est. 2015

American Bully

American Bully Breed Standard

Recognized by the AMA in 2015

Background: The American Bully breed was established in the 1990s with the purpose of creating the ultimate family companion. The American Bully was created by selective breeding of the desired traits from the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier. The American Bully also has a subtle influence of the American Bulldog, English Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge, and Cane Corso.

General Appearance: The American Bully is a short smooth coated dog. There breed characteristics are a compact, strong, thick set structure and build. They are a medium to large size dog with a heavy muscular body and blocky head. The head is in proportion to the body and free of exaggeration so as not to compromise breathing and/or obstruct vision. The American Bully should have great overall balance and proportions giving the appearance of a square body. The distance from the shoulders to the croup should be equal distance from the withers to the bottom of the feet. They should reflect a strong American Pitbull Terrier/American Staffordshire Terrier blended with other bull breeds.  The American Bully is the ideal family companion that also excel in many various performance/working venues.
Disqualifications: unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism

Disposition: Alert, outgoing and friendly with a self-assured attitude. They exude confidence and a zest for life, with a willingness to please the family. There demeanor is gentle and friendly. The ideal American Bully possess the ability to perform well in performance/working venues and play with the family in the same day.
Disqualifications: viciousness or extreme shyness

Size: The overall proportion and balance of height to weight is of more importance than the dog’s actual height or weight. Dogs slightly over or under these ranges should only be penalized if they are disproportionately overdone or gangly.

         Male: An ideal male should be 16 to 24 inches tall at the withers with the weight increasing with the height of the dog.
         Female: An ideal female should be 15 to 23 inches tall at the withers with the weight increasing with the height of the dog. 

Head: The American Bully head is medium in length. It is distinctly heavy, large and broad. Its unique head type is what exemplifies an American Bully. There is a well-defined moderately deep stop. The cheeks are pronounced, free of wrinkles and the flews are deep and clean.

Eyes: Medium in size, oval to slightly round in shape, wide set and sit low on the skull. All colors accepted without preference except blue eyes. The haw should not be visible. Full pigmented eye rims preferred.
Cosmetic faults: blue eyes, pink eye rims, eyes that do not match in color.
Disqualifications: crossed eyes, divergent strabismus (wall-eyed)

Muzzle/Bite: Short or medium in length approximately 1/3 of the overall length of the head (nose to occiput).  The muzzle is broad and blocky or slightly square. The lower jaw is well-developed, wide and deep. The muzzle should never turn upward. The lips should be tight with minimal looseness accepted but not preferred. The American Bully has full dentition with 42 to 44 evenly spaced teeth. The accepted bite is scissor or even. American Bully’s participate in performance/working venues and should not be penalized for chipped, broken or extracted teeth.
Serious faults: overshot, undershot
Disqualifications: wry mouth

Nose: All colors of pigmentation are acceptable without preference. The nares should be large and open.
Cosmetic faults: lack of pigmentation
Serious fault: pinched nares

Ears: Cropped or natural are accepted without preference. If natural the ears should be uniform, medium in size, and sit high on the head.
Disqualifications: unilateral or bilateral deafness, bat ears
          
Neck: Muscular, medium in length, slightly arched, tapering from shoulders to head, with slight to no dewlap.
Cosmetic fault: excessive dewlap
Serious faults: necks that are too short, long or thin that could interfere with functional ability

Shoulders: Very muscular with wide sloping blades. The shoulders set so elbows are not angled out. The shoulders should be well laid back and forms, with the upper arm, an apparent 90 degree angle.
Serious faults: shoulders that are too steep without a lay back

Chest, Back and Loin: The chest should be deep and broad without being excessively wide as to throw the shoulders out. The distance from the withers to the elbow is equal to the distance from the elbows to the bottom of the feet. The back is short to medium in length, strong and broad. The loin is wide and short. The topline is level and straight. The croup slopes slightly downward to the base of the tail.
Serious Faults: narrow or shallow chest, long backed, sway back, roached back
Disqualifications: chest so wide as to interfere with correct movement

Hindquarters: Very broad, well-muscled and in proportion to the shoulders. The rear feet when viewed from the rear are straight and parallel. The thighs are well developed with thick muscles. Viewed from the side the hock is well bent and rear pasterns are well let down and perpendicular to the ground.
Serious faults: Narrow hips, cow hocked, sickled hocked, twisted hocked, bowed legs, under angulation, over angulation.

Legs: Strong and straight with heavy bone. Front legs should set close or slightly away from the body. Rear legs should have a visible angulation of the stifle joint.
Serious faults: in at the elbows, excessively bowlegged, fiddle chested

Feet: Of moderate size, toes of medium length, well arched and close together, not splayed. Pasterns should be strong, straight and upright. Serious faults: hare foot, paper foot, splayed foot, crocked toes, splayed feet, feet toeing in or out

Tail: The preferred tail is commonly referred to as a pump handle tail. The tail is set low, thick at the root, tapering to a point to the top of the hock. The tail should not curl over back
Serious faults: kinked tails, a tail that comes to a complete curl
Disqualifications: screw tail, bobbed tail, docked tail

Coat: Glossy, short, close, stiff to the touch, not long and/or fuzzy with no feathering.
Cosmetic Fault: curly or wavy coats
Disqualifications: coat longer than ½ inch

Color: Any color, color pattern, or combination of colors is acceptable without preference with the exception of merle.
Disqualifications: merle, albinism

Movement: The gait is balanced and smooth, powerful and unhindered suggesting agility with easy, ground covering strides, showing strong driving action in the hind quarters with corresponding reach in front. As speed increases the feet move toward the center line of the body to maintain balance. Ideally the dog should single-track. The top line remains firm and level, parallel to the line of motion. Head and tail carriage should reflect that of a proud, confident and alert animal.
Movement faults: Any suggestion of clumsiness, tossing and/or rolling of the body, crossing or interference of front or rear legs, short or stilted steps, twisting joints, pacing, paddling, or weaving. Similar movement faults are to be penalized according to the degree to which they interfere with the ability of the dog to perform in performance/working venues.


Disqualifications:
-Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism
-Viciousness or extreme shyness
-Crossed Eyes
-Divergent Strabismus (Wall-Eyed)
-Wry mouth
-Unilateral or bilateral deafness
-Bat ears
-Screw tail
-Bobbed tail
-Docked tail
-Coat longer than ½ inch
-Merle
-Albinism
-Chest so wide as to interfere with correct movement


Fault Degrees:
A cosmetic fault is one of a minor nature. A fault not specified as cosmetic has to do with structure as it relates to a dog that is able to compete in performance/working venues. In a show or other evaluation, the dog is to be penalized in direct proportion to the degree of the fault. Any fault, which is extreme, should be considered a serious fault and should be penalized appropriately.