HOW TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL AMERICAN BULLY BREEDER PART I: DECIDING ON A CLASS
PART I: BECOMING A BREEDER & DECIDING ON A CLASS
THE AMERICAN BULLY BREED
It wasn’t long ago when the majority of people were not familiar with the American Bully Breed. Many didn’t know quite what to think. “There are enough “designer breeds” as it is, the last thing we needed was another one.” Valid point. Actually a very good point.
However, without the formation of this breed — the American Bully, we would be missing out. We’d have never met of the most loyal, eager to please, empathetic, funny, lazy, happy, stubborn, silly, breeds today. A breed that is a walking oxymoron: A fierce, muscular, intimidating looking dog by outward appearance but who’s temperament is closer to that of a teddy bear.
GROWTH OF THE AMERICAN BULLY BREED
Over the past 5 years, a lot has changed. Not only has this breed taken off in the United States, but it’s also spread like wildfire into several new countries as well.
Most recently the American Bully breed has caught fire in Australia, Canada, South Africa among others. As more and more countries begin to learn about this incredible breed, demand for American Bully puppies is at an all-time high.
Whether it’s for pet quality, show dogs or breeding stock — demand for the best quality in the breed has gone through the roof. Those in search of the absolute best are doing their research online and importing the best stock directly from the best breeders and programs in the United States. It’s pretty spectacular how this incredible breed has taken off so quickly.
Just a few years back, we’d take our dogs for walks and people would ask “what breed of dog is that?” Usually while keeping a good distance. Fast forward to today — when we go on walks with the dogs — we’ll have people come right up and ask to pet them. Most already know that they’re friendly and more and more people are starting to recognize them as American Bullies.
So how did this relatively new breed go from virtually unknown, to the top of the list of fastest growing dog breeds each of the past five years? First, let’s revisit how it all began.
See: Everything You Need To Know About The Fastest Growing Dog Breed: The American Bully
AMERICAN BULLY BREED ORIGIN
The American Bully breed was created around 1990 and gained recognition and establishment in 2004 with the inception of the American Bully Kennel Club, also known as the ABKC Registry.
The United Kennel Club or UKC recognized the American Bully breed in 2013. There are other registries, but for the purposes of this article we will mention the main few- which are the ABKC, BBCR. BRC Global and the UKC.
According to the ABKC- The American Bully breed has been selectively bred to give America’s breed, the American Pit Bull Terrier, a new direction and outlet. Like with the American Staffordshire Terrier (which is also an offshoot of the American Pit Bull Terrier) all of the positive characteristics of the breed’s ancestry were kept.
These Include loyalty, stability with humans and children, along with many of their physical attributes. Traits of dog and human aggression have been bred out, as they have no future purpose for this trait (outside of hunting & sport) A reinvented breed was formed, with the purpose of being the ultimate companion breed, and this breed is the “American Bully.”
BREED INFLUENCES
According to the UKC- The American Bully breed was subtly influenced by the infusion of several other breeds, which include the American Bulldog, English Bulldog, Pacific Bulldog as well as the Olde English Bulldogge among other Bulldog breeds.
What differentiates the American Bully breed from it’s ancestors- the American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier (aside from it’s genetic makeup) is the dog’s physical appearance.
The American Bully Breed is one of heavier bone structure and “bullier” build than it’s American Pit Bull Terrier and Staffordshire Terrier ancestors, but without many of the health issues prevalent in many of the breed’s Bulldog ancestry.
Read: History Of The American Pit Bull Terrier & The Evolution Of The American Bully
THE PERFECT COMPANION BREED
To many people, it’s the perfect blend, a breed without the game drive of a Pit Bull, yet more active and with less health issues than many of the Bulldog breeds in its makeup. The result: a calm, confident breed of dog with a statuesque build and the muscle of a bodybuilder. Despite the American Bully’s fierce and powerful appearance their demeanor is gentle, making the American Bully an excellent family companion.
The breed is known for having an affinity toward children (they love kids) and a surprising ability to pick up on the emotions of their owners. A breed with a fun and quirky personality, a zest for life and an exuberant will to please their family. They are friendly with strangers, other dogs and most other animals. Human or dog aggression, extreme shyness or viciousness is very uncharacteristic of the American Bully and is highly undesirable.
EXPLOSION IN POPULARITY
The American Bully first became one of the fastest growing new breeds in 2014 and it has remained in the Top 5 every year since. In 2018, the American Bully breed became the fastest growing dog breed in terms of popularity and it hasn’t shown signs of slowing down since. The breed is on track to finish 2019 in similar fashion. So why are so many falling in love with this breed?
