Are American Bullies Strong? How to Make Your Bully Stronger

If you have an American Bully, you probably noticed how muscular and broad their physique is. So, are American Bullies strong? or are all these muscles for the show?

American Bullies are very strong compared to many other breeds, and they have impressive natural muscles to show for it. Their athletic build contributes to their agility and strength.  Moreover, they can be trained to be as muscular as they can be with the proper diet and exercise.

Keep reading to learn more about how strong American Bullies are and how to make your American Bully even stronger.

Are American Bullies Strong?

The American Bully is physically striking, with an athletic build that’s known for its well-defined muscles.

Although the AKC does not recognize the American Bully, the United Kennel Club does. The breed looks substantial, strong, thick, and muscular like the original bulldogs, yet it’s also swift and agile. They have well-defined, solid limbs and shoulders, short, square muzzles, muscular necks, large chests, and powerful backs.

Depending on their classification from pocket to standard and XL, their heights range from 16 to 20 inches (41 to 51 cm), and they can weigh from 44 to 132 pounds (20 to 60 kg), with females at the smaller end.

They share their many physical characteristics with Pit Bulls. These characteristics include:

• Muscled chest
• Firm and strong
• Big skulls

Why Are American Bullies So Strong?

The American Bully is one of the strongest dog breeds because of its ancestors, like the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier. Don’t let that confuse you; the American Bullies are not Pit Bulls, even if they share many similarities.

Bullys can quickly put on muscle because of their high energy levels and natural body type. In fact, it is one of the breeds with the most strength.

How Strong Are American Bullies?

Even though it’s hard to determine the exact strength of a certain dog breed, as each dog has its own individuality, American Bullies are often recognized for their strength.

Humans are only physically more robust than Bullys due to our size. Amongst dogs, Bullies would probably rank up on the “strongest dogs list” if it was based on physical strength. However, a better way to measure strength that people sometimes use is to measure the strength of animals by their bite force. 

Looking away from the American Bully’s powerful jaws may be difficult. But should one be afraid of them? There’s no exact estimate for this breed’s precise bite force; however, we can look at breeds with similar physical characteristics to estimate. For example, Pit Bulls and the American Bulldog.

Pit Bulls have a bite force of 235 PSI. It’s not the strongest bite force out there, but unfortunately, it still has the worst reputation due to its bloody history.

American Bulldogs have a 305 PSI bite force, stronger than a Pit Bull. But, lo and behold, it doesn’t have a reputation for being an aggressive dog. American Bulldogs and American Bullies have the reputation of being good family dogs.

The American Bullies bite force may range from 200 to 300 PSI from these numbers. Now, let’s compare that to humans’ PSI and some other dogs:

• Humans: 162 PSI
• German Shepherd: 238-291 PSI
• Rottweiler: 328 PSI
• Mastiff: 556 PSI
• Cane Corso: 650 PSI
• Kangal: 743 PSI

So, no, a Bully’s bite is not the strongest dog breed according to their bite force; however, they can still do severe damage if they decide to attack. Lucky for us, Bullies are very gentle and friendly and don’t have a high bite drive.

Are American Bullies More Muscular Than Pit Bulls?

American Bullies are more muscular than Pit Bulls. They have larger heads, more broad shoulders, shorter legs, and more muscular bodies.

Pit Bulls lack the same amount of muscle and width. However, that doesn’t necessarily portray their strength; they’re both very strong breeds.

How to Make Your Bully Stronger?

First of all, you need to know that a dog’s ability to build muscle and the degree of definition in that muscle will be determined mostly by genetics. This implies that there is only a specific level you can achieve, regardless of how hard you train your dog or how well you feed him.

Due to this, you must ensure that your dog comes from a bloodline that includes numerous specimens with clearly defined muscles. It is more likely that an American Bully will be able to grow bulk more quickly and with less effort if its ancestors have more generations of bullies that are bred for big muscular gains.

You can learn more about the best American Bully Bloodlines and their characteristics here.

Proper Diet and Exercise Can Help Make Your Dog More Muscular

Bullies may easily add muscle because of their metabolism and body structure. They are, after all, bred from powerful, strong, and muscular working dogs. Having stated that, a Bully’s diet and training regimen can significantly affect their body composition, just like they do in people.

A Bully’s Diet

You must make sure that the diet is appropriate for your dog’s specific protein and carbohydrate requirements when it comes to nutrition. When planning your dog’s diet, keep in mind that many canine allergies are sometimes attributable to too much grain in their diet.

For growing muscle, protein- and fat-rich diets are ideal. Essential amino acids for muscle growth can be found in proteins. Dogs need fats for optimal performance and typically digest fats more effectively than humans.

You can also give your American Bully supplements approved by its vet if the diet lacks something. These supplements could provide Vitamin D or Calcium, as they are the most common deficiencies in dogs.

For more supplement recommendations, check out my guide on the best Bully supplements here.

If you are concerned that your dog may not be getting enough protein from their current diet, you should check this with your vet, as your dog’s protein requirements will change with age, weight, and overall health.

I will also recommend adding some protein-rich foods to their regular diets. Chicken is always a good option if you are preparing home-cooked meals for them, but there are also wet and dry options if that’s what you need.

For more food recommendations, check out my guide on the best foods for American Bullies here.

A Bully’s Exercise Routine

Any dog needs to exercise for their health and well-being. However, if you want a particularly muscly Bully, you can amp it up a little. You can check my full guide to exercising your Bully here, but here’s the jest of it:

• Play with them: You can play fetch by throwing the item very far so that your dog runs for a distance. Tug of war is also a great game that entertains your dog as well as builds muscles.
• Climbing: This can help your dog build core stability and muscles.
• Jumping: It does the same as climbing but is more impactful.

Now, for the next level of muscle training. Some people add weights while training their dogs. Your dogs must be trained while pulling heavy weights for the best possible muscular growth. The weight that dogs can drag with their bodies will significantly impact the volume of their muscles.

You may place a weighted vest on the dog if you want it to strengthen its neck muscles even more. Just be careful to simply add a little extra weight to prevent harming the neck muscles.

If you think your dog is strong enough, you can make exercising more difficult by having him pull a weight uphill while wearing a harness or using a leash. You can check my picks for leashes and harnesses here.

As with any activity, make sure your dog can perform it painlessly but with effort. If your American Bully finds the workouts to be too simple, you should increase the difficulty; however, if your dog is having trouble, you should reduce the weights.

This article has been reviewed and edited by a vet, but it doesn’t replace your own vet. Please see your vet for specific and trusted advice. This site DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE and all the information provided here is meant for informational purposes only.

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