History of The Razor’s Edge Bloodline!

Razors Edge Pitbulls… How it all began!

Razors Edge Pitbulls was started in MD and DC by Dave Wilson and Carlos Barksdale. They started out with game dogs. They researched everything they could find and read every book publicized at that time. The also subscribed to many dog magazines like the ADBA Gazette, even some underground ones. They called nearly every breeder that they could find and questioned them, If it said Pit, they were on it. They already owned some unpapered BYB Pits. They even had there own Pit club and went hiking and other things back in the woods. Eventually they got enough money to get some real papered, good bloodline, game dogs. They purchased some of the best around at the time. Even paid $3500 way back then for a Grandson of the great “Plumbers Alligator”, mainly Mayfield lines. Dave and Carlos were very heavy into the game lines and had dogs from Hemphill to Wilder blood. These were big game dogs.

Later on they hooked up with George Williams in DC and purchased a dog they named Diablo, from Wildside Kennels. Diablo’s dad was a bigger catch dog, “Hollinsworth Bull”. His mom was a game girl names “Wildsides Ms.Leaky”. This was the turn around time when Razors Edge Pitbulls started adding more size. The first ever registered “ADBA” Razors Edge Pitbulls breeding was from his Mayfield boy Zeus to a Mayfield girl name Jinx. Jinx was actually given to friend back then named Curt Plater, now CLP Kennels. He owned the first ever Razors Edge Pitbulls dog. They would lose contact after this for many years before hooking up again. They banned Pits in PG County and Dave was forced to move. Eventually through Dave’s job in the Pet Store industry he landed a mangers job at a Pet Store in VA. He had to move to VA and still resides there as Razors Edge Kennel.

Dave managed a Pet Store, worked as a professional dog trainer, and still bred bigger ADBA game dogs. Basically, he bred his own pits now. He also put fliers in the Washington Post explaining what the breed was and what Razors Edge Pitbulls was.

Dave met a guy name Ron Smith who came aboard and took Razors Edge Pitbulls to another level. Dave saw this blue dog named “Steel Town Blue Monday” and was hooked! Ron already knew every UKC and AKC breeder under the sun. He had been researching on his own for years. So this man had all the pictures, info, etc…. He had fliers and pictures from every AKC and UKC breeder from Coast to coast. He literally had pictures of almost all the dogs in all these pedigrees. That man really was the “Pit Guru”. He first contacted thingy ‘n’ Bull Kennels, the ones that produced Monday. They turned them onto people in Cali with that blood. Candace Eggart was one. Candy sent pictures of what she had and what she had going on. Just to give you a time frame, She sold a dog years later to Tony Moore named Showtime! Showtime went on to be one of the foundation pregnant doges in the Greyline bloodline! So this was years before Greyline was even around.

They went to every breeder on the East Coast. Up north to Bobby Morehouse, Beth Jones, a friend of his Lee Fitzgerald, Flying A’s, Minot’s Ledge, etc. they actually purchased a blue brindle female named “Sadey” from Minot’s Ledge. This litter was had an extraordinary pedigree. The top half were mainly Flying A’s dogs like “Oreo” and “Reo Speedwagon”. Dogs he had seen and liked. You could see in the extended pedigree how these dogs stemmed from Ruffian dogs. Then you could see how it went back even further from the AKC Ruffian dog to the UKC Colby dogs. This top half of the pedigree actually showed how Pits eventually were registered as Staffs! Dave thought that was cool to see on paper and in a dog he owned. Then the bottom half of the ped went right back to Stratton dogs. Dogs like Going light Barney, dogs he grew up reading about! Thanks to Richard Stratton, Then behind them were the same Colby dogs he saw on the top half of the pedigree. So he had this dog that showed the history of the Am. Staff and the directions the Colby line went in the UKC. he also purchased a male named “Razors Edge Blue Maxx”. His top half was a dog named “StoryTime’s Upon this Rock” AKA “Peter” Peter was a dog bred by Beth Jones. He was a big dog, but kinda ugly. They bred him to “Wassuc’s Farm Maggie May”. Dave really liked this compact girl. He researched her lines and found she was Ryan. When they got to see the Ryan dogs they were surprised to see they were game dogs. They were AKC registered Staffs, but they still bred for game dogs! This was something Dave had never seen, I’m sure that’s why the AKC people didn’t like that line, . However; Dave loved it! Bully, game, blue, staffs! Now that’s what I am talking about! Maxx was there boy from this blood. Now Razors Edge Pitbulls was big ADBA game dogs, one UKC Blue Brindle girl, and a Big hot Blue Fawn AKC boy.

In Va there was Sharon Stone of Cloverhill, who had the biggest Staffs Dave had ever seen! Her old stuff was huge! Too tall for what he was looking for, but huge! They changed years later and went more showy. Razors Edge Pitbulls Paco, was in Dave’s opinion actually a throw back of her older days. Ginny York, Pam Perdue, GiGi, the Garretts, etc….they visited them all. Even went down to Florida and checked out Marsha Woods. Met KC Courtier of Watchdog Kennels. Eventually, went up to Md and met Kimmar Kennels. As soon as Dave stepped on the ranch, he knew he had found the build he was looking for! The Razors Edge Pitbulls package was almost complete.

Razors Edge Pitbulls had been advertising in the Washington Post for many years. Some young dudes from DC used to come down and hang out and bring their dogs. Edwin Salinas and Joey Nevils were two of them. These guys had been buying dogs from Kimmar and mixing their own stuff in them too. Kimmar used to have an ad in the post under the Pit Bull ads, it said “Petey pups”. They didn’t want their dogs to be labeled as Pits; but they advertised directly under Pits? Hmmmmmm? Not as Staff? Anyway, local people knew the deal and picked up a lot of her dogs. Joey, Edwin, Joey’s pops, and their boys had a bunch of these dogs. Even some old friends of Dave’s Jerry and Gerrold had yards with these dogs. They all had game stuff in the mix. Dave tapped into a lot of their dogs as well to create Razors Edge pitbulls.

