kids in the future and of course “cute”.  I had been a fan of the bulldog for years and will admit I had been trying to lead my wife in that direction.  After many more hours of research I came across Northern Woods American Bulldogs.  I sent Jon & Trina an email to test the waters and had a response back in no time along with a phone call shortly after. 

Right off the bat I knew I was onto something.  Unlike some of the well known breeders in the AB world (I won’t list any names) you could tell Jon cared for his dogs and was interested in why you wanted one.  The normal conversation with most of the other breeders I spoke with was here’s how much, this is how long my waiting list is, these are my rules for pick, where am I shipping the dog to, end of discussion!  Jon was informative and had the patience to deal with my constant pestering of him with questions via phone and email. He always responded back in detail with his opinions to my questions and was full of great information.  I’ll also tell you that what you see on Jon’s site is what you get.  The site shows his dogs playing out in the wide open with kids and roaming around in a large wooded yard.  This is exactly how things really are there with the dogs.  No dogs tied to stakes on a chain or crammed in small kennels.  The kennel’s are very spacious and well built.  I think the time and effort that went into the design and craftsmanship of the facilities is another testament to Jon & Trina’s dedication to the animals.  The fact that he was only a few hours’ drive and not halfway across the country was just icing on the cake.  They also put together a great little package with health and weight information on the puppies that our vet was impressed with. 

 We ended up with a female pup from Buddy and Suzie.  Jon & Trina did an excellent job of keeping us posted on their development and sent photos regularly.  I could not be happier with our little girl.  She met all the criteria we were looking for and then some.  She is great in the house and with the local kids.  She is not an extremely high drive “sport” dog but she is definitely still all bulldog.  She is extremely intelligent and we are amazed how fast she learns commands and tricks (now whether she wants to obey them is a different story).  She learned to sit and stay within minutes of the first time we worked on training.  She was house trained in under a week and never once pooped in the house in the 4 months we have had her.  Although she is very stubborn, she does submit and do as she is told with some patience. It is actually funny to watch her problem solve.  She knows what she is not allowed to do, yet she is always trying to find a different way to try it and see if she can get away with it.   At 6 months she has never shown any sign of aggression but she is definitely suspicious when someone new comes into the house and stays very close, though well behaved and quiet.  She does not back down from anything nor do any noises bother her including the vacuum or loud banging.  I attribute a lot of this to the excellent job Jon does socializing the pups in his shop.  She loves to play in the yard and goes from calm and lazy to full blown sprinting and going nuts in the blink of an eye.  Everyone loves her and thinks she is adorable where ever we take her including the vet, the occasional day at day care and puppy class.  Being a pup still, her energy is endless but then again so are her antics.  I couldn’t imagine having a different breed of dog.  I would also recommend Jon and Trina to anyone without a second thought. 

Chris Silva

Peabody, MA

Bruschi

When I was growing up I had an American Bulldog who was one of the kindest and nicest dogs I have met to date. He lived until he was 14 years old and was the main reason why I fell in love with this great breed. 

Several years ago I had begun my search for another American Bulldog. I searched high and low for not only a beautiful dog, but for a breeder that was responsible, ethical and genuinely cared for the puppies they produced. After several years I was lucky enough to find Northern Woods American Bulldogs. Jon and Trina began to impress me from day one. When I emailed them to inquire about a pup they were not only informative and knowledgeable, but showed even more compassion about the health and well being of the puppies they produced and the homes they would potentially go to. I was so impressed that after just a few emails and phone calls I decided that my long search was over. I had found the place I knew would give my growing family our next member. 

When Bruschi’s litter was born Jon and Trina sent me pictures of the whole bunch. They updated me almost weekly about the pups progression and health. When I made the trip up to Northern Woods I was even more impressed with the facilities and how well they cared for the pups and their dogs. I chose Bruschi and have not regretted my decision at all. He is a great dog who is very intelligent, and has an amazing disposition. He is truly an awesome dog. When I brought Bruschi home he fit right in. He was completely potty trained in a week or so, and is progressing beautifully.

 I would recommend anyone to purchase their dog at Northern Woods American Bulldogs. They really are great people. Thank you Jon and Trina for everything, you guys are the best!

Rich Ventura & Family

Lynnfield, MA

Atilla

We were searching for the perfect American Bulldog and we are positive that we have found him thanks to Jon and Trina at Northern Woods. After countless hours of research, we were led to Northern Woods. Jon and Trina’s knowledge, experience, and true love of the breed led us to choose a male puppy from one of their most recent litters (Chief and Kiza). When the puppies were born, Jon and Trina kept updating us on their progress as well as sent pictures. It was great to get the updates to see how much the puppies had grown and changed during the first eight weeks. “Atilla” is now 4 months old and he is just a joy. We receive so many compliments when we take him out.

We have a young, female pug and my girlfriend had so many fears of whether an American Bulldog would be a good mix. Jon was very helpful in easing her mind. As you can see from the pictures, they are the best of friends.

