Dave Wilson
• Creating a breed versus destroying a breed:
Before I get into the other breeds, let me speak on the breed I was personally involved in, the American Bully.
The American Bully was created different than many others breeds; I think the closest breed as far as how it was created is the American Staffordshire Terrier. Both the American Bully and the Am.Staff were created more from bloodlines and isolated traits from the American Pit Bull Terrier. In the case of my personal line, Razors Edge, it took me over 7 years to finally get my line the way I was striving for and to where it reproduced consistently in every breeding. It took a total of 14 years before we even felt it could be considered its own breed, and with the idea of that being a breed in development.
The American Bully is a breed that was not considered a breed until the ABKC was created. Let me explain, there was no American Bully until we created that name. There was only the American Pit Bull Terrier. It was me that went on the Elite Edge message board and said I’m calling my line and dogs (Razors Edge) the American Bully. (Not that I’m looking for credit for that, I could care less) There were very few then that supported the name, the Elite Edge was one of the main ones in support along with a few others. There was even a huge debate on this, but eventually we agreed that my line and other similar lines had gone far enough from the UKC breed standard (Actually the UKC standard changed to exclude our dogs) that this style was unique and different and its own thing. Anyway this has been said many times so I wont go more into that. (And I’m not saying I was the first to breed or have Bully dogs, I’m not saying I was the first to have shows, I’m not saying I did this on my own; and for real I don’t want any credit at all! Credit should go to all the breeders and supporters of the breed and the ABKC for certifying and validating the breed). So we chose the name American Bully and then created a registry to document the breed and give it validity. It started with just Razors Edge dogs in 2004, then I personally reached out to Richard Barajas of Gottiline in 2005 and went over the breed standard and criterion, he decided to bring his line into the ABKC and go by the same breed name. What happened at this point was the ABKC created a breed standard and criterion, which is the requirements needed for a dog to be eligible to be entered into the breed’s studbooks. Back then it was basically that the dogs had to be Razors Edge or Gotti or a mix of the two. Later on other bloodlines were added as well as some ancestry lines behind these lines, but on a case-by-case basis. As time went on the criterion got stricter and pictures were required to make sure dogs possessed breed type characteristics. In recent years it has gotten even stricter and more limited to even include DNA profiling. Many dogs we see today are carrying heavy traits from other breeds, primarily Bulldog breeds. For the American Bully breed to be pure, these dogs carrying these traits outside the breed need to not be allowed to enter the studbooks. Regardless of speculations a line has to be drawn and criterion has to be strict to preserve traits and lock in type to ensure the future purity of a breed. So as time goes on the criterion will continue to get stricter to keep good, pure, healthy brood stock until the studbooks finally close and the breed is complete. The ABKC created the criterion, possesses the true and only studbooks for the breed, and will continue to work to preserve the future of this breed. (Regardless of rumors or questions of breed purity, once dogs meet the criteria for the breed, they are entered into the breed’s studbooks, and they become brood stock for the American Bully breed. These dogs carrying the breed name are to be bred to dogs of the same breed in order for the breed to progress in purity).
I know in recent years so many mix bred dogs and pop up registries have formed and give a free for all for anything. This not only destroys credibility, but it ruins the healthy progress of the breed. If the breed is ever to become complete and pure, these breeding practices and the registries that support them have to end; or at the least use a different breed name. It is a lie to call a dog an American Bully if it has not been entered into the ABKC studbooks and certified by the ABKC as an American Bully. It is a lie to mix a Bulldog breed with and American Bully and call it an American Bully. This statement, contrary to what some people in hope of competition falsely state, is not for control, it is for the purpose of protecting the validity and preserving the future of the breed. We cannot allow people and registries to give false information and allow them to break down the integrity of the breed and prohibit its progression to purity and breed stability. Its not control in anyway, its protection and preservation of the breed.
If you think the ABKC is for the purpose of money, you’re dead wrong. It was created out of necessity for the breed, and not with the purpose of monetary gains. ABKC makes No money on shows, No money on judges and reps, No money on entries; the only revenue comes from pedigree registrations. And these registrations are taken very serious to help protect and preserve the different breeds. If anything and everything were registered as whatever, then it would be for the purpose of money and not the integrity of pure breeds. (On a side note, ABKC donates to 3 rescues and/or BSL organizations every month)
This random mix breeding and the papering of it is happening all over, and its only purpose is for money! This is not honest or credible breeding/registering; this is a disgrace! All of this is for money; these people and these registries do NOT really care about the breed or even the dogs. It is all based on money. Yes they may smile in your face and bash me or whatever to make you believe their cause, but its all based on making them money!
Here is why I say this… A true breeder will work to create their dogs; they will not jump ship over and over again to fit a fad. How many of these breeders of these mixed dogs do you see sticking with their dogs or even have any breeding history at all? They don’t, and they don’t care, their feeling is “if it sells I’m making money and don’t care”. Registries say we will give them what they want because we will make money too. This type of thinking and these practices will destroy credibility and destroy any chance of a breed’s purity and respect. I see it over and over again, people saying “I’ll mix what I want and sell it as an American Bully. People did it in the past why cant we now”? For one that isn’t all true, and for two the breed is established now and for it to become pure, no new breeds can be added.
Look before some people get upset (probably too late) and go on another Dave bashing spree… If your purpose is pure and you really care, then do as respectable breeders have done and put the money aside and take your time to set a plan and create something unique. There is a way to do this; but, it takes a vision, a plan, a purpose, patience, time, and it will cost money and not initially make money. If a registry is a real registry then they will not just paper anything as whatever, they will either wait until it is an established breed, or work to help true breeders with a plan to develop a breed. Either way this isn’t throwing a breed to another breed and selling the offspring as something they are not.
The ABKC recognizes breeds other than just the American Bully, and some of these breeds are still in development or at a point where they are “a breed in progress”.
But don’t just take it from me, I’d rather you hear it from some respectable and reputable breeders who have created or are developing their own unique breeds.
Written by DW
