Thrower Bullies

Breeds that make up the XL American Bully, Part 4... Various Mastiffs

The mastiff was primarily a guardian breed but also used for war, hunting and blood sports. The mastiff is believed to be a descendant of the Alaunt or Alan Dogge which is now extinct. These dogs were divided and bred for different purposes and stuck to those directions. Some were bred for hunting so were large and lean. Others were bred for guarding live stock and village so were larger and thicker b***d yet still lean. While a third version was bred for war, chasing down enemy soldiers and a cross between the other 2 versions but more human aggressive. The key to these dogs was their extreme submission and loyalty to live stock and their owner while being somewhat submissive to the rest of the villagers and human hand.
When the Huns came out of Asia and took over the tribes of Alan the dogs were crossed with other breeds from Spain to Portugal, France and England to Italy. They became a type, based on their purpose, rather than an actual breed due to being crossed with both sight and scenthounds for hunting. The heavier versions were used for guarding livestock, working unruly cattle, fighting and blood sports. They were the original bandogge. Meaning dogs banned or tethered during the day but usually released at night to protect property, castles, etc within a fenced or walled in area or released after hounds had caught up to large game while hunting. Today the goal of the bandog is similar, but we’ll get into that later in the series. This heavier version of the Alaunt eventually gave birth to what we know of today as mastiffs.
Mastiffs gained extreme popularity during the rule of the Romans where they were fine tuned in all their purposes. A major purpose was entertainment in blood sports in the Roman Colosseums. In between sports the dogs were used to attack lions, bears, tigers, gladiators, prisoners and anything else the promoters thought would make a good fight to entertain the crowd. When the blood sports were outlawed the dogs mostly became for guarding live stock and property or individuals. Eventually hunting and being used in war also started fading away from their purposes.
Today the tradition of guarding and protection still runs strong in mastiff traits and instincts though many have been watered down, especially recently, as the temperament of all breeds is quickly becoming that of the Labrador or Retriever due to those that prefer the aesthetics of breeds and their image over their true purpose and ability. Dog breeds are unfortunately becoming a shell of their former selves these days. If you go to a good breeder that is breeding them correctly, the guardian and protective instincts remain.
Many mastiffs were paper hung on pit bulls used for weight pull competitions. Many of these weight pull dogs went into the American Bully due to there muscle, size and thick bone. Some registries even made attempts to seperate these dogs out of Pit Bull paper work by trying to get them to be re-registered as "Pull Dogs" or "Working Pit Bull Dogs".
I find it funny that when the Rottweiler is mentioned in the American Bully community people frown their nose up. I’ve been told by several of the known older breeders on FaceBook and in lives that it did go into some lines but the rest act like it was impossible. Here’s the facts, 1. during the 90’s especially in California, there was a huge movement in mixing pit bulls and am staffs with larger breeds then cropping their ears and calling them pit bulls. 2. The most abundant dog to cross them with that would complete the objective was the Rottweiler as the Rott, German Shepherds, Dobermans, Pit Bulls, Labs and Retrievers were the most popular breeds at the time. 3. Being into the German Rottweiler back then I let my male breed to a large number of female pit bulls for a nice fee back then and would catch several of their owners claiming the tri colored offspring were pit bulls and even registering them as pit bulls with extra papers they had from pit bull breedings. 4. Though there’s only a few, there are old school American Bully breeders that admit the Rott was used and even claim that’s when they started seeing the tris but no one was into them or a specific color at the time other than blues. I don’t know how true that is but Rotts were definitely used, especially in the dogs that went into the foundation of the breed as there was no reason not to. Remember the key was bigger dog, bigger head, thicker bone, more mass, crop ears, call it a pit bull. The abundance of the Rottweiler fills all categories. No way every single person passed it up especially on the Gotti side of things, I doubt the Razors Edge guys were because they originally had focused on a cleaner look and being from the east and south probably had access to a more variety of dogs than we did on the west. When it’s all said and done, those of us who weren’t a part of the huge trend of pit bull and am staff mixing with other breeds back then in the late 80’s and early 90’s can’t really say but we do know that it was extremely popular, especially in Cali during that time.
The mastiff provides a guardian instinct to the XL American Bully and the desire to bond with it’s owners along with alertness and awareness of it’s surroundings. Many of the dogs considered to be “XXL” American Bullies carry a lot of Mastiff traits. The pack drive is high in the mastiff breed. It provides courage and bravery while also being submissive to it’s family. It also lowers the energy level of the Am Staff, Pit Bulls and some varieties of American Bulldog that were used. Most these mastiffs would’ve been used far back in pedigrees during a time when the mastiff breed was still being bred for it’s true instincts. This is not the direction of the American Bully, especially today, so these temperamental traits only show in some dogs and yards and is not consistent in all.
Duo to the longer legs of the mastiff many of the American Bullies that are still showing mastiff traits can still be athletic if unchanged by bulldog influence and dwarfism, which we’ll get into later. The wide scull of the mastiff is evident in the XL but unfortunately also provides a longer muzzle which many are focused on shrinking along with extra lip aka flews that is also undesired in the American Bully but can also come from the American Bulldog. The mastiff provides bone and mass but also provides length of body and legs that is unwanted in the American Bully but there are some that want this as it makes the dog more functional, both sides forgetting or intentionally ignoring that there must be balance. We know Boerboel, Presa Canario and Cane Corso have been used in some yards and even by some of your most popular breeders. Some Presa’s are clearly in the peds 4 or more generations back being called Pit Bulls but obviously are not and don’t even look mixed.

