American Bully Weight & Growth Chart – How Big Do They Grow?

If you are considering adopting an American bully puppy and are wondering how big it will grow, read on! In this article, we will look at the average height and weight of an American bully, we’ll talk about the breed a little, and discuss the best ways to ensure that your bully stays a healthy weight.

If you ever wondered what type of puppy food to give your American bully puppy to ensure they reach a healthy weight, then we have this covered below.

Keep reading to find out how big and how fast your bully will grow, how to determine if they are underweight or overweight and how to look out for underlying health issues that can cause issues with adult weight.

What is the American Bully Breed?

To understand a little more about the bully’s size and weight, it’s helpful to look into the American bully breed and discuss the different categories. This breed of dog is the result of breeding the American Staffordshire terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, and the American pit bull terrier to create a new breed of dog recognized by several notable kennel clubs, including the American Bully Kennel Club and International Bully Kennel Club. The American bully is a fairly new dog breed bred in America in the 1990s.

Is the American pitbull terrier different from an American bully?

Many people, including experienced dog lovers, mistake the American bully for the American Pitbull Terrier because they look similar. They do, however, have distinct differences, with an American pit bull terrier having an average height of around 17-21 inches and an average weight of around 30-60 pounds.

The American bully can vary in size, with pocket bullies being the smallest, through to Standard, Classic, XL, and even Extreme. This means their height can vary between 13-23 inches, and weight can vary between 25-120 pounds.

With such a variety of bully sizes available, it’s important that you know which type of American bully you are bringing into your home.

American Bully Growth Chart

Bully Type:         Male Height: Female Height: Male/Female Weight: 

• Pocket        14-17 inches    13-16 inches     10-20 pounds
• Standard   17-29 inches    16-19 inches     60-80 pounds
• Classic        17-29 inches   16-19 inches     60-80 pounds
• XL               20-23 inches   19-22 inches    70-130 pounds
• Extreme     17-29 inches   16-22 inches     80-150 pounds

Below, we have gathered average sizes and weights from the different categories of American Bullies in this American bully weight chart. It’s important to use this as a rough guide as there’s no way of knowing exactly how large your bully will grow without looking at other factors that we will discuss later…

Health Issues That Can Affect a Bully’s Growth Rate

Reading a puppy weight chart and American bully growth chart for adult weight and height is a good way of seeing if your American bully is on track regarding their size and ideal weight. As we have mentioned above, these charts provide averages, and each dog is individual, so if you have any concerns, you must speak to a veterinarian immediately.

Some health issues in American bullies can be weight-related or affect their weight.

Here are the most common health issues with American bullies…

• Hip Dysplasia – this occurs when the cartilage of the hip bone joint deteriorates, causing bone-on-bone friction. This can cause pain, deformation, and weight gain, as your dog will not likely walk easily with this condition. Ironically, weight gain and obesity can also make this condition significantly worse.
• Congenital Heart Disease – unfortunately, the American bully and other bully breeds such as the American pit bull terrier are susceptible to a few different types of heart disease: subaortic and pulmonic stenosis and mitral valve disease. These conditions can be made worse by obesity and bad diet management.

If you suspect that something isn’t quite right with your American bully or have looked and compared their size on a puppy weight calculator and your dog seems under or overweight, then speak to a veterinarian as soon as possible for advice as there may be an underlying issue at the root cause.

It’s always good to regularly weigh your American bully. Especially American bully puppies, as this is a crucial period of their lives where adequate growth is essential. You can purchase special digital weighing scales for dogs, but if you find it too difficult to get them to stand still, then simply ask your local veterinarian for advice and tips.

American Bully Puppy’s Growth Rate Chart

Below, we look at the average American bully’s growth from the American bully pup stage to adulthood. Again, it’s important to note that this is a rough guide but will help you to see which stages your American bully puppy will go through.

American Bully Age – 0-4 weeks

American bully puppies at this stage are in the neonatal phase, which is a delicate stage of their development. They solely rely on their mother for warmth and food during this period.

An American bully puppy is weak at this age and will need to be wormed as soon as possible. A newborn American bully is blind and deaf and isn’t ready to be socialized until around 3 weeks of age.

American Bully Age – 1 month

An American Bully puppy’s eyes will open at this stage, and its ears will also begin to function. They will start to develop teeth and can soon start eating solid foods.

The socialization stage of their development is exciting. This is when they start to learn behaviors from their litter mates and should be introduced to humans, so they don’t develop any fears or unwanted behaviors.

American Bully Age – 2 months

Dog owners usually take their American bully puppy home at this stage as they should have been adequately socialized and had their first vaccines. At this stage of their lives, it’s important to introduce your American bully puppy to various environments, so they get used to the sound of traffic, other animals, children, and other sensory experiences.

At this stage, your American bully puppy will be pretty active, and it will be tempting to take them for long walks/exercise them often. This isn’t a good idea at this stage because their joints aren’t yet fully developed, and their growth plates are too delicate for sustained exercise.

American Bully Age – 3 month

An American bully’s growth is fascinating as it’s so fast, and by three months old, your American bully puppy is not a puppy anymore in terms of doggy development. Your American bully puppy is now an adolescent – uh-oh! You will find that in this stage of their lives, they will have fully developed all of their senses – sight, smell, and hearing- and their growth rate will slow.

It’s really important to socialize with them more and more at this age, but as they have a short attention span, it is better to do this in shorter sessions, so they don’t lose interest.

