HOW MUCH DOES AN AMERICAN BULLY COST?
THE PRICE YOU CAN EXPECT TO PAY WHEN PURCHASING AN AMERICAN BULLY PUPPY FROM A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER
One of the most commonly asked questions that breeders and bully enthusiasts alike often receive is “how much does an American Bully cost?”
Whether it be through email, on the various social media sites, like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and through calls, text and even WhatsApp, breeders are asked “how much” several times a day. And as much as they’d love to be able to respond to each inquiry — responding to every single one — could easily take up an entire day. This is especially true for some of the breeders who’s dogs are in higher demand.
The majority of the time, the price a breeder is asking for their dogs — can be found in the post on social media or by visiting the breeder’s website. Interested buyers (who’ve already done their research on the breed) should begin by contacting the breeder or kennel. Most of the time — the price a breeder is asking for their pups is listed (try looking) before commenting blindly and asking “how much?”
Nonetheless, this is a great topic and one of the most asked questions for those interested in the fastest growing new breed over the past few years: “how much does an American Bully cost?
HOW MUCH DOES AN AMERICAN BULLY COST?
AMERICAN BULLY PUPPY COST
Unfortunately, the answer isn’t that simple — American Bully puppy prices can vary quite a bit depending on the breeder, bloodline and class.
Prices can also depend on whether the puppy comes from quality breeding or show stock. For those newer to the breed or beginning their research — here’s a great article that breaks down the different American Bully Classes & Types.
AMERICAN BULLY PRICES
Prices on average run anywhere from $5000 to $15,000 although they can be below or above this range. As the breed has exploded in popularity over the past 5 years— what used to cost $2500 now costs $5000 and up.
Quality proven bloodlines and “bullier” dogs cost much more than that, often in the $7500-$10,000 range. For those only interested in the best bloodlines and after show or breeding stock can expect to pay $15,000 to $30,000+ to purchase the best foundation breeding stock from a Top Breeder.
PET PRICES
Those interested in a pet quality american bully puppy can purchase one for much cheaper— often in the $500 to $1000 range. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that either — my first two American Bullies were pets and they were amazing dogs. But for those looking to become a successful breeder — it just won’t happen using pet quality dogs as foundation stock.
If you’re just looking for a companion and not planning on breeding — purchase a pet quality american bully or even better — go rescue one. There are shelters filled with pit bulls and american bullies that need rescuing — in large part due to the backyard breeders and buyers that thought they’d become successful breeders starting off with pet quality dogs— only to realize they couldn’t give away their pups.
CHOOSING A REPUTABLE BREEDER
When you’re spending $5000-$15,000+ (depending on pedigree, accomplishments, structure and quality) the important thing is to make sure that you’re dealing with a legitimate breeder.
Just because a breeder is asking a higher price on a dog doesn’t mean its better than someone who is selling at a lower price.
Has the breeder produced any notable dogs? Any known Studs? Have they produced any Champions or Grand Champions?
There are several below average dogs being sold for $10,000+ just like there are some incredible Champion sired american bullies that are priced at or below $7500. The key is who you decide to do business with.
Make sure that the breeder you choose to work with has a good reputation. Don’t be afraid to ask for references.
Everyone loves a deal, myself included. But when it comes to the American Bully breed — often times what you pay for is what you get. A lot of first time buyers choose to go the cheaper route, only to end up spending several thousands of dollars over the course of the dog’s lifetime on supplements. in an attempt to achieve a build that’s just not possible if it isn’t in the dog’s genetics.
FINDING A GOOD BREEDER
Quality breeders won’t hide behind a photo, they’ll have plenty of Video and can be found at Shows competing and letting the public see their dogs. The breeder will probably own a Champion or multiple Champions.
Quality breeders are proud of their dogs and will want to show them off, not hide them out. They will have video of their dogs and not just a few glamor shots which are often photoshopped. A good breeder will also have productions to show so can get an idea of the build, structure, color and look that their Stud has produced.
TRUST THE BLOOD?
You’ve probably heard the saying “trust the blood.” What they are referring to, is the dog’s pedigree. The best determinate of the future build of a puppy are the dog’s genetics. Look at the parents. BOTH PARENTS.
Many breeders will use well known Studs to increase litter sales often times pairing the Stud with a below average female. Although this sometimes produces a few nice dogs, the majority of the time it does not.
It takes BOTH a quality female and Stud to produce a consistent litter.
Quality females are what separates breeders that are a “flash in the pan” (with a lot of hype behind them) and breeders who produce quality litters time after time.
There is some debate as to the percentage a female contributes to the litter, some say 60% some say more and others say a little less. Who really knows the exact percentage or if there even is one — but from our experience, and interviews with the top breeders from around the world.
Females play an extremely important role in producing a quality litter.
Females don’t get nearly as much love as the Top Males and Best Studs, but mark our words.. they are as important, if not more important. This is why it takes both a quality male and a quality female to produce impressive litters on a consistent basis.