In Kimmar’s yard he learned a lot about breeding and genetics. Dave spent every weekend there for almost three years, and actually put on a training class for all her buyers every Sunday.

Razors Edge Pitbulls had been breeding now for a few generations and even used a lot of her dogs from other people in the mix. Ron, also had some Pitbulls was already in the game. Kimmar actually used there dog Maxx for some breedings. Eventually we purchased around 15 dogs from her line, including Knuckles and Rage. While these pups were growing, Razors Edge already had it’s formula. They just wanted a different head. They were not given papers on some of these dogs and they had to be UKC registered instead! This is where Razors Edge Pitbulls became heavily involved in UKC. Dave started searching for a better head and came into some Watchdog stuff. KC was not breeding anymore, so he had to find that blood somewhere else. he bought dogs from Grapevine Kennels, and also hit up Hughzee’s, who he believe later on became Chaos Kennels. They had been talking to Pam from Gaff Kennels for a few years, and really liked a boy name Seiko! So they got a dog from her. So Dave experimented with a lot of lines and different dogs. Razors Edge Pitbulls started having a real consistent look. The heads were big, but they still wanted them to be a little blockier. A few generations later it was pretty much there.

So by taking combinations of dogs and bloodlines Dave eventually got to the style of pitbull he wanted, now called “Bully Style” of Razors Edge Pitbulls, Meaning large in size, such as a large head, wide chest, short blocky muzzles, large, but not over done bone, and a shorter back, but at the same time correct as the United Kennel Club and American Kennel Club judge by.

Razors Edge Pitbulls’ Dave purchased a pup from the breeding of Kimmars Catt Man Roo and Pam’s White Path China Black. These two dogs produce a few dogs in the litter that helped to promote the Razors Edge pitbulls line, dogs such as: GR CH Razors Edge Throwin Knuckles, CH Razors Edge Inna Rage, and Razors Edge Sapphire Lil. Another breeding that produced one of the most famous pregnant doges in the history of Razors Edge was between Ch. Jackson’s GMJ Mr. Brooks and Razors Edge SilverSadey of ML which produced GR. CH. Razors Edge Sadey’s Paddington and also Kim’s Blue Dekota. Dave used Ch. CloverHill’s Watuka Spirit AKA Paco and bred him to Paddington, which produced the legendary CH. Razors Edge Purple Rose of Cairo, the most famous dog of all the Razors Edge Pitbulls today in my opinion. Razors Edge Kenna Claddaugh, Razors Edge Top Notch Chino, Razors Edge Chi Chi of Trueblue, Tonka and Jigga and Iced Mocha are also productions from this breeding.

When the time was right the grand champion knuckles was bred to Paddington, which produced another female, named Viagra. Viagra was bred to the legend Cairo and produced one of my favorite males Razors Edge V’s Lil Ro, AKA “RO”. They also produced Cai, Diva, Caira and a few more. RO lives his own legacy today in producing some beautiful dogs such as suarez bulls paco and genuine Edge’s Toxic, and Titan Kennels Titan, just to name a few of my favorite males out of him. A friend of mine at Bully Loaded Kennels also has a son, Quake, and daughter, Faith, off of him that will be very nice when there older. Cairo was also bred to a few other females but I won’t name them all just ones that come to mind, some of the important ones in my eyes, such as the Cairo and Koi Breeding. Koi who is out of GR CH Knuckles and Dakota (Paddingtons sister), was bred to Cairo and produced Rage, Neela, Brooklyn, Shamrock, Rolli, Rosetta, and Diamond. Cairo was also bred to tiki and produced a male by the name of Hennessy. Cairo was also bred to my friends dog trixie of blackout kennels in VA and produced his male Gooda, Bo at Bow Wow Kennels,Denile at Razors Edge Kennel, one of my personal favorite females of Razors Edge pitbulls bloodline and two others that go by Bosko and Bun. The cairo side of razors edge pitbulls is just a fraction of the bloodline. The line has been taking in different directions but everythang basically stems from the knuckles, paddington, and rage blood.

Another well known producing dog is Razors Edge CLP’s Short Shot, Short Shot is off of Buckshot and Rage, and is also a grandson to Knuckles on Buckshots side and Rage is Knuckles sister. Shortshot has done a few breedings is his life, such as Diamond, and more recently Paradise and Steel. there is also sections of the blood that are almost like a line in its own depending on what your looking for, you got the Cairo side, the shortshot side, the you got manu side, dozer daisy line breedings, which all of this basically ties into each and every dog produced from razors edge pitbulls yard in the very beginning! You just have to connect them all together. It’s the facts of producing outstanding dogs from the start and putting time and effort and lots of money into building a dream.

Razors Edge Pitbulls Kennel has been involved in learning, breeding, showing, training and raising the American Pitbull Terrier for well over 15 years and it keeps getting better! Razors edge pitbulls will not die! It will live on through Dave’s kids, friends, and mainly in his dogs! Razors Edge pitbulls is a bloodline for everyone, it offers show quality dogs, bully correct dogs, bully dogs, and overdone dogs, overdone meaning extreme bone, head, and chest, at the same time very nice dogs, but dogs that would not be able to win in the show ring. So if you want a real pitbull where there females outdo other kennels males go to Razors Edge pitbulls Kennel and they can point you in the right direction!

Razors Edge Pitbulls Difference:

Razors Edge Pitbulls tend to have more of the classic pitbull look and still retain the pitbull features in a shorter stockier version. Razors Edge Pitbulls is often referred to as the cleaner look compared to other bully pitbull bloodlines.

