Bully breeds encompass some of the most popular dogs in the United States, and it is useful to visualize which dogs fall under this category. Many terrier-type dogs are bully breeds. Examples include Staffordshire Terriers, Bull Terriers, Bullmastiffs, and Bulldogs.
As a general breed, bully breeds and pit bulls (any dog with a significant mix of other bully breeds) are the most popular dog breed in 21 states. There are 18 million bully breed dogs across all 50 states, which is roughly 20% of the United States’ dog population.
French Bulldogs are not only the most popular bully breed in the United States, but are also the most popular dog breed in general. The French Bulldog took the number one spot in 2022, beating the Labrador Retriever and ending its 31-year reign. Other notable bully breeds are the Bulldog, Rottweiler, and Doberman Pinscher, which take places six, seven, and fifteen, respectively. These rankings are based on the number of registrations at the American Kennel Club and provide a useful picture of popular dog breeds in the United States.
Bully breeds have an extremely favorable temperament, which may lead to their popularity. Across the board, bully breeds score high on the ATTS Temperament Test. For example, the American Bully has a score of 100%, the Bull Terrier and Dogo Argentino both score 90.9%, and the Cane Corso scores 88.7%.
While bully breeds are common in the United States, many of them originated in other countries. The American Pit Bull Terrier came from the United Kingdom, the Boxer is from Germany, and the Cane Corso originated in Italy. However, despite their global beginnings, bully breeds are closely associated with the United States, and are even known as “America’s Dogs.”
Bully Max compiled the aforementioned statistics and information regarding bully breeds. Examining dogs within the United States can go a long way in showing larger trends about pet ownership and traits that people look for in dogs. Currently, bully breeds reign as a popular choice in the United States.
