Why American Terriers Are Rewriting the Bully Breed Standard
INTRODUCTION: NOT ALL “BULLIES” ARE BUILT THE SAME
Over the last decade, the term “XL American Bully” has exploded across the dog world. But if you’ve ever tried to figure out what actually defines one, you’ve probably noticed — there’s no real consistency. Some are overdone and unathletic. Others look nothing alike. And too often, these dogs come with unpredictable temperaments and health risks.
At Sin City Pits, we saw this problem many years ago. And we decided to raise the bar.
That’s why we created something entirely new: the American Terrier — a refined, structured, purpose-driven breed built from decades of genetic refinement and performance-based pairings. It’s not just a new name — it’s a new standard.
THE PROBLEM WITH “XL AMERICAN BULLIES” TODAY
The bully world is flooded with dogs bred for trends, size, or hype — not health or structure. With so many backyard breeders and social media-driven pairings, the following issues have become all too common:
- ⚠️ No universal standard — “XL American Bully” means something different to everyone
- ⚠️ Overdone builds — dogs that are too heavy, flat-footed, easty westy, high rears, loose skin, and poorly proportioned
- ⚠️ Health instability — joint issues, breathing problems, organ + heart issues, weak immune systems
- ⚠️ Unpredictable temperaments — from hyperdrive bad temperaments to shutdown laziness, there’s no balance
- ⚠️ Lack of program accountability — many breeders don’t DNA test, health test, track pedigrees, or follow a development plan
- ⚠️ Mixed and muddled lineage — most “XL Bullies” are the result of multiple breeds being crossed over generations
WHAT IS THE AMERICAN TERRIER?
The American Terrier is Sin City Pits’ answer to everything that’s gone wrong in the XL bully world. But it’s not a trend — it’s a transformation.
- Athletic and powerful, not sloppy or oversized weight
- Stable in temperament, with confidence and intelligence fit for families and working roles
- Structured in design, with proper angulation, topline, and movement
- DNA profiled with UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Lab
- DNA health tested & breed percentages using Wisdom Panel
- UKC registered with intentional, documented lineage
- Six plus pedigree lineage
- Purple ribbon having the same lineage at least three generations on both sides
- Backed by planned pairings, not random or hype breedings
Our dogs don’t just look the part — they perform at every level. American Terriers from Sin City Pits have passed every test put in front of them with 100% success. These aren’t just backyard pets — our productions have proven themselves in:
- ✅ Dock diving
- ✅ Hunting and field work
- ✅ Weight pulling competitions
- ✅ Athletic trials and sports
- ✅ Service dog training — including advanced roles like CPR response
- ✅ Police protection work with obedience and focus at the highest levels
These aren’t overhyped labels — they’re real results from real dogs we’ve produced, raised, and placed.
WHY DOES YOUR NAME SAY PITS? WHY WE’RE PROUD TO BE SIN CITY PITS
This is a question we’ve been asked more than once — and the answer is both simple and important:
Our dogs come from true Pitbull lineage — and we’re proud of it.
The American Terrier we’ve developed is built from the same foundation that shaped the original “Pitbull” — namely, the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) and the American Staffordshire Terrier. These breeds are historically intertwined and share a common ancestry. Their differences today are mostly tied to registry standards, not true genetic separation.
The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is known for its drive, athleticism, and work ethic. It typically stands about an inch taller than the AmStaff and carries a leaner, more performance-focused frame.
The American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff) is celebrated for structure, loyalty, and versatility. It generally features a wider skull and a slightly larger head by about an inch, giving it a more blocky appearance and fuller expression.
Every dog in our program is DNA-tested through Wisdom Panel, which provides verified breed percentage breakdowns. Across the board, our dogs consistently show the highest percentages from these two breeds — APBT and Staffordshire Terrier — with minimal to no traces of any other breed (typically under 6%, which is generally not genetically expressed or passed on in offsprings).This genetic consistency is the scientific basis for calling them American Terriers.
On top of that, we’ve refined the phenotype of the breed through selective pairings — increasing height, structure, and proportional mass without sacrificing temperament, agility, or function. While the average APBT may be smaller and leaner, the American Terrier offers a taller, more athletic silhouette with balanced drive, control, clarity and intelligence levels.
That’s why our name is — and always will be — Sin City Pits. We’ve stayed true to the terrier legacy, but we’ve also forged a new breed standard —one we’ve produced consistently through six-plus generations so far.
THE ORIGINS OF THE AMERICAN BULLY — AND WHY SIN CITY PITS STAYED TRUE
📚 In the early 2000s, as mixed-breed dogs began flooding the Pitbull world, the term “American Bully” was introduced to separate this new type from the traditional American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT). Many breeders who had originally registered their dogs as “Pitbulls” were eventually forced by registries — like UKC and ABKC — to reclassify their dogs under the new "American Bully" label.
This wasn’t just a branding shift. It was a recognition that many of these dogs were blended with other breeds — such as Bulldogs, Olde English Bulldogs, Shepherds, Cane Corso, and all Mastiff-types — in pursuit of exaggerated features. Over time, this led to a wave of registrations based on appearance and hype rather than lineage, DNA and structure.
At Sin City Pits, we never needed to make that switch! Our dogs have always come from the same consistent bloodlines — rooted in APBT and AmStaff genetics — and we’ve never chased trends or adjusted our papers to fit the crowd. That’s why our dogs have remained UKC-registered, Purple Ribbon-qualified, and backed by generational structure and DNA genetic proof.
To validate this, we use Wisdom Panel DNA testing, which provides detailed breed percentage breakdowns. Unlike many bully mixes that may return vague or misleading results from other DNA companies like Embark (e.g., “100% American Bully” despite obvious mixed ancestry), our results consistently show high-percentage American Pit Bull Terrier and American Staffordshire Terrier — with under 6% or no traces of any other breed % (which is generally not genetically expressed or passed on in offsprings)
That’s not hype — that’s genetics. And that’s why we confidently call our dogs what they are: American Terriers.
HOW THE AMERICAN TERRIER STANDS APART
Instead of blending into the overcrowded “XL American Bully” category, American Terriers from Sin City Pits stand out in every way:
- 🧠 Temperament: Confident, stable, intelligent — not unpredictable or over-hyped
- ❤️ Health: DNA-screened with clean lines — not inbred or mystery mixes
- ⚖️ Structure: Athletic, functional, and proportioned — not overdone or exaggerated
- 📈 Breeding Program: Strategically planned, DNA-tracked — never impulse-based
- 📋 Registration: UKC registered and UC Davis DNA profiled — not just ABKC or other trend-based registries issuing single-line papers.
- ⏳ Purpose & Longevity: Built for health, performance, and predictability — not just to look good on social media
WHY THIS MATTERS TO FAMILIES AND BREEDERS
When you bring home an American Terrier, you get:
- ✅ A more predictable temperament you can trust around family and kids
- ✅ A healthier body inside and out, meaning fewer vet visits and health issues
- ✅ A dog that’s as intelligent as it is beautiful, with drive, clarity, and affection
- ✅ A partnership with a proven program for life, not a quick transaction
READY TO LEARN MORE?
If you’re tired of the confusion and ready to see what the next level looks like — we invite you to experience the Sin City Pits difference.
- Learn About Our Breeding Program
✍️ Written by Cris Cabral
Founder of Sin City Pits — www.SinCityPits.com
Founder of the American Terrier