GOTTILINE HISTORY

Gottiline was founded by Richard Barajas of West Side Kennels. He is the owner of Gottiline’s foundation sire, “The Notorious Juan Gotty”. In 1997, he purchased Gotty from a gentleman by the name of Tony Moore. (Tony Moore is the owner of Grey Line Kennels in Los Angeles, California. The foundation bitch of Greyline was the late Showtime. Showtime is the producer of Gotty’s father, ‘PR’ Greyline’s Raider 2.) He purchase Gotty for the amount of $1,300. When Gotty was approximately 7 weeks old his sire, “Raider” passed away. When Gotty was 7 months old he sired his first litter. He went on to produce many foundation males and females including Coldens Blue Rhino, and Felony (The sire and dam of 21 Blackjack), New Troijan’s Dillenger, Pate’s Blue Beast, Gottiline’s Monster, Do Good Big Boy, and Westside’s Capone just to name a few. Gotty is the sire of over 700 U.K.C. registered American Pit Bull Terriers. Since 1997, Gottiline has spread across the USA, Canada, China, the Philippines, and Japan. Juan Gotty will go down in history as one of the greatest dogs in the bully style movement.

More on Gotti Pitbulls:

Gottiline is one of the most popular bloodlines in the american bully world. Gotti pitbulls have a distinctive look that you are able to tell them apart from other blood lines. They tend to be very stocky with a lot of mass. Gotti pits are very girthy. The Gottiline Pit Bull immediately strikes one as being a dog of power, passion, and undying willingness. The brick-like head, which is especially broad between the cheeks (to house the powerful jaws), is carried upon a thickly muscled, well-defined neck. The neck runs into a deep, thick, well-sprung chest. Gotti Pitbulls are very muscular, stocky, yet agile which is extremely strong for their size. The ears are generally cropped, though this is optional. Docked tails are not accepted by the UKC. The eyes are round. The UKC do not accept blue eyes or the coat color mearl.

Other bloodlines related to gotti pitbulls:

Notorious Juan Gotty, often spelled as Gotti, is undeniably an exceptional dog that has produced the foundation for many american bully breeders. Gotti is the foundation forMikeland’s Kracker and Gator. He is also the foundation for Kingpinline’s Goliath. He is the foundation for many XXL bully pitbulls weighing over 120 lbs. Juan Gotti is also the foundation for many pocket bully pitbulls weighing less than 70 lbs. It is amazing how one dog was used to create such a diverse style of bullies, yet each style is exceptional in it’s own aspects. Juan Gotty will always be a legend in the bully pitbull movement.

Regardless of the size, extreme girth, bone , and head goes hand in hand with gotti pitbulls.

Roc And Ruby Blood Producing Great Bullies

Has anyone taken a good look at Roc and Ruby bloodline lately? I have! I have to admit that these dogs only recently caught my eyes. Just in case you have not seen or do not know about the Roc and Ruby bloodline, they are the foundation for some really hot dogs today. In addition, if this means anything, I truly like the name of the line.

Roc and Ruby just rrrrroooools of the tongue. I will venture to say that some of the baddest dogs on the planet today comes form the Roc and Ruby blood. In fact, I was surprised to find out that they were instrumental in productions of some of my favorite dogs, such as Escobar, who produced Boston George with PR Fergalicious, and MBBP’s Yoshi.

The Roc and Ruby blood are also instrumental in producing dogs like Lil Rizzy 22, Pr Borrow Blue Pimp Suit, who is the sire of Escobar and a direct son of Roc and Ruby.

About PR Bowwow Pits Thee Rock
It’s no surprise that the Rock and Ruby bloodline is making big splashes in the bully world today. The foundation sire “Thee Rock”, comes from a long line of proven dogs which include CH Cloverhills Watuka Spirit, CH Razors Edge Purple Rose Of Cairo, CH Jackson’s GMJ Mr. Brooks and GrCH Razors Edge Sadeys Paddington. This again proves a point that I always make. Research your dogs and breed to the best.

About CLP Razors Edge Ruby.
To add to the already outstanding dogs in Thee Roc’s pedigree, Ruby demonstrates a world class line up in her circle too. Here are a few outstanding dogs in CLP Razors Edge Ruby’s pedigree.
Her sire and dam are CLPs/ Razors Edge Shortshot and CLP’S Razors Edge Diamond Inna Ruff. these two are down from great dogs such as CH CH Razors Edge Inna Rage, Razors Edge Throwin Knuckles, CH Razors Edge Ed’s Call-Him Lil Man and GrCH Razors Edge Sadeys Paddington.

Roc And Ruby Bloodline, No Accident!
In case you are not following this post closely, go back to the top and start again. Doing so will reveal that it was and is no accident why the Roc And Ruby blood is so popular and having so much success today. With such a rich history of Razors Edge dogs behind them, this bloodline, when well matched, produces a really consistent dog with most other lines.

In conclusion I would have to say that if you want some of the best bloodline to strengthen your kennel or yard, go get you some Roc and Ruby.
Bullies Rock!!

RemyLine

Remy line was founded by Fabian Chichester and is based off of his Razor's Edge dog; "Lowjack's Remy Martin" born in April of 2003 and produced at Ruckus Kennels. Fabian bought Remy for $500 and a treadmill at six weeks of age. In 2004 Fabian bred Remy (as he is simply referred to as) to his female pitbull named Bella. Little did Fabian know; that would be the beginning of a new line of American Bullies that he would later coin as Remyline.

As Remy matured, Fabian realized that he had a very special dog. Remy had a look about him like no other dog before him. Blue fawn in color, thick, heavy bone, a magnificent head piece and a profile stare that said; this is one serious dog! Folks in the rapidly growing Bully community fell in love with Remy. It wasn't long before Fabian was approached with requests to use Remy as a stud for a variety of females.

Fabian set a price of $2500 for the stud fee and people began to line up for the chance to have Remy sire a litter in the hopes of creating another Remy. Thus Remyline Kennels was born.

Today, a half a dozen years later, many kennels are still lining up to have a chance to add Remy line blood to their profile. In a period of just a few short years Remy has become one of the most prolific bred Pitbulls in history with over a thousand registered offspring. Those who are fortunate enough to have Remy in their pedigree proudly identify with the Remyline name.

