[MamaTank]

My husband and I did a little research on Am. Bullies.
Before I start, I want to say a couple of things.
1. We are NOT looking for another dog ATM. It will be YEARS before we want another dog!
2. I don't want this thread to turn into a big bashing.
3. This is just to satisfy my curiosity.

So, we were looking at random sites about Bullies (there are several breeders nearby) and he pops off with, "I think I would like to have one one day."
I had to make him repeat himself, because I was shocked, lol. He has always wanted these breeds:
English Bulldog
German Shepherd
Doberman Pinscher
ABPT
Great Pyrenees

So a Bully is so not something I expected to hear was on his "want" list. Josh is not one of those "gangsta" or "Punk" types that wants a dog to make him look tough. He just genuinely likes the look of the breeds on that^ list. I personally think that Bullies look "overdone". Obviously, they aren't high on my "want list". I prefer a more graceful appearance.
SO, without realizing it, I've turned this into a novel. Ugh. Sorry!
One more point-- my dogs aren't going to be shown, or anything.. they are companions for our family. I mean, yes, both of my current dogs are purebreds, but I would have been just as happy with a mutt from the shelter, to be honest.
So what ARE the merits of having a Bully for a pet? Again-- not looking for bashing or anything. Just wondering what ya'll think of it.

 

[angelbaby]

I love my bullys and wouldnt trade them for anything in the world , the things I like best about the breed is the energy level . They arent high maintenance like the APBT { energy wise} they have all the get up and go I need for if we want to go for a run or go hike for a day or whatever they are down for it and eager to go anytime , but at the same time the days where my back and hip is so bad i cant get up for numerous walks a day and realy just want to lay in bed they are cool just chilling with me and arent tearing apart my furniture with pent up energy making them go nuts lol. I love the personalitys they have on them , if you need any proof on the personality just pull up any of my videos of crush lol , boy has me crackin up daily. They are intelligent and catch on to training and new tricks pretty fast although some can be pretty stubborn lol { again refrence videos of crush LMAO} Im sure every breed can have some with that stubborn streak though. I love the bully look thats a big thing with me Im a mush for those faces. As for them being overdone maybe looking more into the classic style bully would be more your thing , they are mor to the UKC standard of APBT then the bully looking bullys you see in pockets and extremes. even standard class style have some nicely done bullys in there not too over done at all. Alot of it is how you keep them conditioned obviously obese dogs look and act like slugs regardless of breed, keep them fit and active and they are really nice muscular looking dogs.

 

[KMdogs]

Well im not a huge Bully fan or a Bully owner so i will leave that up for someone else. I will ask however, does your husband realize the GSD, Dobe and APBT (in true forms) are working breeds? I wouldn't recommend any of those to someone just wanting for "looks" as these dogs need to be worked, heavily trained and takes a certain lifestyle surrounding the dog to maintain a well "balanced" dog, if you will. Not for a novice. Have you guys done any real research on any prospective breeds or any hands on experience?

 

[MamaTank]

Well im not a huge Bully fan or a Bully owner so i will leave that up for someone else. I will ask however, does your husband realize the GSD, Dobe and APBT (in true forms) are working breeds? I wouldn't recommend any of those to someone just wanting for "looks" as these dogs need to be worked, heavily trained and takes a certain lifestyle surrounding the dog to maintain a well "balanced" dog, if you will. Not for a novice. Have you guys done any real research on any prospective breeds or any hands on experience?

Research? lol. Oh man... the research I did before we got Keira. Tons and tons of it, and I am STILL researching, because I want to make sure I do right by her. We also own a German Shepherd. So I do research on him too.
We are still relatively new to these breeds, though I grew up with German Shepherds and Dobermans. Our first dog was a rescued Husky with really bad health that only lived 9 months after we agreed to take him. (He was 9 years old and had heartworms- such a severe case that the vet said treatment would kill him, and gave him 3 months to live.) I don't mind the training and the working-- my dogs run with me, and Caesar (The GSD) enjoys being with the children-- he's taken it upon himself to be their nanny. Keira is only 5 1/2 months old, but she is eager and ready to learn anything I can teach her. Right now we are just working on basic training and socialization, now that she's gotten her health back (She was a rescue/sick case too). But yes, we have done research and had experience. I was just stating the breeds that he would prefer. And trying to get a feel for future reference about Bullies. I prefer to get opinions on stuff before I make a rash decision. Of course it will be years, possibly even Keira's lifetime before we get another dog.

