AMERICAN BULLY

About the breed

The American Bully is a recently formed companion dog breed, originally recognized in 2004 by the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC) and followed by the European Bully Kennel Club (EBKC) in 2008 and than by International Bully Kennel Club in 2010. It has been recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) since July 15, 2013 as well. The breed has not been recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) yet eather The Kennel Club (KC) or FCI. The American Bully is a small to large breed, which has been divided into four categories by some registering organizations, including Pocket, Standard, Classic, and XL. Other organizations, including the UKC, have one consistent size standard.

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The American Bully, as it is now known, began development in the 1980s with the majority of the final behavioral and aesthetic product being completed in the 1990s.There is consensus that at least five other breeds were used to attain the more "bully" physical traits desired as well as the more diminutive size of some lines. The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) was the foundation (parent breed) used to create the American Bully. The APBT has maintained a characteristic appearance and temperament for over a century. Within that span of time different strains of APBT emerged within the breed, each with respective physical attributes. One particular APBT strain developed a specific, stockier, physique that warranted recognition as a different breed altogether. The bloodline of this APBT strain was then influenced with the introduction of American Bulldog, English Bulldog, and Old English Bulldog in order to fine-tune desired physical characteristics and personality traits.

The breed was first recognized by its breed club, the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC), in 2004. This registry first acted as a means to document pedigrees and show the breed against its written standard. According to the ABKC the initial desire for this breed was to produce a dog with a lower prey drive and more of the "bully" traits and characteristics than the American Staffordshire Terrier. Mass and heavy bone was prioritized to ensure such a look, and due to this many of the dogs shown today display the wide front for which they were originally bred. The American Bully should not be confused with the several other bulldog type breeds.

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