Though when many people think of dogs involved in sports, breeds like Border Collies come to mind, the American Bully is built and bred to be an athlete. American Bullies are strong, active dogs who thrive when given outlets to use their bodies and minds. American Bullies are particularly well-suited for being involved in dog sports because of their drive to work, strength, and intelligence. These are strong working dogs who thrive when given enrichment opportunities. Getting your American Bully involved in dog sports is not only a great way to bond with your dog, but it can also make dogs easier to live with. Sports training prevents your dog from getting bored and can prevent or even eliminate problematic and destructive behaviors like excessive barking, digging, and chewing. American Bullies can participate in any dog sports, but these are some popular canine sports that American Bullies particularly are successful with and enjoy. 

Dog Agility

Dog Agility is a high-impact sport where dogs follow handler cues to complete a high-speed obstacle course racing through tunnels, jumping, and scampering over contact equipment like dog walks, teeters, and A-frames. Agility is a high-energy sport that also requires precise focus as the course changes each time a dog and handler team compete.  This dynamic sport requires athleticism on the part of both the dog and the handler.  

Barn Hunt

Barn Hunt is a growing sport where dogs are trained to find and alert to the presence of pet rats that are safely hidden in protective tubes. In this timed search, dogs traverse a ring filled with stacks of straw bales to find the hidden rat tubes. While finding the hidden rats, dogs must climb onto the straw bales and also go through tunnels made with bales of straw. The strong muscular build of the American Bully, combined with a strong prey drive, makes them ideal dogs to compete in the sport of Barn Hunt. It’s a particularly great outlet for those dogs who have a strong prey drive. 

Dock Diving

If your American Bully likes water, dock diving might be the sport for them! With dock diving, dogs jump from a dock into a pool in pursuit of a toy/retrieval object. Dock Diving tests a dog's drive to retrieve and athleticism. In different aspects of Dock Diving, dogs are judged based on their jumping distance and speed. Because of their strong drive and powerful bodies, American Bullies can excel in this sport and have a lot of fun competing. 

Fast CAT

Though the name is a little confusing, Fast CAT actually has nothing to do with cats and is actually a fast-paced dog sport. Fast CAT stands for Coursing Ability Test and is a timed 100-yard dash for dogs. In Fast CAT dogs chase a lure, a white plastic bag down a straight 100-yard track. The sport taps directly into a dog's natural prey drive to chase and capture small moving animals, making it an ideal sport for American Bullies. Dogs are racing against the clock, so the athleticism driven by a desire to capture the lure can make American Bullies strong competitors in this sport. 

Parkour

The natural athleticism of the American Bully makes them a natural breed that excels in Parkour. Canine Parkour is an online titling sport, making it ideal for busy dog owners who struggle to get to regular classes or shows. The online aspect also makes it ideal for American Bullies who might struggle with reactivity or aren’t comfortable being close to other dogs and people. Once you get involved with the sport of Parkour, the world becomes your dog’s obstacle course. To earn titles, you will teach your dog to use their body to get onto, into, under, and around different obstacles.  Safety is a top priority with this, like any other sport, so dogs must demonstrate being able to safely navigate, engaging with different environmental obstacles such as rocks, stumps, bike racks, park benches etc. 

Rally & Obedience

If you enjoy precision, obedience-based sports may be for you. Obedience is the original dog sport and tests a dog and handler’s ability to seamlessly work together, demonstrating a dog’s quick and accurate responsiveness to obedience cues.  Rally Obedience utilizes obedience-based behaviors like down, sit, stay, and heeling in various formations but each time the dog and handler enter the ring, they are completing a different sequence of behaviors as they navigate the course together. 

Trick Dog

This fun and dynamic sport like Parkour, can be participated in from anywhere and has virtual titling opportunities. In Trick Dog, dog and handler teams demonstrate a dog’s ability to perform increasingly difficult tricks to earn titles. Because American Bullies are such quick learners, often with a playful personality, they excel at this sport. Trick Dog is also a highly accessible and flexible sport, with options for dogs of all ages, sizes, and abilities, making it a great sport even for young puppies and senior American Bullies. 

Weight Pull

In the sport of Weight Pull, dogs pull a wheeled cart loaded with increasing amounts of weight. The point of this sport is to demonstrate a dog’s strength, which makes American Bullies a natural for this sport.  Weight pulling is a contemporary sport that mimics the way that dogs were once used to pull carts.  Dogs should be properly conditioned before getting started with weight pull to ensure they are properly introduced to the weight pull harness, and the act of pulling. 

Preliminary Sport Training

Regardless of what sports you are interested in getting involved in with your American Bully, there is foundation training that you can do at home to get your dog ready. All sports require participating dogs who have basic obedience skills. Some sports are done on leash, while others start on leash and progress to dogs being off leash at the more advanced levels. For all sports, we want dogs to have a strong handler focus and engagement. To build your dog’s focus on you, be sure to practice with lots of treats and praise, rewarding your dog for engaging with you and listening to your cues. 

Focusing on basic training with your dog can not only give them foundation skills that will benefit them as you begin introducing more complicated sport skills. This training will also help your dog to develop a love of learning and training with you, which will support them to be more successful in sports in the future. Foundation skills you can work on at home include sit, down, come when called, and the ability to focus on distractions, including other dogs and people. More specific and advanced training requirements will depend on what sports you decide to get involved with, but these basic skills will help get your American Bully off on the right paw and get them used to learning.

The Importance of Socialization: 

Even more important than basic obedience skills is working with your dog on socialization. Specifically, to participate in sports, dogs need to be able to ignore the distractions of other dogs and people. Sport dogs don’t need to be social or enjoy greeting or playing with other dogs, but they do need to be able to ignore them. Starting socialization training early can help ensure that your American Bully has all the skills they need to excel at any sport you are interested in.

Have a dog who struggles with reactivity? Some sports, including Rally Obedience, Trick Dog, and Parkour, have virtual titling opportunities where dog and handler teams are able to compete and earn titles online through the submission of videos. This is an excellent opportunity for dogs who aren't comfortable in close proximity with other dogs. Participating in sports with your American Bully is a great way to build the bond you have with your dog, tap into their instincts and drive to work, and help foster your dog’s love of learning leaving both of you feeling more fulfilled.