Breeds that make up the XL American Bully, Part 3... The American BullDog

When most people speak of the American Bulldog they speak of the Johnson and the Scott but the truth is there are 4 types not just 2, plus the hybrid which is any combination of the 4. There is the Johnson, the Scott, the Painter and the Southern White and again the Hybrid. Initially the breed was called Old Southern White bulldogs or American Pit Bulldog. Then the name changed to separate them from the APBT.
The Johnson, most popular, is referred to as the “Bully” or “Classic” and some even call it the “Classic American Bulldog”. It is the largest and some even say that St. Bernard was mixed in. It tends to be mostly white with patches of red, brindle, brown, black, etc. The Johnson is typically bred more for aesthetics and companionship, but many can be protective. The breed was created by John D Johnson using Old Southern Whites. He began breeding with Alan Scott, who ended up going in his own direction. When the two men separated Johnson intentionally went after breeding heavier, thicker dogs and calling them “Bully” by adding what many say was the St. Bernard, English Mastiff and other mastiff breeds.
The Scott is a performance breed and referred to as the “Standard” or “Performance” class, can be as tall as the Johnson but is typically slimmer and more athletic. Alan Scott wanted the dogs to maintain the ability to work man or beast and not just be for guarding property or aesthetics. Some say he began adding more Pit Bull and even some of the Painter lines into his line to maintain the traits he wanted.
The Painter, also known as the “Margentina” line, was a working dog but fine tuned for fighting as pit bulls were bred into their line but is also considered by some to be the original Bulldog with no Pit Bull added. Joe Painter also started with Old Southern Whites to create the Painter line of American Bulldogs.
The Old Southern Whites are the original. Some say they are direct descendants of the original bulldog after inbreeding dwarfed them from mastiffs and before the English turned them into English Bulldog. The Old Southern Whites were used for everything the other 3 lines were used for. Those lines just went a little more fine lined and bred specifically for the chosen activity.
We will be getting into the various bulldogs used in the American Bully but this part is strictly focusing on the American Bulldog separately due to it being a major factor. They were simply more abundant for those interested in using their Pit Bulls and Am Staffs to cross to other breeds.
Due to the 4 different lines and then the hybrid crossing any combination of the 4 there is little consistency within the American Bulldog breed. It gets more consistent with the working dogs, depending on the activity, and the show dogs, depending on the registry. Sounds a lot like the American Bully doesn’t it?
The temperament of the American Bulldog varies based on the line and, like any breed, the breeder. The Ability also varies in the same way with the Johnson usually being the least capable.
The American Bulldog brings variation of temperaments, looks and abilities to the XL American Bully. Words such as “classic” and “Bully” can also be claimed by the American Bulldog first. They bring many traits to the XL that are often confused with Mastiff traits such as the loser lips, aka “flews”, but help the American Bully maintain a shorter muzzle compared to head size as desired in our breed along with mass, wider rib cage and thicker bone compared to height, which is typical among bulldog breeds.

