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I am going to try my best to explain the variety standards for you the best I can. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. I am going to try and break it down and simplify it to the best of my abilities. This is a post I made on the ABKC board in regards to the Breed Varieties.
After listening to the comments by judges, I have also seen judges agrue the Pocket v. Small Dog, it made me really think of what the ABKC established the classes for?
Pocket: The pocket bully was originally formed at a time when medium size dogs were the norm and competing across the board. The pocket standard was originally written for people who wanted to compete with smaller, more compact dogs that still had bully characteristics. Marco Suarez was one of the first people I remember even having pocket bullies, esp. on a consistent sense.
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The dogs had bully characteristics but were very different from the standard American Bullies. The ABKC added the pocket class for people with this style of dog. Every definition of "pocket" refers to as small. A pocket dog by it's own definition set forth by the ABKC, "proportioned to the body frame." Therefore the "breed type" for a pocket dog should be: small, compact, shortback, proportioned, and still have American Bully looks.
The judges have said that the pocket class don't have the substance they should have. Comments have been made by judges that the pocket dogs should still carry the mass of a standard. If that is the case, how is that proportioned? BTK used a good reference, a SBT is 14-16in. tall and carry a weight of 28 to 38 pounds. How can a dog that is 16in. tall and 70-80 pounds be even remotely considered proportioned?
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Suarez Bulls Gargoyle II- 16", 65 pounds, 23"
That is a good example of what a pocket dog should look like? How could you compare a dog that size to a standard size dog? He looks like a mini (hence pocket) version of a standard American Bully. How can a judge say that he is lacking breed type for an American Bully? How can he just be a tiny dog?
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Standard: The standard for the ABKC were dogs that were medium size that were between the sizes of 17-20in. dogs. They are still to be in proportioned, but allow for differences in weight as long as their weight doesn't effect their proportion, movement, or the overall breed type look. I remember seeing dogs like King Kamali, Heff, Tonka, Don Vitto, RN Gotti, etc.
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It seems like this class is not made very clear: This is the foundation of the ABKC. The ABKC was created for the people who love their bullies and didn't have anywhere to go. The standard class will always be the backbone of the American Bully.
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XL: The XL class was originally formed for the guys with the large dogs. At the time, Ganghis Kon, RBG, Blueline, etc. were all bloodlines that were much taller and usually weighed more and were much greater in size. I understand the ABKC didn't want to exclude these people from the ABKC, therefore a standard was written that catered to them.
![]()
These dogs were still in proportion but just much larger dogs for people that still had bully characteristics but in breed type was definately different in aspects of size. The dogs tended to be taller and longer backs.
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Classic: The Classic class was the original design of the American Bully. When Razors Edge was competing in the UKC, the idea was to create a dog carrying a slight bit more mass than the competing lines in the UKC/AKC. These dogs were a tipping more on the overdone side, but were not grossly overdone therefore they still were successful in competing in the UKC & AKC. As the American Bully gain popularity and began to cross with other bully lines, the dog progressed into a larger mass dog which has now become the standard for the Standard Class American Bully, and with the UKC rewriting their breed standard in 2009 it left these previous competing UKC/AKC dogs no avenue to compete in. If they were to be shown under a current UKC judge who is an APBT they would find these dogs lacking moderation and overdone.
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UKC CH under the previous UKC Breed Standard
![]()
Current ABKC Classic CH
![]()
2009 UKC Top Ten Dog
The ABKC must support these dogs because it is the building blocks that helped the American Bully develop into the dog it is today.
