#Boone Mr.Pibb and Coatl

[nabsthevulture]

Bully Mixes “American Bully” (Canis Familiaris)

-Bully mix refers to what people generally call “pitbulls”. They usually aren’t, however. The American Pit Bull Terrier is it’s own breed of dog, not a catch all term for broad headed stout dogs. Many “pitbulls” are really bully mixes. They can consist of different breeds like APBT, Bulldogs, Mastiffs, boxers, etc. Since these dogs aren’t set to one uniform breed, they can and will vary wildly.

-When it comes to such a broad term that encompasses so many breeds, the variations are going to be through the roof. Their skulls will have some semi-uniform shapes and elements, but you can have a bully mix that’s 6 inches long, or one that’s 11 inches long. Some could have smoother stops, some could be borderline brachycephalic. The differences and variations are endless. At the end of the day, you don’t need to focus on individual traits from each of the “bully” breeds, you just need to have a general idea of what to look for.

-The most notable trait of the Bully mix is it’s shape. They’re often big and blocky dogs, fitting smack-dab in the middle of the Mesocephalic group, meaning (simplified) that their heads are as wide as they are long. They’re proportionately square dogs, as a general statement. Of course since they aren’t a solid breed and instead one scoop of the gumbo pot of bully breeds, it can and will differ. A huge bully mix can have a smooth stop and a more triangular shape.

-Wide arches are another trademark of the bullies. They’re broad and thick to accommodate the powerful muscles atop their heads. They get thicker towards the back than in the front, but that’s a given for most breeds. The arches usually bow out a bit, giving them the “blocky” look that many bully mixes sport in life. You’ll often see people bragging about their “pitbull” having a huge Blocky head. It’s a trait commonly bred for. As a result, it’s not impossible to find a bully that’s got a head way too big for its body.

-Bully mixes, because of their muscular heads, often have impressive sagittal crests. Even though there’s muscle behind it and an exaggerated crests, it may not translate into a crushing, powerful bite. Compare a bear and a fisher; Fishers have impressive crests, but they aren’t an animal that will destroy your world with their bite. Bears on the other hand don’t have that much of a crest, but their bites are immense and deadly. Back on track, though generally you’ll see a nice crest on bully mixes, some may not display one at all. It all just depends on the dog!

-Teeth are going to be another clue to look at. “Brachy” dogs have the tendency to have exaggerated bites, i.e. Overbites and Underbites. Bully mixes can have both, though they can also be totally fine dentally. Larger examples of bullies, (those likely to possibly have boxer or mastiff influence) are going to be more prone to the under bite. On the same hand, small bullies (Like those with English Bulldog influence) may be more likely to display it as well. Of the examples I’ve personally seen, most of the mid sized dogs look to have relatively normal dental situations. My largest Specimen has an intense underbite, though the 2nd largest doesn’t display any dental changes at all. Teeth are a minor thing to look at but are helpful to consider nonetheless.

-The eye sockets on these guys are generally going to be pretty proportionate. Their ingredient breeds usually aren’t bred with large eyes in the way a Chihuahua might, so you aren’t going to be seeing anything too wild unless you’re getting into toy territory. Boston’s and Frenchies are the big eyed ‘Bully’ toys, but they don’t appear to have much influence in the modern day Bully mix. There are extremes of course, but you’re typically going to run into some pretty average eyes.

-As per their blocky, boxy heads, Bully mixes will more often than not have thick lower jaw. It’s consistent from the last molar to the canine, rather than doing a sharp taper like a Dolich breeds jaw would. This makes their chin more pronounced as well, giving the very front of their muzzle a flat look.

-Since bullies aren’t an official breed, everything here is a general statement. I have one skull, a large male bully, who displays all of these traits. On the other hand, I have another large male bully that is the complete opposite of your “typical” bully. He has a rather smooth face, no sagittal crest, thin zygomatics, no dental deformities, etc.. He’s arguably almost Dolich in structure. This dog alone defies all of the classic bully traits, even though he absolutely is a bully. What a jerk.

-Bully Mixes are dogs made of a large number of dogs, but over the years of bullies breeding with other bullies, they’ve come to display specific, distinguishable traits. If you come across a bully, chances are you’ll know. As with any other breed, make sure to use as many references as you can, and be patient!

-Good luck and happy identifying!

KO-FI

#pitbull skulll #bully skull #vulture culture #dog skulls #Boone Mr.Pibb and Coatl #Breed profile