THE AMERICAN BULLY 101
The American Bully is a recently developed breed of dog which was bred to be a companion dog and show version of the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Stafford Terrier. First appearing in the 1990’s, the American Bully is rapidly increasing in popularity, more so than almost any other rare bred both in the United States and abroad. The American Bully is best known for its tough and intimidating appearance and its friendly but protective nature. American Bullies are not currently recognized by any major canine organization but a few smaller registries have recognized them and there are several breed specific clubs dedicated specifically to them. The American Bully is usually considered to be a type of Pit Bull, referring to the general type collectively known as Bully Breeds, not the specific breed.
HISTORY
Until the 1990’s, the American Bully did not exist at all. Its ancestors, however, have been very well known in the United States for almost two hundred years. For many centuries, blood sports were immensely popular in England. Two of the most popular were bull-baiting, where an Old English Bulldog was pitted in combat against a chained bull, and rat killing, where a Terrier-type dog would be placed in a pit with dozens of rats until either a certain amount of time had passed or all the rats were dead. By 1835, social attitudes had changed and bull-baiting was made illegal. Dog fighting was not banned, however, and this sport became immensely popular. The preferred dogs used in dog fighting were crosses between Old English Billdogs and Rat Killing Terriers, a mix known as the Bull and Terrier. Eventually, Bull and Terriers bred true, becoming two new breeds, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the Bull Terrier. Staffordshire Bull Terriers were imported into the United States beginning in the early 1800’s and these dogs became incredibly popular across the country. In America, these dogs became known as American Pit Bull Terriers after the fighting pits in which they battled.