What attracts people to Bully Breeds? Discussions

the bulls!!!.....hummmm...challenging...and loyal...and they are the best with children....imo....

For me its personality through and through.

I love that their personality and looks are such a contradiction. They look these big beefy tough things, but they are soft and daft to the core. Incredibly doting and loyal and they will do literally anything for you.

My staffy is my shadow!

Originally bred as a hunting (rather than fighting) dog - from Bulldogs and Bullenbeissers (now nonexistant). You'd go out with a pack to hunt and pull down wild boar or bear in the forest etc. Hence the cropped ears and tail, and wrinkly face - nothing for the prey to get hold of, and the wrinkles let the blood channel away from the eyes etc.

Presumably, people then used them for baiting and fighting...

Luckily, those kind of instincts have mostly been bred out; however Boxers are often used as police and military dogs in Europe. Check out ATIBOX on Google/YouTube - a bit like Boxer Shutzhund! Shows them working - retrives, man work etc
atibox-2010

As above, the Boxer as we know it was never bred as a fighting or baiting dog, the ancestors of the Boxer was a Bullenbeissers "type" brought from France to Germany were it was mated to another "type" this was them mated to a bulldog called "tom" resulting in the first "official " Boxer Called "Flocki" ,by now Bull baiting had been outlawed across Europe.

The Boxer has had many jobs under his belt, army /police , and guard dog being some of them.

But not a fighting dog, although who is to say some may have sadly ended up in the wrong hands through time.

I have a Dorset Olde Tyme Bulldogge. I have never had a bull breed before and we took her in after my husbands friend couldnt look after her any more. She is always up for having a cuddle on the couch and will actively seek human comfort.

She makes the most silliest of faces and she is also very vocal - i wouldnt change her for the world!

Boxers have also been used as Guide Dogs, however as they take longer to mature, (3-4 yrs) Guide Dogs felt it better to use other breeds - more cost effective -

I am bull breeds all the way. I have had other dogs but nothing comes close to a bulldog. I am convinced they are half human. There is no 1 word to describe them, they are a mixture of so many personalities. They are loyal to a T. They care, and aim to please. They are the best with children. I think they have respect. They are so highly intelligent and learn so fast. They have big heads with huge mouths (sometimes droopy) and too many people are nervous of these dogs without knowing what they are truely like. I have 9 American Bulldogs, an Alapaha Blue Blood bulldog, an english bull terrier, an english bulldog, and a couple of bulldog crosses. My mum will not entertain a bull breed, she refuses to believe anything past them being 'vicious'...

Looking down at the staffy x asleep at my feet so many things I could list...
He is great with kids, he is so gentle with them and patient.
He is great with puppies, the smaller the better.
He is always wanting to please me, he will do anything for me.
He sits and waits on my bed, looking out of the window for me to return.
He loves guinea pigs and rabbits, and it clever enough to avoid the snake.
He will actually run away and hide when the snake food comes out! Guess he knows the tank will be opened!
He is still changing his behaviour and reactions to things at nearly 7 years old.
He let my OH friend take his bone of his earlier, just wagged his tail and licked his hand.
He is my shadow, and my baby, and I would do anything for him!
Oh and his smile! He really does smile at me, and it's such a stupid grin! There are just a few things I love about him, and I believe that it is the staffy in him that makes him like this!
As for the down sides, he can be very full on with other dogs, he makes so many stupid noises (that OH finds very annoying, but make me smile - OH whining about them makes them a negative!), he has allergies and food intolerances, and wants to eat cats and rabbits, he can be funny with some dogs, and attacks the TV!
Most of this though is down to poor socialisation, to which I can only blame myself, and we are still working on it daily.

Lovely post Sarahjade

I only really know the Staffy and the EBT well in the Bull Breeds.

I love their short sleek coats, their love of life, and the snuffly piggy grunts the staffy makes when you give it a cuddle!

Their facial expressions boystrous nature and power and their love of pll and eagerness to please.

For me I was a cat person for almost half a century. I saw Sophie the first time on an adoption site. Mostly a to the ngue and ears in the photo. I knew nothing from breeds but they called her an American Staffordshire. After adopting her I got used to the predictable "Hey that's a Pit!".
I began to read and research. I knew nothing about the history or the dogs. One aunt had an English Bull the other a mastiff who was huge. Both dogs must have influenced me in some way. I saw these pictures of so called "Demon Dogs" and I just saw big old wrinkly adorable faces.

