The American Bully

Courtesy of Haag American Bully's

Compact, thickset, strong and sturdy, the American Bully, also known as the Bully Pit, has the American Pit Bull Terrier as its foundation, with other breeds integrated during the development process. These breeds include the Olde English Bulldogge, the American Bulldog, and the English Bulldog. Although it shares resemblances with the American Pit Bull and is often confused with it, the American Bully is thought by most to be a separate breed with its own breed standard.

Today's American Bully came into existence with its formal development in the late 1980s. Then, breeders wanted to produce the perfect family dog and did. You can thank breeders for their desire to produce a perfect family dog, companion and all around "lover." As a result, the American Bully is a people pleaser and companion. It is exceedingly intelligent and capable of learning to do tasks. The breed is recognized by the United Kennel Club and the American Bully Kennel Club, as well as other organizations such as the United Canine Association, Dog Registry of America, Incorporated, and the European Bully Kennel Club.

The American Bully's temperament is one of a stable, outgoing and happy dog. Again, although the American Bully is often confused with the (perhaps unfairly) maligned Pit Bull, most do not consider it the same breed. Instead, the American Bully is gentle and obedient, and wants nothing more than to please. As intelligent as it is courageous, the American Bully also makes an excellent guard dog, and is exceedingly sociable and outgoing as well. In fact, it has both the loyalty of the American Pit Bull Terrier and the easy temperament and a amiability of the American Staffordshire Terrier.

Don't be afraid to let your American Bully romp with your children. Although the American Bully is confident and very playful, it is not aggressive unless confronted and placed into a situation where natural protective instincts come into play; this is one of the reasons it makes a great guard dog. It is athletic and muscular, however, and this breed can keep up with the most energetic children; unabashed joy will be the overwhelming mood.

Above all, the American Bully is eager to please human family members, and is very brave and courageous as well. These dogs will fight persistently and are completely willing to "fight to the death" if provoked, especially if the dog senses there is danger that he or she must protect you against; that said, this is not an aggressive breed with a fighting instinct in other situations. Instead, the breed has a laid-back and easy temperament that makes it friendly with everyone. In other words, while it's true that the American Bully can look intimidating, the reality is anything but unless a dog is protecting you from danger.

As even-tempered and easy as American Bullies are, you should still make sure to socialize your puppy as soon as you get him or her home to make sure your pet will be his or her happiest. American Bullies are very obedient, do well with training, and are very smart, so they'll pick things up quickly.

There is some insistence among certain enthusiasts, especially of the Pit Bull, that the American Bully is not an actual separate breed apart from the Pit Bull. The assertion among these enthusiasts is that it takes decades to develop a breed; the American Bully was ostensibly created in just a few years.

These people assert that there ISN'T a distinct difference between the American Bully and the American Pit Bull Terrier. Other registries such as the United Kennel Club do recognize the American Bully with its own breed standard, but the American Kennel Club has not.

There are three different size standards for the American Bully: Extra-large, standard, and pocket. Every site is considered a variety and is judged in different classes, depending on the height at the shoulders. While all dogs are judged to the same standards, dogs must be in proportion in terms of height and weight to be considered of a particular size.

Extra-large dogs stand 20 inches or taller at the shoulder, and have proportionally longer legs, next, and backs in proportion to the rest of the features with a slightly more rangy – versus stocky – appearance.

Standard dogs stand between 17 and 20 inches at the shoulder and again are proportional based on weight.

Pocket sized dogs stand 17 inches and under, with shorter legs, less "graceful" strides, and showing less flexibility – although this is acceptable in show for pocket breeds versus extra-large and standard breeds.

The coat is short, stiff, and sleek; wavy or sparse fur is not acceptable for show, nor is albinism or the color merle, with all other colors and patterns accepted. Dogs that are to be shown should not have long hair. All eye colors are acceptable for show except for blue. If eyes don't match, this is also a serious fault.

Properly raised American Bullies live 8 to 12 years, with few health problems, but "parents" shopping for a puppy or dog should beware. Some breeders give dogs steroids to artificially give dogs muscular bodies, but when the drugs are stopped, dogs "shrink" back down to normal size. Although the artificial muscle inflation is a problem in that it disqualifies dogs if they're being shown, the real problems come when the drugs are withdrawn. Dogs who are withdrawn from steroids experience organ and joint problems. Pregnant mothers who are given steroids can also pass them on to their puppies, and those puppies, too, can be born "addicted" and experience withdrawal. Because of that, those adopting should make sure that their breeders are scrupulous and not administering steroids to their dogs, including pregnant mothers and even puppies.

It's easy to groom the American Bully: its short, smooth coat just needs a regular brushing with a firm bristle brush and bathing or dry shampooing only when necessary.

Special thanks to:
dogbreedinfo.com
www.hqbullies.com
www.ukcdogs.com
www.realpitbull.com