================================================== =============
MY THOUGHTS: I realize the ABKC is trying everything possible to not alienate ANYONE because we want everyone to feel like they have home. The fact of the matter is the future of the American Bully lay in the hands of the ABKC and it's decisions will effect the dogs for years and years to come. Right now, the "people" are already pushing the enevlope. In every registry in the world, once the standard for a breed is written, the breeders strive to produce that standard. In the ABKC, the breeders are NOT breeding to produce the standard, breeders are breeding to out-do the next breeder and keep 'pushing the envelope.' The extreme class I understand was formed to give the people who like extreme dogs to compete in, but where do you draw the line as to what is TOO EXTREME? Also by opening up an extreme class you are now GLORIFING breeding dogs that are NOT proportioned or balanced. By some of the judges defintions: extreme is 'out of the ordinary'......Ordinary is what a standard is suppose to be for a breed!!!!! Breed type and standard is suppose to be ordinary. We are telling breeders and fanciers, it is a positive to breed dogs that are NOT to standard or 'ordinary'. At some point we have to tell people, "no you can't win", if you want to win; breed dogs that fit the standard. Breeders are following the trends set forth by the judges. I can make you a promise, the extreme class in three years from now the ABKC standard dogs will looks like the extreme class and the extreme class will have very bulldogish features. Shorter muzzles, even wider, even thicker, even heavier and the American Bully will be facing the same health issues as the bulldog breeds. We need to stop changing and "evolving" because if we don't then we aren't a breed. It is the duty of the registry through it's judge's selections of suitable breeding stock to pursue conformity to the ABKC varieties currently available. I believe the Extreme Class is not something that will encourage proper breeding practices.
*side note- I am a firm believer that the Extreme variety should be done away with. I have voiced these opinions to the ABKC on numerous occasions because the Extreme Class standard is noted as a Standard Class dog with "more body mass and heavier frames" on the same height parameters, but the only way to do that is to have a longer dog. The extreme class also has structural exemptions such as: The Extreme Class is allowed to have some looseness in skin, slightly higher rear, slightly turned out fronts & rears, some paddling and lumbering. In my personal opinion, it's absolutely wrong to accept these faults just to have an excessive overdone version of a Standard Class bully, because if the dog didn't have those faults the dog would just be a very impressive Standard Class bully. But since it is nearly impossible to carry the mass that some breeders are breeding for and keep the dog structurally sound, the ABKC has decided to excuse certain things to allow these dogs to compete. I think it is a horrible decision.
After listening to the comments by judges, I have also seen judges agrue the Pocket v. Small Dog, it made me really think of what the ABKC established the classes for?
Pocket: The pocket bully was originally formed at a time when medium size dogs were the norm and competing across the board. The pocket standard was originally written for people who wanted to compete with smaller, more compact dogs that still had bully characteristics. Marco Suarez was one of the first people I remember even having pocket bullies, esp. on a consistent sense.
The dogs had bully characteristics but were very different from the standard American Bullies. The ABKC added the pocket class for people with this style of dog. Every definition of "pocket" refers to as small. A pocket dog by it's own definition set forth by the ABKC, "proportioned to the body frame." Therefore the "breed type" for a pocket dog should be: small, compact, shortback, proportioned, and still have American Bully looks.
The judges have said that the pocket class don't have the substance they should have. Comments have been made by judges that the pocket dogs should still carry the mass of a standard. If that is the case, how is that proportioned? BTK used a good reference, a SBT is 14-16in. tall and carry a weight of 28 to 38 pounds. How can a dog that is 16in. tall and 70-80 pounds be even remotely considered proportioned?
Suarez Bulls Gargoyle II- 16", 65 pounds, 23"
That is a good example of what a pocket dog should look like? How could you compare a dog that size to a standard size dog? He looks like a mini (hence pocket) version of a standard American Bully. How can a judge say that he is lacking breed type for an American Bully? How can he just be a tiny dog?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standard: The standard for the ABKC were dogs that were medium size that were between the sizes of 17-20in. dogs. They are still to be in proportioned, but allow for differences in weight as long as their weight doesn't effect their proportion, movement, or the overall breed type look. I remember seeing dogs like King Kamali, Heff, Tonka, Don Vitto, RN Gotti, etc.
