Breed Education
American Bulldog vs American Bully: The Kijiji Confusion in Canada
This is the article we wish every Canadian buyer had read before they paid a deposit. If you're scrolling Kijiji looking at "American Bulldog" puppies, please read all the way to the end. Most of those listings are not the breed they say they are, and the difference matters.
The short version
Kijiji is the largest classified-ads platform in Canada. Kijiji's content policy bans the advertising of American Bullies, Pit Bulls, and Pit Bull-type dogs. American Bullies are the breed that a lot of buyers actually want to buy in Canada right now. So American Bully breeders, locked out of Kijiji, do the obvious workaround: they advertise their American Bully puppies as American Bulldogs.
The two breed names are similar enough that most buyers don't know they're being sold a different breed. The two dogs look different at adulthood, behave differently, have different health considerations, and are different prices. But on Kijiji, in a 600x600 puppy photo with a casual paragraph of description, "American Bulldog" can mean almost anything. The buyer gets a dog that isn't what they thought they were getting, the registry papers (if any) don't match the breed they were told, and a year later we get the email that starts: "Lesli, I bought a puppy that was advertised as American Bulldog and now I'm not sure what I have. Can you help?"
Yes. That's why this article exists.
Why this is a Canadian problem specifically
In the United States, the American Bully has its own well-developed registries (UKC recognized the breed in 2013; the American Bully Kennel Club has been registering since 2004). American Bully breeders in the US can advertise the breed by its actual name on every major classifieds platform without restriction. The breed has its own buyer market, its own price point, and its own visual identity.
In Canada, two things are different:
- Kijiji's content rules. Kijiji's prohibited-pets list explicitly names "American Bully", "Pit Bull", and "American Pit Bull Terrier" as breeds that cannot be advertised. The rule was put in place over a decade ago when Ontario's Pit Bull ban was top-of-mind. The American Bully is a separate breed, but Kijiji's rule sweeps it in.
- Kijiji is dominant. In a country the size of Canada with a relatively small online classifieds market, Kijiji has very high market share for puppy sales. There is no real second option that a casual buyer goes to first. So when a breeder is locked out of Kijiji, they don't move to another platform. They re-label.
The result: a Kijiji search for "American Bulldog puppies" returns hundreds of listings, and a sizeable portion of them are actually American Bullies sold under the wrong breed name. The buyer who searches "American Bully" sees zero results on Kijiji, then searches "American Bulldog" because that's the closest word they can think of, and lands on the relabeled listings. The fraud completes itself.
The two breeds are not the same. At all.
This is the foundation of the rest of the article. The American Bulldog and the American Bully are two different breeds, with different histories, different builds, different temperaments, and different price points. They are not regional names for the same dog. They are not "the same breed with different paperwork." A buyer who wants one is rarely happy with the other.
American Bulldog: the older breed
The American Bulldog descends from the working bulldogs of the rural American South. The breed was nearly extinct after the Second World War. Two breeders revived it in the 1950s-1970s: John D. Johnson (heavier, broader, family-protector type, sometimes called Bully or Johnson type) and Alan Scott (leaner, more athletic, working type, sometimes called Classic or Scott or Standard type). Modern American Bulldogs come from these two foundation lines and from carefully planned hybrids of the two. We've written about the Classic vs Bully type split here.
Adult American Bulldogs run 65-130 lb depending on type. The breed standard calls for a balanced, athletic dog with a square or slightly rectangular head, defined muzzle, and working drive. American Bulldogs were bred to do farm work, catch boar, guard property, and work alongside people. The breed is registered by the American Bulldog Registry and Archives (ABRA), the National Kennel Club (NKC), and several smaller registries. Lesli Rose has been the ABRA registrar since 2005.
American Bully: the newer breed
The American Bully is a breed developed in the 1990s in the United States, primarily from American Pit Bull Terrier base stock with infusions of American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bulldog, English Bulldog, and (depending on the line) Old English Bulldogge or French Bulldog. The American Bully was developed specifically to be a heavier, blockier, lower-stamina companion dog than the working pit bull breeds it descends from.
The American Bully comes in several recognized varieties: Standard, Pocket, Classic, XL, and Extreme. Adult weights range from 30 lb (Pocket) to 150+ lb (XL and Extreme). The breed standard calls for a heavy-bodied, broad-chested, blocky dog with a wide head and short muzzle. The breed was bred specifically as a companion, not a working dog. The American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC) recognized the breed in 2004; UKC recognized it in 2013.