The UKC as of Jan 2024 will be seperating the classes of the American Bully.

They still state "The ideal American Bully possesses the athleticism to do well in performance events" but they also added that "they have a firm OFF switch for when it's time to lounge and relax with family."

They also acknowledge that "Although some level of dog aggression is characteristic of this breed"

American Bully Breed Standard Update
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2024
November 30, 2023
Effective January 1, 2024
The American Bully breed standard has been updated to include the common sizes/styles of the breed, among other edits. While the American Bully will not be exhibited as separate varieties, it is important to note the distinct style types found within the American Bully breed. Those styles are: Pocket, Standard/Classic, XL. Additional revisions include edited descriptions of the breed to align more closely with the look of an ideal specimen.
The American Bully breed was initially recognized in 2013. Ten years later, the dogs being produced by our dedicated and knowledgeable breeders display unmistakable quality, soundness, and type, which the standard has been updated to acknowledge. Throughout 2023, we accepted feedback from multiple Bully breeders and judges. The updated standard is effective January 1, 2024.
United Kennel Club wholeheartedly supports the American Bully. We do not shy away from the unique and distinct breed it is. The American Bully is a beefy, balanced dog, and exhibits confidence with a zest and exuberance for life. Despite its powerful appearance, their demeanor is gentle and friendly. This breed makes an excellent family dog. The ideal American Bully possesses the athleticism to do well in performance events, and they have a firm "off" switch for when it's time to lounge and relax with family. The American Bully breed moves with a jaunty, confident attitude, conveying the impression that he expects any minute to see something new and exciting.
Notable revisions:
While it originated as a natural extension of the APBT, the American Bully is not a Terrier. Note the addition of these serious faults: Leggy, terrier-like structure, lacking muscle.
Acknowledgement of distinct styles: Pocket, Standard/Classic, XL. The Classic has a lighter body frame and less overall body mass than the Standard while still exhibiting Bully traits and measuring the same at the withers.
Here's the link to read the rest:
https://www.ukcdogs.com/.../american-bully-breed-standard...

