If you have recently heard about the new breed called Exotic Bully, you may be looking for all the information you can find. Well, lucky for you, you have come to the right place.
I have collected all the information regarding the Exotic Bully from personal experiences that will help you greatly. So, let’s talk about it in detail.
What is an Exotic Bully?
Exotic Bully is a type of American Bully with exaggerated characteristics of American Bully, American Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Short Bulls put together in a small body.
Breeders have constantly bred all these different together to build a dog that has all the characteristics but in a compact body. Exotic Bullies are more muscular than American Bullies in size between 13 and 17 inches.
To give you an idea, the Exotic Bully’s muscles are more prominent, its head and chest are broader, and the muzzle is very short.
History and Origin
The first puppy of Exotic Bully was born in 2008 when everyone noticed it was a different breed and named it so. After 5 years of further selective breeding, the United States Bully Registry officially recognized the breed in 2013.
The official registration gave recognition to the breed, and it gained exponential popularity. The original parents of the breed were American Bully, French Bulldog, and American Bulldog. The reason to mix in the French Bulldog is to get a smaller size.
Characteristics of Exotic Bully
The physical characteristics are what sets the Exotic Bully apart from other Bully breeds. They are lighter than standard American Bullies. So let’s take into detail about all the characteristics of the breed.
1. Size and Weight
Exotic Bullies being smaller in size, also weigh less than American Bullies. Exotic Bullies reach a height of 11 inches to a maximum of 13 inches, and they weigh between 30 to 50 pounds.
The females grow from 10 to 12 inches and weigh slightly less than males, between 25 to 25 pounds. The size of these puppies could vary slightly, but it will almost always be between this range.
Here is a comparison between different types of American Bullies and Exotic Bully:
| Class | Female Height | Male Height | Female weight | Male Weight |
| Pocket Bully | 13-16 inches | 14-17 inches | 20-45 pounds | 20-50 pounds |
| Standard Bully | 16-19 inches | 17-20 inches | 45-65 pounds | 50-80 pounds |
| Classic Bully | 16-19 inches | 17-20 inches | 35-60 pounds | 45-70 pounds |
| XL Bully | 19- 23 inches | 20-24inches | 75-120 pounds | 80-130 pounds |
| Exotic Bully | 10-12 inches | 11-13 inches | 25-45 pounds | 30-50 pounds |
2. Coat and Color
If there’s one thing that makes Exotic Bully recognizable other than its iconic muscles, it is its coat and color variety. Exotic Bullies have a short, stiff, shiny, smooth, and single-layered coat that looks amazing because it comes in various colors.
Since their coat is short, they don’t shed very often, so you may want to invest in a doggie sweater, as they can get cold. Exotic Bullies need minimum grooming, making them ideal pets.
Colors
The Exotic Bully dog can come in many colors, usually a mixture of two, but they can be tri-colored too. There is so much variety of color combinations that each puppy is unique. No Ameican Bully puppy will be exactly alike.
Usually, the Bully has one solid coat color with white markings found over their chest, face, and legs. The type of marking and pattern they inherit is unique to the puppy. Bullies can come in the following colors:
Blue: An Exotic Bully is not blue; it is silver-gray and looks blue. The Blue shade is the result of a recessive dilution gene that is present in Bullies. Also, note that not all Blue Bullies will look the same, as the intensity of the color differs from puppy to puppy.
Blue Fawn: A blue fawn bully usually has a combination of light brown and light to dark blue coats. Some of them may also have some brindle makings.
Blue Brindle: A blue Brindle Bully stands out due to its tiger-like stripes or, as some people call it, a brindle pattern. These Brindle stripes have a touch of gray that looks like blue.
Black: A Black Bully features a shiny black coat on most of his body. A Black Bully commonly has white markings on its face, chest, and paws. The Black Bully coat is the result of excessive eumelanin that is present in his skin. Excess eumelanin is responsible for producing black pigment.
Black and White: A black-and-white Bully has only two colors, black and white. Not all Bullies will look the same; some Bullies have a higher proportion of white, whereas others have less white scattered around their bodies.
