“Bully dogs” refers to any purebred or crossbred bulldog. “Bully dog” is an affectionate term and not meant to imply that the dog is in any way a bully. In this case “bully” is just a synonym for “bulldog” and does not mean that the dog is a canine equivalent of a schoolyard bully.
Bully breeds produce dogs with high energy, high intelligence, a huge drive to please people and an aversion to strange dogs. Physically, they often have powerful jaws, deep chests, muscular builds, blunt noses and semi-floppy ears. Bully dog breeds can come in many colors and patterns. They are mostly short haired, put some bully dog types may have medium to long hair, indicating that they are mongrels. Many dogs in shelters many be listed as “pit bull type” or “bully breed” even though they may not be purebreds.
History of Bully Breeds
Bulldogs descended from mastiffs, huge, muscle-bound used in war and bringing down large game. One mastiff type, the bullmastiff, was bred to take down human poachers. All the dog had to do was pin the poacher down until the game master or land owner came; the dog did not have to kill the poacher. Bulldogs are smaller versions of mastiffs. They needed to be smaller in order to avoid getting gored by the bull’s horns.
Bulldogs were originally bred to battle bulls in an animal gladiator-type spectacle that people liked to bet on. Bulls would be tied or chained to a stake in the ground and a pack of dogs sent after them. The dogs would latch onto the noses or legs of the bull to subdue him. Many dogs and bulls were maimed or killed in this way. Although bull-baiting is now illegal in most countries, bulldogs remain.
Temperament
Because bully breeds were so powerful, they needed to be docile around people. Aggression towards people was bred out of them, but aggression to other dogs was encouraged for dog fighting. Although dog fighting is now illegal in many countries, many bully dogs still are uneasy around strange dogs. Bully breeds also have a tendency to stare at other dogs. This stare could be considered a threat to other dogs. Although bully dogs tend to never start a dog fight, they will finish it.
Bully breeds are highly trainable because they want to please. They need an outlet for their energy and so daily walks and playtime are essential, otherwise the dogs will be too hyper to pay attention to any training sessions. They respond best to positive reinforcement such as clicker training. Never hit or force a bully dog to do anything. They will become frightened of people and may bite in self-defense as a result.
The most popular bully dog breed is the bulldog, also known as the English bulldog or Churchill Dog. Other bully breeds include the American bulldog, the French bulldog, the bull terrier, the mini bull terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier or “Staffie”, the American Staffordshire bull terrier or “Amstaff” and the American pit bull terrier.
There is some debate as to whether a pit bull is a type of dog or a breed. Rare bully breeds include the Aussie bulldog, the Alapaha Blue bulldog, the Catahoula bulldog and a very rare breed from Mallorca called the Ca de Bou or the Mallorquin bulldog.
Additional References
- ASPCA Complete Guide to Dogs.” Sheldon L. Gerstenfeld, VMD. Chronicle Books; 1999.
- “Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds.” D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D. Barron’s; 2005.
- “The Howell Book of Dogs.” Liz Palika. Howell Book House; 2007.
- DogBreedInfo.com
