Bully Gang Magazine Edition 1 | Page 16

inches (48 to 54 cm). It is important to note that varieties of American Bullies all belong to the same overarching breed. And when it comes to XL Bullies, they have the same body type and build as the Standard American Bully. The American Bully XL must have the following key attri- butes that are homologous to this breed: What is an American Bully XL? American Bully has been categorized into four varieties by the ABKC. The only criterion for categorization is the height of the dog. Factors such as weight don’t count. The many varieties of the American Bully breed are split as follows: Standard: A medium-sized dog with a dense body structure. Standard size American Bullys are 17 to 20 inches tall at the wither Pocket: Dogs that are 14 to 17 inches tall at the wither. XL: A larger variant of the standard American Bully. Classic: The same size as the standard variant, but with a lighter frame. There are also unofficial types that are either shorter than the ones recognized by ABKC, or larger. Micro or XXL varieties fall under this category. Physical Attributes An adult male American Bully XL’s size must measure 20 to 23 inches (51 to 57cm) at the withers, while females 19 to 22 Blocky/Heavy heads – Head is usually of medium length but is much wider. Short muzzles – They are significantly shorter than the skull, but aren’t brachycephalic (pushed in). Muzzles are also very wide and are squared or rounded at the end. Heavier bones, dense muscle structure – Their bodies are sig- nificantly heavier than other breeds of similar size. Their weight consists primarily of pure muscle. In fact, this breed is more muscular than most other breeds. Dense and concise body – Short legs and small heights with much longer bodies are key characteristics of this breed. Wrinkly face – Bullies have noticeably wrinkly skin. As their size increases, their wrinkles also become more prominent. Therefore, XL Bullies have relatively more wrinkly skin Eyes set deeply – Small to medium-sized oval-shaped eyes that are set deeply in the skulls. Close-fitting scissor bites and lips – This breed has close-fitting scissor bite and lips, but they are not what you’d call “tight”. Breeders focus on two things primarily when breeding XL American Bullies. The first is authenticity. Bullies must con- form to the breed standards. The other aspect of this breed is their health and temperament. Since the purpose of this breed is to be a stable and friendly family dog, good behavior is im- portant.