What is the American Bully Mixed With? A Simple Explanation

As a relatively new breed that is getting popular quickly, there is little about the American Bully that people do know, and there are a lot of unanswered questions regarding them, and a lot of misconceptions as well.

A very common question people often have is whether the American bully is result of a mix between two dogs, which is what we are here to answer.

So, what is the American Bully Mixed with? The American Bully is a mix of the American Pitbull Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier, and the Bulldog, and it is considered a designer dog breed with old origins that reach as far back as the ancient Molosser Dogs. There are 4 types of American Bullies; standard, classic, pocket, and XL.

The American Bully is actually a fascinating breed that, unfortunately, not many people know about, and a lot of people actually confuse bullies with Pitbulls.

In this article, I’m going to go into the history of the American Bully, what sets them apart as a breed, and what you should probably know about them.

What is the American Bully Mixed with?

The American bully is what is called a designer breed, meaning it was created recently by a breeder for owners who wish to carry on their pedigree.

At first, the American Bully was created by breeding the American Pitbull Terrier with the Staffordshire terrier and then breeding them with some more bulldog-type dogs like the American Bulldog and the English bulldog.

The American Bully is a relatively recent breed that has only been around for 40 or so years as it originated in the 1980s, but similar dogs have been around for centuries.

The physical characteristics of American Bullies

What makes American bullies their own breed is their distinct physical characteristics.

American Bullies have muscular, bulky, muscular bodies similar to Pitbulls but their bodies are more compact. Their heads are big and blocky as well.

These physical characteristics change slightly based on which type of American Bully we are focusing on as there are 4 different types of American Bullies. We’ll discuss them at depth later on.

The physical characteristics of America Bullies make them similar-looking to Pitbulls, so much so that people confuse the two breeds quite often.

How to Tell American Bullies Apart from Pitbulls

As I discuss on this guide on the differences between Pitbulls and Bullies, the two can look very similar indeed, but if you know what to look for, you can tell them apart quite easily.

American Bullies have a more muscular body and weigh more than Pitbulls, as we previously said. Their chest is also broader and their head is shaped differently.

Because Pitbulls’ ears are frequently cropped, and American Bullies’ ears are floppy, you can tell one from the other by their ears. They both have a boxy body but the Pitbulls’ is leaner than an American Bully’s because to their muscular definition.

The American Pit Bull Terrier is considerably more muscular than the pitbull breed or at least they look this way because their bodies are smaller in size, so they pack their muscles in a more compact size.

They are generally bulkier than Pitbulls and have more muscles. Their chest is wider, their head is shaped differently, and their floppy ears make them instantly distinguishable from Pitbulls.

Pitbulls, on the other hand, are bred for agility and speed rather than brute strength, so their bodies are often skinnier with greater physical definition. This is also why Pitbulls are good running dogs, definitely better than American Bullies.

With that being said, American Bullies and Pitbulls are both considered bully breeds.

Here is a full list of the bully breeds that is recognized by the American Kennel Club:

• American Bulldog
• American Pit Bull Terrier
• American Staffordshire Terrier
• Boston Terrier
• Boxer
• Bull Mastiff
• Bull Terrier
• Cane Corso Italiano
• Caucasian Shepherd Dog
• Dogo Argentino
• English Bulldog
• English Mastiff
• French Bulldog
• Great Dane
• Neapolitan Mastiff
• Olde English Bulldogge
• Pug
• Rottweiler
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Where Do Bully Breeds Come From?

Bully breeds are all descended from Molosser dogs. They were subsequently mixed with other types of dogs, such as the Old English Bulldog and Mastiff, to produce them. These canines were frequently used in bull-baiting, which is why they ended up being known as “bullies.”

The Bully breeds were introduced to the United States in the early part of the 20th century. Stubby, a Pitbull, was a war dog for the American military during World War I and saved many lives in Germany. He was highly revered and rewarded for his bravery when he returned from Europe.

