What are your thoughts on the American Bully?

Question

Take two as I got no answers on my first post.

I really don't know, I genuinely don't even know what to think.

http://www.ucadogs.com/images/american_b…

Are they even a breed? Since some pure breeds arent AKC or UKC recognized, like the Australian Kelpie.

If they arent, what breeds are even used to make this? I'm guessing the obvious American Staffordshire Terrier or APBT it's impossible to really tell.

Also, What's with the fascination of The Bigger, the better'? What are the health risks involved?
How do the dogs get to the size they are? (Genetics, injections, diet and exercise?)

What is it's main purpose? (If it even has one)

Answer 1

They think they are a breed...but they are not. Something being a breed doesn't hinge on having an AKC or UKC recognition. A breed is a population of animals that breeds true to type.



The Am Bully currently has 4 classifications of dogs: Classic, Standard, XL, and Extreme.



Classic is very similiar to the American Stafforshire Terrier, just a bit heavier built. Standard are heavier yet, wider, and with bigger heads. XLs increase the weight and width even more, even bigger heads, and are taller as well, but usually gaining more weight than height in comparison to the 'standard' dogs. Extreme is wider than the standard, with bigger heads, but shorter.



The Am Bully group keeps on adding in new catagories so no matter what is produced it is a champion of something. This is why the Am Bully isn't a breed, because they can't manage to decide on a type then selectively breed the foundation until it is producing true to type offspring.





As far as what has gone into this 'group' of dogs? The answer is anything. Right now you can pick up a pitbull looking dog from the pound and get it registered as an Am Bully. Your pound find may be pure pitbull or it could be a boxer x lab mix, you can still register it as an Am Bully.



MOST of the Am Bullies, from the start, were pitbull mixes, ABPTs, and Staffs. People were selecting for the widest heaviest ones. To go even further Bulldog was bred in for fat heads. Mastiff, cane corso, and other big dogs contributed for size.



'The bigger the better' is currently rampant in the American dog world. I am seeing Labradors that are oversized, and not just because the dogs are putting on more pounds due to lack of exercise. When I see people asking for German Shepherd, they are always asking for the biggest ones, usually they want 100 pound miniumum or brag about having 110 or 115 pound animals. The truth is dogs give up agility and athleticism as they get bigger. These giant labs cannot jump from the boat as cleanly, swim as fast, or work the fields for as many hours. GSD at or over 100lbs see a marked slowdown in their sprint speeds, jump heights, and similar metrics. 80 and 90 pound dogs can do a much better job. Even for bear hunting, people aren't using Great Danes, they are using 60 pound hounds who are long legged, fast, spry, have great stamina, and who can dart in and out biting the bear while dodging the claws and teeth.





For the Am Bully, it's even worse. The bulldog infusuion and desire to have a wide fat face has created a dog that can't breath as well as an ABPT, especially not once they have a full bite on. The desire for width has caused the legs to be placed further out on the shoulder which just mechanically is a disadvantage and greatly reduces run speed and jump height. This is in addition to basically the same skeletal structure carrying more weight.



FURTHER, the true 'pit' which is best encompassed in the ABPT has been bred to fight other dogs as entertainment and gambling. APBTs are very dog aggressive. But the flip side of this is pits were actively bred to pretty much like everyone because the breeders of dogs would sell adult dogs and trade adult dogs all the time. A dog that was attached to the old owner and attack the new owner = BAD.



The 'pit' in ghetto culture was expected to be an attack dog and guard dog, which was entirely contrary to it's actual breeding, so dogs that had the BAD trait of disliking people were actually seen as better, plus there were purposeful breedings with dogs like rottweilers, pit mixes, and mutts to make better guard dogs.



THIS subset of pits, staffies, and mixed pits are what formed the breed. So you end up with a real temperment mess. Some Ambullies are being bred to be aggressive to be guard dogs others are being bred to be docile pets. Furhter because of all the conflicting mix of temperaments that got into the earliest dogs, the Am Bully can be a real temperament mess.



As for the main purpose, the dog is bred to 'look tough' (even though it is much less capable than an actual ABPT of accomplishing any sort of physical task) which isn't any better or worse than why we have the British Bulldog, toy poodle, dachshund, afghan hound or all sorts of other breeds that once long ago may have been created for a real purpose but have since been morphed to their current form simply because we humans find it eye pleasing.





Closing Note - few people realize exactly what the real ABPT looks like and is. The APBT rarely has cropped ears like the other breeds often are given to make them look more intimidating. The APBT male is usually 50 pounds give or take 5 pounds. They are thin and wirey, muscles everywhere on a small tight frame, with a small powerful chest. The ABPT is the 'Bruce Lee' of the dog world, not the Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Answer 2

American Bulldog and the American Bully are 2 very very differnt dogs.



My opinion of the American Bully? It's a big blue ugly hippo. It couldn't perform a job or get out of it's own way if it tried. It was created by people, who saw they can make money on suckers who think that no only bigger is better, but that the dog's have an "intimidating" appearance.