A Top Stud bred to a below average female will onlyresult in a watered down version of what you initially hoped for.
BIG NAMES IN THE PEDIGREE
The next mistake that many customers make is assuming that just because a top dog is in the pedigree, the Stud or productions will be top of the line. As Ty Lumley of Double L Kennel’s covered in the last issue, traits are much more important than the names in a dog’s pedigree.
Look at the actual dogs in front of you (The Sire & Dam) when making your judgement, don’t just assume it will yield an impressive litter because of a few big names in the pedigree behind them. The Sire & Dam should carry the traits or “look” you’re hoping to get.
6 week old puppy Produced by Texas Size Bullies & Dawghouse Bullies
“I focus on what traits each individual dog brings to the table, the positives and negatives, and what traits are strong in their pedigree. Not what names are in the pedigree, but what traits are strong, the traits that are consistent from the parents and the litter mates to each individual dog.
I’ve seen scatter bred dogs that are some of the best examples of the breed and tightly bred dogs of a certain line that look nothing like what the line was intended to look like. In my opinion the dog itself is what makes the pedigree valuable not the other way around.”
DETERMINING SHOW QUALITY
What to look for when determining if a dog is show quality will probably be an entire article in itself that we will eventually cover.
When choosing a puppy look for defects. Fabian Chichester put it best “what’s small now gets big later.” Meaning an underbite, bad feet, high rear, roach back, kinked tail etc. will most likely remain, if not get worse as the dog grows.
Check the bite, look for straight feet and good overall confirmation compared to the pups litter mates. Color is in right now, so a lot of customers will choose color first. I would take structure over color any day of the week.
With a good breeder you should be able to find what you’re looking for. The best Video we’ve seen that covers “Determining Show Quality” can be found on Bullybadasstv’s Youtube Channel. After you watch this, be sure to check out their Video on “Breed Type” to further your understanding.
If you begin attending Shows you’ll repeatedly hear the term “breed type.” the “dog is a great example of breed type”, or maybe the judge says your dog “has excellent structure but lacks breed type.”
So, what is breed type?
The American Bully’s breed type is geared to differentiate this type of dog (The American Bully) from other breeds of dog.
There should be no confusion at first glance what type of breed this is, and it’s features should clearly differentiate the American Bully from the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier and the various Bulldog breeds.
Here’s a Video from BullybadassTv that does a great job of explaining “breed type” in detail. Be sure to Subscribe to their Youtube Channel for more great videos, they’re one of the best in the business and have a ton of great videos.
Hopefully this has proved informative to anyone interested in knowing what to look for when purchasing an American Bully.
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Prices for breeding/show stock on average run anywhere from $5000 to $7500, although they can be below or above this range. Quality bloodlines and “bullier” dogs will oftentimes cost more than this. While prices for a pet quality American Bully will be much lower.
Understand that if you’re just looking for a companion and not necessarily looking to compete in conformation events or breeding stock — that you can easily find a great pet quality American Bully for less than $2500.
In this article, when we’re referring to $5,000 to $10,000 dogs — we’re referring to quality show and breeding stock.
AMERICAN BULLY PUPPY COST
- Show Quality & Breeding Stock: $5000-$10,000+
- Pet Quality w/Registration Paperwork: $2500
- Pets without papers: $500-$1500
Again, these prices are just the average price you can expect to pay when buying an American Bully puppy. Prices can be well above or below this range depending on a variety of factor which we will discuss in detail below.
CHOOSING A REPUTABLE BREEDER
There are several mediocre dogs being sold for over $5000. Just like there are some incredible Champion sired American Bullies priced at or below $5000. The key is who you decide to do business with. Make sure you’re dealing with a legitimate breeder that has a good reputation. Ask for references.
Just because one breeder is asking higher prices for their dogs, doesn’t necessarily mean that their dogs are better than another breeder’s who’s puppies going at a lower price. But, keep in mind that oftentimes you get what you pay for.
New owners often end up going the cheaper route at first — only to end up spending several thousands of dollars over the course of their dog’s lifetime.
Many new owners will end up spending more than they would have spent initially had they invested a little more in a quality bloodline. A dog gets it’s genetic makeup from the dog’s in it’s pedigree (parents, grandparents etc.) Stop wasting money on Supplements thinking you’re going to bypass genetics.
Don’t expect to bypass genetics with food and supplements.
That being said, a proper diet and correct use of supplements and vitamins CAN help your dog reach THEIR full potential.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE PURCHASING AN AMERICAN BULLY PUPPY
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A PET, SHOW QUALITY OR BREEDING STOCK?
The first couple of things you should ask yourself: are you looking for a pet, a Show Dog, or for Breeding Stock if you’re planning to become, or already are a breeder. You can find a pet quality American Bully for considerably less than a bully of Show quality, or a dog worthy of becoming breeding stock. If you’re simply looking for a bully of your own to love and be a part of the family, you can find a bully that will make a great addition to the family at a working man’s price.
