ALLEN PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Bronco, a 4-year-old bulldog living in Allen Park, is the definition of “doggone.” The reason: well, he’s a dog, and he’s usually gone — running.
Shelby Rein, Bronco’s owner, said running as fast as he possibly can is just what the lovable pooch does.
“His favorite thing to do is run,” said Rein.
For a little lean pup, he has quite a large title, ranked as the fastest bulldog in the country after he zoomed by the competition in the American Kennel Club’s Fast CAT event in 2022.
“His first two runs were already faster than the top bulldog at the time. And the second day he ran even faster and made his PR of 20.37 miles per hour,” she said.
Bronco trains with what’s called a lure system.
“It’s basically a rope with a white bag that mimics a bunny on it, and it moves at quick speeds, which mimics a bunny running away and the dog has an urge to chase it,” explained Rein.
This past spring, Rein said Bronco was invited to run at AKC’s Fastest Dogs USA event in South Carolina, and the results were unsurprising.
“He once again was crowned number number one, and he ran 20.22 and 19.98 miles per hour,” said Rein.
That’s an average score of 20.10 miles per hour for a timed 100-yard dash.
Through his winning streak, Rein said she’s glad Bronco is helping to bust myths about the breed.
“I got many coming in and saying, 'we've never seen such a bulldog, such a good-looking bulldog.' And I take pride in saying, 'this is what an AKC male bulldog is supposed to look like — shape, size, personality.' But everyone assumes that they're fat and lazy and can't walk, and it's a misconception about the breed,” she said.
Rein said the only hard part about Bronco’s love of running— is making sure he doesn’t overexert himself, and grocery shopping.
“I have to make sure there's no white bags. And when we walk him, if he sees a white bag, like we have to go up to it and investigate to make sure it's not a Fast CAT bag,” she laughed.
Rein said Bronco has more competitions in his future as he works toward other titles. But for her, it’s just about seeing the joy it brings her four-legged buddy.
“Watching him run is just the best thing. You could just see how much he enjoys [it] and how he just he just loved spending time with his mom. He knows that when we go to these places that it's all about him and that he gets a big steak dinner after this,” said Rein.
