AMERICAN BULLY

GENERAL APPEARANCE

The American Bully should display great strength, compact in comparison to its size, a muscular body with heavy bone, and a thick bulky head. 

CHARACTERISTICS

The American Bully is a companion breed, it should be friendly with strangers, family members, and children. They should be confident and also gentle. Human and dog aggression are undesirable traits. American Bully’s can thrive in city and country living. Although they are powerful and muscular they are the ideal family pet. 

HEAD 

The ideal American Bully head should appear to be large and broad. Medium in length, deep throughout, broad skull, very defined and pronounced cheek muscles. The stop should be well defined. The lips will be semi-close and even. Some looseness is accepted, but not preferred. 

EARS 

Ear should be set high and can be natural or cropped. 

EYES 

The eyes may be any color except albinism. Eye shape is oval, low down on the skull and set well apart. Any shape aside from oval is undesirable. Blue eyes and lack of pigmentation is undesired. 

MUZZLE 

The muzzle, should be short to medium with a blocky upper side or slightly squared to fall away abruptly below the eyes. The approximate length of the muzzle should be 1/3 of the skull length. The muzzle topline should be leveled with nose neither turned up or pointed. All nose colors are acceptable. 

JAW 

Jaw well defined. The under jaw should be strong and well developed, not narrow. 

BITE 

Scissor bite. Undershot and overshot are considered faults and should be penalized. 

NECK 

The neck should be heavy, slightly arched, tapering from shoulder to base of skull, with minimal or no loose skin. 

SHOULDERS 

The preferred set of shoulders will be strong and muscular with wide set scapula, good angulation, and well laid back.

BODY

The body should have well-sprung ribs, deep in the rear with all ribs close together. The forelegs set rather wide apart to permit chest development. The chest should be deep and broad. The back is short to medium, topline should have a slight slope or level. A gentle short slope from the rump to the base of tail. The American Bully should display a square body, equal in length when measured from point of shoulder to point of buttocks and from the withers to the ground. 

TAIL 

Medium in comparison to size, low set, tapering to a fine point. Generally, when gently pulled down, the tip of the tail will meet at the point of the hock. A slight variance of length no more than one inch above or one inch below the hock is acceptable but not preferred. The preferred tail will be straight and clean. When relaxed, the tail should be carried low. 

FOREQUARTERS 

The front legs should be straight with large round bones. Pasterns are strong, short, and nearly erect. Shoulders are strong and muscular, blades are set wide. Upper arms are about the same length of the shoulder blades and joined at a 35-45-degree angle. The withers and elbows should be in similar proportion to the elbows and the bottom of the feet.

The lower legs (measured from elbow to feet) of the Classic variety are longer than the width of its inner chest or the distance between the front legs. The length of forearm (elbow to wrist) of the Classic variety is equal (preferred) or longer than the upper arm (humerus).

FEET 

Feet should be moderate size, well arched, compact, straight forward and tight. 

HINDQUARTERS 

Well-muscled, let down at hocks, turning neither in nor out. Hindquarters and forequarters should be equal in width, muscular development, and angulations. Rear profile should be straight and parallel. 

COAT 

The coat should be short, close, stiff to the touch and glossy no more than a ½ inch. 

COLOR 

All colors and patterns are permissible except merle. Pigmentation shall be consistent with coat. 

VARIETY AND SIZE 

There is no particular weight for this breed, but the weight should be in proportion to the body frame and should NOT reach the point where it is considered obese.  The height of the dog from the withers determines the variety when they turn 1 year old. Younger dogs will be classified  Standard.

Pocket: 

Female 13" – Under 16"

Male 14" – Under 17" 

Classic: 

Female 15" – 19" 

Male 16" – 20" 

Standard: 

Female 16" – 19" 

Male 17" – 20" 

XL: 

Female Over 19" – 22" 

Male Over 20" – 23"

GAIT 

The gait should be effortless and powerful. Legs should not turn in or out, nor should they cross or interfere with one another. Backline should remain level. Front and rear legs on each individual side should move on the same plane.

FAULTS 

Long/Short Tail 

Curled Tail 

Gay Tail 

Overly visible haws 

Narrow set eyes

Bulging eyes 

Snipey Muzzle

Turned up Muzzle

Lack of pronounce deep stop

Undershot bite 

Overshot bite 

Level or flush bite 

Splayed of flat feet

Weak or Down Pasterns

Straight Stifle

Long toes 

Bowed front legs 

Too short upper arm

Neck too long 

Neck too thin or weak

Cow hocked 

Open hocked 

High rear 

Roach Back 

Sway Back 

Wavy Coat

Movement - rolling gait, sidewinding, hackney action and paddling or pounding

Not moving on same plane - Back legs overreaching the front, crossing over in front or rear, and rear legs moving close or touching

SERIOUS FAULTS 

Rangy or fined boned

Lack of muscle development

Kink Tail 

Knotted Tail 

Twisted Tail 

Fused Tail

Overly Short Tail

Long Coat

Severe undershot or overshot bite (1/4" or more )

Any exaggerations of any body part that would compromise the dog’s health such as breathing, movement or the active functioning of the dog such as severe short muzzle and turned feet.

DISQUALIFICATIONS

Spayed or Neutered 

Wry Bite 

Docked Tail 

Merle Color

Pink or Albino eyes 

Displaying or possessing aggressive behavior towards humans 

Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism (missing one or both testicles) 

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