The American Bully is its own breed. It is not a "type" of American Bulldog. It is not a "Pit Bull mix." It is a separately developed breed with its own standards, registries, and history.
Side-by-side: how the two breeds actually differ
The chart below covers the differences a buyer will see in a real adult dog, not just on paper.
| Trait | American Bulldog | American Bully |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Working farm dogs, American South, pre-1900s | Companion breed developed 1990s from APBT base |
| Adult height (males) | 22-27 in | 13-23 in (varies by variety) |
| Adult weight (males) | 65-130 lb | 30-150+ lb (Pocket to XL/Extreme) |
| Build | Athletic, square or slightly rectangular, working frame | Heavy, broad chest, short legs relative to body, blocky |
| Head | Defined muzzle, longer than American Bully, longer than English Bulldog | Wide skull, very short muzzle, exaggerated cheek mass |
| Original purpose | Catch dog, farm utility, family protector | Companion / show dog, not working |
| Drive | High (Classic) to medium (Bully type) | Low to medium |
| Common health concerns | Hip and elbow dysplasia, NCL, Ichthyosis, HUU | Brachycephalic syndrome (short muzzle), hip dysplasia, skin allergies, joint issues from XL frame |
| Lifespan | 10-14 years | 8-13 years (shorter for XL/Extreme) |
| Recognized registries | ABRA, NKC, several others | ABKC, UKC, EBKC |
| Typical Canadian price | $2,500-4,500 (ABRA-registered, health-tested) | $1,500-15,000+ (varies hugely by variety, line, and pedigree) |
How the fraud works on Kijiji, in detail
An American Bully breeder in Canada wants to advertise a litter. Kijiji blocks "American Bully", "Bully", "Pit Bull", and "Pit". So the breeder writes the listing this way:
"Beautiful American Bulldog puppies for sale, ready to go to their forever home. Family raised with kids and other pets. Both parents on site. Vet checked, first shots, dewormed. $3,000 firm. Serious inquiries only, please."
The listing then shows photos of an XL American Bully puppy: short legs, wide chest, very short muzzle, blocky head. The puppy doesn't look anything like an American Bulldog. But the buyer doesn't know what an American Bulldog looks like, because the buyer has never seen one in person. The buyer scrolls past, thinks the puppy is cute, sends a message.
The breeder shows the parents. The parents are XL American Bullies. The buyer assumes that's what an American Bulldog parent looks like. The buyer asks if the dog is registered. The breeder says yes, ABKC papers (American Bully Kennel Club). The buyer doesn't know ABKC isn't an American Bulldog registry. The buyer pays the deposit.
By the time the buyer figures it out, the puppy is in the home, the family is attached, and the registry papers say something different from the listing. Returning the puppy means heartbreak. Suing the breeder over a $3,000 misrepresentation is rarely worth it. The buyer keeps the dog, often loves the dog, but knows they were misled. Three years later they want to add a second dog and they can't decide whether to repeat the same mistake or actually find an American Bulldog this time.
How to tell the difference from a Kijiji listing
If you're looking at a listing right now and trying to figure out whether it's actually an American Bulldog, these are the signals:
1. Look at the parents' photos, not just the puppy.
Puppies of any of the bulldog breeds look similar at 8 weeks. Adults do not. If the listing shows the parents, look at adult photos:
- Is the dog tall and athletic, with legs that are proportionate to the body? American Bulldog.
- Is the dog short-legged, very wide in the chest, with a very short muzzle and exaggerated head width? American Bully.
- Is the dog so heavy and broad that it looks like a small bull? Likely XL or Extreme American Bully.
2. Check the registry name.
If the listing mentions registration, the registry tells you the breed:
- ABRA (American Bulldog Registry and Archives), NKC (National Kennel Club), ARBA (American Rare Breed Association): registered as American Bulldog
- ABKC (American Bully Kennel Club), UKC (registered as American Bully), EBKC (European Bully Kennel Club): registered as American Bully
- "Papers available", "registered" with no registry named: the breeder does not want to say. That is a signal in itself.
