American Bully

The American Bully is a modern breed of dog that was developed as a companion dog, and originally standardized and recognized as a breed in 2004 by the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC). Their published breed standard describes the dog as giving the "impression of great strength for its size". In 2008, the American Bully was recognized by the European Bully Kennel Club (EBKC), and on July 15, 2013, by the United Kennel Club (UKC). The UK Kennel Club, American Kennel Club, and International Canine Federation do not recognize the American Bully as a separate breed.

Temperament in adult dogs is highly dependent on training, and the breed can be very demanding and needs to be properly trained. The American Bully Kennel Club divided the American Bully into four categories, including the XL, Pocket, Standard, and Classic, whereas other registries, including the UKC, have approved one consistent size standard.

Due to the size, strength, and aggression level of the American Bully, legal controls on the ownership of the breed exist in several countries. The XL Bully was responsible for 10 of the 19 deaths caused by dogs in the UK in the period between 2021 and 2023, and in December 2023, the UK Government added the breed to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, making it illegal to sell, breed, abandon or have a Bully XL in public without a lead and muzzle in England and Wales.

Appearance
The United Kennel Club (UKC) and American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC) breed standards are similar, except the ABKC recognises four varieties of size, based on height, whereas the UKC recognises only one standard size.

Within the ABKC, the four varieties are separated by height without specification of weight. All these varieties are expected to follow the same standard with minor alterations.

All dogs are classified and shown as Standard until they reach a year of age, at which point they are separated into the varieties and shown against their own type.

Standard
The standard American Bully type is a medium-sized dog with a compact bulky muscular body, heavy bone structure and blocky head. Male dogs must be 17 to 20 in, while females must be 16 to 19 in at the withers.

Pocket
The "pocket" type is a smaller variant, with full-grown males 14 to 17 in, and females 13 to 16 in, at the withers.

XL
An XL type is determined by its adult height, with males 21 to 23 in, and females 19 to 22 in, at the withers.

Classic
The classic is a lighter-framed dog than the standard, but falls within the same height range. These dogs do not display the exaggerated features often found in the other varieties, and arguably display clearer American Pit Bull Terrier/American Staffordshire Terrier lineage.

Non-standard sizes
Outside of the breed standard, dogs shorter or taller than the named variations have been bred. Smaller dogs are sometimes called "Micro", and larger ones are called "XXL", but neither are recognized by the kennel clubs as legitimate varieties.

Temperament
The American Bully is a highly adaptable and trainable breed. Many dogs, despite acting as lapdogs in the home, do well in sports such as weight pull and flirt pole. Human aggression is discouraged in breed standards. Breeders have acknowledged that American Bully dogs can be very dangerous if improperly raised or bred.

Health
Health problems vary within the breed and span the entire spectrum, with some varieties being plagued by problems, and others being well-documented for health and quality. Testing is not as commonplace in the breed as in older breeds, though hip and elbow scoring are the most frequently conducted. Cherry eye, ectropion, and entropion are often seen affecting the eyes, while brachycephalic respiratory syndrome can be seen in the shorter muzzled dogs.

History
The American Bully, as it is now known, began development in the 1980s with the majority of the final behavioral and aesthetic product being completed in the 1990s. The breed's development and popularity are commonly tied to the growth of hip-hop culture.

There is consensus that at least five other breeds were used to attain the  desired as well as the more diminutive size of some lines. The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) was the foundation (parent breed) used to create the American Bully. The APBT has maintained a characteristic appearance and temperament for over a century, with different strains of APBT emerging within the breed, each with different physical attributes. One particular APBT strain was crossbred to create a stockier physique that breeders originally misrepresented as purebred APBTs. Eventually, enough breeders agreed that these dogs were disparate enough from APBTs that they should be called a different breed altogether. The bloodline of these mixed breeds was further influenced with openly-acknowledged breeding with the American Bulldog, English Bulldog, and Olde English Bulldogge in order to fine-tune desired physical characteristics and personality traits.

The breed was first recognized by its breed club, the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC), in 2004. This registry first acted as a means to document pedigrees and show the breed against its written standard. According to the ABKC, the initial desire for this breed was to produce a dog with a lower prey drive and more of the "bully" traits and characteristics than the American Staffordshire Terrier. Mass and heavy bone was prioritized to ensure such a look, and due to this many of the dogs shown today display the wide front for which they were originally bred.