General George S. Patton was an excellent American military commander who inspired a lot of people to acquire bully dogs as family pets, particularly during the years of pro-American war advertising. By the 1950s, bully breeds had become fashionable household pets.

In fact, during this period, Pitbulls, which are often though of as being aggressive dangerous dogs today, were commonly used as nanny dogs because of how good pitties naturally are with kids and babies.

Unfortunately, things quickly began to change in the 1980s, when gangs and irresponsible dog owners started utilizing pit bulls and other bully breeds for protection and status symbols. These dogs were frequently abused and neglected or trained to be aggressive, making them more likely to attack.

This didn’t only hurt Pitbulls, but all bully breeds. You can learn more about how this affects American Bullies today in this article that discusses how American Bullies are considered an aggressive breed here.

Today, all dog lovers are trying their best to repair the reputation of bully breeds, demonstrating that any dog whatever the breed may become a great and considerate companion if raised right.

Bullies can be sociable and loyal as well as bright and athletic if they’re bred and raised carefully, and there is really no need to be fearful of them.

How to Get a Quality American Bully

It’s critical that you get a dog from a respectable breeder if you want to get an American Bully. Many unethical breeders sell poorly-bred dogs simply for the sake of making money quickly.

A good breeder will make sure that the dogs in her care are properly cared for and that their pedigrees are valid. If you follow the following guidelines, you’ll certainly acquire a polite and healthy puppy.

Check their Parents

You should be allowed to visit their kennel or home to meet and inspect the puppy’s parents at least once.

This allows you to observe the parents’ physical characteristics and temperament as this is the best way to predict how your puppy will look and behave when they become adults.

Check How the puppies and parents interact with the breed

This is a general indication of the standards of the breeder. This will also allow you check how clean their environment is and how the parents are treated.

If they treat the parents poorly or they are living in poor living conditions, this is not a trusted breeder and their priority is definitely to get your money than to produce quality dogs.

If the puppies or the parents shy away from the breeder or are unwilling to interact with them, this is often a bad sign.

The puppies should also be friendly and engaging with strangers as this is a sign that they have good experiences interacting with different people.

Note how friendly the breeder is with you

If your dog has a problem later on, your breeder should be available to turn to, and there are mainly two ways to find out if this will be true; experiences of past customers and how friendly they are to you during the selling process.

A good breeder will be friendly, helpful, and well-educated. You should be able to get feedback from past customers and ask them about their experiences. Ask the breeder for their phone numbers or contact details.

You Should Get a Contract

The breeder should ask you to sign a contract that states the conditions you agree with to care for your puppy and it should also state that the breeder will assume the responsibility for the dog if you are unable to care for them for any reason.

Ask a lot of questions

Ask your breeder all the questions you have and discuss with them your concerns. A good breeder will not only answer these questions, but they will also discuss with you the things you didn’t know you should ask about.

An excellent breeder will also be concerned about your living conditions and your experience with dogs in general and with bully breeds in particular.

They will also ask you to prepare the environment to welcome the puppy and will have notes or comments if you have not done something in the best way.

Lastly, a good breeder will ,of course, not allow you to take the dog home before they are at least 8 weeks of age. Some breeders will only let you take the puppy home when they are 12 weeks of age.

Trusted breeders to get American Bullies

According to the American Bully Daily and other bully-resources, there are a few reputable bully breeders in the US you can trust, here are the most famous of them:

• The Kingpin line – Ethical breeders that produce quality, Fierce-looking bully dogs with hearts of gold. These dogs make for great family pets.
• Razor’s Edge: Produces gentle and calm bully dogs that are also active and athletic.
• Goldenline: Produces bullies that come in all shapes and sizes. Their dogs are usually calm and friendly and are suitable for families.
• Nakamoto Bullies: One of the oldest bully breeders. They are located in Southern California and their 60-acre Kennel is open to visitors.
• The Remyline: Their dogs are descendants of the famous study Remy Martin that has produced thousands of offsprings.
• Korrupt Bloodline: Mainly produce triple-sized bully dogs that some people consider XL bullies or not American bullies at all.
• Gottiline Pitbull Bloodline: Also produces larger dogs that are often used in weight pulling sports. They are also international and sell dogs to people in Canada, Phillipines, China, and Japan.
• The Colby Pitbull Bloodline: Again, mainly produce larger pitbulls and Bullies that are still agile. However, these are more suitable as sports dogs and do not make good family pets.

