The Standard American Bully Breed
Standard Issued Bully
A standard by definition is set of guidelines which are used to insure that the animals produced by a breeding facility conform to the specifics of the breed. It is also used in competition to judge a given animal against the hypothetical ideal specimen of that breed.
How important is a standard? In the grand theme of things one would like to think that when it comes to a breed, a standard has to be the starting point of a breeding program. Others argue that a breed standard is to be used as a guideline, as a point of reference only. When starting a breed no breeder has the benefit of a written standard.
They are trying to create a breed that will excel, or be better suited to perform a specific task. Breeds are also developed strictly for appeal and what they look like. Eventually however all breeds develop a standard in which the dogs are judged or compared to like the standard american bully.
So what if there is no breed standard or standard american bully? What could really happen to a breed? Do the negatives truly affect the overall quality of a breed of dog? The question can you ever truly create another breed without having a breed standard, I believe is yes. The question can you ever better a breed without a breed standard, is No.
A standard gives not only the model for the ideal specimen of the breed, but also states faults and undesirable traits that should be avoided when breeding a pair of dogs. A breed with no recognizable faults, breed requirements, or breed restrictions opens itself up for mixes being called purebred, and a lack of consistency overall.
Odd colors, exaggerated characteristics not consistently found in the breed. An example would be a Pit Bull with a long, red coat due to the fact that somewhere back in the line someone bred in Irish Setters to remove some dog aggression found in a particular line. It sounds ridiculous, but entirely possible and acceptable if the breed had no standard to say other wise. After 5 generations how could you say that the dog was not what its registration papers say it is?
Why have faults and disqualifications for the standard american bully? Because some faults and disqualifications can be detrimental to a breed, or at the very least prohibit the dog from performing a task. Take a common fault such as easty-westy fronts compounded with severely weak pasterns, which could lead to arthritis in a heavy chested breed as well as other bone issues involving the dog’s front assembly. A bad top line and kinked tail are faults stated due to the fact that both could lead to issues with the spine.
The Standard American Bully
Other faults are strictly cosmetic faults, but may be faults that are there because they would show a lack of overall breed type, such as the long coated Pit Bull mentioned earlier. Standards also have disqualifications such as Merle in the UKC APBT standard, which is there because genetics proves that the color pattern could not be found in an American Pit Bull Terrier unless bred into the breed by using another breed that carries the trait.
None of the breeds used to create the American Pit Bull Terriers carry this trait of the standard american bully. Therefore it is considered a disqualification, because reputable registries realize these dogs are mixes. Regardless of how far back the mix occurred the mix is still there. Once a breed has a standard mixing in other breeds is prohibited in regards to its offspring being purebred.
The ADBA registered the APBT in 1909, but did not have a written standard for the American Pit Bull Terrier until 1976. Why? Because what breeders were looking for at the time had nothing to do with what the dog looked like, the game characteristic came in any size, color, and faults did not matter unless it was so severe that the dog could not perform its task (Such as being overly people aggressive). The breeders still bred dogs that excelled at their task and over those 67 years more consistency was found than one would think. Eventually due to conformation shows the ADBA found the need for a written standard as the standard american bully and based their standard on a dog that performed well at its given task.
The ABKC does provide a breed standard for the standard american bully. The breed is often judged by outsiders by the UKC or ADBA breed standard which does the dogs and their owners an injustice. The lack of some breeders following a specific standard however leads to the controversy over these specific dogs. There is a standard, but many people who do not register their Bullies with the ABKC do not abide by a written standard. What makes these an American Bully? Are they determined by opinion, pedigree, or is the determination made by just being registered with the ABKC? How can American Bully breeders who are trying to breed a correct American Bully do so, when a plethora of breeders could give a dam about faults or a breed standard.
A breed standard as in the case of the standard american bully does not turn breeds into cookie cutter shapes, where every dog looks the same. A standard does however add consistency to a breed’s type and in the case of the standard american bully, and helps eliminate faults and undesirable traits that could prove to be detrimental to the breed’s future. It took the ADBA 67 lyears before it had a written standard. I hope it does not take that long in the case of the American Bully.
(Standard Definition taken from Wikipedia Encyclopedia)
(Information on ADBA standard found on Badrap.org Breed info)
