Mafia Kennels

American Bully Breed Standard

General Impression
The American Bully should give the impression of great strength for his size. A well put-together dog, muscular, but agile and graceful, keenly alive to his surroundings. He should be stocky, not long-legged or racy in outline. His courage is proverbial.

Head
Medium length, deep through, broad skull, very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop, and high set ears. Ears - Cropped or uncropped. Eyes - All colors except albinism. Round to oval, low down in skull and set far apart. Muzzle - Medium length, rounded on upper side or slightly squared to fall away abruptly below eyes. Jaws well defined. Under jaw to be strong and have biting power. Lips close and even, some looseness accepted, but not preferred. Upper teeth to meet tightly outside lower teeth in front or scissor bite accepted. Nose all colors acceptable.

Neck
Heavy, slightly arched, tapering from shoulders to back of skull. No looseness of skin. Medium length.

Shoulders
Strong and muscular with blades wide and sloping.

Back
Fairly short. Slight sloping from withers to rump or straight accepted with gentle short slope at rump to base of tail. Slightly higher rears accepted, but not encouraged.

Body
Well-sprung ribs, deep in rear. All ribs close together. Forelegs set rather wide apart to permit chest development. Chest deep and broad.

Tail
Short in comparison to size, low set, tapering to a fine point; not curled. Not docked.

Legs
The Front legs- should be straight a slight turning outwards of the feet is accepted but not desired, large or round bones, pastern upright. No resemblance of bend in front. Hindquarters- well-muscled, let down at hocks, turning neither in nor out. Feet- of moderate size, well-arched and compact. Gait- should be springy with drive off the rear.

Coat
Short, close, stiff to the touch, and glossy.

Color
All colors and patterns are permissible.

Size
Height and weight should be in proportion. A height of about 18 to 21 inches at shoulders for the male and 17 to 20 inches for the female is to be considered preferable. There is no particular weight for the breed.

Faults
Faults to be penalized are: kinked or knotted tails, pink eyes and any form of albinism, tail too long or curled, undershot or overshot mouths, severe turned fronts, and aggressive behavior towards humans.