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American Bully

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GENERAL APPEARANCE

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The American Bully must give the impression of great strength for its size.  It is a compact, medium/large sized dog with a muscular body and irregular head.  The American Bully should have the appearance of a heavy bone structure with a bulky appearance and appearance.

 

CHARACTERISTICS

 

The American Bully is a companion breed that exhibits confidence, a zest for life, along with an exuberant desire to please and bond with its family, making the American Bully an excellent family companion.  Despite the American Bully's fierce and powerful appearance, its demeanor is gentle.  They are great with children and extremely friendly.​​ with strangers, other dogs and other animals.  Human or canine aggression, extreme shyness or cruelty is very unusual for the American bully and is highly undesirable.

 

HEAD

  • The American Bully's distinctive heavy, broad, and wide head exemplifies the breed type.

  • Of medium length, deep throughout, broad skull, well sculpted with very pronounced facial muscles, distinct and deep.

  • Ears - Set high and may be natural or cropped.

  • Eyes - all colors are equally accepted, except albinism (pink to red), which is a disqualification.  Blue eyes, lack of pigment around the eyes are undesirable.

  • The shape of the eyes is oval to almond, low on the skull and spaced apart.  Round eyes are undesirable​​ and bulging or protruding eyes are a fault.

  • The visibility of the haw must be minimal.

  • Faults: Overly visible Falcon.  Both eyes do not match colors.  Bulging or protruding eyes.

  • Disqualifying Flaws: Albinistic eyes.

  • Muzzle - Short-Medium in length and width in width.  Length to be less than the length of the skull, with the distance from the tip of the nose to the stop, approximately one third of the distance from the tip of the nose to the occiput;  but not so short as to interfere with normal breathing.  The muzzle is square or slightly squared to fall abruptly below the eyes.  The topline of the muzzle should be straight, with the nose neither pointed nor turned in profile.

  • Jaws - Well defined.

  • Under the jaw - to be strong and parallel to the muzzle, never turning upwards.

  • Lips - semi-close and even, minimal looseness accepted but not preferred.

  • Faults: muzzle too long or pointed;  muzzle so short as to interfere with normal breathing;  lack of pronounced cheek and deep stop;  weak under the jaw;  under the jaw showing;  nose up or pushed back;  flew excessive.

  • Upper teeth - to firmly meet the outer lower teeth in a scissor-shaped or scissor bite.

  • Faults: level bite, overbite, underbite and crooked bite. 

  • Severe faults: bites severely overtaken or not, measuring 0.6 cm or more.

  • Nose - Large with well-opened nostrils.  All colors/pigments are acceptable except albinism (light pink color).

 

  • NECK

  • Heavy, muscular, slightly arched, tapering from shoulder to back of skull. 

  • Compact and medium size should have loose or minimal skin.

  • Faults: neck too thin or weak;  neck too short or too long.

 

  • PREVIOUS

  • Strong, muscular shoulders with wide, wide blades;  and very relaxed.  The upper arm is approximately equal to the length of the shoulder blade and joined at an angle of approximately 35 to 45 degrees.

  • Forelegs - Straight, strong and robust, with large or round bones, the pasterns are strong, short and almost erect.  Feet - forward.

  • The distance from the withers to the elbow is equal to the distance from the elbows to the bottom of the feet.  Dogs with slightly less distance between the elbows and the bottom of the feet are acceptable but not desirable.

  • Faults: vertical shoulders;  Steep front scapula (shoulder blade). 

  • Very short arm. 

  • Feet touching in or out;  curved front legs;  in the metacarpals;  open or flat feet;  long fingers.

  • BODY

  • Bulky, muscular, bulky body type of compact/medium length giving the impression of great potency for its size and exemplifying the American Bully breed type.

  • Ribs well rounded, creating a chest with all ribs together;  rib cage to extend to the elbow or slightly below.

  • Front legs well apart to allow for chest development.

  • Chest - should be broad, deep and well filled;  but it should not be so exaggerated as to interfere with normal movement.

 

  • BACK

  • Fairly short to medium back, slightly sloping from withers to croup or accepted with a smooth, short slope from croup to base of tail.  The American Bully should give the appearance of a square body, of equal length when measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttocks and from the withers to the ground.

  • Flaws: Back too long;  rear higher than the withers;  weak or wobbly topline;  Roasted or wheel back.

 

  • REAR ROOMS

  • Well muscled, relaxed in the hocks, neither going in nor out.

  • Muscle development, angulation and width of the hindquarters should be in balance with that of the forequarters.

  • When viewed from the hind legs, they should be straight and parallel.

  • Croup should have a slight downward angle.

  • Faults: Hocks going in or out;  cow hocks;  sickle hocks;  narrow hindquarters;  too straight or angled joints;  bow legs.

 

  • TAIL

  • Medium in comparison to size, low fit, tapering to a fine point and extending approximately to the hock.

  • When the relaxed tail should be carried low.  When the moving tail is carried at the level of the topline or in an elevated position when excited (challenge tail), but should never be carried bent over, breaking the plane of the back.

  • Tail to avoid twists, knots or any bending.

  • Faults: Long or very short tail, approximately up to an inch above or below the hock point. 

  • Tail carried on the plane of the back. 

  • Serious Faults: Twisted, knotted or fused tail. 

  • Extremely short tail. 

  • Disqualifying Faults: Bolted, clipped or anchored tail.

 

  • FOOT

  • It should be rounded and of moderate size, proportionate to the dog, compact, well arched and firm.

  • Faults: open or flat feet, long toes.