It seems like this class is not made very clear: This is the foundation of the ABKC. The ABKC was created for the people who love their bullies and didn't have anywhere to go. The standard class will always be the backbone of the American Bully.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
XL: The XL class was originally formed for the guys with the large dogs. At the time, Ganghis Kon, RBG, Blueline, etc. were all bloodlines that were much taller and usually weighed more and were much greater in size. I understand the ABKC didn't want to exclude these people from the ABKC, therefore a standard was written that catered to them.
These dogs were still in proportion but just much larger dogs for people that still had bully characteristics but in breed type was definately different in aspects of size. The dogs tended to be taller and longer backs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Classic: The Classic class was the original design of the American Bully. When Razors Edge was competing in the UKC, the idea was to create a dog carrying a slight bit more mass than the competing lines in the UKC/AKC. These dogs were a tipping more on the overdone side, but were not grossly overdone therefore they still were successful in competing in the UKC & AKC. As the American Bully gain popularity and began to cross with other bully lines, the dog progressed into a larger mass dog which has now become the standard for the Standard Class American Bully, and with the UKC rewriting their breed standard in 2009 it left these previous competing UKC/AKC dogs no avenue to compete in. If they were to be shown under a current UKC judge who is an APBT they would find these dogs lacking moderation and overdone.
UKC CH under the previous UKC Breed Standard
Current ABKC Classic CH
2009 UKC Top Ten Dog
The ABKC must support these dogs because it is the building blocks that helped the American Bully develop into the dog it is today.
================================================== =============
MY THOUGHTS: I realize the ABKC is trying everything possible to not alienate ANYONE because we want everyone to feel like they have home. The fact of the matter is the future of the American Bully lay in the hands of the ABKC and it's decisions will effect the dogs for years and years to come. Right now, the "people" are already pushing the enevlope. In every registry in the world, once the standard for a breed is written, the breeders strive to produce that standard. In the ABKC, the breeders are NOT breeding to produce the standard, breeders are breeding to out-do the next breeder and keep 'pushing the envelope.' The extreme class I understand was formed to give the people who like extreme dogs to compete in, but where do you draw the line as to what is TOO EXTREME? Also by opening up an extreme class you are now GLORIFING breeding dogs that are NOT proportioned or balanced. By some of the judges defintions: extreme is 'out of the ordinary'......Ordinary is what a standard is suppose to be for a breed!!!!! Breed type and standard is suppose to be ordinary. We are telling breeders and fanciers, it is a positive to breed dogs that are NOT to standard or 'ordinary'. At some point we have to tell people, "no you can't win", if you want to win; breed dogs that fit the standard. Breeders are following the trends set forth by the judges. I can make you a promise, the extreme class in three years from now the ABKC standard dogs will looks like the extreme class and the extreme class will have very bulldogish features. Shorter muzzles, even wider, even thicker, even heavier and the American Bully will be facing the same health issues as the bulldog breeds. We need to stop changing and "evolving" because if we don't then we aren't a breed. It is the duty of the registry through it's judge's selections of suitable breeding stock to pursue conformity to the ABKC varieties currently available. I believe the Extreme Class is not something that will encourage proper breeding practices.
*side note- I am a firm believer that the Extreme variety should be done away with. I have voiced these opinions to the ABKC on numerous occasions because the Extreme Class standard is noted as a Standard Class dog with "more body mass and heavier frames" on the same height parameters, but the only way to do that is to have a longer dog. The extreme class also has structural exemptions such as: The Extreme Class is allowed to have some looseness in skin, slightly higher rear, slightly turned out fronts & rears, some paddling and lumbering. In my personal opinion, it's absolutely wrong to accept these faults just to have an excessive overdone version of a Standard Class bully, because if the dog didn't have those faults the dog would just be a very impressive Standard Class bully. But since it is nearly impossible to carry the mass that some breeders are breeding for and keep the dog structurally sound, the ABKC has decided to excuse certain things to allow these dogs to compete. I think it is a horrible decision.