It was a long trip traveling all the way to Maine and back from NY, but it was WELL worth the trip. We highly recommend Jon and Trina to anyone who has interest in the breed. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email. ridefmb@aol.com

 Freddie & Eva

Gemini

To whom it may concern,

Boomer

After unexpectedly losing our companion of 10 years, my wife and I waited several months before choosing our next addition. During that time, we did much research on the breed and breeders we selected. After deciding on the American Bulldog, we spent a great deal of time looking at breeders – how many litters per year, appearance, temperament, living conditions, along with the intangibles you just get a sense for. The more we researched and interacted through NWAB website and emails, the more we were drawn to NWAB. Our friends kept asking us was there not a breeder closer to us than Maine (we’re from NC). To get the pup that we were going to spend the next 10 -15 years of our life with, we didn’t feel a weekend trip to Maine was too far. Of course, there was some anxiety over what we might see once we arrived after having driven for more than 800 miles one way. The result was that we could not have been more pleased. The area where the dogs are kept is immaculate – clean and neat. The dogs themselves are clean; they have been seen by a vet and gotten their first round of some vaccines. When I took our pup to the local vet when we returned, she gave him a thorough examination and said, “he’s perfect.” You immediately get the sense that Jon and Trina care for these dogs. And I might add, Jon and Trina are a great couple – friendly, personable and thoroughly organized. We could not have been more impressed. I’m generally a hard person to impress, but I would rate them 5 stars out of 5 stars. I’m not sure what they could have done to make our experience better.

Lila

I had been seriously looking for our new family member for almost a year. I scoured the internet, newspapers, and talked to about a dozen different breeders but couldn't get that just right feeling. By chance I fortunately came upon Northern Woods American Bulldogs. During my initial conversation with Jon it was obvious this guy was as dog crazy as me, if not more. The most impressive impressions I gathered in talking with Jon was his sincere concern in breeding responsibly, ethically and making sure I was a good candidate for his puppy.

JaydAnn

The search for the perfect dog brought my girlfriend and I to the American Bulldog breed. We chose this breed for many reasons. Most important of these reasons to us are how good American Bulldogs are with family, great with children, and other family pets! ( Not to mention their loyalty and natural protective instinct.)

Kali

 

If you are searching for a reputable and caring breeder of beautiful, intelligent, and sweet- natured American Bulldogs, then I would highly recommend Northern Woods American Bulldogs. It was apparent from our first conversations with them, that Jon and Trina are dedicated to a responsible breeding program. They do not breed dogs that haven't passed their OFA certification and they don't "over-breed" their females. Their dogs are obviously raised with the family including their young children. When we visited their home to see their dogs, the dogs were all clean and seemed very happy and healthy. They have a very clean, spacious and comfortable looking area for the puppies. Jon and Trina are very focused on the health and nutrition of their bulldogs. They educated us about what type of food is healthiest for a dog. We had no idea how bad the main-stream foods, like Iams (our former dog food), are. We immediately switched our 10 yr old Golden Retriever to a brand of food they recommended for our puppy and his dull, coarse and thinning fur (which we attributed to old age) grew in thick and soft again. Jon and Trina screen every potential new parent with questions designed to weed out people that would not be suited to owning an American Bulldog. They really care about what happens to their puppies once they've gone to their new homes.

Pretty Boy Floyd

For those considering purchasing a pup from Northern Woods American Bulldogs, maybe my experience will help in your decision. I had been researching American Bulldog breeders after the loss of my South African Boerboel. I spoke to quite a few people in the Bulldog world about the differences between certain lines of American Bulldogs, and decided that I wanted one that came from “Joshua” lineage. After visiting Joshua Kennels website, I saw that Lem Miller was working with a breeder in Maine that uses dogs from his breeding stock.

Champ &

Miss Molly

In January of 2008 we decided to add a new companion and friend to our family. We were undecided on which breed of dog to choose. We have two children so the breed had to be good with children and we wanted a breed that was uncommon to our area.

We also give them props for the excellent website www.northernwoodsamericanbulldogs.com where we were able to watch our dogs grow from 2 weeks of age and can continue to see postings from us and other families that have Champ and Molly's brothers and sisters. In addition the links for nutrition and history of the American Bulldogs are very informative. We enjoy logging on to see what's new on a regular basis.

Nala, Hammer

& Leonitus

Hi,

We have 3 of Northern Woods American Bulldogs in our home. They are great animals and are always doing something comical to make us laugh. Our first Bully that we got was born in Dec of 2007 out of Chief and Taboo. I did a ton of research before I picked a dog because we already had a German Shepherd who was 10 and was near perfect, so the next dog had to compare. Jon and Trina's Bulldogs have a great line and are wonderful with the kids so we picked up our girl Nala from them on my son's birthday in Feb of 2008. I could not have received a better dog. Last Christmas I had to put my German Shepherd down, it was heart breaking and we were lost without her (Nala was very miserable without her). So I decided to foster an English Mastiff, a wonderful animal with a lot of problems. He was just not the right dog for our family but I found him the right family. Though all of this I was emailing Jon and Trina back and forth with all my problems. They always give the best advice. I decided we just need another puppy. In the mean time my brother who lives above us decides he wants a Bulldog too so we a put a deposit on another puppy that Jon and Trina had. I was about to call Jon for another puppy, when he called me and told me that Nala's brother Hammer needed a home. I really wanted a puppy but I decided to take Hammer because he needed a good home. By nighttime the day that Jon called we had Hammer in our home. What a perfect fit. He is such a goober, there is no other word for him. Always making me laugh, what a great personality.