How much do you know about bully breeds? This often-misunderstood category of dogs is beloved by many enthusiasts and falsely accused of viciousness by others. Let’s highlight five bully breeds and then dispel five myths about these interesting dogs.
English Bulldogs
The big, wrinkly English bulldog is about as cute as it is rubbery. This old breed is a symbol of England and sports a strong, wide body and relatively flat face with a protruding lower jaw. They’re also sweethearts who make excellent family dogs.
Pitbulls
The often-maligned Pitbull gets a terrible reputation for no good reason. These powerfully built dogs are tragically often poorly socialized and raised to be vicious fighters. However, this history doesn’t make the breed any more or less dangerous than any other dog!
Boston Terrier
The compact Boston Terrier is closely related to the French Bulldog (itself another bully breed!). It’s among the smallest bullies and is renowned for being playful, smart, and easy-going. They make wonderful apartment dogs and don’t need as much exercise as some larger dogs.
English Mastiff
The towering English Mastiff is a mountain of a dog with a very long history. They’re well-known for their dignified and regal temperament, as well as their sweet nature and protectiveness over their families. If you need a good guard dog, get a mastiff.
Boxer
The big, powerful Boxer is closely related to mastiffs and originated in Germany. They’re well-respected by their owners for their athletic builds and fearless personalities. They’re also great with kids, and many families get them to act as guard dogs and to protect youngsters.
Shelter Numbers
Rumor has it that you won’t see many bully breeds in shelters because they’re “bad dogs”. This is nonsense. Bully breeds are expensive purebred dogs who have remarkable strength and loyalty. This makes them very popular and thus they’re unlikely to appear at shelters—just like any other purebred dog!
Durable Dogs
Some people claim that bullies were specially bred to be incapable of feeling pain. This claim is absurd. Imagine how difficult it would be for a dog to navigate the world without being able to feel pain. These claims underscore a real fact, though: bullies are very durable, loyal dogs who will ignore pain to help their owners.
Powerful Jaws
One myth holds that bully breeds have a unique “locking mechanism” that allows their jaws to latch shut. This isn’t true! Like all dogs, bully breeds have strong jaws. However, they’re no more or less dangerous than any other canine.
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Socialization Problems?
Another myth posits that bully breeds are antisocial and will never get along with other dogs. This is also not true. You can socialize bullies the same way you can any dog! Try to follow the Rule of Sevens and be patient with them and you can get them used to any context.
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“Careful, He Bites”
Finally, the popular understanding of bully breeds is that they’re more likely to bite, fight, or harm people than other dogs. Fundamentally, any dog can be dangerous. If you raise a dog to be antisocial, mean-spirited, and dangerous, it doesn’t matter what breed they are. They’ll fit the mold their owner makes for them. Likewise, if you socialize a dog well and take good care of them, they’ll be sweet-natured and calm.
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