Breeds that make up the XL American Bully, Part 2... The American Staffordshire Terrier (AST) and the "nanny dog" myth.
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Before we get into the Am Staff let’s speak on a few things. First, I should've included in Part 1 that one of the things the APBT also offered to the American Bully was paper hanging the Bullies, especially with the UKC, as American Pit Bull Terriers. Til this day many Bullies are still registered with UKC as APBT but UKC in 2013 accepted the American Bully as a breed and allowed many of those people to get their paper work transferred from APBT to American Bully as a way to separate the 2 breeds as much as possible.
Second, I should've also included in Part 1 that there is no such thing as "nanny dogs". This a lie turned myth. "Nanny dog" was not initially associated with the APBT. It was associated with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (SBT) in the early 1800s as marketing to battle the bad rap the small English fighting dogs were getting in the public. Remember the smaller Staffordhshire Bull Terrier is the beginning of the APBT. The term “Nanny Dog” then made its way to the United States in the 1900's and got thrown on the APBT and the Am Staff. In 1971 the lie about "Nanny dogs" really got pushed by Miss Lillian Rant who was president of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier club and an editor for New York Times magazine. She claimed that staffs were once referred to as "nurse made dogs" due to how good they were with children, there was even the talk that SBT’s, APBT’s and Am Staffs use to be used to baby sit children when parents were away. In my opinion it was starting to be known as untrue but then with the popularity of the internet and especially social media, the myth of the “Nanny Dog” came back to life. Pit Bull dog groups and people who refer to the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Bully all as “pitty”, “pibble”, etc are the main ones pushing this myth today as they are firm believers in the misconception that a dogs behavior is not due to the breed or how a dog is bred and that all these breeds are pit bulls as a general term. They are under the misconception that it's all about how you love or raise them. You won’t find too many research books making the “nanny dog” claim any longer.
Now, lets get into the American Staffordshire Terrier and it's contributions to the XL American Bully. The UKC started with the APBT in 1898. The ADBA started with the APBT in 1909. Both registries not only kept track of paper work and pedigrees but also kept track of wins and losses in the fight ring. Eventually in 1936 the AKC accepted the APBT due to it’s popularity and with many of the dogs being considered curs (non game and mentally unfit for the fight ring) and most being from the fighters to non fighters being extremely tolerant of humans the transition was made easier due to them still being great companions and working dogs for other uses. The fact is you can breed two proven gamedogs and be lucky if a litter of 6 has one that will prove itself to be game or worthy of gambling your time and money on it being successful in the fight ring. This doesn’t mean they lack the ability or desire for the fight ring genetically. It just means they will probably quit due to injury, stamina or the survival instinct to turn and run if the pressure gets to be too much for them. Much of this new acceptance by the AKC was due to a charismatic Pit Bull named Petey who won over the hearts of America in 1927 due to a TV show with a bunch of little kids called Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals. Back then there were no animal rights groups monitoring animals in TV shows. Many films regarding dogs from the original Old Yeller, Lassie and others allowed dogs to fight other dogs and animals on camera. Most times the dog fighting people or an animal on film was different from the dog being used during acting. When it came to Petey this was different, he was an APBT, he was able to do both. When it came to Our Gang, Petey loved the group of kids he hung around and defended them from mean adults, donkeys and anything else the story line and TV show wanted Petey to fight. The AKC had to capitalize off this breed that they once looked down on and it's new growing popularity but didn’t want to keep the word “Pit” in the name American Pit Bull Terrier due to “pit” referring to the fighting ring aka the fighting pit. After tossing back and forth many names they accepted the American Pit Bull Terrier into the AKC but changed the name a couple times and eventually stuck to the name "American Staffordshire Terrier", out of respect for it’s original heritage from the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and focused it on the showring. Making it less game, less prey and condition driven yet extremely functional but more b***d and having more mass as the showring and the pet world prefers in all breeds. The increased size is more impressive to the eye aesthetically, especially when it comes to working dogs that aren’t being required to work.
By breeding for 2 different purposes and looks the APBT and the AST went two different directions. Some say they are still the same breed. Some say their genetics is exactly the same while other veterinarian scientists say they have slightly altered. Other veterinarians have pointed out the Am Staff has become more susceptible to diseases that were never a factor in the APBT. I’m not a scientist and our popular breed test companies aren’t equipped for that type of break down but with years of being around both breeds and working them, there is definitely a difference in temperament, ability and look which is the 3 things that make up a dog breed.
This is not new among breeds. The Cocker Spaniel in America is smaller, has a shorter muzzle, rounded skull and a deeper stop than the original English dogs imported to the U.S. In the 1930’s their parent club pushed the idea of not mixing the 2 types. By 1946 the AKC split the Cocker Spaniel into an American and English version and considered them 2 different breeds. Earlier than this the Cane Corso and the Neapolitan Mastiff went different directions. The Neo ended up being more aesthetically extreme with the wrinkles, bone and mass for showrings while the Cane Corso remained more stream lined.
