Deeper into the American Bulldog

Since posting an article Wednesday on defining the Bully Breeds, I wanted to go deeper into the American Bulldog, AB. There are several Kennel Clubs throughout the world that recognize certain breeds of dogs. The most widely known Kennel Club is the American Kennel Club.

The AKC recognizes the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire. They also recognize the American Bulldog, but they don’t recognize the Pit Bull Terrier. They have articles talking about the bans on Pit Bull Terriers and specifically state that they don’t recognize the Pit Bull Terrier as a specific breed. It’s not mentioned why exactly. We’ll dive into that more in future articles.  The American Bully Kennel Club is another Kennel Club that recognizes all Bully Breeds.  This includes the American Pit Bull Terrier to come.

Both sites recognize the American Bulldog and the American Bully Kennel Club also recognizes the American Bully as two different breeds. What are some the similarities in the American Bulldog and the American Bully? How are they different? What’s the history of the American Bulldog versus the American Bully?

The History of the American Bulldog.

The history of the American Bulldog can differ depending on where you look. Specifically, the AKC states that the AB is a breed that’s been around since the 17th and 18th centuries. The ABKC states that the AB can be traced back to 1121 BC. They both claim that the American Bulldog came over to America with the English Settlers back in the 1700’s.

The American Bulldog was meant for chasing off anything or anyone that was a threat to the farmers and their livestock. Basically, the farmers wanted a dog that looked intimidating and strong. The AB has a history that is convoluted, in that many people claim to know where these dogs came from. Much has yet to be discovered and noted as factual.

Even though the AB was thought to have stemmed from the English Bulldog, they really have a history that predates this. In 1950, John D Johnson bred several Bulldogs together to continue to make a bulkier AB. Adapting a Pit name into the breed somewhere along the lines, he dropped it once the Pit Bull Terrier’s started coming into the light. He didn’t want his dogs confused with their cousin, the Pit Bull Terrier.

Characteristics of the American Bulldog.

The American Bulldog breed wasn’t recognized for a long time. So, several Kennel Clubs have now adapted the standards and characteristics of this breed. Also called the Bully American Bulldog, they look for a muscular frame. Also known for their short hair; curly hair can be a fault.

Males are often more muscular in appearance than females, and this can be seen across many of the Bully Breeds. The head and chin should be muscled and very pronounced.

Often in both Kennel Clubs, people crop the ears of Bullies and this is acceptable in all characteristics. Natural ears, while floppy, are also acceptable. Honestly, I prefer the floppy ears and hate the thought of cropping them. Though my husband wants our Pocket Bullies pup we keep to have cropped ears.

In both Kennel Clubs, the Bully American Bulldog is a very muscular dog with a very heavy build. Both have stated that even in the more muscled dogs, this can not be a fault.

Differences Between the American Bulldog and American Bully.

The American Bulldog and American Bully are so closely related when you look at pictures. The American Bully however, is shorter is stature and slightly more muscular in build. The ABKC also recognizes the American Bully in different sizes. The Standard, the Pocket, the XL and the Classic. Each one different heights to their withers.

Each breed of dog, according to both sites name similar qualities between the two. Because of this, I’m wondering why they classify each one as a separate breed? In looking at pictures, even from all angles, they are so closely resembling each other. However, I will note that the American Bully seems wider in facial structure and slightly bulkier overall.

It does seem as though the American Bully has more bodily characteristics that are looked for versus the American Bulldog. The faults, as outlined on ABKC, for the American Bully far outweigh the faults of the Bully American Bulldog. Why?

Why some Breeds have more Faults.

Some breeds have more faults according to the Kennel Clubs than others, why? Because of the adverse history of the American Bully, there are more reasons to disqualify this breed from shows. Meaning, some breeders will breed them to excess and not holding to the standards that were sought after when the breed was initially recognized.

I’ve looked into the American Bully Breed a few times. Both on sites that show the breed as being recognized not long ago. Also from being stemmed from Razor’s Edge, a mix of several Bulldog Breeds into one.

I believe, and this is purely opinion based and hypothetical theory, there are so many faults that lie with the American Bully Breed so that people know exactly what to look for. See, I’ve known breeders that will breed these dogs to a fault. Meaning, they will breed within blood lines. When you interbreed any dog, they will start to have negative physical traits. With the American Bully, their feet will start to point inwards. Their legs will bow in. I’ve personally seen one Pocket Bully that had a claw sticking up through their foot.

All this would lead me to believe that because these dogs can sell for so much money, some breeders will go to any length to have pups, regardless of whether it’s good for the breed. And because there are so many other breeds within the American Bully, some breeders might breed outside the specific breed in order to profit in any way.

So in order to alleviate this, there are numerous faults within the American Bully that would discredit the dogs from being what’s considered as purebred.

Final Thoughts on the American Bulldog/American Bully.

I know that these dogs are two different breeds. In looking at the ABKC website, they are clearly two distinct breeds of dogs. However, they share so many common traits between each other. The American Bulldog and the American Bully are very similar in facial structure, body structure and how they carry themselves.

I’ve seen the American Bulldog, my friend has one. He is so similar in looks to Atlas, however, he is huge. He is the XL version of the American Bulldog. As far as gait, stance, width, haunches, withers, etc, he looks exactly like Atlas. Just in a massive form.

So while they are considered two distinct breeds, I think they are very closely related. More so than most people think. While this may be a controversial topic/article, I’m simply stating my opinions and I am in no way an expert in either breed. However, we shouldn’t discredit that both the American Bulldog and American Bully closely resemble each other.

What are your thoughts on the American Bulldog versus the American Bully? Especially if you’re a breeder. Let us know your opinions!