What is interesting to note, is the way that Fabian went about building Remyline. Unlike Dave Wilson who used a number of different PitBulls in which to develop the Razor's Edge line; Fabian used just one dog to create Remy line. Of course, dozens have tried to imitate Fabian success, reasoning that if he could do it with Remyline they could accomplish the same thing with their dog "Spot". What they failed to realize is; to create another Remy line you need two elements; the right dog and marketing know-how. Many have found the path to fame and fortune to be much tougher than they realized. The fact is; no line of PitBull of the Razor's Edge or Gotti strain has even come close to gaining the recognition that Remyline has achieved.

THE AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER

History

Sometime during the nineteenth century, dog fanciers in England, Ireland, and Scotland began to experiment with crosses between Bulldogs and Terriers, looking for a dog that combined the gameness of the terrier with the strength and athleticism of the Bulldog. The result was a dog that embodied all of the virtues attributed to great warriors: strength, indomitable courage, and gentleness with loved ones. Immigrants brought these bull and terrier crosses to the United States. The American Pit Bull Terrier's many talents did not go unnoticed by farmers and ranchers who used their APBTs for protection, as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, to drive livestock, and as family companions. Today, the American Pit Bull Terrier continues to demonstrate its versatility, competing successfully in Obedience, Tracking, Agility, Protection, and Weight Pulls, as well as Conformation.

The United Kennel Club was the first registry to recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier. U.K.C. founder C. Z. Bennett assigned U.K.C. registration number 1 to his own APBT, Bennett's Ring in 1898.

General Appearance

The American Pit Bull Terrier is a medium-sized, solidly built, short-coated dog with smooth, well-defined musculature. This breed is both powerful and athletic. The body is just slightly longer than tall, but bitches may be somewhat longer in body than dogs. The length of the front leg (measured from point of elbow to the ground) is approximately equal to one-half of the dog's height at the withers. The head is of medium length, with a broad, flat skull, and a wide, deep muzzle. Ears are small to medium in size, high set, and may be natural or cropped. The relatively short tail is set low, thick at the base and tapers to a point. The American Pit Bull Terrier comes in all colors and color patterns. This breed combines strength and athleticism with grace and agility and should never appear bulky or muscle-bound or fine-boned and rangy.

Characteristics

The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. This breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. APBTs make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children. Because most APBTs exhibit some level of dog aggression and because of its powerful physique, the APBT requires an owner who will carefully socialize and obedience train the dog. The breed's natural agility makes it one of the most capable canine climbers so good fencing is a must for this breed. The APBT is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely friendly, even with strangers. Aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable. This breed does very well in performance events because of its high level of intelligence and its willingness to work.

The American Pit Bull Terrier has always been capable of doing a wide variety of jobs so exaggerations or faults should be penalized in proportion to how much they interfere with the dog's versatility.

Head

The APBT head is unique and a key element of breed type. It is large and broad, giving the impression of great power, but it is not disproportionate to the size of the body. Viewed from the front, the head is shaped like a broad, blunt wedge. When viewed from the side, the skull and muzzle are parallel to one another and joined by a well defined, moderately deep stop. Supraorbital arches over the eyes are well defined but not pronounced. The head is well chiseled, blending strength, elegance, and character.

SKULL - The skull is large, flat or slightly rounded, deep, and broad between the ears. Viewed from the top, the skull tapers just slightly toward the stop. There is a deep median furrow that diminishes in depth from the stop to the occiput. Cheek muscles are prominent but free of wrinkles. When the dog is concentrating, wrinkles form on the forehead, which give the APBT his unique expression.

MUZZLE - The muzzle is broad and deep with a very slight taper from the stop to the nose, and a slight falling away under the eyes. The length of muzzle is shorter than the length of skull, with a ratio of approximately 2:3. The topline of the muzzle is straight. The lower jaw is well developed, wide and deep. Lips are clean and tight.

Faults: Snipey muzzle; flews; weak lower jaw.

TEETH - The American Pit Bull Terrier has a complete set of evenly spaced, white teeth meeting in a scissors bite.

Fault: Level bite.

Serious Faults: Undershot, or overshot bite; wry mouth; missing teeth (this does not apply to teeth that have been lost or removed by a veterinarian).

NOSE - The nose is large with wide, open nostrils. The nose may be any color.

EYES - Eyes are medium size, round to almond-shaped, and set well apart and low on the skull. All colors are equally acceptable except blue, which is a serious fault. Haw should not be visible.

Serious Faults: Bulging eyes; both eyes not matched in color; blue eyes.

EARS - Ears are high set and may be natural or cropped without preference. If natural, semi-prick or rose are preferred. Prick or flat, wide ears are not desired.

Neck

The neck is of moderate length and muscular. There is a slight arch at the crest. The neck widens gradually from where it joins the skull to where it blends into well laid-back shoulders. The skin on the neck is tight and without dewlap.

Faults: Neck too short and thick; thin or weak neck; ewe neck; dewlap.

Forequarters

The shoulder blades are long, wide, muscular, and well laid back. The upper arm is roughly equal in length to the shoulder blade and joins it at an apparent right angle.

The forelegs are strong and muscular. The elbows are set close to the body. Viewed from the front, the forelegs are set moderately wide apart and perpendicular to the ground. The pasterns are short, powerful, straight, and flexible. When viewed in profile, the pasterns are nearly erect.

Faults: Upright or loaded shoulders; elbows turned outward or tied-in; down at the pasterns; front legs bowed; wrists knuckled over; toeing in or out.

Body

The chest is deep, well filled in, and moderately wide with ample room for heart and lungs, but the chest should never be wider than it is deep. The forechest does not extend much beyond the point of shoulder. The ribs extend well back and are well sprung from the spine, then flattening to form a deep body extending to the elbows. The back is strong and firm. The topline inclines very slightly downward from the withers to a broad, muscular, level back. The loin is short, muscular and slightly arched to the top of the croup, but narrower than the rib cage and with a moderate tuck-up. The croup is slightly sloping downward.

Hindquarters

The hindquarters are strong, muscular, and moderately broad. The rump is well filled in on each side of the tail and deep from the pelvis to the crotch. The bone, angulation, and musculature of the hindquarters are in balance with the forequarters. The thighs are well developed with thick, easily discerned muscles. Viewed from the side, the hock joint is well bent and the rear pasterns are well let down and perpendicular to the ground. Viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are straight and parallel to one another.
Faults: Narrow hindquarters; hindquarters shallow from pelvis to crotch; lack of muscle; straight or over angulated stifle joint; cow hocks; sickle hocks; bowed legs.