Even with the American Bully breed’s explosive growth and expansion into new countries and territories, there is still much confusion about the breed accompanied by several misconceptions and stereotypes. Inaccurate information online made worse by ill informed media have furthered misunderstanding regarding the breed. There are some who still confuse the American Bully with it’s cousin the American Pit Bull Terrier. But both are distinct and separate breeds, recognized by several respected registries as such.
So.. the American Bully breed has caught your eye, but there’s so many different types, bloodlines and classes to choose from that it can be a little overwhelming at first attempting to decide where to even begin. That’s ok, we’re here to help. For those new to the breed one of the first decisions to make is deciding on a class.
DECIDE ON A CLASS
This is one of the first and often overlooked steps when deciding to purchase an American Bully puppy or adult. Ask yourself, what size of bully best suits your interest? Do you want something smaller or shorter? In this case, you’ll probably want a Pocket. Like your dogs bigger? Then you probably want a Standard. If that’s not big enough for you and you’re wanting something over 100lbs and massive, then the XL class is probably for you.
There are four different classes in the American Bully. The difference between them is height (with the exception of Classic, which is simply the same height as the Standard Bully but carrying less mass)
Once you’ve decided which size you prefer, next ask yourself what is your goal? Are you simply interested in a pet, or are you considering having a litter or showing in conformation events (dog shows)?
The answer to these questions will help you with where to begin your search and can also have a big effect on the price you will be paying. If you’re simply looking for a pet, you can find one for a much lower price than if you’re looking for a show dog or breeding stock. If you do plan to show or breed in the future, it often makes sense to pay for a higher quality dog than what you would be getting a pet prices.
AMERICAN BULLY CLASSES
For those who may be new to the breed and still learning, let’s take a look at the different Classes in the American Bully breed according to the founding registry- The American Bully Kennel Club, also known as the ABKC Registry as well as the United Kennel Club, referred to as the UKC.
ABKC AMERICAN CLASSES 2014-PRESENT
This is an amendment to the basic standard which a Pocket Bully is determined by its adult height.
Males under 17″ and no less than 14″ at the withers.
Females under 16″ and no less than 13″ at the withers.
STANDARD
The American Bully should give the impression of great strength for it’s size. It is a compact and medium/large size dog with a muscular body and blocky head.
The American Bully should have the appearance of heavy bone structure with a bulky build and look.
Males 17 inches — 20 inches (43 cm — 51 cm) at the withers.
Females 16 inches — 19 inches (40 cm — 48 cm) at the withers.
CLASSIC
This is an amendment to the basic standard. A Classic Bully is determined by it’s body structure and build. Both sex dogs with lighter body frames and less overall body mass, but still exhibiting “bully” traits.
Classic Bully variety is simply an American Bully dog having lighter body frames (lighter bone) and less overall body mass (less substance) than the Standard American Bully. Aside from this difference, the Classic Bully variety follows the same standard as the Standard American Bully.
XL
This is an amendment to the basic standard, determined by it’s adult height. It is important to note that the XL Bully variety is simply taller than the Standard American Bully. XL dogs share the same build, body type and breed type as the Standard American Bully.
Males over 20″-23″ at the withers. Females over 19″-22″ at the withers.
Now that you have a basic understanding of the different classes of the American Bully breed and that that a dog’s height (and sometimes build) determine what class they fit in, let’s move on to discuss important things to consider before having a litter for those considering having puppies.
BEFORE DECIDING TO BECOME AN AMERICAN BULLY BREEDER
Before making the commitment to become a breeder and establish your own bloodline, an honest appraisal of your resources is in order. First, do you have the money and time to invest in this endeavor? A large kennel facility is usually not necessary if you get two or three quality “foundation” bitches to begin with.
Do you have cash on hand for progesterone testing, artificial inseminations, emergency c-sections, vet bills, and proper care for the puppies? What if your breeding female becomes ill or develops an infection like pyometra? Do you have 3–5K saved in the event an emergency happens? The worst possible thing that you can do is make the decision to become a breeder and then not be able to afford care for your dogs in the event of an emergency.
THE COMMITMENT INVOLVED
Perhaps even more important than space and money is the commitment to the pups that you will be producing. For a breeder to know if their breeding program is successful, ongoing evaluation of the pups is essential. Most of us do not have unlimited space, so placing pups in good homes where they will receive adequate care and nutrition, training and evaluation is going to be essential.
Once you’ve done your homework, have your resources in order, have decided on a class or type and have made the decision that you’re willing to commit to everything required to responsibly care for and breed dogs, you’re going to want to start by purchasing foundation stock.
Next we’ll cover “Purchasing Foundation Stock” in Part II in our next blog post.
It is our hope that this article helps to give some insight into this incredible breed. For More News, Articles & Features & Photos on the Best American Bullies visit our blog or stop by our website!
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