Bullypit Dog Breed

The Bullypit is not formally in any Dog Group due to it being a hybrid. It should be noted that it this mixed breed is produced by only one American Kennel Club (AKC)-recognized purebred, the Bulldog. The other parent is the United Kennel Club (UKC) recognized American Pit Bull Terriers, but not always under that name. The Staffordshire Pit Bull Terrier, which is recognized by the AKC and the UKC, is sometimes registered with the UKC as an American Pit Bull Terrier. Before such a dog can be registered with the UKC as a APBT, however, the dog must first be registered with the AKC as — you guessed it! — a Staffordshire Pit Bull Terrier. The AKC doesn't return the favor and so UKC-registered ABPTs are not allowed to be registered with the AKC in any way but as Staffordshire Pit Bull Terriers.

In any case, the Bullypit may or may not be a good dog for families or households with children. It is almost universally agreed that this is not a good dog for a home with smaller pets. Before getting one of these dogs, whether as a puppy or an adopted adult, you should be well-read-up on everything regarding Bully Pitbull attacks.

PROS

• Very low shedder
• Can be trained easily
• Makes a great guard dog
• Barks very little, if at all
• Tends to be loyal to a fault
• Great for active, outdoor people
• Properly socialized, this dog can be very loving

CONS

• Extremely domineering
• Must be exercised a lot
• Tends to be very stubborn
• Not good for apartment-only living
• Requires a lot of obedience training
• May fight excessively with other dogs
• Can be very expensive to adopt and maintain
• Not for elderly, infirm or people lacking strength
• Is not a good watch dog due to little or no barking
• Prone to a number of ailments and inherited diseases
• Can be ferociously protective, even among family members
• May have a history of violence that doesn't seem obvious
• Has a great social stigma that can prompt outrage from people
• Needs a yard with a very high fence or wall as they are jumpers
• Could have breeds / mixes in the bloodline other than what you may have been told
• May be outlawed via Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) in your city, state or community

The Bullypit, also known as the American Bully, has as varied a history, public opinion and background as any given dog. Many people say this mixed breed is friendly, eager to please and the best guard dog a family can adopt. Others proclaim that it's one of the most dangerous dogs around and that, due to the undocumented crossbreeding that tends to include too many unknown elements, should be outlawed. Although there are many, many sites about Bullypits, there is no central bully pitbull wiki site or just one place with bully pitfalls info, and you will read a lot of wide-ranging opinions and evidence regarding this mixed breed.

There are some dog lovers who claim that the Bullypit lacks intelligence, but the general consensus tends to be that it is a very smart dog. Those who believe that Bullypits are very dangerous typically claim that the dog's intelligence is what drives it to commandeer a household and eventually attack. Proponents who claim this dog is not dangerous (but that people are responsible for making specimens of this mixed breed vicious) agree that this dog's intelligence is very high and that with the proper training, they can be perfect family pets.

For the most part, the Bullypit's loyalty can be to a fault: they will not hesitate to protect a loved one, sometimes even against other family members if they perceive there may be a possible threat. They don't bark much, and it has been widely noted that they give no obvious warning prior to attacking. They move in packs, if given the chance, and there will be an alpha that will lead and occasionally be challenged. This latter behavior can be extremely violent. Unless you are a very experienced dog trainer who is well-versed in how these kinds of dogs behave, it is not at all recommended that you attempt to break up a dog fight among Bullypits.

One of the best-known features of the American Bully is the dog's strength, and stamina shouldn't be forgotten either. Along with a very high tolerance to pain, these qualities make for a formidable guard dog. They have lots of energy to be burned, but it need not be strenuous exercise so much as a lot of it for long periods of time daily.

The Bullypit's parent breeds, which are at least two but could be as many as four or more, have longer histories. The two primary purebred parents are the American Bulldog and the American Staffordshire Terrier. The other parent breeds which are said to play a varying degree in the production of Bullypits include (although not always) the Bull mastiff, the Bull Terrier and the Rottweiler, among others. (Adding to the confusion is that some hybrid breeders' clubs use Bullypit to describe the American Bulldog / American Pit Bull Terrier mix; it should be noted that the American Bully is not the same dog.) Many breeders claim that the English Bulldog has a more prominent role than admitted as this breed can help mitigate the aggression that tends to put this dog in the media spotlight so often and badly.

The year 1990 is said to have been when American Bully Pitbull history was started, and the people who are believed to have done so are Dave Wilson and Carlos Barksdale of Razor's Edge Kennels in Virginia. (Wilson now oversees the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC).) These two breeders claim they spent a lot of time preparing to develop the American Bully. This, however, is also vehemently denied by a number of American Bully breeders. Perhaps the only true consensus among Bully lovers is that this hybrid dog was first known in the early 1990s.