Feet

The feet are round, proportionate to the size of the dog, well arched, and tight. Pads are hard, tough, and well cushioned. Dewclaws may be removed.

Fault: Splayed feet.

Tail

The tail is set on as a natural extension of the topline, and tapers to a point. When the dog is relaxed, the tail is carried low and extends approximately to the hock. When the dog is moving, the tail is carried level with the backline. When the dog is excited, the tail may be carried in a raised, upright position (challenge tail), but never curled over the back (gay tail).

Fault: Long tail (tail tip passes beyond point of hock).

Serious faults: Gay tail (not to be confused with challenge tail); kinked tail.

Disqualification: Bobbed tail.

Coat

The coat is glossy and smooth, close, and moderately stiff to the touch.

Faults: Curly, wavy, or sparse coat.

Disqualification: Long coat.

Color

Any color, color pattern, or combination of colors is acceptable, except for merle.

Disqualification: Merle

Height and Weight

The American Pit Bull Terrier must be both powerful and agile so actual weight and height are less important than the correct proportion of weight to height. Desirable weight for a mature male in good condition is between 35 and 60 pounds. Desirable weight for a mature female in good condition is between 30 and 50 pounds. Dogs over these weights are not to be penalized unless they are disproportionately massive or rangy.

Gait

The American Pit Bull Terrier moves with a jaunty, confident attitude, conveying the impression that he expects any minute to see something new and exciting. When trotting, the gait is effortless, smooth, powerful, and well coordinated, showing good reach in front and drive behind. When moving, the backline remains level with only a slight flexing to indicate suppleness. Viewed from any position, legs turn neither in nor out, nor do feet cross or interfere with each other. As speed increases, feet tend to converge toward center line of balance.

Faults: Legs not moving on the same plane; legs over reaching; legs crossing over in front or rear; rear legs moving too close or touching; rolling; pacing; paddling; sidewinding; hackney action; pounding.

Disqualifications

Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid. Viciousness or extreme shyness. Unilateral or bilateral deafness. Bobbed tail. Albinism. Merle. Long coat.

Note: Although some level of dog aggression is characteristic of this breed, handlers will be expected to comply with U.K.C. policy regarding dog temperament at U.K.C. events.

THE AMERICAN BULLY

The American Bully was established in the mid 1990’s with the purpose of creating the ultimate family companion. The American Bully is a combination of the desired traits of the ancestry of the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier. This was achieved through years of selective breeding. The American Bully possesses the loyalty and stability of the American Pit Bull Terrier while retaining the sociable, amiable, and outgoing temperament of the American Staffordshire Terrier. This unique breed is noted for displaying extreme tolerance toward children and an overwhelming eagerness to please its family. Confident, yet not aggressive, this breed is all in all of a pleasant temperament. Physically, the American Bully has a graceful yet impressive, solid, defined, athletic build that is both muscular and toned, and denotes strength as well as agility. It is a breed capable and diverse in all tasks and abilities. The American Bully is a well rounded, reliable, trustworthy, and all around the ideal family companion.

General Impression
The American Bully should give the impression of great strength for its size. A medium size dog with a muscular body. Agile and graceful in its movement, keenly alive to his surroundings. He should be stocky, not long-legged or racy in outline. His courage is proverbial.
Head
Medium length, deep through, broad skull, very pronounced cheek muscles, distinct stop, and high set ears.
Ears

Natural or Cropped.
Eyes

All colors except albinism. Eye shape would be round to oval, low down in skull and set far apart.
Muzzle

Medium length rounded on upper side or slightly squared to fall away abruptly below eyes. Jaws well defined. Under jaw to be strong and have biting power. Lips close and even, some looseness accepted, but not preferred. Upper teeth to meet tightly outside lower teeth in front or scissor bite accepted. Nose all colors acceptable.
Neck
Heavy, slightly arched, tapering from shoulders to back of skull. No looseness of skin. Medium length.
Shoulders
Strong and muscular with blades wide and sloping.
Back
Fairly short. Slight sloping from withers to rump or straight accepted with gentle short slope at rump to base of tail. Slightly higher rears accepted, but not encouraged.
Body
Well-sprung ribs, deep in rear and all ribs close together. Forelegs set rather wide apart to permit chest development. Chest should be deep and broad.
Tail
Short in comparison to size, low set, tapering to a fine point; not curled. Not docked.
Legs
Front legs- should be straight a slight turning outwards of the feet is accepted but not desired, large or round bones, pastern upright. No resemblance of bend in front.
Hindquarters- well-muscled, let down at hocks, turning neither in nor out.
Feet- of moderate size, well-arched and compact.
Gait- should be springy with drive off the rear.
Coat
Short, close, stiff to the touch, and glossy.
Color
All colors and patterns are permissible expect the color merle.
Size
Height and weight should be in proportion. A height of about 18 to 21 inches at shoulders for the male and 17 to 20 inches for the female is to be considered preferable. There is no particular weight for the breed.
Faults
Faults to be penalized are: kinked or knotted tails, pink eyes and any form of albinism, tail too long or curled, undershot or overshot mouths, severe turned fronts, and aggressive behavior towards animals and humans.

In a famous World War One propaganda poster, select dog breeds are depicted as symbols of their respective nations: the French Bulldog stands for France; the Dachshund, for Germany. At the center of this canine summit is a handsome white fellow, the American Pit Bull Terrier. His shoulders draped in the stars and stripes of Old Glory, he’s a proud flag-waver with a bold motto: "I’m neutral - But not afraid of any of them!"

Many years have passed since Americans were proud to identify with Pit Bulls. Once a noble national mascot, Everybody’s All-American and a popular family pet, the Pit Bull would experience a terrible reversal of fortune, feared and reviled as public enemy number one.

