Want to know what it feels like to be bitten by the bully bug? Just ask anyone that attended Superior Bullys' inaugural Bullys in the Boro Dog Show this past weekend in Statesboro.
Held at the Bulloch County Agricultural Complex, the day consisted of four American Bully Kennel Club shows that were sponsored by Southern Bully Alliance, John Hampton and Triple H Transport, Christie Dixon and Kasie Hicks. The lineup for the shows included Shorty Bulls, Frenchies, English bulldogs and American Bullies.
There were contestants from all over the world, including Italy and other parts of Europe. With such a wide variety of dogs in one space, onlookers got a rare glimpse of interactions between the breeds and the temperaments that make them so distinct. The most common breed of the day was the American Bully.
Still considered to be a relatively new breed, the American Bully's origins trace back to the 1980s and '90s. In 2004, the American Bully Kennel Club, or ABKC, established criteria for the breed that has separated them from other types of dogs related to them. Since then, they have slowly been changing the public's view of their pit bull relatives' sometimes notorious behaviors by exhibiting a calm, loving demeanor.
The birth of the American Bully began when dogs of similar breeds were used for fighting and other cruel sports. Once these practices were deemed inhumane, breeders began to stray away from the more aggressive characteristics and replaced them with qualities found in man's best friend.
After combining the best parts of different bully breeds, including Staffordshire bull terriers and pit bulls, the American Bully is now known as a family-friendly pet.
Rolando Mata, one of four judges from last Saturday's show and director of training and development for the ABKC, has been working to develop the American Bully breed over the last 12 years.
"The American Pit bull terriers get such a bad rap … and are banned in some parts of the country. For a long time, American Bullies fell under that same umbrella because there wasn't an official separation between the two. So, winning that battle has been huge," he said.
Visitors were able to see the good behavior in the show, and witnessed the dogs' gentle personalities while they waited on the sidelines.
Junior dog handler Logan Jones traveled all the way from North Carolina with his dog, Karma, for the event. Jones said he was bitten by the bully bug about three years ago when he went to his first dog show. He has been glued to the show life ever since, he said. In 2019 alone, Jones and Karma have competed in more than 50 shows together.
"I just love them because they're such a commonly mislabeled breed," he said. "But what people don't realize is how much these dogs can impact your life. I've rescued dogs and adopted them out, and they have so much of an effect on families. They're just a tremendous breed with the best of all the bully worlds combined."
While some contestants were veterans of the show life, others were still in the learning phase of the process. David Hodge and his wife, Caitlin, came from West Georgia to show their dog, Lucy, a pocket American Bully who is just 2 years old.
"Our first show was back in January, and we've been getting big into showing ever since," he said. "It just comes naturally to me because I've been around these types of dogs my whole life. They really are the best companions."