American Bully Age – 4 month

You’ll find that it’s completely normal and expected at this age for your American bully puppy (who is now a teenager) to push boundaries and see what they can and cannot get away with. Puppy training for your American bully is essential, as is consistency. It is recommended that American bullies be trained at least once daily for 20 minutes. Again, your loving companion dog can easily get bored at this stage, so it’s better to keep training sessions shorter and more regular rather than overwhelm them with long sessions.

American Bully Age – 6 month

Believe it or not, your American bully has reached sexual maturity by six months. Female dogs will be on heat for the first time, so don’t let them wander! Dog training is imperative at this stage because American bullies can be prone to aggression and bad habits at six months. Consistent training and positive reinforcement should help at this stage.

Your American bully has grown out of puppy food and will be ready-to-eat adult food. This is a slow transition, so always consult your breeder, rescue center, or veterinarian for advice on which type of dog food to buy and how to transition easily.

Your American bully will have a good adult size and almost be at their adult weight now.

American Bully Age – 1 year

Your American bully pup will have developed significantly in the last 12 months, and by this stage of their lives, they should be reaching their adult weight and height. Your dog will still be transitioning to adult dog food and will need lots of exercises to keep them fit and healthy. Your dog’s growth plates begin to close and harden so it can enjoy longer and more frequent walks.

You might notice a difference in the body of your American bully. Not only will they look more “adult” in size, but they also might display more muscle mass.

How to Help Your American Bully Grow Fit and Healthy

When looking at American bullies and their growth rate, many factors can affect how large your dog grows and the pace of growth.

Larger dogs need a well-balanced diet to grow fit and strong. If you look at the shape and build of an American bully, you’ll notice that they’re muscular beasts! Dogs that have a strong physique need proper nutrition. The dog food you give them should not only be rich in protein but also contain fat and plenty of calories to help them grow at the right pace.

Many dog food companies, such as American bullies, produce special formulas for large-breed dogs. It is worth noting that American bullies need to eat quite a lot of the right type of dog food to support their growth. You also need to consider this if you’re considering adopting or buying an American bully – these dogs are not cheap to feed!

Exercise is important and can prevent obesity, keep your dog’s weight healthy, and prevent many other health conditions, but did you know that too much exercise can be counterproductive and stunt growth? A 20-minute walk at least once (preferably twice) a day is the right amount of exercise to give your American bully. Too much exercise can cause joint problems, so keep it light and provide lots of play.

To keep American bullies fit and strong, ensure they have had their vaccines and been treated for hookworms and roundworms, as this is a common reason American bullies stop growing at a healthy pace.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What do I do if my American bully is underweight?

A: A dog’s weight is important as it can indicate health issues when overweight or underweight. The first thing that you should do is it check an American bully weight chart (like the one we have included in this article) to see if your dog is hitting the right growth and development targets. If you have a puppy, you should regularly weigh them to check that their weight gain is moving at a healthy rate. You can properly weigh your American bully using a special digital scale or visit your veterinarian for advice. If your American bully is an adult and they’re not gaining weight, or you’ve noticed that they have lost weight, there are a few things you can check first. Are you feeding them enough, and is your American bully eating high-quality food, especially for giant breed dogs? Could you be over-exercising your pup? As weight loss can be a symptom of many health issues, always seek professional medical advice. We also need to consider a dog’s age, as senior dogs tend to weigh less and naturally lose weight as they get older.

Q: What do I do if my American bully is overweight?

A: Both overweight and underweight dogs need to see a veterinarian as weight gain, and weight loss can be the symptom of many different health issues. But if your dog is overweight, the chances are that you are feeding it too much or exercising it too little! American bullies like their food, but feeding them the correct amount is important. Ensure that the food you give your bully is nutritionally balanced and specially made for larger dogs. American bullies are muscular dogs that need plenty of exercises but not too much that they damage their joints. Make sure your large dog is getting adequate exercise and if their weight doesn’t go down to a healthy level, then definitely speak to a vet.

Veterinarians use a BCS or Body Condition Score, similar to the BMI scale humans use to measure our perfect weight according to our age and height.

The scale range is from 1-9, with one being underweight and nine being obese. Ideally, an adult dog’s weight should be around a five on the BCS score. This is the breed standard, which also considers an American bully’s height. A standard American bully weighs more than a pocket American bully and less than an extreme American bully.

Q: How big will my bully grow?

There are many factors when determining the size and weight of your American bully. We have included a chart within this article that compares the height and weight of American bullies. We compare an extreme American bully with a pocket American bully and XL American bully. This is a large dog breed, so unless you buy a pocket bully, you should expect a heavy-set dog. Speak to the adoption center or dog breeder for advice. They should be able to tell you more about the parents/bloodline, which should give a better indication of the predicted size of the dog.

Q: What’s the average weight of an American bully?

A: You can expect your bully (toy dogs excluded) to grow up and weigh between 50-70 pounds. However, this dog breed can vary, so remember that each dog is different. Take a look at the puppy weight chart, which will indicate the developmental targets they should be reaching.

Another way to see how big your dog may grow is to look at your puppy’s paws. This isn’t scientifically proven, but many people believe that if your puppy’s paws look too big for their body, then they have more growth to do.

Conclusion

You won’t be able to guarantee the size of your American bully when you buy or adopt. If you’re adopting an XL American bully, you can expect it to be larger than a classic American bully, but there is no way to guarantee the actual size and weight.

The most important factor is health. So as long as your American bully is healthy and from a healthy bloodline, this is the most important thing. You can use the height and weight charts to check that your dog is roughly in the correct weight range, but if you suspect that they are underweight or overweight, please take them to see a veterinarian as soon as possible.