But I don't NEED a "Show Dog"

But I Don’t Need a Show Dog!

Why do people recommend choosing a reputable breeder who shows and titles their dogs to folks who are just looking for a pet and have no interest in showing?

Why should breeding to breed standard be important to a pet home?

Does it seem excessive, or “snobby”?

....It’s not, and here’s why.....

Dog shows are a means of evaluating dogs against their written breed standard, to evaluate soundness, movement/gait, type, and temperament.

Soundness:

The state of physical and mental health when all organs and faculties are functioning properly, each in its rightful relation to each other.

Type:

Breed type encompasses appearance, character, condition, bone structure, temperament, and movement; "breed type is all these things." Breed type also includes a character specific to each breed, a combination of behavior, temperament and carriage that demonstrate an essence of the breed.

Gait:

The gait of a dog is its quality of movement. You want to see ease of movement, unimpaired by illness or poor structure.

Temperament:

The general attitude a dog has towards other animals and people.

From the American Bully Breed Standard: “The American Bully is a companion breed exhibiting confidence, a zest for life, along with an exuberant willingness to please and bond with their family, thus making the American Bully an excellent family companion. Despite the American Bully’s fierce and powerful appearance their demeanor is gentle. They are great with kids, and extremely friendly with strangers, other dogs, and other animals. Human or dog aggression, extreme shyness, or viciousness is very uncharacteristic of the American Bully and is highly undesirable."

So. That’s a very basic intro to what goes on at a show... why does this matter?

You want a pet, a "companion", not a show dog, right?

Well, you chose the American Bully for a reason.

You’ve done your research, and have read that they’re great with kids and other animals, they’re gentle giants, not aggressive, they make excellent companions and love spending time with their people.

That their good and kind nature predisposes many Bully's to be good therapy/emotional/ service dogs with proper training and socialization.

That they’re large, and STRONG, etc.

Good, responsible breeders seek to preserve those definitive and positive characteristics of this breed we all love so much.

Here’s an example-- there are indeed aggressive and aloof American Bully's. An aggressive dog is no joke, and a 100+lb. aggressive dog is even less so.

Aggression can run in lines. Wouldn’t it be difficult to show an aggressive, reactive, fearful, or excessively shy American Bully?

Do you want to take the gamble and trust someone about their dog’s history, or would you rather buy from someone who has taken their dogs into the show ring/ performance ring and had the dog’s temperament proven over and over, consistently?

What about type and structure? How a dog is put together, able to move freely and comfortably.

Would you rather buy from someone who has proven publicly, excessively over time, that the dogs they’re breeding can move well; free of limp, or other structural problems?

Or just trust someone who has no interest in proving their dogs? It’s your puppy’s quality of life and comfort (as well as your wallet) that’s at stake.

Not every dog in a well-bred litter is going to be show quality- there will ALWAYS be pet-quality puppies. Well-bred, but maybe with a slight imperfection, and those are the puppies placed in pet homes.

You don’t have to want a show-quality puppy to get a well-bred puppy!

Here’s the bottom line.... every day, Bully rescues are seeing more and more aggressive Bullies.

Bullies in pain because they were poorly bred.

Bullies requiring extensive vet care, expensive surgery(ies).

Sadly, even people having to remand their dogs to local breed rescues because they can’t manage the dog, fear the dog, or found out the dog needs costly vet care that they simply can’t afford.

This is not at all about being snobby, being elitist, or saying/thinking that one dog is “better” than another, it’s about ensuring you get a puppy that acts and looks like the breed you fell in love with.

It’s about ensuring that all American Bully puppies have the best start in life, and will grow into a loving family member for you.

It’s about loving our breed enough to want to see everything that’s good about them preserved for future generations to enjoy.

If you want a healthy dog, with a properly sweet temperament, choose your breeder wisely.