What breeds may have been mixed into the American Bully?

If you had to take a guess what bloodline would you say this bitch belonged to?

If your guess is Razors Edge you're wrong. If your guess is Gottiline, You'd still be wrong. In fact this bitch is not even of the "American Bully" breed though I'm sure you could take this bitch to any ABKC or other sanctioned bully show and recieve praise and unquestioned acceptance. The problem with this is this bitch is a purebred Olde English Bulldog and could be incorporated into any "American Bully" Bloodline or program without much scrutiny, if any at all. (I have been to shows where Olde Enlish as well as the standard English Bulldogs and especially American Bulldogs have been right there at a show standing next to bullys and no one flinched.) Im sure a few people have brought these animals to shows being one of only a few people that knew that these doggs were the real ingredient to some of the most sought after bully dogs.

Lets take a look at the breed history and standards of some of these breeds.

Just to mix it up a little bit lets start with breeds without MAJOR bulldog heritage. I will begin with a breed that was recently brought up in a dispute with a very popular kennel and bloodline..... The Cane Corso.

Now you may ask why would someone use a Cane Corso in their "American Bully" program or bloodline. The answer is simple....... SIZE. The XXL pitbull or XXL American Bully is not just a pitbull that has been selectively bred to be HUGE. The size in this style of pitbull came about way to fast to have been the result of selective breeding. Also you can see the CORSO in some of these dogs. Others favor Neopolitan Mastiffs which are also Mastiffs of Italian ancestry, but we'll look at that breed later. The Cane Corso can be a very aggressive animal and there are stability issues regarding temperment when Corso blood is mixed with other breeds including the pitbull. This is because the Cane Corso is a tried and true manstopper bred for security and protection.

These dogs tend to have blue/grey coats and very loose lips. You can see these traits in a bloodline that is very popular today. If no Corso blood was used in the mix I doubt that these dogs I mention in the XXL circles would look and act so much like traditional Cane Corso stock. Some of these dogs fit the Cane Corso standard completely totally lacking any traits of the traditional APBT. Lets examine the Cane Corso history and standard and see where it fits into the "American Bully" breed or XXL pitbull catagory.

The following information was borrowed from wikipedia.com:


Apperance

The Cane Corso is a large, lean molosser-type dog. It is well muscled and looks more athletic than most other mastiffs, tending less toward sheer bulk like the English Mastiff and more towards definition like the original Old English Bulldog. The official FCI standard calls for dogs to stand from 60-68 centimeters at the withers (23.6-26.7 inches), with bitches in the lower region and dogs in the higher. Weight should be in keeping with the size and stature of these dogs, ranging from 40-50 kg (88-110lbs). The overall impression should be of power balanced with athleticism.

Its ears are naturally dropped forward, but where legal, many breeders crop them short and close to the head so that the remaining stubs stand upright. Its muzzle is as wide as it is long. Most Corsos have docked tails as well. The standard calls for docking at the 4th vertebra, although many are docked shorter.

Corsos appear in two basic coat colours: black and fawn. This is further modified by genetic pigment dilution to create blue (from black) and formentino (from fawn) colours. Formentino only express the blue colouring on the mask. Brindling of varying intensity is common on both basic coat colours as well, creating tigrato (full brindle), black brindle, and blue brindle. Fawn also has a number of different expressions, ranging from the pale of a formentino to 'red' to the more common beige colour, with the back coat hairs tipped with black. In blue dogs, the nose can appear grey, but should be darker than the coat. In all other dogs, the nose should be black. White markings on the chest, toes and on the chin are seen as well, with smaller white patches being preferable.

Temperament

Cane Corsos are considered to have an even, stable temperament. They are easy to train, generally good with children, and calm with their primary guardians. They can be reserved, suspicicious and may be aggressive towards people they do not know. Corsos are a quiet breed who frequently suffer from separation anxiety.

Although many breeders claim that these dogs are aggressive, the true Corso should be indifferent when approached and should only react when a real threat is present. However, "the majority of the American version of the Corso do not possess the proper temperament for this breed."

HISTORY

As a recently recovered breed, the Cane Corso's history is shrouded in mystery and differing opinions. It is generally agreed that the Cane Corso is a farm dog which has been used for stock control, property and personal protection and big game hunting throughout its history. Recovered from near extinction through the efforts of enthusiasts in the 1980's, the Corso is now popular globally.

The Corso is likely derived from the same root stock as the Neapolitan Mastiff; the historically documented Roman war dog "Canis Pugnax". The Corso favours agilty and speed, where the Neapolitan is known for power and strength.

NEXT WE WILL EXAMINE THE BREED KNOWN AS THE OLDE ENGLISH BULLDOGGE............