THE PITBULL TERRIER, poor fellow, is now almost obsolete, and what a shame! Will no one endeavour bring him back to his rightful own? Not to his former, much abused--pitifully abused--state, which was actually the cause of his downfall, but to the position of a true dog among dogs. Never was there a more noble, well -meaning, loyal, or courageous dog on the face of the earth. While perhaps some of the inferior types of this class were nothing much to look upon, yet those of the better specimens were really splendid-appearing animals and worthy of a place in any home or show ring. This terrier did not lose his reputation, and with it his popularity, because of any fault of his own.

Those who handled him, those who made him fight to maim and even kill other dogs, always at the grave risk of his own life, ultimately caused his decent down the grade rapidly toward oblivion. Left to himself, he was no more of a fighter than many of our other dogs which are held in the highest respect, and under the right supervision he was one of the most peaceful creatures living. Of course, it must be admitted that he could not really boast of blue blood, nor could he exactly claim a true-to-type strain, but, nevertheless, if other breeds could be carefully developed and raised to a standard recognized by the American Kennel Club, why could he not have enjoyed this honour? Surely, he well deserved it. So let us sincerely hope that some sympathetic person, or group of persons, may sooner or later take up his cause and carry it through until he has a fitting place in canine history.

American Bully AKA "Bully"?

The quick answer is: An American Bully is a spin off the American Pit Bull Terrier. The same lineage and blood, but bred for generations for a different purpose and look. To understand this, you must first know some history behind the foundation breed and its directions.

The "Pit Bull" was a dog that came to form in the late 1800's. The purpose of this breed was to be the ultimate competitor. The breed was created for the sport of dog fighting, which for hundreds of years was a legal sport, celebrated by even the elite in society These dogs were bred to never waver in the heat of battle, hence the term "gameness." This term means to have the will to go on no matter what obstacles have to be overcome, even fatigue, and to never mentally quit or give up.

This "gameness" was the main trait bred into the breed. Another main trait was the breeds stability with people. The breed was so human tolerant that it would never bite the hand of a person, even in the heat of a match. This trait was bred into the breed to protect handlers and referees from getting bit while in a match. The breed was created to be the ultimate gladiator, but never to harm a human, thus the breed was never meant to have any human aggression.
The breed increased in size when it came to the US, and later adopted the final name of " The American Pit Bull Terrier". They used American in the name, because America is where the first registry created for the breed was formed. They used "Pit" in the name, because this was the name of the arena used in the sport they were created for. They used the word "Bull" in the name, because a "Bulldog" type was used in the creation of the breed. They used the word "Terrier" in the name, because a "Terrier" type breed was also used in the creation of the breed. A "Bulldog" type was used for power, build, and stability. A "Terrier" type was used for its tenacity and agility.

The first American Pit Bull Terriers were introduced for breed registration and acknowledgement to the only registry at that time, The American Kennel Club or "AKC." The AKC denied the breeds acceptance in its registry because the breed had no written breed standard; physical criteria that a breed should possess, written standards and descriptions of such. At this time the only trait heavily desired was "gameness." Since the AKC denied the breed to its registry, a new registry was formed, The United Kennel Club or "UKC." The UKC was created solely for this breed, and as years went on, a standard was written for the breed and adopted by the UKC.

There were still breeders who wanted the breed recognized by the AKC, so they decided to take lines from the breed and breed them in their own direction. They bred them for the purpose of companionship, and for the sport of conformation competition. Conformation competition is a show where the dogs are judged on their physical traits, movement, and handling, according to the written breed standard. These breeders wrote a new standard based on the one used by the UKC, and they continued to breed these dogs for 70 more years. Because of this the breed had changed in appearance and temperament. This spin off the original "Pit Bull" was no longer used for competition fighting, so their personalities, temperaments, and builds changed. This new breed was given the name "The American Staffordshire Terrier" or "Am. Staff". The AKC accepted the breed and now considers this a new breed of its own, and separate from the "Pit Bull". The UKC; however, accepts these Staffs as Pit Bulls and will allow them to be single registered with their registry as "Pits".

Dog fighting became outlawed in the 19th century in the US, and the UKC changed its purpose and standards for the breed. A group of the breeders of the game lines left this registry and created another registry called "The American Dog Breeders Association", or "ADBA". For generations these three registries all recognized the breed for different purposes and different standards, so the breed changed and spawned into different directions. Nowadays, the breed has been used for different types of conformation shows, weight pulling, companionship, and some even still breed the original game dogs. Due to these many directions, the breed has changed and spawned into many different forms and personalities, which brings us to where we began with Pit vs. Bully…

About seventeen years ago I started breeding to create the Razors Edge line… I started with a foundation of the AKC registered "Staffs", they carried the heavier builds, larger heads, and more mellow demeanors. We crossed in lines from UKC registered "Pits" to add more muscularity, more drive, and a harder look. After about seven years of blending and selective breeding, we came out with the look and personality that we were striving for. These dogs carried large blocky heads, short and square muzzles, full body muscularity, heavier bone structure, and just all around physically powerful builds. The personality was still to be stable and docile towards humans, but we also washed out a lot of the dog aggression that the original blood carried. In our minds we had created the ultimate companion dog.

These dogs had to be registered with the UKC, because it was the only registry that acknowledged all the spawns as the same breed. So we began competing in the UKC conformation shows. The dogs did very well and in time were given a slang name called "Bullies". This name was given basically to describe their build and the thicker look of the style. In time, "Bully" bloodlines spawned all over the US.

Razors Edge was just one of many of the "bully" lines. Other "bully" lines that are popular are: Greyline, Gottiline, Gaff, Watchdog, Camelot, DeLaCruz, Butthead, Royal, Kaos, Gangus Kahn, and many more. Even the Razors Edge bloodline spawned into other Bully lines like Remyline and Shortyline. A new look and style had formed, and its popularity spread worldwide The "Bullies" had began to make their own name and place within the breed. The love for the "Bullies" spread way beyond the UKC conformation show world. In time, the show world pushed for a direction that did not favor the "Bully" style. This left a large group of extremely diverse people, who were left with nowhere to compete and show off their dogs.

