Everything You Need To Know About The Bully

April 15, 2021

History

We’re sure by now you’ve heard people say they own a “Bully” and sometimes, it can get confusing with how many breeds fall under the Bully category. You might think the term only applies to American Pit Bull Terriers or Bull Terriers. We’ll go ahead and clarify the meaning behind the term “Bully”. The Bully belongs to a wide range of looks, sizes, temperament, and family history.

All Bully type breeds come from the now extinct Greek Molosser dog, which is a large, muscular, and had short muzzles similar to the typical Bully breed. Breeders mixed the Molosser to create other breeds to primarily work as guard dogs, protect livestock, and help with daily tasks. Some were unfortunately bred for bloodsports such as bull-baiting and bear-baiting, but many were also bred to be companion dogs.

Myth

Bully type breeds are unfortunately stereotyped to be aggressive and a menace to society. Some countries have even banned ownership of some Bully breeds. In reality, Bullies are generally not aggressive and just like any other dog, require a good home and proper socialization. Most Bullies are fun companions who are also protective and can be good with children.

One might imply that the “Bully” has that kind of name due to it being notorious as a cruel breed. Bully comes from their unfortunate past of being used in bloodsports where they were pitting Molosser typed dogs against the bulls and bears, often resulting in the death of the dog. In modern culture, these dogs are also used by gangs to evoke ruthlessness, intimidation, and even use them for dog fights, which is far from what they really are - gentle and lovable dogs.