The APBT and Am Staff are no different. The American Staffordshire Terrier over the last 80 years has developed a more calm temperament, has 0 the purpose, less the ability and carries a heavier body style and head than the APBT. Though the Am Staff can perform most of the legal work done by the APBT, many say it has developed into a separate breed and I agree. Here’s why, regardless of genetics, DNA and the scientific stuff, the most important thing about dogs is not what we see with a microscope but what we see standing in front of us. For example, the genetic color markers for black and tans is the same as tri dogs but when standing in front of us we can see the difference regardless of color genetics. The best rules for differences among dogs and breeds is to understand that ,as previously stated, there are 3 categories that make up a breed 1. Ability/Purpose, 2. Temperament/Behavior and 3. Aesthetics/Structure. When you neglect, purpose/ability and temperament to only focus on aesthetics you lose the essence of the species and why man even created it. You lose the ability and intelligence that was required for the job it required to be mans companion in it's designated category or activity. If the only redirection is the showring or the pet world the dog and the breeds that make up the species become shells of what they once were, losing cognition, ability and often health due to reversing the purpose in it’s creation without replacing it with another purpose. The only way to counter this is to form a standard of ability that is related to the original activity/purpose in body and mind of that breed. If it is a new breed, then the breeds used to create it must be respected and set the standard of ability, purpose and temperament or you'll lose what made those breeds special and what they have to offer to your new breed otherwise you create a lessor dog/breed.
Nature is the ultimate executioner when man rebelliously goes against what use to be common sense and nature punishes by increasing disease, reducing life span, functionality and lowering cognition. Mind follows body and body follows mind.
The formula for breeding is form follows function, function follows purpose, purpose follows the breeder so you can avoid losing traits if a new purpose or redirection is given. This is why so many Am Staffs excel at sporting activities and competitions and it is great for them as an outlet. With dogfighting being illegal the pit bull can be maintained through old school “keep” methods and dogs improving over generations, hog catching, etc and paying attention to aesthetics though there were some variation from more terrier to more working bulldog traits.
When it comes to the Am Staff it is now a different dog 80 plus years later than the dog before, the APBT, which is still thriving today but in much smaller circles. There are some that say different breeds were introduced into the Am Staff to bulk them up a bit more than the APBT, such as the American Bulldog and a few others. I don’t know for sure but I do agree. I can also see from the APBTs back then how there may have been enough dogs of a preferred look to not need to mix in other breeds but I think they did.
The UKC American Pit Bull Terrier and the AKC American Staffordshire Terrier have become the same dog. They also allow dogs to be registered as different breeds in each registry. So a dog can be dual registered with UKC as APBT and with AKC as Am Staff just as an American Bully may be registered with a Bully registry as American Bully but with UKC as a Pit Bull. The ADBA at one point remained more true to the original dog for their showring, even allowing them to face off with each other while controlled on leash to test their spirit and would register UKC dogs. If the UKC dog was also registered with AKC as an Am Staff then the ADBA would put an asterisk by their name. They would not register any dogs that came from AKC directly. I have heard they've relaxed these standards a bit but not sure exactly what the changes are.
The Am Staff is an extremely energetic dog. Very fast, agile and athletic. Great for most types of work and ready to go. More and more are seeming to become docile and even overweight with too much mass but there are still great driven specimens out there due to their original heritage. In some, their fight drive can still be high but drops dramatically when they get into it with a dominant or fight driven dog of other breeds. Most Am Staffs do great in family environments and do well with other pets, especially if raised with them.
The Am Staff is overall heavier than the APBT, thicker b***d and carrying more mass. They are often given cropped ears but that’s a preference. The APBT typcially has it's full ears.
It has been said that the American Bully is the cross between the Am Staff and the APBT. This makes 0 sense. This would just produce an Am Staff (watered down Pit Bull) or a mixed breed. Other breeds had to be mixed in to make the American Bully a true breed plus get to the look, sizes and temperaments we see today so quickly. We will be going into these other breeds in parts 3-7 of this series. The Am Staff offers most the colors and patterns we see in the XL, especially the blue coat due to so many Am Staffs being strictly bred to be blue in the 90's even though they may have been called and registered as Blue APBT's or "blue nose". The blue dogs that once did fight are long gone due to be bred winner to winner and crossed with most the winners that weren't blue. Regardless of the myth that they didn't fight. For them to remain blue the focus had to switch from winning fights to maintaining their color, this is where the blue dogs went the same route as the Am Staff of being bred for looks, thicker bone, mass, etc.
The Am Staff also offers the XL American Bully the drives required in similar physical activities that were used in a “keep” (the exercise and conditioning period used for gamedogs 1-2 months before a match) such as flirt pole, spring pole, etc.
The Classic class American Bully and the classic style American Bully has tended to, til recently, resemble the Am Staff more than the other classes. By American Bully standards and just dogs in general there’s a classic style in every breed due to the showring in all breeds and some pet breeders tend to aim for more mass in all breeds while others prefer a state more natural to the breed or species. In my opinion the Classic class is sort of unnecessary especially with it being the same height as the Standard class with the same look and style showing up in the Pocket class and the XL class too. When it’s all said and done, due to the this truth of the classes and other breeds that usually just bring more mass or color pattern, it’s the am staff that provides the option to keep the dogs clean, driven and functional. In my opinion through training various American Bullies, the further you get from the Am Staff look, not size, but overall look, the more you loose health, functionality and cognition. The dogs with more bulldog traits don't seem to learn as fast, live as long and tend to be lazier, the dogs with more mastiff traits do seem to be more protective and slightly lazier. With the Am Staff being the foundation of the blood and concept of the American Bully, one has to decide what direction they want to go, not with just the Class but also the overall look as we see registries doing the samething. Many disagree with what direction the Bully should go as some prefer the older look (more Am Staff-ish) over the newer look of the last 10 years (more bulldog-ish).

