09/23/2026
This is Xena, a beautiful American Bully! She did puppy lessons with us, as well as a board and train once she was 6 months old.
The American Bully was specifically bred to be an imposing, ultra-muscular family companion with a calm and loyal temperament. Created in the United States during the late 1980s and 1990s, breeders wanted a dog with the powerful, heavy-boned look of a "bully" type, but without the high prey drive or aggressive fighting instincts ("gameness") found in older terrier lines.
The American Bully started as a new offshoot of traditional pit bull and terrier types in places like California and Virginia. Early breeders wanted a dog that looked like a bodybuilder version of a pit bull, with a very docile temperament. Over time, they crossed different bloodlines to add wider chests, blockier heads, and heavier bones.
Breeders used several specific types of dogs to build the look and character of the American Bully:
-American Pit Bull Terrier: Provided the core athletic foundation, high energy, and active working body structure.
-American Staffordshire Terrier: Added a wider skull, heavier muscle mass, and stable, people-friendly mind.
-American Bulldog: Infused in certain lines to increase overall height, broad chest width, and heavy bone density.
-English Bulldog: Used selectively to shorten the muzzle and add thick body mass and a heavy look.
Any negative stigma associated with the American Bully is likely due to the fact that people saw an opportunity to capitalize off the breed and started selling Pitbull puppies as American Bullies since they look so similar at a young age. Also, bad breeders stopped focusing on temperament and let some of the “gameness” to be passed on. A good breeder will be looking for a very docile, family-friendly temperament (aka a couch potato).