When I went to the shelter a few years later I had a boy dog in mind. We live surrounded by urban sprawl. There are always bully breeds in the local shelters, never mind how many of those dogs die in a week. I walked past the cages and there was a quiet brown boy.
It was love at first sight for me. Later my daughter and husband both admitted he looked a bit...uh hem imposing perhaps? When they first saw him. My daughter met him when I brought her to the shelter to walk him. She's special needs but Callie seemed to know that instinctively he slowed his gait to walk with her.

My husband met him after I had brought him home. Surprise, I found another dog...who ran off the first day we had him. Hubby has always been easygoing with my critter gathering. He helped me search for this missing pup sight unseen.
Fortunate that a neighbor lured Callie in the house with salami and then called my husband's phone from the dog tag. There at the neighbor's screen was Callie. Mr. Box Head still woozy from being neutered early that day. If my husband found him intimidating at first he didn't show it. Callie has since become Daddy's boy 100%.
This isn't to say that he doesn't share the love with whoever is around as well.

I wouldn't say the bully breeds are for everyone. Physically they are incredibly strong pups. They need an owner with the confidence and determination to keep them out of trouble. They need someone strong enough to walk them and give them a daily workout. But they are also goofy and completely devoted to pleasing their humans. Callie is fiercely protective of home and property. But off his property any dog, cat, adult, child is a potential best friend. In his heart he is a lap dog. Easygoing, virtually bomb-proof, I couldn't ask for a better dog. I will always have a bully for the rest of my life.

Well, I am a bit late, but here goes.

I am a BIG lover of the real APBT, the original game bred dogs that were used for fighting.

They are fairly small dogs, they are fit and athletic, muscular and stunning to look at. They have a heart of gold and are game through and through, they will never back down and will push to keep going in anything that you put them too. They are great at all sorts of sports and activity with drive, determination and tenacity that sets them apart from any other breed. Pure hard working little fire crackers that are loyal, have a heard of gold and will work all day long.




















Video (watch in HD)

Great pics KitKat! Yes did we mention they like to pull? Managing them on leash means almost accepting yeah you're going to get walked a few blocks before they slow down. Great exercise, learn to do sprints along with them. But agreed, after you have a bully you'll have them for a lifetime.
BTW- that forth picture is the face that makes some people scream like little girls. When you learn to love the breed you see that as a play face...really...The last picture is "This is my Mommy or Daddy and you aren't coming any closer".

I'm not sure if I am right but I think that the last picture is "You have put another dog in front of me and I want to attack it". A lot of pictures taken in ABDA conformation classes are where two dogs are faced up against each other, called "facing" so they pull and lunge forwards to show off the conformation and muscle, though this is not supposed to happen it often does. Though lunging and typical Pit Bull behaviour is often shown from dogs even if not faced up.

Oh dear, my baby boy does that face to solo male humans. Other male dogs he ignores or makes overtures to play. Depends on the individual sometimes I suppose.

I'd say that what attracts me to the APBT is the overall package. Temperament, personality, drives and physical build.

Something too is admitting how powerful they can be and it's a remarkable feeling winning their love and respect. You know that feeling of laying there at night with them in complete repose...belly up, snoring and making the air unbreathable...shouldn't have put cheese in his dinner bowl again heeheehee...with the big loose lips smiling in their sleep...the solid muscles and peach fuzz fur...and there they are completely at peace with you...nothing like a bully...

I've been around them most my love so never really thought of it like that, having to win them over. They are hugely people oriented. They want love and attention. I think many thrive on it. At least Pit Bulls. But they are very powerful for their size and extremely tenacious. You have to recognize that, even if they don't realize themselves how powerful they are I do have a great respect for them.

Another thing I like is the size. I'm a smaller person, though I like many large breeds I do appreciate the Pits of the smaller size. I like a dog I can easily handle & pick up with just one arm. Like today at the vet it started pouring thunder storm so when leaving I just picked my gal up under my arm & made like hell for the car. She's small enough we could both enter through my door too and she then could go over to her seat.

You are so lucky, a few weeks ago Callie spooked in the middle of heavy traffic and froze in the cross walk. It took me two tries to get him around the middle and off the ground. I'm about 130, he's about a solid 60...woooof. But yeah as a former complete cat person I didn't realize how devoted our dogs can be. The second day Callie was home with us I called him up to my daughter's bed. I was talking to him saying "I don't know how you feel about close and cuddly but let's find out". Three years later his favorite sleep position is nose first under our blankets between me n' hubby...guess he was good with cuddly...my big baby.