White: A white Bully has a primarily white coat with some markings of black and tan. Some have spots of different colors on their body, usually called piebald white Bullies, and others have albinism.
Brown: An Exotic Brown Bully has a light brown or dark brown primary coat with white markings on the face, chest, and legs.
Fawn: A fawn Bully could be described as having a light cream to reddish-brown coat, resulting from agouti and black genes.
Grey: Grey Exotic Bully is distinguished by having a lighter shade of Black for the base coat and a few other color patches, such as white and tan.
Chocolate: Exotic Bully can exhibit a dark brown chocolate coat or a chocolate fawn coat. Chocolate Bullies are uncommon and are highly sought after by Exotic Bully lovers.
Red: A red Bully has a reddish to copper-rust shade coat color. They will also have white patches on the face, chest, and other body parts.
Tan: Unlike the chocolate Bully, a tan Exotic Bully has a light brown shade with white markings on the legs, chest, and neck.
Champagne: A champagne Bully is distinguished by a recessive red gene mutation that causes the coat to be in the color range of cream, pearl, and light yellow. Nose color could be blue to red, depending on the total genotype.
Lilac: A Lilac Exotic Bully has a faded-looking coat. It is a diluted black; hence, it looks faded. What makes an Exotic Bully lilac unique is that a lilac puppy has twice the dilution of the color black, almost like diluted chocolate. Thus, the coat looks faded black to purplish or grayish.
Tri-Colored Bully: A tri-colored Exotic Bully is one of the remarkable color variations of the Bully dog breed. A Tri Bully has three colors on a coat that are easily set apart, not mixed like a merle. Tri-colored Bullies have many color combinations with any of these colors as base coats: Blue, Black, Lilac, and Chocolate.
Merle Bullies: Merle Bullies have three types of colors on their coats that are present in mottled patterns. The patches are faded in color with a few dots that almost resembles a Dalmation. Both parents must have recessive merle alleles to produce a Merle Bully. If one parent has a recessive gene and the other has a dominant gene, the resulting puppy will have the dominant color coat.
3. Head and Facial Features
The heads of Exotic Bullies are relatively large compared to the rest of the body. At the same time, their skulls are very broad, square, and short. The eyes are in the shape of an oval and come in a wide range of colors.
Additionally, there is quite some distance between the two eyes. Exotic Bullies have ears shaped like a rose, often referred to as rosebud ears. The ears are usually on top of the head well positioned, and while most people like to crop them, you can also choose to keep them natural.
Regarding noses, Exotic Bullies have broad and flat noses where the nostrils are spaced far apart. They also come in various colors that look perfect on the short muzzle, about 2 inches.
4. Overall Shape
Moving towards the neck, you will find them broad and robust, filled with extra muscles. These muscles and the overall size are necessary to support that gigantic head. And when you move down even further, you will see their chest is deep but wide with a lot of muscle.
The bones in their front legs are typically large and round, with many muscles that keep them straight. But comparing the hind legs, they are smaller and less far apart than the front. The back is almost straight, leading to a thin, medium-length tail.
5. Personality and Temperament
Bred to be more of a companion animal than a working dog like its ancestors, the Exotic Bully makes a sweet pet for the whole family. Exotic Bullies will never show any signs of aggression or hostility; these are not the traits of this breed.
The Exotic Bully is happy, extroverted, stable, confident, gentle, and loving toward people. The Exotic Bully breed possesses the stability and loyalty of the American Pit Bull Terrier while retaining the friendly, amiable, and outgoing temperament of the American Bully.
Bullies have an extreme tolerance for children and an overwhelming eagerness to please their owners. Confident yet not aggressive, this breed keeps a very pleasant character.
You may often hear that Exotic Bullies are aggressive and have attacked somebody. Let me assure you; those are lies or, even if it’s true, caused by an incompetent owner.
If any dog breed, not just an Exotic bully, is left alone and needs proper guidance, it will develop aggressive behavior. The owner must train and socialize his pet dog and teach him how to behave.
