The history of the “Bully Breed” breeds of dog is a very mixed bag, with several breeds of dogs involved. They all usually have a combination of the classic Bulldog or Olde English Bulldog, along with the addition of many other breeds most common (but not exclusively) of all is the Terrier. Here is a list of “Bully Breed” dogs...now keep in mind, there are more than this, but at least you can get an idea.

Boxer	French Bulldog	American Staffordshire Terrier
English Bulldog	Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog	Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Olde English Bulldogge	Valley Bulldog	Bull Terrier
American Bulldog	American Pit Bull Terrier	Boston Terrier
Bull Mastiff	Banter Bulldogge	Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier

All of the dogs above have one common ancestor, the Bulldog. The bulldog itself is a descendant of the Molossus bloodline. The following italicized text is from Wikipedia regarding the Molossus Dog:

This ancient[1] extinct breed of dog is commonly considered to be the ancestor (in rivalry with the Alaunt, the dog of the Alans) of today's Mastiff[2]-type dogs and of many other modern breeds. Mastiff-type dogs are often referred to as Molossus dogs or Molossers. It is one of the best-known breeds of Greco-Roman antiquity; however, its physical characteristics and function are debated. Though the Molossus breed no longer exists in its original form, it is noted as being instrumental in the development of modern breeds such as the St. Bernard, Great Pyrenees, Rottweiler, Great Dane, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, and Bernese Mountain Dog.

Some scholars contend that the Molossus was a dog used by the Ancient Greeks[3] for fighting[4]. They describe it as having a wide, short muzzle and a heavy dewlap (similar to modern Mastiff breeds) that was used to fight tigers, lions, elephants, and men in battle.

Now keep in mind, this Blog is about Bully Breeds, again with a nice portion of its bloodline leading back to the Bulldog, which in turn the bulldog is a family of descendants of the Molossus bloodline. However, the Molossus bloodline also went in other directions as well, (such as the Rottweiler, the Japanese Tosa Inu, etc) but for the purpose of this blog, we’ll stick with the bully breed strain of the molossus bloodline.

The Bully Breeds basically started in the mid to late 1800’s in Western Europe and England, and in the America’s. This can be such a tangled web, but i’ll give you one case in point. The American Pit Bull Terrier also called the Yankee Terrier’s origin lie in England, Scotland & Ireland. They were a cross of the Bulldog and Terrier. The Terrier blood was for the gameness, tenacity and feistiness (after all, terriers were used to kill rats and other vermin..there were even rat killing contests with wagers involved). The Bulldog blood was added for the sheer power, strength and agility of the dog (remember the molossus bloodline, ancient rome and how these dogs were used to kill lions and bears).

Taken from Wikipedia:The dog was bred first to bait bulls and bears.[3] When baiting bulls was deemed inhumane, ratting, a sport where a number of rats were placed in a pit for a specified time with the dog, and dog fighting became more popular. The APBT was used in both sports, and its prevalence in being put in pits with rats led to 'pit' being added to its name.[4] With time, the dogs became more commonly used as house pets due to their friendliness towards people.[5] In America, farmers and ranchers used their APBTs for protection, as catch dogs for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt, and to drive livestock.[6] The dog was used during World War I and World War II as a way of delivering messages on the battlefield.[5]

The name "Staffordshire Terrier" was adopted by some owners as a way of distancing the breed from a name with a stigma, and was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936. Later, the word "American" was added to reduce confusion with its smaller British cousin, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Once an extremely popular family dog in the United States (for example, the dog in The Little Rascals movies and in Buster Brown was an APBT), the American Pit Bull Terrier's popularity began to decline in the United States following World War II in favor of other breeds.

Famous Bully Breeds or noteworthy owners of a Bully Breed dog include: Theodore Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Nipper the RCA Dog, Dog Jack a canine WAR HERO during the Civil War was a Pit Bull, Alaska’s first Certified Hearing Dog was a Pit Bull, World War I and II feature Pit Bulls as the mascot for the United States of America, The U.S. Marines mascot even today is a Bully Breed, Petey from the Little Rascals was a Bully Breed, Sgt. Stubby the most decorated WAR DOG in U.S. History was a Bully Breed, Buster Brown’s mascot from the comic book and shoe store fame was a Bully Breed named “Tige”, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, James Thurber, Penelope Cruz, Charlize Theron, Bernadette Peters, Mel Brooks, James Caan, Linda Blair, Rosie Perez, Alicia Silverstone, Sinbad, Kelli Williams, Usher, Jon Stewart, Fred Astaire, The Crocodile Hunter, Judd Nelson, Cassandra Creech, Amy Jo Johnson, Vin Diesel, Fred Astaire, Humphery Bogart & Lauren Bacall, Michael J. Fox, Stephany Kramer, Jan Michael Vincent, Jeremy Miller, and Laura Ingalls Wilder of Little House Books,have all owned or currently own a Bully Breed dog.

In summarization, the "Bully Breed" breeds of dog especially the “Pit-Bull” , AmStaff, StaffyBull and others have all been given a very bad rap in history. They are genuinely very people friendly and lovable dogs. They would literally jump thru a glass window three floors off the ground to protect and save there master and family. It is precisely because of this very unique quality of heroism, and selflessness is what has made this breed so popular for the scum and no-gooders in society who only see the dog as a tool to achieve their means. Look at it this way, when someone is driving 100 mph and the speed limit is 65, do you fault the car or the driver? When someone has a boa constricter snake as a pet and the snake just manages to get out of his enclosure and harms the neighbors pet cat, do we blame/ kill/ ban the snake? Or do we deal with the owner? Okay now I have a really nice dilemma for you. Let’s say your nine year old son, is in art class and...takes a crayon and draws a hangman’ noose and stick figure with the phrase “ i will kill my teacher” ...do you A) Blame / Sue / Boycott the Crayon Company? B) Blame/ adjudicate to Juvenile Detention / Spank & Ostracize/the nine year old boy? C) Report the parents to the Police Department and the Dept. of Social Service? D) Take an enlightened approach and discuss all alternatives with the adults involved, and most assuredly you don't take it out on the child, AND DOUBLY, MOST ASSUREDLY WE DON'T Blame / Sue / Boycott the crayon manufacturers, because doing so would be absurd, because they merely manaufactured the tool in this scenario. In answering this last example I would guess most people would choose C or D.

The moral of this Blog is two-fold. Bully Breed dogs aren't for the novice or wanna-be cool guy or girl, you have to understand dog psychology at least to a degree. Secondly the American lawmakers (federal, state, county, and municipal are trying to exterminate this beautiful breed(s) of dog, and if you truly have a love for this breed(s), do something about it!! I've added some links below to get you on your path against Breed Specific Legislation. Thanks.