American Bully - Shredded American Breed

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The American Bully is a relatively young breed that came to life in the 1980s and 1990s United States. Like other newly formed breeds, this breed is also considered a “designer” breed. It was created using the foundation the American Pit Bull Terrier set, and their breeders added the Staffordshire Terrier and other Bulldog-type dogs. It is believed that the American Bulldog played a part in the development of the breed.

This is a muscular breed that has a mean and dangerous look, and often, these dogs are portrayed as fearsome protectors and guardians, even by the breeders trying to pump up the price of this designer breed. The American Bully is gaining popularity worldwide, and shady breeders might take advantage of the situation and breed low-quality dogs just because they will quickly sell them.

As a buyer, make sure you are a knowledgeable one and don’t fall for tricks, or you can end up with an unstable and unhealthy dog. 

Before you decide to go for the impressive American Bully, there are some things you should know about them. Let’s check them out.

American Bully vs. Pit Bull

Dog owners and the general public that are not too familiar with bully breeds often mistake the American Bully for the American Pit Bull Terrier. This is not the same breed, nor is the Bully a Pit Bull on steroids. The APBT indeed played a big part in creating the American Bully, but other breeds were included, and the Bully dog cannot be considered a variation of the Pit Bull.

There are many different Bully breeds in this world; some are internationally recognized, and some aren’t. Those that aren’t recognized are working on international recognition, and their breeders are doing all they can to set up a good, universal standard. Bully breeds include breeds like the French Bulldog, American Bulldog, Miniature Bull Terrier, Presa Canario, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Pacific Bulldog, Dogue De Bordeaux, Boston Terrier, APBT, and many more.

Pit Bull

Bully comes in four sizes

Since the American Bully is not internationally recognized by all major cynology institutions, breed enthusiasts in the US have started the American Bully Kennel Club or ABKC. This Club promotes healthy breeding practices and promotes the breed. The ABKC recognizes four sizes of the American Bully, and they are:

• Pocket - The Pocket American Bully is the smallest of the four allowed sizes. To be considered a Pocket Bully, the dog mustn’t be taller than 17 inches. Female Pocket Bullies are slightly smaller. Pocket Bullies can also be called Micro or Miniature Bullies.
• Standard - The most common Bully dog is the Standard. These dogs have a muscular, bulky built, and males can reach 20 inches. Female Standard American Bully is smaller but still quite impressive and powerful.
• Classic - The difference between a Standard and a Classic Bully is in their built. They are roughly the same height, but Classics are slimmer with less robust, over-pronounced features. They are closer to the APBT or the Staffordshire Terrier.
• XL - As their name says, the XL American Bully is the largest of the lot. They can reach up to 23 inches in height while the females can reach 22 inches. Other proportions and built should be close to the Standard Bully.

Bully health

The overall health of the American Bully can be hard to determine and describe for the whole breed. It is still pretty young, and there is a possibility that specific health problems can be discovered when the breed has been bred for enough generations. Health problems American Bullies are prone to are;

• Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome - This is a problem purely-bred dogs with short muzzles can have. It affects their breathing, and in some cases, dogs will have to undergo surgery.
• Cherry eye - Eye problem common in Bully breeds. It can affect one or both eyes.
• Hip dysplasia - This health issue affects the dog’s bones and can range from mild to extreme. In the worst cases, dogs need surgery.

They have a unique temperament

Breeders and American Bully dog owners describe these dogs as extremely loyal to their owners and their families. Think about the breeds that were used for creating the Bully dog and the temperaments of those breeds. The Bully temperament is a result of mixing some of the best traits of those characters. The Bully is confident and outgoing. They love nothing more than pleasing their owners, which makes them relatively easy to train. They can display a stubborn streak that will likely end when the dog reaches maturity.

Like with any other designer breed, the American Bully still needs to be thoroughly studied and understood. Unfortunately, we cannot select specific traits and just “order” a dog that will be precisely how we want them to be. There is a possibility you can end up with a dog whose character is nothing like the one we described. The Bully dog is not isolated; it can happen with recognized breeds, although it happens significantly less than with designer breeds.

These dogs have been described as trustworthy, confident, but not aggressive, good with kids, sociable, amiable, and with an overall outgoing temperament, making them suitable for families or singles. All of this should, of course, be taken with a grain of salt, only because it is such a young breed that can significantly vary in character.

American Bully for sale and prices

If you decided that American Bully is the breed for you, you would probably start looking for American Bullies for sale and checking their prices. Before you do that, think about the health and breeding practices that responsible breeders should enforce. Look for a good Bully breeder might not have American Bullies for sale available right away, but remember, a good and healthy dog is worth the wait.

This breed currently enjoys record levels of popularity, which makes for a great area where irresponsible and bad breeders might sell low-quality dogs. Don’t fall for cheap tricks and cheap dogs - that will end up costing a lot more money in vet and insurance than what you would pay for a dog of excellent quality. It would be a good idea to ask the ABKC for recommendations.

Designer breeds are getting a lot more expensive than the registered, traditional dog breeds like the Labrador, Poodle, etc. The price of the American Bully can, on average, ranges from $3.000 to $5.000. Famous bloodlines or well-bred with top bloodlines can cost upwards of $7.000.

Interested in what breeds make American Bully? Check that with an Embark Dog DNA Test Kit.

Now you know the most important things if you are looking to buy an American Bully, and we would like to say one more time - be careful when you are purchasing a dog. Be a responsible buyer who buys only from responsible breeders.

World Dog Finder team