What is the Cost of an Exotic Bully?
The cost of the Exotic Bully is one of the highest among all dog breeds. Exotic Bullies are in high demand, and the difficulties in producing these puppies jack up the price even more.
Finding a purebred dog with a pure pedigree with no health issues is also challenging. If you are lucky and find a breeder with a record of everything, you can expect to pay around $5000 to $20,000.
As I said, the price depends on the dogs’ availability and demand and the type of color your dog has. Here is a list of costs you can expect to pay for your Exotic Bully depending on the color.
| Color | Cost ($) |
| Black | 5000 |
| Red | 4500 |
| Brown | 4000 |
| Tan | 4500 |
| Fawn | 5000 |
| White | 4500 |
| Blue | 5000 |
| Blue Tri | 7000 |
| Black Tri | 4500 |
| White Tri | 6000 |
| Lilac | 13,000 |
| Lilac Tri | 20,000 |
| Merle | 15,000 |
The Lifespan of Exotic Bully
The Exotic Bully is a recently produced breed that needs further development and has a short lifespan. Usually, an Exxotic Bully lives between 8 to 10 years and is further affected by a few factors such as diet and health.
The factors that affect an Exotic Bully’s lifespan are health issues, diet, and exercise.
Health Issues
All dog breeds tend to develop health issues; some might affect your Exotic Bully more than others. But any health issues will have some adverse effects no matter what.
The health issues to which the Exotic Bully is prone are:
1. Hyp Dysplasia
Hyp and elbow dysplasia is a bone malformation that typically troubles larger breeds of dogs. When the hip joints develop, a mutation occurs in their DNA, making joints not fit correctly.
Hyp dysplasia is not evident in young Exotic Bullies, but you should always let your vet check for it. As your Exotic Bully grows old, his joints will become less flexible, making him less mobile. The lack of movement can lead to obesity and low quality of life, resulting in early death.
2. Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a common condition in Exotic Bullies, where the thyroid is not as active as it should be. If untreated, a Bully with this condition will gain weight and have a lot of trouble losing weight. Thyroid issues are treatable, and you should ask your vet to take a look.
3. Heart Disease
Heart disease in any breed, or even humans, can shorten the lifespan. When the heart malfunctions, the dog stops living everyday life leading to other health problems. If you can detect several heart diseases early and with proper treatment, you can keep your furry little friend around for years.
4. Eye Conditions
Exotic Bullies are vulnerable to many eye issues leading down the same path toward blindness. Blind Bullies usually have a shorter lifespan because they cannot be active without putting themselves in danger.
5. Allergies
Allergies can weaken an Exotic Bully drastically, leaving him vulnerable to other diseases and shortening the dog’s lifespan. Get your Exotic Bully checked for allergies and avoid the allergens that trigger these allergies. Cooperate with your vet every step of the way.
Diet
Food is essential to living, forming, and maintaining a healthy body for an Exotic Bully. Feed your Exotic Bully a diet full of protein, healthy fats, daily carbs, and essential vitamins. Ask your vet for supplements to help him grow even better.
Different Types of Exotic Bullies
There needs to be more clarity among people and breeders alike about the different types of Exotic Bullies. The reason for so much confusion is the need for standards set by registries, and no records were kept in the initial breeding of the breed.
Most people think there are 3 types of Exotic Bullies: Micro Exotic Bully, Pocket Exotic Bully, and Clean Exotic Bully. But I would like to clarify here that there isn’t much difference between them, and they are basically the same breed, and people have confused and named them differently.
Micro Exotic Bully
Micro Bully is the same size as the Exotic Bully, and both have the same ancestor as American Bully, but the difference starts afterward.
They originated from mixing American Bullies with Patterdale Terrier, whereas the Exotic Bully developed when American Bully was mixed with French Bulldog and American Bulldog.