 

[MamaTank]

I love my bullys and wouldnt trade them for anything in the world , the things I like best about the breed is the energy level . They arent high maintenance like the APBT { energy wise} they have all the get up and go I need for if we want to go for a run or go hike for a day or whatever they are down for it and eager to go anytime , but at the same time the days where my back and hip is so bad i cant get up for numerous walks a day and realy just want to lay in bed they are cool just chilling with me and arent tearing apart my furniture with pent up energy making them go nuts lol. I love the personalitys they have on them , if you need any proof on the personality just pull up any of my videos of crush lol , boy has me crackin up daily. They are intelligent and catch on to training and new tricks pretty fast although some can be pretty stubborn lol { again refrence videos of crush LMAO} Im sure every breed can have some with that stubborn streak though. I love the bully look thats a big thing with me Im a mush for those faces. As for them being overdone maybe looking more into the classic style bully would be more your thing , they are mor to the UKC standard of APBT then the bully looking bullys you see in pockets and extremes. even standard class style have some nicely done bullys in there not too over done at all. Alot of it is how you keep them conditioned obviously obese dogs look and act like slugs regardless of breed, keep them fit and active and they are really nice muscular looking dogs.

So, in your opinion, a Bully makes a good house pet? Of course, it would be exercised and all, but they tend to be more relaxed indoors? That doesn't sound too bad. I kind of like their faces too, I'm just not a huge fan of the extreme looks I see in a lot of the breeder's dogs, but I am the kind of person who can learn to love anything

 

[angelbaby]

yes they are great house pets , all my dogs are house dogs. they all have there crates althuogh crush usually sleeps at the foot of the bed and luna gets the couch most nights they do have crates lol. there are so many different classes if you look into a bit im sure you will find some nice looking ones that you could like. I find when I look at breeder sites the ones that come up are the fad ones , the ones who are trying to get as big as they possibly can and you see 120lbs+ and then the real extreme ones where they look like there body is eating there heads lol. there are some nicer ones where breeders take care in what they are breeding , there are some great bully breeders on this board you could look into and check out there dogs. Sounds like you have a long time and no rush to find that perfect next dog so should be able to research and find what breed is perfect for you , the bully 101 section on here has some good info on the breed as well if you havent already checked it out

 

[KMdogs]

So, in your opinion, a Bully makes a good house pet? Of course, it would be exercised and all, but they tend to be more relaxed indoors? That doesn't sound too bad. I kind of like their faces too, I'm just not a huge fan of the extreme looks I see in a lot of the breeder's dogs, but I am the kind of person who can learn to love anything

Bullies are much more "calm" and lack "gameness" and lack the height of drive compared to the APBT. They are bred more for show and as pets vs work/game traits. They were bred for the show ring.

Given your experience, a Bully would be a pretty calm dog of choice if those dogs you mentioned came from working lines.

 

[MamaTank]

yes they are great house pets , all my dogs are house dogs. they all have there crates althuogh crush usually sleeps at the foot of the bed and luna gets the couch most nights they do have crates lol. there are so many different classes if you look into a bit im sure you will find some nice looking ones that you could like. I find when I look at breeder sites the ones that come up are the fad ones , the ones who are trying to get as big as they possibly can and you see 120lbs+ and then the real extreme ones where they look like there body is eating there heads lol. there are some nicer ones where breeders take care in what they are breeding , there are some great bully breeders on this board you could look into and check out there dogs. Sounds like you have a long time and no rush to find that perfect next dog so should be able to research and find what breed is perfect for you , the bully 101 section on here has some good info on the breed as well if you havent already checked it out

I have to admit, I think yours are adorable. Crush is exactly the kind that I actually do find attractive, as far as Bullies go. Both of my dogs get crated at night, but that's for 2 reasons.
1. My older cat hasn't warmed up to my GSD yet, so he usually won't really come out until night, when Caesar is crated.
2. Keira is great about going potty outside, as long as someone can take her out-- at night, she'll just go in the house if no one is awake.

I was really just wondering what people think of them, as far as personality went. Yours (I saw the stubborn Crush video, lol) seem full of good humor and of great temperament. Are they better about DA than the average APBT? Both of my dogs are pretty easygoing with other dogs, though the GSD doesn't get on with other dogs that show aggression.

 

[MamaTank]

Bullies are much more "calm" and lack "gameness" and lack the height of drive compared to the APBT. They are bred more for show and as pets vs work/game traits. They were bred for the show ring.

Given your experience, a Bully would be a pretty calm dog of choice if those dogs you mentioned came from working lines.

