Are American Bullies Good with Other Dogs? 5 Friendly Tips


The American Bully is an intimidating looking dog at first glance. A strong muscular build, large block head, and oftentimes sharp cropped ears lends itself to an imposing persona. As an American Bully owner I regularly see other dog owners become wary of my dog assuming he might not get along with other dogs.

Do American Bullies get along with other dogs? As a whole, well socialized and balanced American Bullies can get along with other dogs very well. American Bullies are generally dog friendly when socialized from an early age. They are not naturally aggressive and when set up for success are friendly.

My experience with my American Bully has been nothing but positive when it comes to other dogs. I made a deliberate effort to ensure my American Bully would have everything he needed to be well adjusted and friendly towards other dogs.

Though each dog can be different when it comes to dog friendliness, steps can be taken to improve the chance your American Bully gets along with other dogs. In this post I will cover some great tips you can use to help your American Bully have many dog friends of all shapes and sizes. Let’s dig in.

What is the American Bully Temperament with Other Dogs?

To answer, what is the American bully temperament with other dogs? This breed can be aggressive in front of other dogs because of their protective nature. Proper training and consistent socialization helps to balance American bully temperament in general.

The relationship between American bully for being socializing with other dogs also depends on the individual needs and personality. Forceful interaction can cause harm to the animals. So, summing up, do pit bulls get along with other dogs? The aggression of a bully toward other dogs varies with the training and breeding of the dog. American bullies’ temperament is good but requires training to keep it stable.

Are American Bullies Friendly?

Generally American Bullies are friendly with dogs and people they are familiar with. When well socialized American Bullies are a relatively chill breed of dog. Early training and exposure to other dogs is crucial for any dog to build comfort and confidence with social interactions.

American Bullies are very family oriented and love their pack. My Staffy and American Bully are the best of friends and run together as a family unit. An American Bully living with another dog is generally never going to be an issue when proper introductions and leadership are in place.

Though the American Bully does come from the breeding of more game type breeds of dogs like the American Pitbull and American Staffordshire, the working dog nature has been bred out to develop a purely companion animal. The temperament of the American Bully is kind, gentle, and affectionate toward their family.

What Influences American Bully Temperament?

American bully temperament is affected by several genetic factors and environmental experiences. Despite being a loving and loyal breed, American bully can have behavioral traits that may lead to aggression and high temperament. American XL bully temperament is low and they are very loving in general.

The adult bully behavior is developed from the traits of the puppies. The breeder’s history also plays a crucial role in analyzing the temperature. The environment the dog receives during his puppyhood phase decides the temperament and nature of the bully. A dog’s temperament is measured by stability, aggressiveness, and friendliness.

Are American bullies good with other dogs? Yes, these dogs are socialized and playful with other dogs. However, it also depends on how they are trained to react in such situations.

How To Get An American Bully To Be Dog Friendly

There are some simple steps you can take to ensure your American Bully will get along with other dogs. Like any breed of dog it is important to instill the proper socialization, training, and consistency to achieve a well balanced and friendly dog. These are some of the core principles I used to raise a dog friendly American Bully

Early Socialization

Early socialization of your American Bully is fundamental in their success. Introductions to other dogs, people, environments, sights, smells, and sounds in the early month of their life is crucial. This period of time will help your American Bully gain confidence, learn how to interact with other dogs, and build a well balanced temperament.

Often people think places like dog parks are the only way, or best way to socialize a young dog. For me I think some dog parks can have the opposite outcome. Dog parks can often be chaotic places with other dogs that may not be attended to properly by irresponsible owners.

If you do choose to go to an off leash dog park, access the environment before entering. Crowded, over excited and chaotic play is something that can be intimidating for a puppy. Make sure the park is a place where calm interactions and play are monitored and don’t get too rough.

Socialization in places like puppy training classes, arranged playdates with friends and neighbors, and calm interactions with other dogs when out for walks. My American Bully has lots of local friends that we meet up with on a regular basis. As a result my American Bully is great with any dog we come into contact with now.

ruby and chester in front of mural

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Positive Training

staffy and american bully puppy friends Ruby and Chester

Rewarding your American Bully for positive interactions with other dogs is important. Whenever my American Bully calmly greets another dog, is gentle, playful, and generally well mannered, I make sure I offer praise for this type of interaction.

Reinforcing good behaviors through positive reinforcement communicates to your American Bully the type of behavior you want. The American Bully is very eager to please and responds very well to positive reinforcement training.

Whenever play gets too exciting, or my American Bully is not calm enough when approaching a potential playmate, we avoid the interaction. Rewarding bad behavior with social interactions that are not calm can lead to bad manners, and potentially setting off the other dog to react.

Set Them Up For Success

As owners of American Bullies it is our job to set them up for success. By creating the right environment for positive interactions with other dogs we increase the chance of our dog’s getting along.

This means controlling the environment where you American Bully is interacting with other dogs. Making sure they are calm enough to engage in play and social interactions. Giving them enough exercise to release any pent up energy that could create over excitement.

Avoid just heading to the dog park with a hyper dog and letting them run loose. Don’t encourage rough or over excited play. Never allow your American Bully to run up and greet strange dogs in the street. These are all a recipe for bad interactions which can lead to your American Bully developing fear and distrust of other dogs.

Find The Right Playmates

american bully puppy biting

Finding the right playmates for your American Bully is so important for their development. You need to be around other dogs that play and interact well with your dog. Typically I find dogs of a similar size and temperament are the best fit, but it can vary to every shape and size of dog.

In the first few months of having my American Bully we met lots of new dogs in the neighborhood. Typically we would cross paths a few times and have short interactions and leave on a good note. As time went on I was able to clearly see which dogs were the best fit for play.

Once your dog has a few friends that can interact nicely together you can set up playdates for longer interactions. These play times for your American Bully are vital in learning how to interact appropriately with other dogs and develop confidence.

Keep the play under control. Don’t allow things to get too exciting or rough. Encourage the positive interactions, and always leave on a positive note.

Stay Consistent

Keeping consistent in your American Bully’s socialization, and training is a must. Make things like playdates, and positive reinforcement training a part of your daily and weekly routines. Bring your American Bully to pet friendly events, shops, and venues as often as you can.

Final Thoughts

american bully friends

American Bullies can get along great with other dogs. My American Bully Chester has lots of friends around the neighborhood and has never had a negative interaction. This is because of the approach I take when socializing and consistently training him with other dogs.

The earlier you begin the socialization, training, and consistent routines the better your American Bully will be with other dogs. Set them up for success by arranging and planning the right types of interactions and rewarding their good behaviors.


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