In 2003, a concept for a new registry was created for the purpose of the promotion, registration, and competition of this style of the breed, the "Bullies". Fanciers of the "Bullies" were already gathering in large numbers at BBQ style events. People from all over, and of all races would get together and host BBQ style events for the "Bullies". This provided a more relaxed atmosphere, usually with DJ's playing music, people barbequing , vendors selling "Bully" paraphernalia and gear; and breeders, owners, and fanciers of the dogs in the hundreds. These gatherings drew in large amounts of people, and especially Bullies.

A new registry was formed to accommodate these people and their dogs, so they had a way to compete with their style of dog. The registry decided to use the slang name already given to this style, "Bullies"; but, they also decided to add the name "American" to the title. This was to properly represent the nation of the breed's origin. The breed now was given the formal name, "The American Bully". The kennel club registry used the name, "The American Bully Kennel Club", or "ABKC". Now the breed had a name, a registry, and a way to compete! The biggest part of the "American Bully" goes beyond the dogs, and is the life style surrounding the breed and events. The "Bullies" now have a following worldwide, and Expo style events for these dogs bring in spectators by the thousands. The "Pit Bull" has been part of the urban world for decades now, but the American Bully is making its name as a new face in this world. You can see them featured on CD covers, music videos, and even magazine such as this one, which was created for the breed and the lifestyle.

The main differences between the "Pit" and the "Bully" are hard to state as facts, because there are many different style to the "Pit". So, we will us a general comparison using the generic form of the "Pit". Basically, an every day back yard "Pit Bull"

So You want to show your bully! (How to be a winner in the show ring)

With ABKC sanctioned shows becoming more and more frequent, the competition among bully dogs has intensified. Now, more than ever, it takes more than just having the best looking dog to win in your class. To really gain a competitive advantage in the show ring, you need good handling skills and a bully who has been properly prepared for the show ring in order to win.

If you are just getting started, the ins and outs of stacking, gaiting and show ring etiquette can seem complicated and mysterious. Seeing those beautiful dogs, frozen in place like statues with their confident poised handlers made me wonder if I ever could ever perform to such exacting standards.

I am happy to report that polished and professional show ring performances are not magic and anyone can learn how to show their dog well and enjoy success in the show ring. Due to the subjective aspects of judging, any good dog can have his day and all it takes is preparation, practice, patience and perseverance.

I promise that if you follow these suggestions consistently and remember to have fun, you and your bully will soon look just like professionals and while the show experience is fun in and of itself, there is after all nothing quite like the judge handing you and your best bully the prize for first place!

There are far too many things that one could learn about excelling in the show ring to cover in one article but here are some basics divided between things to do before you go to the show and things to do at the show to be successful.

Things you should do before you go to the show include:

Know your dog – The first thing you should do is know and understand your bully. Is he outgoing or laid back? Will she do anything for a liver treat or could care less? Knowing your dog well will make the difference between the blue ribbon and “thank you, you can leave the ring now.” Find out what kind of treat your bully goes bonkers for. Is it liver bits, beef jerky or left over meat loaf? Once you learn what it is, cut it up into fingernail size pieces and have lots of it handy whenever you work with your dog. Professional trainers secret: Learn how to let your dog know what you want him to do with eye contact, body language and tone of voice. One of the best ways to get to know your dog is by taking your dogs on walks and on car rides. Take him to Petsmart, the dog park, dog beach, the mall, a high school sporting event anywhere that is different and stimulating. It will build your dogs confidence and teach you what to expect from your dog in a variety of different circumstances. Plus this will give you a great opportunity to make sure your dog is properly leash trained which is a mandatory skill for the show ring!

Train your dog – Having a well trained dog is essential to show ring success. Don’t worry if it seems like your bully is the class retard or seems to be untrainable. There are two only reasons your dog will not do what you want him to a) he doesn’t know what you want him to do because you haven’t told him in a way he can understand (that is why Step One – Know your dog is so important) or he is not motivated to do what you want (guess what, you have the perfect motivation – his favorite treat!!! Don’t forget to also praise generously). Your bully doesn’t need a Ph.D. in obedience, just basic good manners and prompt response to a few basic commands like come, sit and stay are all that are needed. Reminder: if you plan to show your dog, teach the command for stand up at the same time you teach the command for sit! Sitting in the ring is a big no-no and is one of the most common mistakes beginners make. Make it a priority to teach your dog that standing up is just as important (and praise worthy) as sitting.

To help make things go faster, teach your bully to watch you at all times. The best way to do this is by using the bait and making a game of it. Show him the bait and once he is watching it, move it from side to side, up and down and if he follows your hand movements with his head, praise him and give him the treat. After he does this consistently, try to teach him to catch the treat when you toss it to him. Do this until you feel comfortable that he understands that paying attention to you pays off. This will pay off in the show ring with an alert bully who is focused on you and responds quickly to commands. Continue to emphasize the “watch me” behavior as you continue teaching other commands.

Once you and your bully have mastered the basics, focus on training the essential skills for the show ring which are: stacking (standing still, allowing their feet to moved to different places and leaving them once placed), standing for examination (not moving while the judge is running their hands over their body), showing the bite and gaiting (heeling at a fast walk or slow run in a counterclockwise circle). These four skills are mandatory for the show ring and the better you master these skills the better you will do in the ring.

There is too much to stacking to discuss here but you can find lots of helpful information on the internet by doing a search on dog stacking. You can also find inexpensive show handling classes in your area by checking the AKC website under “seminars and trainings.”

In a nutshell, a dog is stacked with all four toes are pointing forward, hips and shoulders aligned (square), front legs directly under the shoulders at right angles to the ground (a right angle is an “L” shape), the lower part of the hind legs below the hock should also be at right angles with the ground and the topline (the dog’s back, from the withers to the tail) should be level or slightly sloping downward, head up and neck arched. Once you get your dog correctly positioned…now FREEZE!!!