To make the Exotic Bully even smaller, the French Bulldog was bred again with Exotic Bully to make the Micro Exotic Bully. This Bully is less than 13 inches and weighs 30 to 45 pounds; the Micro Bully also has the same specifications.
Even the looks are identical unless you know the difference between them.
Pocket Exotic Bullies
The standard Exotic Bully is Pocket Exotic Bully. While a Micro Exotic Bully has American Bully as the Parent breed, the Pocket Exotic Bully has Pitbull as the parent. The same process is repeated for this breed, except the main parent dog is a Pitbull.
Clean Exotic Bully
A Clean Exotic Bully is an Exotic Bully that does not have many mixes or any deformation but still has the looks of an Exotic Bully. The looks of the Exotic Bully include overgrown muscles on a small body, a square frame, and a cute smile.
It has all the desired characteristics that were initially required in Exotic Bullies. Clean Exotic Bullies are hard to distinguish because they look the same as any other Exotic Bully.
Diet & Food for Exotic Bully
Proteins
You want one or more whole meats as the first ingredients in pet food, so check the ingredients label. Exotic Bullies love whole meats like lamb, fish (salmon is common in Bully diets), beef, or chicken.
Some premium dog foods, like this grain-free kibble made by Fromm, are made with the wild game bird. Note how duck, peas, and turkey are the first three ingredients. The ingredients listed first on your puppy’s feed are the most prominent in the meal.
Greens
Plant-based proteins. Instead of using cheap fillers, look for premium plant proteins to round out the protein list. Examples that don’t provoke an allergy in your dog include vegan protein sources like lentils and peas.
These are hypoallergenic, vegetarian proteins that an Exotic Bully’s sensitive digestive system can easily break down and digest. For example, Nulo’s grain-free food for Bullies has plant proteins from whole peas, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, lentils, and dried fruit.
Fats
Healthy fats. Omega-3s keep your Bully’s coat and skin glossy and healthy. Examples include fish oil and coconut oil. If you’re feeding an Exotic Bully puppy, your vet may recommend a food containing an essential fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
While I’ve used all of the above foods, my current choice is Taste of the Wild’s salmon food. Its first two ingredients are salmon and ocean fish, rich in essential fatty acids to keep my puppy healthy, with a gleaming, soft fawn coat.
Vitamins & Minerals
Ensure your Exotic Bully’s diet includes necessary vitamins such as Vitamin A, B complex, C, and D. All these vitamins are essential to keep your puppy’s skin, hair, bones, and healthy.
The diet must also include calcium, iron, and potassium minerals. You can ensure these minerals are present in the food by reading the ingredients on the packaging.
Top Dog Foods for Exotic Bully
These are the best dog foods suitable for all sorts of Exotic Bullies.
- Wellness CORE Senior Dry Dog Food
- ORIJEN Puppy Large Grain-Free Dry Puppy Food
- Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food
- Nulo Freestyle Salmon & Peas Recipe Dry Dog Food
- ACANA Singles Limited Ingredient Diet Dry Dog Food
- NutroLimited Ingredient Diet Premium Canned Dog Food
- NomNom Now Fresh Dog Food
- Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete Dry Dog Food
- Stella & Chewy’s Stella’s Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food
Pros and Cons of Having an Exotic Bully
Here are some pros and cons you should know before getting an Exotic Bully:
Pros
- Exotic Bullies have charming, unique personalities. Exotics are playful, affectionate, friendly, lively, and alert.
- Exotic Bullies have adorable, smushed faces that you cannot resist.
- Exotic Bullys make for great companions. Exotics are one of the best breeds for companionship.
- Bullys love to cuddle. So, if you’re looking for a dog that will lay in bed with you all day watching TV, then stop looking any further than the Exotic Bully. They’re huge couch potatoes!
- Loyal Exotics adore their owners and want to always be by their side. Sure, they may show love to others, but they will always run back to your lap.
- While Exotics are no geniuses, they are some of the smartest “bully” breeds. Their intelligence ranks somewhere in the middle compared to all other dog breeds.
