Everything new and unusual always attracts an audience. Especially today, when most well-known breeds have become widely available, and dog owners have turned their attention to the exotic.

Into this category falls the American Bully - a dog of original appearance, looking as if it has spent its whole life in professional arm wrestling.

What breed is this

Breeders only recently took up the selection of American Bullies. This breed is not even 50 years old: the first successful experiments date back to the 90s, when individual enthusiasts, fans of American Staffordshire Terriers and American Pit Bull Terriers, decided to modify the exterior of the dogs.

They managed to breed a new line - with significant differences in bone structure and head shape. There are assumptions that for this purpose, American Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, Ca de Bou, and even Canary Dog bloodlines were used.

As a result, four types of dogs with a gradation by height were obtained:

  • Pocket;
  • Classic;
  • Standard;
  • XL.

Sometimes a fifth type, falling between "Standard" and "XL" - "Extreme" - is mentioned. It differs even more exaggerated features, elbow markings, and an enlarged chest.

With the infusion and fixation of Bulldog bloodlines, the American Bully acquired a heavy round head, shortened muzzle, elongated format, and short legs. The animals also acquired colors, previously unusual for AST and APBT - tricolor, black-and-tan, and blue.

The breed is still not recognized by any major canine organization. There are only associations of enthusiasts and breeders, and the first standard was published by the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC).

Pricing

The main feature of the Bully is its original, exaggerated, even whimsical appearance. They resemble Spike from the cartoon "Tom and Jerry" and a dog bodybuilder at the same time. In fact, such an exterior was the goal of breeders who focused solely on it, ignoring any working application.

Like many other designer breeds, Bullies have a very high price. The cost of a puppy ranges from 1,500 to 12,000 dollars. The average price segment falls within the range of 2,000 to 5,000 dollars.

It is possible that in the next 10-15 years, a rapid spread of these dogs and a significant decrease in prices can be expected. But for now, American Bullies should be considered quite expensive pets.

What owners note

From rare comments of owners of these dogs, the main points can be highlighted:

  • they are extremely good-natured, affectionate, and sociable animals, oriented towards humans just like other "bully" type terriers;
  • due to their young age, the breed is still not very stable - there are strong and healthy dogs that live for 10-13 years, but there are also overtly unhealthy pets that struggle to reach 7 years;
  • short-legged and excessively elongated dogs often have spine problems;
  • sporting activities should be given in a very measured and thoughtful manner, not blindly "working out" the dog, dreaming of a pile of muscles;
  • the breed has serious joint problems (especially elbow), and musculoskeletal system issues in general;
  • constant monitoring of the heart condition is necessary - inherited from short-muzzled bulldogs and along with the disproportionate increase in chest size, Bullies have pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

One would like to believe that breeders will stop breeding dogs solely for their spectacular appearance and pay more attention to the health and endurance of the animals, and that the growing popularity and trends will not harm the American Bully in the future, as it has been with many other breeds.