There are a lot of different things to pay attention to but the good news is that once you get the legs and feet correctly placed, most of the other important areas move into the correct position also.

Teach stacking by first teaching the dog to stand still. Progress to standing still while you move their feet and then to standing still during and after you move their feet. During this part of the training, use short easy to remember commands (“Stay!”, “Freeze!”, “Stack!” and use the same ones all the time. To get the fastest results, be very generous with rewards and praise what is most important is that you reward at the exact instant that the dog does what you want so he makes the connection between the behavior and the reward. Remember to be patient, keep the sessions short (no longer than 10 minutes at time) and stop the session the minute either you or your bully get too anxious or frustrated. Take a break, relax, reconnect by playing with your bully with unrestricted free play and pick up the training session again later. Soon your bully will be stacking with the best of them.

The most important thing to know about gaiting is that your bully needs to be able to walk and trot in a straight line. Gaiting is how the judge evaluates movement and if your bully is trotting sideways he will look like he has a fault that he may not really have (called “crabbing” or “sidepaddling”). To gait well, your bully must have mastered basic leash manners. Master walking on a leash before focusing on gaiting. If your dog still pulls or lunges, he is not ready for the show ring. The same if your dog refuses to walk on a leash and lies down instead. Work through these problems and then go on to gaiting.

Showing the bite is not a natural behavior but is easy to perfect if you are gentle and patient. Practice is key and it usually doesn’t take long for a dog to get the hang of it.. Firmly, control his head by holding the muzzle and lift the front of the lips enough to reveal how the teeth meet. Don’t forget to reward and praise because a dog that shows its bite easily may get extra points from the judge (if he also has a scissor bite!).

Next is standing for examination and if you are alone, practice by running your hands over the dog’s body while he is stacked and giving the command for “stay.” If you can, get a friend to pretend to be the judge and practice by stacking your dog and having your friend run over the dog. Always lift the tail and if you aren’t too squeamish, check the testicles (of male dogs of course). The examination often makes dogs flinch and if your dog doesn’t flinch…chi ching…extra points for your bully!

Practice, Practice, Practice- As you continue to work with your bull, it is better to have 4-5 quick informal 2-3 minute sessions than one 15 minute formal session. Anytime you interact with your dog, take a few minutes to practice a stack or show the bite or getting him to focus on you. If you do this consistently, interspersed with more focused training sessions that increase the length of time your dog obeys each command, I guarantee that you will notice significant improvement in a short period of time. Even though good stacking looks like it must have taken months of training, the reality is a few days or weeks of patient, consistent practice will produce significant improvement.

Be Prepared – Being prepared involves a lot of things and done correctly, they will increase your success in the ring. Make sure you have the right equipment. For the show ring, you will need a thin choke or slip collar and a thin, short, flexible lead. Everything you do in the show ring is geared toward showing your bully to her best advantage. This means not covering up their beautiful necks with wide spiked collars or distracting from the symmetry of their physique with a long bulky leash. The collar, leash and you are all supposed to disappear into the background when you enter the ring. You want the judge to focus on your dog, his structure, his behavior and his movement, nothing else.

Next, find out the following things about the show: where it is, how to get there, parking accommodations (if you are taking a lot of dogs or gear and you have to park 500 yards from the show site, you need factor in how much time you will need to get everything from your car to where you need to be). You don’t want to be late! Besides being bad form, being late means that you will probably be stressed or impatient and your bully will pick up on this hurting his performance.

Find out as much about the show as you can. Learn what classes are offered, who is judging and approximately what time you can expect to be in the ring. Take all this information with a grain of salt because bully shows are often in flux with changes up until the classes are called so BE PREPARED! Try to decide what classes you will enter before you get to the show and DON’T FORGET TO BRING YOUR DOGS ABKC OR UKC REGISTRATION NUMBERS! Not bringing the necessary information reflects poorly and could cause you to lose points your bully earns because points are recorded by registration number not by dog’s name, owner or anything else so failing to be prepared for this could really hurt later.

Before entering your first show, attend a show, look around, experience the sights, sounds and pace of the show site. If you can, bring your bully too. For some dogs, the hustle, bustle, noise and confusion of a show can be overwhelming so give your bully the best chance and expose him to as many new experiences as possible.

Here are things to remember at the show:

Take care of your dog (prepare your dog) – Once you arrive at the show, take care of your dog. Keep him relaxed and comfortable and make sure they have plenty of water but no food because you want the dog to respond to your bait. Well before your first class, walk your bully around the show site and spend time near the show ring so the dog experiences the noise and activity he will be exposed to after he enters the ring. This is where knowing your dog will really pay off. Play with your dog, reassure him and practice stacking and gaiting and all the other show behaviors in this new environment.

Pay attention – When you are at the show, enjoy the experience and network with other breeders but don’t forget to listen to announcements so you hear your class(es) when they are called. You don’t want to miss a class because you weren’t paying attention! And if you have the winners dog (Best Male or Best Female), you could hold up the show while the ring steward looks for you and your dog. Also, sometimes things change during the course of the show (class times or order are changed, ring location etc.) so check the ring periodically while you are waiting to make sure things are still progressing as expected.

Mind your manners – Bully shows are still something of an anomoly so the curious public will be watching. Remember we are all ambassadors of our breed. Don’t face off your dogs or otherwise act inappropriately. There are often children, law enforcement or media around and we don’t want to reinforce negative stereotypes.

Exhibit good show ring manners. Knowing show ring etiquette is important and poor etiquette can hurt your dog. Stack your dogs nose to tail, don’t let your dog turn and face another dog!! Bad form! You must generally always keep your dog on your left side and you always keep the dog between you and the judge. When you are the first competitor in line and the judge orders the class to take it around, don’t just take off, wait and make sure that everyone else is ready and you all go around together as a class. The same if the judge asks you to go down and back with another dog. Wait and go together when you both are ready. Good form! After the ribbons are handed out, congratulate the winners, if its not you, next time it might be!!

I hope you find this information helpful to you and I wish you luck, God bless and have a good time showing your bodacious bullies at the next ABKC show!!