Here's more detailed info on the respiratory disease going around.

So far it has been found in:
Oregon
Colorado
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
New Hampshire

What to watch for:
Common signs of canine respiratory illness;
Coughing
Sneezing
Labored breathing
Nose or eye discharge
Lethargy
Decreased appetite

Canine respiratory disease outbreaks The Cornell Animal Health Diagnostics Center is available for consultation about suspected cases and can support specimen collection and transfer. Learn more about the tests performed. Latest Information on mystery canine respiratory illness 11.28.23 What is this illness? A highly contagious upper r...

Beware and pay attention to your dogs

From The Giant (XL) American Bully Breed 2.0

Breeds that make up the XL American Bully, Part 1 - The American Pit Bull Terrier, Some Myths And The Blue Paul???
1st lets understand, most people have never seen an American Pit Bull Terrier, they’ve seen American Staffordshire Terriers, breeds that look like American Pit Bull Terriers and breeds and mixes that the pound or media label American Pit Bull Terrier or Pit Bull. The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT), when gamebred, is considered pound per pound the toughest animal to ever exist and we are blessed with the fact that they still exist. The breed started off from the cross of terriers to bulldogs. The terriers were ranging in size from small to large and used for ratting, hunting and dog fighting while these bulldogs at the time where more like the American Bulldog and/or the Olde Bulldog and nothing like the English Bulldog. They were used for bull baiting, handling cattle, gladiator events, and also in dog fights after they dwarfed from the mastiff due to heavy inbreeding.
The combination went 2 main different directions which basically boiled down to the Bull Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a few other off shoots. Two of those off shoots were the Old Family Red Nose (OFRN) and the Blue Paul/Blue Poll which was more popular than many want to admit due to being in the hands of gypsies.
The Bull Terrier was not as efficient or versatile of a fighter in the dog pit and fell into the hands of the showring where it, like all breeds in the showring, gained more bone, mass and eventually an egg shaped head that became it’s signature look.
The Staffordshire Bull Terrier continued on to fight in multiple sizes and heights from a small to medium size dog and became the most successful at it. While the OFRN in Ireland, being bred by 5 different Irish clans, also flourished and due to the strategy of their breedings became one of few dogs that could be in**ed more than most breeds without dulling or losing structure or gaining any deformities. It is also possibly the only dog in the fight ring that can be bred for color due to it being so easy to find equally talented dogs in the fight ring of the red color. The Blue Paul has a lot of debates and myths, some say the blue color may have come from the Irish Kerry Blue Terrier bred to bull and terrier dogs. Others say the color was something they bred for to distinguish the Blue Paul from other gamedogs. Unfortunately the Blue Paul is now extinct but due to the travels of the gypsies many found their way into the hands of others and more than likely made their way into gamedog breedings. We do know blue dogs were matched back then and sold as gamedogs being advertised as blue along with their wins contrary to popular beliefs. It is my belief that the blue dogs were not an occasional dilute black gene that popped up and are not the offspring of a blue mix being brought in but do come from the Blue Paul being mixed into the breed before it became extinct. The blue was just washed out more often than not due to breedings being about winning and not about color. It was the red dogs aka OFRN that were able to be bred for color and winning but many of the red dogs today are not true OFRN and just maintained their color.
Now back to the history. Eventually the Staffordshire Bull Terrier found it’s way to America where during the frontier era dog fighting reached a height that it has never seen and never will see again. Due to trade and travel these dogs got mixed with others, the OFRN found it’s way here and so did mixes of the Blue Paul but America had no loyalties, it was all about winning so these dogs were crossed but there was one more key to shaping what eventually would become 1 breed, the American Pit Bull Terrier.