American Bulldog on the other hand, is a purebred dog, which has been around for a very long time. Very popular in the south, all purpose farms dogs, but generally used on wild boar. Just looking at an American Bulldog you can see it's athletism.



Most people dont' know what an American Bulldog is and get confused by the name, thinking it's an American Bully. It's not.



American Bulldog come in 2 different types.



BTW, there are many purebred dogs that are not AKC or UKC recognized. It doesn't mean it isn't a breed it can mean that a) not enough of that particular breed in the U.S. to be recognized or b) the breed club does not want AKC/UKC recognition.



However, if you take a look, AKC is adding more and more breed in their Miscellaneous catagory.

Answer 3

They're giant mutts. That's my opinion. They have no purpose but to look cool and make people with tiny egos feel like they're all something because they have a big, scary looking dog. Run a search for American Bully on Google Images and half the pictures you see will be of "thugs" pretending to hold the dog back like the dog is going to charge when the dog is simply standing there trying to breathe.

And I'm sorry, but any breeder that ADVERTISES inbreeding is just creating more trash. Nearly every "AmBull" breeder I've seen posts that on their website.

The dogs don't have a purpose other than to look "bad." I literally see people that will compare these dogs to one another and will constantly switch out dogs like they're nothing because they don't look as mean or as big as the one down the street. They are too large and disproportionate to do an actual job like hunt, herd, guard, or anything else therefore can't be much more than a status symbol.

In my mind, American Bullies are right up there with "Maltipoos" and "Labradoodles." Mutts, always will be.

Answer 4

The American Bulldog is a breed of working dog. It is a well built animal, broad in appearance, with very powerful jaws. This breed bonds very closely with their owners as they tend to have highly emotional personalities. This breed does very well with children provided that they are socialized early and properly. Note, this breed commonly becomes aggressive toward other dogs around maturity (2 years of age).



The American Bulldog, while not yet recognized by the AKC, is indeed a pure breed dog. There are three different types of the AB. These are the Classic type, the Performance type and the Hybrid type. Typically the modern AB is the Hybrid type which is a combination of classic and performance types. The size of the dog is dependent upon many factors including breeding, genetics, type etc. As with all breeds many people have their own personal preference toward the size. My Brother In Law prefers short, stocky, well built and low to the ground, appearing to look more like the English Bulldog.



Health risks for this breed include some that are specific to the type and some that are general to the breed. Cherry eye, hip dysplasia, kidney and liver problems are a few but these dogs are typically very healthy and can live to be 10 to 16 years old.



Its main purpose now is a pet but the breed was originally created, here in the United States hence its name, as a farm dog, to attack wild boar and to protect property.



This breed is a descendant of the original English Bully breeds and is NOT a mix or cross with an American Pitt Bull Terrier. (American Staffordshire Terrier is the same thing as a Pitty.)

Answer 5

No, they're mutts. A bunch of different breeds were mashed up to create them. People like them because they have tiny egos and want to look tough through having a big dog. As with all selective breeding, there are health risks involved. Imagine all the ridiculous breeding that has to happen to get such a stocky dog. I think the stockiness is all to do with genetics, not much else really.

Answer 6

Almost always obedient, this dog wants nothing more then to please its master. Socialize very thoroughly when young to curve any dog aggressive tendencies. Read Top Dog.



Of course this is a breed. They are recognized by the ABKC, UCA, DRA, EBKC, and BBC.



The American Bully breed was established in the mid 1990 s with the purpose of creating the ultimate family companion. The American Bully was created through years of selective breeding by combining the desired traits of the UKC American Pit Bull Terrier and the AKC American Staffordshire Terrier.



Height: Males 18 - 21 inches (46 - 53 cm.)

Height: Females 17 - 20 inches (43 - 51 cm.)

Weight 70 - 120 pounds (31 - 54 kg.)



At this time, there are no known health problems within the breed.



Some lines have added other bully breeds into the mix and sometimes-non-bully breeds. The American Bully's origin's can be seen both on the East and West Coast of the United States, primarily in Virginia, and Los Angeles, California and is spreading to all parts of the US.



American Bullies are bred to be companion animals. However, they also do very well in weight pull.

Answer 7

Bulldog: Not a dog for the first time owner. They are not very smart. Difficult to train. Health problems.

Answer 8

''What is it's main purpose? (If it even has one)''



Good question as all dog breeds were created by man for a purpose, to hunt, to flush out game, to herd, to retrieve game, to guard or to fight other dogs.



All dogs years ago were bred to work or serve a purpose. Not any dog breed has a native habitat such as other animals, elephants native to Africa, cockatoos native to Australia.



Dog breeds all became unemployed for the most part after WWII but people thought wow, I like this breed and have made most breeds large and small into house pets.



But all breeds have retained their original purpose be it to hunt, herd or guard or to fight other dogs.



You need to find for what job and purpose this breed was created by man to do and this will tell you the dog's purpose and what you need to do to train and acclimate this breed to living as a pet.



They are dog aggressive and it's in their blood. It's instinct. They are for experienced, responsible, mature adult owners.

Answer 9

it is a large dog that crawls in your lap like a lap dog my daughter has one he is 130 lbs and thinks he is a lap dog