I honestly don't know what sort of lines my two came from... both were rescues. My GSD is 6 years old, and we only got him last week, but he is very calm indoors and is gentle with everyone. Someone loved him at some point, because he is very very well trained. Knows verbal and silent commands, heels, and ignores my neighbors goats. My APBT came from a BYB. She was bought when she was 6 weeks old, and 2 weeks later was ditched at my friends pet supply store because they got evicted for having her. She was papered, but I doubt she's really worth all that much, since papers can be forged. The breeders weren't too forthcoming when I called to speak with them, probably because I asked if they took any of the pups to a vet before they sold them. Keira was full of worms, had a bacterial infection that was killing her, and had never been seen by any vet in this county. (I called them all.) It took us months to get her healthy. She's doing great now, but a few months ago, she was on the brink of death. Our vet said that had we not brought her in when we did, she would have been dead within a week.
But whether or not she's papered doesn't matter to me, since she is a companion dog. She's a part of this family, and that's all that matters to me.

 

[dylroche1]

I love my Pitty, awesome dog with a lot of drive and energy, if you are an active person that walks/ or hikes everyday I think an apbt would be good for you.. My boy Shorty is an awesome dog he loves hanging from the springpole and his energy is endless lol he could go for days.. Loves water and chasing the laser pointer also hah.. Fits me perfectly

 

[Black Rabbit]

I fostered a bully for a little bit. This is Kane. He was the sweetest big ol lap dog. He likes to sit in chairs and hang out like a person, sooo cute. I miss that goof.

 

[angelbaby]

yes fostering is a great idea as well. As far as spring poles go and stuff like that there are pictures of my dogs all over this forum on springpoles, our biggest boy { he is more apbt x bully lines} does weight pulling they do have energy if you are an active person they will go all day as well but they are just a little more toned down then the APBT is. As far as the DA they say the bullys are less prone to DA then the APBT but there is no guarantee with that I know of many DA american bullys so it should still be on your mind. All my dogs can get along together and be out free together EXCPET the males they can never be together ever , they are fine with the girls just not eachother. My friends female is highly DA and cant be with any dog.

 

[MamaTank]

I love my Pitty, awesome dog with a lot of drive and energy, if you are an active person that walks/ or hikes everyday I think an apbt would be good for you.. My boy Shorty is an awesome dog he loves hanging from the springpole and his energy is endless lol he could go for days.. Loves water and chasing the laser pointer also hah.. Fits me perfectly

I already have an APBT. I was just asking for ideas, input, and opinions for further down the road. I like to call this my "Pre-research" stage, since hubby expressed interest in the Bully.

 

[MamaTank]

Kane is awesome! I think before we commit to the breed, I would probably want to foster. I have no problem with that at all.

 

[MamaTank]

@Angelbaby-- I hear you about the DA-- Part of why I am not looking to expand our pack further as of now

These are my babies:

Keira is the APBT. Caesar is the White GSD.

 

[Black Rabbit]

Kane was a great dog and we were glad to help him out. His owner was going to the service and his G.F. ditched him and refused to help care for Kane while he was away. He was the biggest sweetie ever. I'm glad he came to us instead of trying to re home him. His owner got a new G.F who is a vet tech so she has him now and he'll get to see his daddy when he returns from over seas :woof:

 

[MamaTank]

I doing the dance with you for that happy ending!!:woof:
I am so glad he didn't have to give up Kane-- sounds like he loves him very much!

 

[pittylove77]

I am actually really interested in getting a bully one day.
if i didn't have 3 dogs already i would be looking into it
yea some look a bit over done but most i have seen on this site are really great looking and actually made me want a bully more.
i have only seen 2 in person and both had really bad respiratory problems. So from what i am told you have to watch out for poorly bred ones since there are a lot of them around. That's what kind of makes me worried when i want one in the future, i wouldn't know where to look too find some healthy ones. Since i don't know a lot about the Bully breed i feel like someone could easily take advantage of me.

 

[aus_staffy]

I am actually really interested in getting a bully one day.
if i didn't have 3 dogs already i would be looking into it
yea some look a bit over done but most i have seen on this site are really great looking and actually made me want a bully more.
i have only seen 2 in person and both had really bad respiratory problems. So from what i am told you have to watch out for poorly bred ones since there are a lot of them around. That's what kind of makes me worried when i want one in the future, i wouldn't know where to look too find some healthy ones. Since i don't know a lot about the Bully breed i feel like someone could easily take advantage of me.

You're right there are some really nice looking bullies around.

 

[pittylove77]

You're right there are some really nice looking bullies around.

yea i have always been pretty interested in bullys, but this site made me a lot more interested in them, i have yet to see a bad looking bully on this site. (then again it takes sort of a lot for me to not think a dog is cute haah)