The American Bully is bred to be a companion dog and should not be confused with the several other bulldog-type breeds.

United Kingdom
American bullies first arrived in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2014 or 2015, and increased in popularity during the COVID lockdown of 2020-2021. Because the breed is not a registered breed with the UK Kennel Club, it is unknown how many dogs or breeders there are in the UK.

Attacks on people
In the UK, XL Bully dogs were responsible for more than 50% (10 out of 19) of the dog-related human deaths between 2021 and June 2023 despite being estimated to only make up a few thousand of the also estimated thirteen million dogs in the UK. The London-based pressure group Bully Watch, which campaigns for controls on the breed, places the number of deaths related to XL Bullies at 14 between 2021 and September 2023. Victims have included a young toddler, professional dog walkers,  and elderly individuals.

According to Richard Barker, a National Health Service (NHS) consultant surgeon, wounds caused by XL Bullies are more severe than those caused by other breeds. He stated that the dogs' bite can shred skin and crush bones, carrying particular risk of irreparable nerve damage.

Move towards ban
In June 2023, MP John Hayes raised the issue in the House of Commons, calling on the government to urgently ban the XL Bully following attacks in recent years. The Kennel Club has argued that the problem rests with irresponsible dog owners, and that an outright ban of certain dog breeds will not address that.

On September 11, 2023, following an attack on an 11-year-old girl by an XL Bully, Home Secretary Suella Braverman requested urgent advice on the feasibility of banning the breed. It was reported that there were concerns within Defra, the government department responsible for administering the Dangerous Dogs Act, over the practicality of a ban. Four days later on September 15, it was announced that a man had died after being attacked by two dogs believed to be Bully XLs. Shortly thereafter Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that the Bully XL would be banned by the end of the year. Following this announcement a protest took place within London against the ban.

The subsequent ban was introduced in stages, with the intention to sell, give away, abandon or breed from an XL bully being banned from 31 December 2023 along with a requirement that the dogs be muzzled and on a lead at all times. From 1 February an exemption certificate, along with insurance and microchipping of the animal, must be obtained. By the end of 2024 any Bully XLs still owned must be neutered.

Criminal activity
Prior to 2020, no seizures of American Bullies by the Metropolitan Police, covering the Greater London, were reported. In 2022, the force seized 479 out-of-control dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act. The American Bully was the second most commonly seized breed, with 73 dogs seized. In the first five months of 2023 the force seized 44 American bullies, almost three times the next most common breed, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, of which 16 had been seized.

In January 2023, a BBC investigation found that organized crime in the UK was moving into the lucrative market of extreme dog breeding, specifically American Bullies, as a means of money laundering.

Germany
Germany has passed a law on dangerous dogs (Dog Transfer and Import Restrictions Act) in 2001. It prohibits the import or transfer of certain dogs and includes the following breeds: American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier, as well as crossbreeds and mixed-breeds of these dogs.

On February 9, 2023, the Rhineland-Palatinate Higher Administrative Court ruled that the classification of a dog whose father was an American Bully as a dangerous dog is permissible under the state law on dangerous dogs.

Within the span of a year, 2 people were killed by American Bullies, both family pets. Statistically, Germany has about 3 fatal dog attacks per year.

Ireland
In Ireland, the American Bully is restricted as a 'Bandog'. It must be muzzled and on a lead no longer than 2 metres when in public, amongst other requirements.

On July 12, 2024, Minister for Community Development, Heather Humphreys announced plans to introduce a two stage ban beginning on October 1, 2024. Phase 1 will be a ban on the breeding, rehoming, reselling and importing. Phase 2 will limit ownership to dogs that have been licensed, microchipped and neutered.

Turkey
In Turkey, it is illegal to own or breed an American Bully.

United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates "prohibits the possession and circulation of the American Bully for individuals and commercial establishments."

United Kingdom
In September 2023, following a series of severe and fatal attacks in the UK, it was announced that ownership of the XL Bully would be banned in the country by the end of 2023. The ban on selling, breeding, abandoning breed, abandon or having an XL Bully in public without a lead and muzzle came into force in England and Wales on December 31, 2023, with the ban on owning one without a certificate of exemption due to follow in February 2024.