American Bully Types

The American Bully has four classes and each of them is a bit different and so you can expect to pay differently depending on the class of your dog. Each class of American bully is more suitable for a specific need, such as a pet, show dog, or breeding stock.

Let’s quickly go over each of the classes, in no particular order :

Classic

The classic American bully has less body weight and lighter bones than most other classes but will have a broader chest. They have compact bodies and well-defined jaws, and while they still look very strong, they make for excellent family pets.

Standard

The standard American bully is the standard that is accepted b the AKC. He falls somewhere in the middle and is the mellowest, I would say, of all the classes. The Standard American bully is a medium to large dog that has a distinct muscular build, blocky head, and heavy bone structure that easily distinguish them.

You can expect to pay an average of $2,500 for the standard American Bully.

Pocket

Pocket Bullies are, as the name may suggest, the smallest of the bully classes, but not that fool you into thinking they are any less amazing than them. Pocket bullies are still very much the strong American bullies you expect, with short stature, broad head, well-defined jaws, and cheek muscles.

The average male pocket bully stands at 14-17″ (36-43 cm) and males are slightly shorter at 113-16″ (33-41 cm). The average price for a pocket American bully is $2,000-$2,500.

XL

As the name implies, the XL is a larger version of American Bullies, but not the largest. Male American Bullies can be as tall as 23″ (58cm) or taller, with females slightly shorter at 22″ (56 cm). They look just like the standard American bully but with more buff.

They are taller, heavier, and larger than other classes, and they are more expensive as well. An XL American bully, on average, will cost more than $3,000.

They make for excellent breeding stock and show dogs, but if you are looking for a family pet, they may be just a bit larger and stronger than what most people would prefer.

Extreme (Now considered not a bully)

The extreme American Bully was cancelled by the ABKC and there are now only 4 classes, but you still need to know about them. Basically,

The extreme Bully will basically have a larger body mass than any other class, making them look more buff than the other standards, although shorter than the XL. They will, however, be wider than even the XL bully.

The extreme bully will have such a massive body frame due to their thicker bones. They also have wider and wrinklier faces than the other standards. Due to their strong bodies, they should not be your best option for a family pet, but they can certainly be good breeding stock and there are people that are really into them, although they can’t compete.

I found this infographic and I think it sums all of this up really well:

From Visually.

What Makes American Bullies So Expensive?

Because American Bulldogs are so costly to breed, maintain, and care for, there aren’t as many trustworthy breeders with decent breeding programs for American Bullies as there are with other breeds.

A High-quality Bully might cost $10,000 and some American Bullies have been valued at $500,000. The lowest you can get a good-quality American Bully puppy for is around $2,500.

You can learn more about why are American Bullies so expensive here.

Should you get an American Bully?

That depends on what you’re looking for in a dog. American Bullies are not the best choice for everyone. They require a lot of exercise, they can be quite destructive if they don’t get enough exercise, and they are not always good with children or other animals.

They are also amazing companions, fiercely loyal, and very protective. Despite their size, they are cuddly and very gentle dogs that wan nothing more than your love and affection.

If you have the time to devote to a dog and you’re looking for a loyal and protective pet, an American Bully may be the perfect dog for you.

But remember, these dogs are not low-maintenance by any means and they can be quite expensive. Do your research before you decide if an American Bully is the right breed for you.

If you like this article, share it! (it will mean a lot to us ❤️)