 

  • COAT

  • Short, shiny, closed, dense, smooth to the touch.

  • Coat of arms with a length not exceeding 1.27 cm.

  • Faults: Curly or wavy coat.  Serious flaws: Long coat.

 

  • COLOR AND PATTERN

  • All colors and patterns are allowed except Merle pattern / no competition.

  • Disqualifying Faults: Standard Merle / does not participate in competition competition

 

  • SIZE

  • Dogs must be healthy​​ and should NOT get to the point where they are considered obese.

  • Weight - there is no specific weight for the breed.

  • Height and weight should be in proportion to the body structure.

  • Height - see Variety Changes.

  • All varieties that exhibit “Bully” traits and breed type traits as described in the American Bully Standard, which are key breed type elements for the American Bully breed.

 

  • AMERICAN BULLY STANDARD (STANDARD)

  • Males 17 inches - 20 inches (43 cm - 51 cm) at the withers.  Females 16 inches - 19 inches (40 cm - 48 cm) at the withers.  It is important to note that Standard American Bully dogs should not be penalized for exhibiting a muscular, muscular, bulky body.

 

  • MOVEMENT

  • The American Bully moves with a confident and proud demeanor, while being alive and alert to its surroundings.

  • The march should be easy and powerful.  The action should be unrestrained, free and vigorous with a powerful drive in the rear.  The front reach should be moderate and balanced with the rear.

  • The legs do not go in or out, nor do they cross or interfere with each other.

  • Dog moving in the same plane - Each leg moving in the same plane shared with the other leg on the same side with minimal convergence.

  • The support line should remain level, with very little bending.

  • Flaws: Rolling;  stimulation;  sidewinding;  hackney action;  row or hit.  Not moving in the same plane;  legs above reach;  legs crossed in front or behind;  hind legs moving too close or touching.

  • FAILURES,

  • Failures to be penalized, but not disqualifications for showing, are:

  • Both eyes don't match colors

  • overly visible hawk

  • Bulging or protruding eyes

  • Muzzle too long or snipey

  • Pronounced / profound lack of stop

  • weak underjaw

  • underjaw appearing

  • Albinism Nose (light pink)

  • Nose popping or pushed back

  • Tail too long or too short (approximately 2.5 cm from hock point)

  • curled tail

  • pincer bite

  • Agnathous or prognathous bite

  • Crooked or cross bite

  • Very thin or weak neck

  • Neck too short or too long

  • vertical shoulders;  Steep front scapula (shoulder blade)

  • very short arm

  • Severe flipped fronts (inside or outside)

  • curved front legs

  • Below the pasterns (weak pasterns)

  • Open or flat feet

  • long fingers

  • Hocks going in or out; cow hock

  • curly or wavy coat

  • Movement: rolling, walking, side-walking, hackney action and paddling or hitting

  • Not moving in the same plane - legs reaching, crossing in front or rear or hind legs moving too close or touching

 

  • SERIOUS FAULTS

  • The faults to be  heavily penalized,  but not disqualifications for showing, are:

  • Exceeded or severely exceeded (0.6 cm) or more)

  • bent tail

  • twisted tail

  • tail tied

  • fused tail

  • excessively short tail

  • long coat

 

  • DISQUALIFICATIONS

  • Displaying or possessing aggressive behavior towards humans

  • Pink or albino eyes

  • Merle standard / does not participate in competition

  • Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism (missing one or both testicles)

  • Unilateral or bilateral deafness (deafness in one or both ears)

  • screwed tail

  • docked tail

  • docked tail

 

  • POCKET BULLY

  • This is a change to the basic pattern that a Pocket Bully is determined by its adult height.  Males less than 43 cm in height and 36 cm in height at the withers.  Females less than 16 inches (40cm) and not less than 13 inches (33 cm) at the withers.

  • Important to note that the Pocket Bully variety is simply shorter than the American Bully Standard.  Pocket Bully dogs share the same body type, type and breed as the Standard American Bully, and should not be penalized for exhibiting a muscular, muscular, bulky body.

 

  • XL BULLY

  • This is an amendment to the basic pattern whereby an XL Bully is determined by its adult height.  Males over 20 inches (51 cm) - 23 inches (57 cm) at the withers.  Females over 19 inches (48 cm) - 22 inches (54 cm) at the withers.

  • It is important to note that the XL Bully variety is simply taller than the American Bully Standard.  XL Bully dogs share the same body type, type and breed as the Standard American Bully, and they are expected to carry a bulky, muscular, bulky body type.

 

  • CLASSIC

  • This is an amendment to the basic pattern that a Classic Bully is determined by its body structure and build.  Both sexes with lighter body structures and less overall body mass, but still exhibiting "Bully" traits.

  • Bully trait example - blocky/heavy heads;  short/square snouts;  heavier bone, muscle and compact body.  Overall more bone and substance than the modern, more "terrier-like" American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier.

  • Classic Bully to give the appearance of Bullier American Pit Bull Terrier and/or American Staffordshire Terrier, which made up the origin of American Bully.

  • The Classic Bully variety is simply an American Bully dog that has lighter body structures (lighter bone) and less total body mass (less substance) than the Standard American Bully.  In addition to this difference, the Classic Bully variety follows the same pattern as the Standard American Bully.

  • Males 17 inches - 20 inches (43 cm - 51 cm) at the withers.  Females 16 inches - 19 inches (40 cm - 48 cm) at the withers.

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STANDARD OF  ABKC - American Bully Kennel Club. (entity that gave rise to the race)

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