This last key was due to the trait of gameness being almost as important as winning. See there were many fighting styles. Some dogs were dancers, extremely agile and would bite whatever presented itself, some were bulldog-ish and ruff, while others favored targeting certain parts, the head, ears, legs, etc. The best dogs had one of these styles but were also backed by gameness from game to dead game, meaning they wouldn’t quit. There are debates over the true definition of “dead game”. Some feel it means the dog refused to quit and then died, others feel that it means among experienced dogmen it was easy to recognize that the dog would die before quitting so the fight would be called and though the dog perceived to be dead game lost the match, he became more valuable than the winner because he would not quit. To combat a dog that was known to be more game stamina was needed, stamina came with lung capacity and there was a dog running around at the time that had extreme lung capacity, that dog was the hound. The hound gave the gamedogs more height, made them rangier and gave them more stamina. The best hounds were those that came from breeders that bred lines that were more aggressive than what their breed was known for. While the hounds in England were mostly bred for tracking and baying many came to the American Frontier and needed to be hardier, tougher, less afraid of physical contact, fighting and be more gritty. This final key made the American Pit Bull Terrier what it was and is today. When gameness was achieved and maintained in breedings it turned the game bred APBT into the badest animal on the planet pound per pound. It is said, and I believe it, that there is no animal on the planet that can take a gamebred APBT unless that animal is atleast twice the pit bulls weight. So if the gamebred APBT is 65lbs, then that animal must be 130lbs and up to win.
Eventually during these game fights rules were developed and the most popular was the Cajun Rules of the pit. These rules seem to have come together in the early 50’s but variations floated around and agreements on rules were established before matches. In these rules the dogs were started from opposite corners and held til both dogs were pulling hard aka “scratching”. The dogs would be released to do combat, as soon as 1 dog would turn to avoid being bit or avoid contact “turn” was called, the dogs would be broken up and start over but this time the dog that turned was released first to make sure he really wanted to fight. Once he crossed the center line the other dog that didn’t turn would be released. This process would continue until one of the dogs quit or refused to scratch in it’s corner. Matches have been recorded from as quick as 15 minutes to over 6 hours.
Often in gamedogs you’ll hear of or see titles in pedigrees of gamedogs such as Champion (CH), Grand Champion, Register of Merit (ROM), and others that I won’t go into. You’ll also see things by their name like 2xW meaning 2 time winner. Once a dog had won 3 matches or 3xW he was considered a champion (CH). A dog that won 5 matches or 5xW without any loses was considered a Grand Champion (GrCh). ROM means the dog has produced champions. A male dog must produce 4 Ch’s and a female dog must produce at least 3 Ch’s to be considered ROM.
Eventually in 1936 the AKC was convinced to accept the APBT due to it’s popularity and many of the dogs being considered curs (non game and mentally unfit for the fight ring) but still great companions and working dogs. The fact is you can breed two proven gamedogs and be lucky if a litter of 6 has one that will prove itself to be game. Much of this new acceptance by the AKC was due to a charismatic Pit Bull named Petey who won over the hearts of America in 1927 due to a TV show with a bunch of funny kids called Our Gang. Back then there were no animal rights. Petey loved the group of kids he hung around and defended them from mean adults, donkeys and anything else the TV show wanted Petey to fight. The AKC had to capitalize off this but didn’t want the keep the word “Pit” in the name, so after tossing back and forth many names they accepted the American Pit Bull Terrier but changed the name to American Staffordshire Terrier, out of respect for it’s original heritage the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and began breeding a less game, less prey and condition driven dog yet extremely functional but more b***d and more massed dog, again as the showring prefers in all breeds. We’ll get into the American Staffordshire Terrier in Part 2 of this series. I feel they have evolved into 2 separate breeds after 87 years of separation but many disagree with me.
