Is the American Bully a Restricted Breed? [For Every State]

American Bullies are such a kind and loyal breed. However, this breed has a reputation for being aggressive which caused them to be restricted in some places.

Is the American Bully a restricted breed? The American Bully is a restricted breed in some states in the USA. This restriction involves completely banning the breed or limiting the number of dogs that any owner can have. Some landlords also restrict American Bullies from living in apartments, but you can negotiate with them about it.

Continue reading to learn more about the meaning of breed restriction and all the dog breeds that are restricted in the USA.

What Does Breed Restriction Mean? 

Breed restriction refers to all laws and regulations that ban or limit the number of certain dog breeds in certain places. This restriction is implemented to protect the people living in these places from getting bitten or injured by dangerous breeds, that is why they are restricted.

One of the most restricted breeds is the Pit Bull which includes various breeds like the American Pitbull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the American Bully. Although these dogs are very friendly and loyal, many people still think of them as dangerous.

Pit Bulls were bred and trained to participate in dog fighting rings where they were forced to become violent in order to defend themselves and survive. Even though dog fighting is illegal nowadays, Pit Bulls still have a reputation for being violent.

However, the dog’s violent nature depends on its training and living conditions. If a Pit Bull is trained and treated properly, it will grow up to be one of the friendliest and most loyal dogs.

What Are the Restricted Dog Breeds in the USA?

Here are the 17 restricted breeds in the USA, and the areas that they are restricted in:

1. Pit Bull

Pit Bulls are the most restricted breed in the USA. They are restricted in various states, which are:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Jersey 
• New Mexico 
• New York 
• North Carolina 
• North Dakota 
• Ohio, Oregon 
• Pennsylvania 
• Rhode Island 
• South Carolina 
• South Dakota 
• Tennessee 
• Texas 
• Utah
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

2. Rottweiler

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Washington
• Wisconsin

3. Wolf Dog

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Alabama
• Colorado
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• North Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

4. Presa Canario

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oregon
• South Dakota
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin

5. Doberman Pinscher

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Georgia
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Wisconsin

6. Chow Chow

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Georgia
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas

7. American Bulldog

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• New York
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Texas
• Washington
• West Virginia

Many people actually confuse Bulldogs and Pit Bulls, and you can check out my guide on how Pit Bulls and Bulldogs are different here.

8. German Shepherd

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Georgia
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• New Mexico
• Ohio
• Tennessee

9. Cane Corso

This Cane Corso is usually restricted in the following states:

• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Idaho
• Kansas
• Nebraska
• Oregon
• South Dakota
• Washington

10. Fila Brasileiro

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Colorado
• Kansas
• Oregon
• Washington
• Wisconsin

11. Akita

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Tennessee
• Washington

12. Mastiff

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Michigan
• Washington
• Wisconsin

13. Siberian Uusky

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Michigan

14. Bull Terrier

This Bull Terrier is usually restricted in the following states:

• Georgia
• Michigan
• Washington

15. Alaskan Malamute

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Michigan

16. Rhodesian Ridgeback

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

•  Michigan
• Wisconsin

17. Shar Pei

This breed is usually restricted in the following states:

• Mississippi
• Utah

Is the American Bully a Restricted Breed? 

The American Bully is a restricted breed in some states because it’s one of the Pit Bull breeds. This restriction involves completely banning the breed from a certain place or limiting the number of dogs that any owner can have.

For instance, there are many apartments in certain states that completely ban American Bullies from living inside even though American Bullies can cope with apartment living without causing any mess.

In this case, it is better to speak to the landlord and try to explain that your American bully is trained and will not be a danger to other tenants

Can You Live With An American Bully In An Apartment? 

You can live with an American Bully in an apartment as long as the dog is properly trained and socialized from a young age.

American Bullies are not loud and they can be easily trained to follow commands. However, if you are a busy person and don’t have enough time to spend with your dog, then an American bully is totally not recommended in the apartment in this case.

You also need to make sure that the landlord of your apartment building doesn’t have any regulations about keeping pets and that the state or country you live in doesn’t have any laws against keeping American Bullies.

Related Questions:

What Dog breeds Are Considered Restricted?

The dog breeds that are considered restricted include Pit Bull terriers, German shepherds, Rottweilers, Mastiffs, and Doberman pinschers. Those are the breeds that have a bad reputation for being aggressive and dangerous for people and even for other animals. So, they are restricted in some states in America as well as some countries.

Can Landlords Ban Tennants from Keeping Pets?

Landlords can ban tenants from keeping pets in the building, especially if the pet is one of the restricted dog breeds. However, all landlords are required by law to allow tenants with disabilities to keep service pets, even if it’s a restricted dog breed, according to the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination against people based on disability.

Is the American Bully an Aggressive Breed? 

The American Bully is not an aggressive breed. They have a reputation for being aggressive because of their past participation in dog fighting, but it’s not in their nature. If they are trained and socialized properly, they will be kind, loyal, and obedient. They are also safe to have around children as well as other pets.

Helpful Resources 

What Is Breed-Specific Legislation?

State Dangerous Dog Laws

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