Since then, certain bloodlines have been catapulted to great fame. Perhaps the top dog among Bullypits is the sire, Juan Gotty, a dog that founded the Greyline bloodline. The breeder was Richard Barajas of West Side Kennels, and it is agreed that Juan Gotty was a founder of foundations, as he has sired many dogs that have carried the Greyline bloodline to significant fame that currently continues.

Nevertheless, a number of government and animal welfare groups claim that Bullypits and similar dogs (such as Pitbulls) started filling shelters in the United States to a phenomenal volume starting in the 1990s.

In July of 2013, the American Bully was formally recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC). The Bullypit has become and continues to be very popular in Europe.

Like all Bully types of dogs, the Bullypit is somewhat stocky, medium in size, and extremely powerful in physique and very sturdy. Their overall look should be of a solid box with an ever-ready turret that is nevertheless a friendly face to those in the know!

The head is rectangular with an almost distinctly boxy shape. While the blue eyes are regularly featured for these dogs, the eyes come in all colors. The strong jaws are typically a scissors bite but could have either an underbite or an overbite. In any case, the jaws will be huge and strong, and they will be draped with long, loose jowels. The ears should be medium in length and bend forward in the middle. American Bully ear cropping is common because these dogs are too often abused and neglected to make them mean for fighting. Still, you'll often enough see these dogs with uncropped, natural ears. The legs are squared, stocky, and medium in length with small paws. The tail is also often docked although that is less so these days due to laws forbidding tail docking.

The skin will be a little loose with a coat of short, shiny, smooth hair.

Just as there are actual purebred parents that are crossed to produce F1 Bullypits, and F1 Bullypits crossed to make F2s and so on down the line (two F2's to make a litter of F3's, etc.). There are also seemingly innumerable varieties constantly expanding and because of this, there is not the typical description of variations for this hybrid dog. The XXL, especially the red nosed type, seems to be the most sought after and intriguing to potential owners.

Some breeders and registries claim there are five categories of the Bullypit, and others state there may be only four — and yet others announce just three. It all depends on which breeder and / or registry you believe. The categorization of Bullypits seems to be so discombobulated as to have prompted some Bully-based Web sites to create infographics to illustrate the categories. To be sure, you will need to spend a lot of time not just researching the Bullypit and its variety of variations but figuring out what is true and what is hype.

Nevertheless, there seems to be some consensus that there are Pocket, Classic/Standard and XL (extra-large) Bullypits. Those who claim there are five varieties list the Pocket, Classic, Standard, Extreme and XL (in order of increasing size). Those who list four categories name the Pocket, Classic, Standard and XL. There has recently been introduced the XXL Bully Pitbull that is not described save for its weight: 150-plus pounds. Then there are the random terms such as "giant, big, huge, micro, etc". used to describe Bully Pitbulls. In any case, there is no standard despite the continuing popularity of this mixed breed, and as such, the variations — and new names — will most likely continue to swell so long as people continue to seek these dogs.

The general American Bulldog Pitbull mix temperament is not easy to describe — especially when there is so much media hype as well as very strongly worded opinions both for and against this mixed breed and its many parent breeds. There is also highly controversial Breed-Specific Legislation (BSL) aimed at dogs said to be bred primarily for dog-fighting. Because BSL names breeds and mixes, the apparent desire is to create legal gray areas by further cross-breeding (with confusing names)— which in turn can make the Bully Pit temperament (and other mixed-breed dogs) all but impossible to know.

There are a few things about which all Bully lovers agree, however. These dogs have a high tolerance for pain, are extremely strong and drool a lot. They are also difficult to train due to their stubborn desire to be the top dog.

Depending on which breeds (and crossbreeds) may have been used to produce your Bullypit (and the bloodline in general), his temperament may be relatively docile, curious but oddly aloof and sometimes pushy in a playful way. Then again, if you are adopting a mature Bullypit, you could get an aggressive, suspicious and unpredictable dog. Be aware that there remains a social stigma that is sure to rear its head no matter how sweet, affable and goofy your Bullypit may be. You should be prepared to maintain complete control of your dog when in public.

Bullypits have only been around for a little less than 30 years. Because of this as well as the uncontrolled, undocumented and non-standardized cross-breeding of this very popular but all too mismanaged mixed breed, the doctor is still out on just how many and serious are the health problems. What is known is that there are respiratory ailments, albinism, joint dysplasia, skeletal support conditions, bloat, mild as well as severe eye concerns, skin and food allergies, a deadly intolerance to heat, and short life spans for the larger dogs — to name just a few general problems. The drive to produce ever-larger Bullypits in excess of 150 pounds is sure to produce ever-more ailments.

If you plan on buying a Bullypit, be sure to insist on a thorough battery of test results of the parents — and if possible, the puppy — from the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). If you are adopting one of the many hundreds of thousands of abandoned Bullypits, you may have to arrange to have these tests done, but it is well worth the time, hassle and money.

Because of the many sizes ranging from Pocket to the newly established XXL, the life span of a Bullypit can be anywhere from 8 to 14 years.