- Exotic Bullies’ hilarious and quirky personalities will keep you entertained for hours. They always somehow get into mischief or do something goofy.
- Exotic Bullys are great around children. Bullys are the perfect size for kids. They also have a friendly nature and will get along with anybody!
- Exotic Bully’s short coats make them extremely easy to groom; a quick bath every week will keep them looking sharp!
- Exotic Bullies are great apartment dogs. Thanks to their small size, Exotics have become so popular in cities such as NYC and Chicago for obvious reasons. They’re some of the best dogs for an apartment out there.
- Don’t bark a lot. This is another reason Bullys make such great apartment dogs.
Cons
- Farting is the worst downside to owning an Exotic Bully. There’s nothing worse than having your beautiful Exotic fart right in your face when you’re hanging out on the couch. To make issues worse, they have some of the stinkiest farts I’ve ever experienced.
- Exotic Bullies are Prone to separation anxiety and clinginess. Separation anxiety is one of the most common behavioral issues in Exotic Bullys.
- Another con of Exotic Bullies is their health issues. It’s not hidden that Bullys can suffer from different health issues. You can minimize the chance of your Exotic Bullies having health issues by buying from a reputable, experienced breeder. Common health issues include cherry eye, allergies, hip dysplasia, brachycephalic airway syndrome, elongated soft palate, and stenotic nares (pinched nostrils).
- Exotic Bullys are expensive. A purebred Bully ranges from $4,500 to $20,000. While $20,000 is certainly on the higher end of the spectrum, it’s common to see Exotics for $5,000, depending on the breeder.
- Exotic Bullies are stubborn. Part of the Bullies’ personalities is their free-minded, stubborn nature. It can be frustrating when your Bullies literally couldn’t care less about your thoughts.
- Bullys are very needy & high maintenance. Exotic Bullies can be clingy and have many other needs that you must meet.
Bullies are high-maintenance because
- They always want attention
- They shed quite a bit
- Bullies overheat easily and can have breathing issues on intense exertion.
- Exotic Bullies need special care to protect their joints (like using puppy stairs)
- Exotic Bullys have low heat and cold intolerance: Bullies often struggle to regulate their body temperature due to their brachycephalic nature.
- Exotic Bullies shed a lot due to their coat color being caused by recessive genes. It surprises me how much my Bully sheds, especially as she has such a short coat!
- Snoring, snorting & snarling: Bullys often snore loudly because of their smushed faces and a brachycephalic syndrome.
- Pulling on the leash: Bullies are notorious for dragging on their leashes. Bully by the water on a leash. Not only is leash-pulling annoying for us Bullies owners, but it also puts a lot of strain on your Bullies’ neck/spine.
Tips for Taking Care of Your Exotic Bully
Some people think the right way to keep your pup is different, which may be true for their situation, but here are some tips that might help you and your Exotic Bullies grow stronger and healthier than any other dog.
Give It a Proper Diet
Don’t be alarmed by proper diet. A good diet does not mean you have to give your Exotic Bullies some fancy and expensive brand food. Still, instead, it means the diet must contain the nutrients the Exotic Bullies require to help grow and maintain their muscle body and proportions.
This means they need a high protein diet, and you must start with this type of diet from a younger age, as this is when they begin to form those muscle structures for adulthood.
The main food should also contain a substantial amount of fat, and the best option for this is a dry kibble diet made especially for Bully. You can supplement kibbles with some wet food.
While buying kibbles, make sure the first at least 3 ingredients are meats such as chicken, beef, lamb, or fish. It should also mention the percentage of protein to be at 30% and fat at 20% minimum. In addition to these, you should also give them calcium supplements, but that should be when you are vaccinating them, so ask your vet for that.
Remember to make them eat as much food as possible while young. Give your Exotic Bullies food at least 3 times a day and sometimes even leave food out for them all day. However, this must change when they become full adults.
Keep up With Their Healthcare
As I have said, Exotic Bullies are a fairly healthy dog breed, but you can still care for your Exotic Bullies. The bare minimum you can do and should do is treat your dog for fleas and worms and ensure they have all the relevant vaccinations right from when they are still puppies.