Those looking to Show in conformation events (dog shows) adding to an existing or breeding program or starting their own may be willing to pay much higher prices than those who are just interested in a pet to love on as part of their family.
Buyers after show dogs or breeding stock don’t necessarily mind paying higher prices for better stock — they view it as an investment. Customers who are interested in showing their dogs in conformation events know that investing in a Show Quality dog from Grand Champion & Champion winning lines will increase their chances of winning in the Show Ring.
Breeders looking to improve their breeding program will gladly pay even higher prices for higher quality tightly bred dogs off of proven producers as their puppy will be more likely to produce consistent litters (making the customer much more money than their initial investment in the long run)
THE AMERICAN BULLY BREED
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.
AMERICAN BULLY BREED CHARACTERISTICS & TEMPERAMENT
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.”
WHICH BREEDS INFLUENCED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AMERICAN BULLY BREED?
According to the UKC- The American Bully breed stems from the American Pit Bull Terrier & American Staffordshire Terrier but it was definitely influenced by the infusion of several other breeds — which include but are not limited to — 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 genetic makeup) is the dog’s physical appearance. The American Bully is one of heavier bone structure and a “bullier” build than it’s American Pit Bull Terrier and Staffordshire Terrier ancestors, with more bone and muscle, but without many of the health issues prevalent in many of the breed’s Bulldog ancestors.
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 adore them) and are known to have an innate 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.
DECIDING 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. 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.
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 exibiting “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 cover “Purchasing Foundation Stock” in Part II in our next blog post.
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TRUST THE BLOOD?
You’ve probably heard the saying “trust the blood.” What they are referring to, is the dog’s pedigree. The best determinate of the future build of a puppy are the dog’s genetics. Look at the parents. BOTH PARENTS. Many breeders will use well known Studs to increase litter sales often pairing the Stud with a below average female. Although this sometimes produces a few nice dogs, the majority of the time it does not.
It takes BOTH a quality female and Stud to produce a consistent litter.
Quality females are what separates breeders that pop up overnight (with a lot of hype behind them) and disappear in a year or two.. from breeders who produce quality litters time after time. There is some debate as to the percentage a female contributes to the litter, some say 60% some say more and others say a little less. Who really knows the exact percentage, or if there even is one.. All we can say from our own experience, our interviews with some of the top breeders and what we’ve seen produced.. Females play an extremely important role in producing a quality litter.
Females don’t get nearly as much love as the Top Males and Best Studs, but mark our words.. they are as important, if not more important. This is why it takes both a quality male and a quality female to produce impressive litters on a consistent basis.
With a Top Stud bred with a below average female, most of the time the offspring will be a watered down version of what you had initially hoped for.
BIG NAMES IN THE PEDIGREE
The next mistake that many customers make is assuming that just because a top dog is in the pedigree, the Stud or productions will be top of the line. As Ty Lumley of Double L Kennel’s covered in the last issue, traits are much more important than the names in a dog’s pedigree.
Look at the actual dogs (The Sire & Dam) when making your judgement, don’t just assume it will yield an impressive litter because of a few big names in the pedigree behind them. The Sire & Dam should carry the traits or “look” you’re hoping to get.
“I focus on what traits each individual dog brings to the table, the positives and negatives, and what traits are strong in their pedigree. Not what names are in the pedigree, but what traits are strong, the traits that are consistent from the parents and the litter mates to each individual dog. I’ve seen scatter bred dogs that are some of the best examples of the breed and tightly bred dogs of a certain line that look nothing like what the line was intended to look like. In my opinion the dog itself is what makes the pedigree valuable not the other way around.”
DETERMINING SHOW QUALITY
What to look for when determining if a dog is show quality will probably be an entire article in itself that we will eventually cover. When choosing a puppy look for defects. Fabian Chichester put it best “what’s small now gets big later.” Meaning an underbite, bad feet, high rear, roach back, kinked tail etc. will most likely remain, if not get worse as the dog grows. You’ll see a ton of exotics with bad underbites, high rears and feet pointing to both sides of the equator followed by comments like “fire bro”
Check the bite, look for straight feet and good overall confirmation compared to the pups litter mates. Color is in right now, so a lot of customers will choose color first. I would take structure over color any day of the week. With a good breeder you should be able to find what you’re looking for. The best Video I’ve seen that covers “Determining Show Quality” can be found on Bullybadasstv’s Youtube Channel.
After you watch that, be sure to check out the following Video on “Breed Type” to further your understanding. Be sure to Subscribe to their Youtube Channel for more great videos, they’re one of the best in the business and have a ton of great videos.
BREED TYPE
If you begin attending Shows you’ll repeatedly hear the term “breed type.” the “dog is a great example of breed type”, or maybe the judge says your dog “has excellent structure but lacks breed type.” So, what is breed type? The American Bully’s breed type is geared to differentiate this type of dog (The American Bully) from other breeds of dog. There should be no confusion at first glance what type of breed this is, and it’s features should clearly differentiate the American Bully from the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier and the various Bulldog breeds.
