Pardon the question but I'm not familiar with the term American Bullies and how they differ from APBTs and I've heard of Blue Pits too, but am uncertain of what they are.
American Bullies like what you posted. Bred to be shorter, wider, bigger bone and head.
Blue ranges from light to dark blue or bluish gray.
I've been told that Pits should be exclusively the only dog in the household, is this the case?
LOL I think that answer is obvious.
Unless me and pugmom are in some kind of trouble.
How does one determine DA in a puppy or especially a shelter dog, especially if the dog may have been a fighter (I figure a number of shelter dogs may have been rescued or abandoned fighters)?
How they interact and react to other dogs. There are levels of DA and certain dogs they will be aggressive to so it wouldn't be a simple determination. But if they show DA you will most certainly know it. Also pay attention to warning signs before a fight/attack happens. Like the dog getting annoyed or if they are beginning to have less tolerance to another dog. I figure a number of the shelter Pits are dogs that the owners did not want so they took them to the shelter, dumped them off and some were neglected/abused and taken from the owner. There isn't a way to determine the number which are fighting dogs, especially since it probably various from area to area. With some having a higher number of fighters in and others having practically none. That is pretty irrelavent to me in a choice. I'm more concerned with individual dog temperament. If looking into the DA and wanting the dog to be around others I'd take a calm, confident dog social fighter over a hot non fighter.
On another forum I am one of the members listed the difference between United Kennel Club APBT, American Dog Breeder Assocation APBT and the American Kennel Club's American Staffordshire Terrier(almost the same breed as the APBT but AKC didn't want the APBT neg views in it's club so they changed their name)
And this is an American Bully:
They are suppose to be bred to lack a prey drive so they are "dog and human safe" Also known as Hippo dogs. They are low to the ground. They aren't recognized by any national kennel club yet but the breeders are working toward it. They are pretty much English Bulldogs mixed with Pit Bulls and the focus on them is to breed bigger heads and chest. I personally do not like them.
That is simplified because both vary. There are UKC CH which look like the ADBA example, their are ADBA CH that are heavier and shorter then that example, they are not as rangy also. Then their are AKC CH which are heavier and bully and some finer yet even then that dog.
I saw one dog which was totally bully UKC/AKC champion. Had with extreme "bulliness". I've seen several bullies with CH but this one was nuts.
I think most important is to not worry so much about registry but more about pedigree and bloodlines.
There is just way too much differences in dogs that are places within a registry. Especially in UKC.
I personally find the ADBA dogs too tall and lean for my tastes, nearly approaching American Bulldogs in appearance. However, I greatly prefer them over the "American Bully" monstrosity. It's interesting that someone mentioned that "American Bullies" are winning in the UKC ring--well, if they still are, they will eventually stop. There is still no DQ for Bully type dogs in the UKC standard--however--merle has now been DQed (which will *knock wood* reduce the Catahoula crosses) and the characteristics of the "American Bully" have been added or emphasized in virtually every section of the standard as being "very serious faults."
http://www.ukcdogs.com/WebSite.nsf/Breeds/AmericanPitBullTerrierRevisedNovember12008
Leaness is about conditioning only. Dogs can be conditioned to different weights under different judges and may also vary by registry as well. The weight of a dog can change how their appearance looks as well. I show in different registries, the standards are not too much different (if judges stick to them as best they can).
There is a great varience in what the ADBA registered dogs look like. I don't find them to typically lean to an AmBulldog look but it is possible with some. Those wouldn't be the norm though. There is also some which carry a percentage of AmBulldog blood so they can possibly have more of an appearance that is similar. Some are of course taller/heavier too because of that AmBulldog blood.
I believe it is the other way around typically in my mind, some AmBulldogs have a more pit like appearance. Probably those that have a good percentage of APBT blood. But even the typicaly scott type AmBulldog wouldn't be easily confused with an APBT of ADBA registration in general. As most are a tad heavier in the proportion department with a little more mass and body. I've seen some performance bred AmBulldogs which could easily be confused with an APBT but normally thats not the case.
I'd also have to say that if this is true of dogs registered ADBA then it is also true of UKC dogs and those registered and titled under other registries because of the fact that there are dual CHs and that the standards if followed correctly are very close. Same for being "too tall" my dogs are between around 13"ish - 20"ish. AKC standard is is 17-18 for females and 18-19 for males. Not too much difference. The UKC desirable weight is 35-60lbs for males and 30-50lbs for females. Dogs on the heavier end of the scale should of course be taller dogs. I also know the heights are some breeders UKC dogs which are fairly close to mine/akc dogs like 16-20" or so. By standard they should be balanced which is why too rangy or too bulky is supposed to be penalized, but it doesn't always work that way. Which is why you see the heavy dogs often placing and finishing, because their are so many within the UKC. Which goes back to the issue of it is the breeders and judges. If more people would show their correct dogs UKC then more correct dogs would be titled. Some judges don't know what they are even looking at either.
On the same note most of my taller ones have been UKC PR or those of UKC/AKC heritage. I had one probably around 25", big and tall dog.
This is UKC and ADBA GR CH
As for Bullies. Yes they still are and they will only stop if judges stop picking them. I keep up with the standards but I know they are only words on paper. The faults that Bullies tend to have (and that are seen in some non bully dogs) were never allowed or ok but somehow they still ended up getting titled before the revision. The revision will do little good as it is up to the owners to present correct dogs and the judges to pick correct dogs over bully dogs. In just a few months it will have already been a year and bullies are still doing fine. Though the merle issue certainly has been being resolved with mostly success in the registries.
See while the UKC is trying to get away from the Am Bully look, it all depends on the judges, what they know as the standard, and if they actually KNOW the standard.
At the UKC Premier, I was helping to show a rarer breed of dog, Estrela Mountain Dog. When we got into the "Guardian Ring" It was quite interesting to see who always won. It was ALWAYS the more common breeds (I think the 2 days I saw, the Boxer, Doberman, English Bull dog, all placed one of the 2 days, the Doberman both days). Why? Because the judges had NO CLUE what was standard on the rarer breeds so they only considered the breeds they knew. Now had these Judges known the rarer breeds standards, They would have noticed that these breeds are almost perfect to what their standards say they should be.
It's not only in the APBT ring that judges are not following the standards, but what THEY like. As long as they like the look of the big heads, the bully like dogs are going to win.
Yup. Trying to judges trying to judge BBoels to Rottie standards years back did not go to well. Of course the dogs did not fit the "standard" (the one the judges had in mind).
I prefer ADBA simply because of the "hippo" type bulldog not being present amongst ADBA reg pits as far as I've seen.
Most of the dogs I've found to be the best in build, temperment and ability are dual registered ADBA and UKC. ADBA prefers the dog to be conditioned differently which is where the "leanness" comes from..a good number of them put on a couple pounds to go compete in UKC. as far as tallness goes, as long as the dog as the correct height to length ratio, I don't really mind how tall it is. I actually prefer a taller dog if given the choice between those and the bullies...
They are also in ADBA. Don't like that but they are. Though they do not hardly ever place, if they are even shown at all. Most are not shown.
Yeah balance is what I'm all about too. Though I prefer the smaller dogs.