Bullypit Care

The Bullypit (also called the American Bully or the Bully-Pitbull): Big. Muscular. Protective. Devoted. Aggressive--but only if not trained otherwise. Dogs of this breed have stirred controversy for decades--but most are affectionate, playful, athletic, loving animals. They're also beloved by owners everywhere. Caring for these dogs, while not a breeze, is not as time-consuming as one would think, and consists mainly of a lot of obedience training and exercise. Below you'll find plenty of details on American Bully care: puppy development, exercise needs, diet and nutrition, and much more. For answers to all your questions about raising a Bullypit, keep reading!

Ownership of these brawny, athletic dogs will have to include a pretty vigorous daily exercise schedule. Breed members will need two types of exercise: "endurance" activities (walking, fetch) that condition their breathing, heart, and overall physique, and strength exercises (weight-pulling, tug-of-war) that are great for American Bully muscle-building.

Exactly how much exercise does a Bullypit need? An adult American Bully, depending on its age and overall activity level, will need an hour of physical activity per day at the very least. You can start exercising a Bullypit puppy at three months of age by taking it on short (10-minute) leashed walks, then increasing the walks' length and frequency as the puppy grows.

Some thing to keep in mind when exercising your muscular American Bully: first, puppies younger than nine months old shouldn't be allowed to participate in activities that include a lot of jumping, running, or navigating of stairs, as these can injure their still-developing bones and joints. Short leashed walks are best for these pups--and experts say it's a good idea that from the beginning, have your Bullypit puppy walk beside or behind you on the leash, rather than being allowed to lead. This, the experts say, will teach the pup that you, the human, are the "pack leader," and the dog will be more obedient in general as it matures. Even as adults, though, Bullypits will require a leash at all times when in public. Because of their instinctive protectiveness and possible dominance, Bullypits can quickly become aggressive towards strangers and other animals (especially other dogs), so they'll need to be very carefully controlled when you're out and about.

Precautions aside, it's extremely important that you exercise your American Bully every single day. If not provided with daily activity, these dogs will become restless and frustrated--which can lead to disobedience, terrible destructiveness (especially if left alone), and at the worst, aggression towards everyone and everything. Consistent exercise, therefore, is good for your Bullypit's peace of mind--and your own safety. A few exercise ideas:

• Walking: Two 30-minute walks per day is a good target
• Fetch: Bullypits will chase a ball or stick for hours
• Tug-of-War: Great indoor rainy-day activity; use a rope or old towel
• Hiking: Excellent bonding time; bonus if you can find a remote area where your Bullypit can be off-leash
• Weight-Pulling: Attach a rope to a heavy object like a spare tire or a sled, and the other end to a harness for the dog
• Canine Sports: American Bullies excel in cart-pulling, flyball, obedience trials, and other competitions

When indoors, it's a good idea to give your Bullypit access to one or more balls or chew-toys that will allow the dog to burn any excess energy. It's also recommended that you establish a consistent daily exercise schedule for the dog, such as walks after breakfast and dinner and a play period in the afternoon.

Caring for Bullypits in terms of shedding and drooling will take a moderate amount of time overall. These dogs shed year-round, but very lightly--but they drool pretty regularly.

American Bullies have short-haired, fine coats that shed all the time--but the amount of shedding is very low. Weekly brushing, along with occasional use of the vacuum cleaner on floors and lint rollers on clothes and furniture, should be all that's required to minimize the problem of shed hairs.

A Bullypit may drool a pretty good bit, especially if the dog's head and jaws favor its Bulldog parent's. These dogs can drool in anticipation of food, after drinking water, when especially hot and panting, or when nervous or excited; owners can keep old rags or towels handy to clean up excess slobber--and if a Bullypit's drooling is excessive, owners can tie a bandanna or old towel around the dog's neck to keep its chest and neck from becoming dirty or stinky from the drool.

Unsurprisingly, the American Bully diet is paramount in keeping a dog of this breed healthy, fit, and long-living. American Bully food will need to be packed with plenty of animal proteins to supply all the dog's muscles, of course--but the food will also need lots of carbohydrates for energy and omega fatty acids for coat and skin health. Many breed purists feed their American Bully a raw diet consisting of lean meats, fresh vegetables, eggs, fish, and other protein sources--but a lot of owners consider such a diet for their dogs to be too expensive and inconvenient, and choose a premium dry brand as their Bully-Pitbull's food. (Some people split the difference and feed primarily premium dry food, and add some raw/fresh ingredients to one meal a day.) Whatever your choice, cheap, generic dog food is not recommended for this breed, as it simply won't provide enough nutrients for your Bullypit to remain healthy in the long term.

American Bully dog food portions: with premium dry food, the typical adult will need 4-5 cups per day, split into two meals. American Bully puppy food portions are a bit less: depending on the pup's age, it will need 2½-3 cups per day, split into three meals (not two) until six months old. With a raw diet, an adult will need 2-3% of its total body weight in food per day. (A 90-pound Bullypit, for example, will need 2¼ pounds of raw food daily.) American Bully puppy raw diet portions are actually higher: again depending on its age, a pup will need 6-8% of its body weight in food each day. ((After nine months, you can slowly decrease the percentage over a three-month period.) For further details on dog food for an American Bully from puppyhood through maturity, reference the following chart (and for simplicity, the portions listed are for premium dry food only):

*--Around this time, transition to adult food by first mixing in just a bit of adult formula with the puppy formula. Over the course of a week, with each meal add a little more adult food to the mixture, until the dog is eating it entirely.

It's best to try and stick to the above-listed portions; while your Bullypit could probably eat much more, these dogs will easily become obese if constantly overfed--and a fat American Bully will have joint, breathing, and digestive issues, not to mention a shortened lifespan. You can control your Bullypit's weight in several ways: by having consistent feeding and exercise schedules, by not feeding the dog table scraps, and by not leaving food in the dog's bowl all the time, thereby allowing it to eat anytime it wants. It's better to put your Bullypit's bowl down only at mealtimes, then pick it up 20 minutes or so after the dog begins eating.

If you're worried your American Bully is overweight, give the dog this simple test: run a hand along its side, and if you can't feel any ribs beneath all that muscle, it's diet time. Reduce the dog's daily food consumption by one-fourth, and add an extra walk or play period to its daily exercise schedule.

Opinions differ over what's the best dog food for American Bully puppies and adults. Some breeders believe a raw diet of lean meats, fresh vegetables, fish, eggs, fruit, and other fresh foods is the best food for Bully-Pitbulls. Less committed owners, though, prefer premium dry food, since it's not as time-consuming. Perhaps the best option is to combine the two: feed your Bullypit premium dry food, but add some of the above-listed fresh ingredients to one meal a day.