Start worming your Exotic Bullies at 4 months of age; that is when they should be treated for heartworm and tapeworm. It would help if you repeated this treatment as often as the vet recommends, once every month.
Flea treatment may also be started along with worming and should be done monthly in spring and summer and once every 3 months in fall/autumn and winter. Fleas may not be a big health issue; they can cause blood conditions and be incredibly irritating if they infest your home.
Vaccinations start at a much younger age of around 5 weeks and may be done before your Exotic Bullies can go outside to play. Exotic Bullies will be given 5 rounds of vaccination at three weeks intervals. They are given a 7-way shot that should cover them for all common conditions.
In addition, make sure your dog gets a rabies vaccine at 6 months of age that will last for 3 years. Rabies, as you know, is a very lethal and dangerous condition, and that should be the last thing you want your dog to catch if you want to keep it for a long time.
Exercise for Proper Development
Exercise is absolutely important for any dog, particularly when they are puppies. Bullies should get exercise every day to keep those muscles in motion and healthy. But make sure to vaccinate them first.
At least 30 minutes of exercise is the absolute minimum that you must give your dog, simply because Exotic Bullies are an energetic breed, and they love to play. If you can go out for a walk once a day, that would be amazing.
Just make sure you are on the lookout for any signs of overheating, as Bullies are easily overheated if made to exert too much. Your pup might want to play fetch with you, perfect for building trust, obedience, and discipline.
Please ensure the toys you buy are big enough not to be swallowed. Also, purchase sturdy toys because Exotic Bullies, like any other dog breed, love to chew toys, so you might want something that will last longer and plan for when they are adults.
Obedience and Discipline Training
If you want your puppy to live longer, you don’t only want it to be healthy but also obedient and disciplined. A well-mannered dog will not get into trouble; that way, he can avoid many accidents that would otherwise endanger its life.
This is one of the most suitable ways to care for your Exotic Bullies. This should be started as early as possible and around 8 weeks of age. At this early age, grooming will ensure they don’t act out with other people and dogs.
Exotic Bullies are a very intelligent breed and can learn every trick. You can use treats as motivation and make them eat more this way. Occasionally, take your Exotic Bullies to a training class where they can interact with other dogs to become socialized and be generally friendly.
What to Watch For
Any abnormal symptom could be a sign of a serious disease, or it could just be a minor or temporary problem. The essential thing is to be able to tell when to seek veterinary help and how urgently.
Many diseases cause dogs to have a characteristic combination of symptoms, which together can be a clear signal that your Bully needs help.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
What Breeds Make up The Exotic Bully?
The American Bully, French Bulldog, American Bulldog, English Bulldog, Shot Bull, and Pitbull were mixed to make the Exotic Bully. Some of these breeds were often mixed more than once to get the desired trait in the Bully.
What is the Best Exotic Bully Bloodline?
The best Exotic Bloodline NWG Bullies are among the first to start breeding these dogs. They produce top quality Exotic Bullies that live long and healthy life.
Other bloodlines include Toadline Exotic Bully, Venom Line, and Fresno Bully Rescue.
Are Exotic Bullies Healthy?
Despite being a result of mixed breeding and having overgrown muscles, the Exotic Bullies tend to live a healthy life. It all depends on the quality of care you can provide.
With that in mind, no breed is impervious to diseases and injuries. Exotic Bullies can also get various health conditions that can be avoided with proper care and early detection.
Are Exotic Bullies and American Bullies the Same?
No, the Exotic Bully is a different breed than American Bully. Although the Exotic Bully was initially bred to be a branch of American Bullies, it soon became so diverse that it was categorized as a different breed.
Conclusion
Exotic Bullies are a new breed, and there is a lot of confusion, making it tricky to find a good quality dog and tell the difference between the two kinds of bullies.
If you decide to get an Exotic Bully, you should do some thorough research, and hopefully, you will find a good dog.
Thank you for this article. Very informative