The temperament of the APBT is a dog of high prey drives, especially high play drive, high purpose drive and high fight drive. Their purpose drive can be so high that they look to strangers for acceptance and can over trust people that are not part of the family causing them to be too friendly and lack protective instincts but they are extremely smart, so though they may mistrust a stranger they will figure things out quick if the stranger becomes aggressive at all towards the APBT’s family.
The ability of the APBT is unmatched by many. They are a dog that was bred for combat, so they are extremely resilient, heal quickly and usually have no issues with diseases. They can do it all from sprints to jumping, etc. They are an all-around athlete. They are also very capable at catch work, weight pull, frisbee catching, dock diving, etc. But before you get involved in these events make sure your APBT is good around other dogs or kept in control while around other dogs. Never forget their heritage.
The myth is that the APBT ranges from 30-65lbs and that anything over is not an APBT. This is not true, dogs were matched at as high as 60lbs, Plumbers Alligator was matched at 57lbs, which means on chain they were weighing anywhere from 65 to 70lbs and if kept as just a family pet could weigh up to 80lbs easily. GRCH Mayday was matched at 65lbs so now we’re talking dogs that could be heavier than 80lbs if kept as the average pet.
Another myth is that these fighting dogs had cropped ears. Most Pit Bulls and most fighting dogs do not have cropped ears. It is said or lied that the ears were cropped to prevent injury, that’s actually the opposite. The ear is flexible and if a dog got the ear without being close enough to the head he became an easy target for the dog whose ear was grabbed.
Some dogs were bully others were lean and greyhound-ish. Some had boxed heads while others had more of a terrier head and some were the perfect combination of the two. The main thing was not to be too compact which prevented movement and athleticism and not to be too long which made it more difficult for a dog to recover when colliding into another dog and allowed more space for error. The dogs regardless of bone density and head size or shape were to be square. That’s’ from shoulder to hip, down to the foot, back forward to the front foot and back up to the shoulder should be a perfect square.
The American Pit Bull Terriers main contribution to the XL is the American Staffordshire Terrier (which we’ll get into next week) and the dogmen/women that came from the APBT and yes, the fight world. The American Staffordshire Terrier is the foundation of the breed as it was once said the American Bully should look like a “Pit Bull on Steroids” which is what the Am Staff has turned into. We do seem to be getting away from that look as more bulldog traits are showing up, especially in the showring and more mastiff traits are showing up especially in the XLs. Which one (bulldog or mastiff) is better or worse is up to you and your preference. I prefer the original look of the “Pit Bull on Steroids” but I also understand that when they say “Pit Bull” what they really mean is Am Staff.
Another contribution from the Pit Bull world to the American Bully world was the dog breeding pyramid schemes and marketing strategies that blew up in the 90’s. Dogfighting became illegal in 1976 and a felony in 2007. During this 31 year period many dogmen began claiming they were selling “gamedogs” to the unknowing and unexperienced young man looking to get into the world of dogfighting they didn’t realize these dogs weren’t game, they just had gamedogs in their lineage but the dogs themselves were unproven so were therefore not “gamedogs”. Also many men who were unproven, never worked a dog in any form, began calling themselves "dogmen" just cause they were breeders and liked dogs.
Another hustle that blew up especially in California during the late 80's to mid 90’s were studs and kennels claiming to be bloodlines. To this day, especially in the American Bully world many think creating a bloodline is up to opinion, it’s not. Theres a factual way to do it and each step has a specific purpose but unfortunately most want to take short cuts and get shook when they hear things take more time.