3. Ask for the price range.
An ABRA-registered, health-tested American Bulldog from an established breeder is generally in the $2,500-$4,500 range in Canada. American Bullies vary from $1,500 (basic) to $15,000+ (top XL show line). If the price seems unusually high or unusually low for the breed claimed, ask why.
3. Ask for OFA hip and elbow results on both parents.
Established American Bulldog breeders test parents through OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals). Results are public on ofa.org. American Bully breeders sometimes test through PennHIP instead, or not at all. A breeder who can't show you OFA results on both parents is a breeder you don't want, regardless of breed.
4. Ask for a full Embark genetic panel on both parents.
American Bulldogs carry NCL, Ichthyosis, and HUU. American Bullies have a different genetic risk profile (often skin allergies, brachycephalic issues from the muzzle structure). The Embark report shows you which breeds are in the dog's actual ancestry. A claimed-American-Bulldog dog with significant Pit Bull or American Bully ancestry on Embark is the smoking gun.
5. Ask for the parent dogs' pedigree on a public archive.
Established American Bulldog breeders use public pedigree archives. pedigreedatabase.ca hosts the largest open archive of American Bulldog pedigrees in the world. Every Rosebull dog has a public pedigree there going back 5+ generations. American Bully pedigrees are typically only available through the ABKC's gated database, which is not public.
Why this is a big deal (the part that's worth being angry about)
Three reasons.
First, the buyer is being defrauded. The buyer thinks they are buying an American Bulldog and they are buying a different breed. That is fraud. In a $2,500-$4,500 transaction, with a 10-14 year commitment to the dog, with health implications that differ between the two breeds, this is not a small misunderstanding. Buyers have legal recourse but most don't pursue it because the dog is already family.
Second, it damages the actual American Bulldog breed. When buyers research "American Bulldog" and the photos they see online are American Bullies, the public's mental image of the breed gets wrong. Real American Bulldog breeders then have to spend the first 20 minutes of every call explaining "no, our puppies don't look like the ones on Kijiji, because those aren't American Bulldogs." The reputation of the breed gets shaped by dogs that aren't the breed.
Third, it's bad for the American Bully breed too. American Bullies are a legitimate breed with serious breeders, careful health work, and devoted owners. When American Bully breeders are forced to sell their puppies under the wrong breed name, the buyers don't bond with the actual breed identity. American Bully buyers should be proud of the breed they're buying. Pretending it's something else hurts both sides of the transaction.
What to do if you've already bought one of these dogs
If you read this article and realized you have an American Bully that was sold to you as an American Bulldog: it doesn't change anything about your relationship with your dog. Your dog is still your dog. The breed identity matters for future health planning (different conditions to monitor), for accurate registration if you breed (you cannot register an American Bully as an American Bulldog with any legitimate registry; the parentage will not check out), and for general accuracy when you tell people what breed your dog is.
If you bought what you thought was an American Bulldog and are not sure what you have, a $200 Embark genetic test (embarkvet.com) will tell you the breed composition definitively. Most owners in this situation get an Embark and move on with their lives, slightly wiser.
What honest American Bulldog breeders look like
If you're in Canada and you want an actual American Bulldog, look for:
- Multi-decade kennel. Breeders with 15+ years specifically breeding American Bulldogs. Cross-breed switchers in the last 5 years are often Pit Bull or American Bully breeders who jumped over.
- ABRA registration on every puppy. Registration numbers searchable.
- OFA hips and elbows on both parents. Results public on ofa.org.
- Full Embark on both parents. Reports shareable.
- Public pedigree archive. Every dog on pedigreedatabase.ca with photos and 5+ generations.
- Live video call before deposit. No exceptions.
- Written health guarantee with a take-back clause. Lifetime, no drama if your circumstances change.
- Honest type designation. Classic, Bully (American Bulldog Bully type, not American Bully), or hybrid. The breeder explains the difference.
Rosebull American Bulldogs meets every one of these criteria. We've been breeding ABRA-registered American Bulldogs in Harvey, New Brunswick since 2000. Lesli is the ABRA registrar. Lance and Lesli, founders. We're not the only honest American Bulldog breeders in Canada (ask us for referrals if we don't have a litter that fits your timeline), but we are easy to verify. Every dog at /our-dogs has a public pedigree. Every parent dog's OFA and Embark results are linked from the dog's profile.
The bottom line
Kijiji's content rules accidentally created a market distortion that mislabels thousands of Canadian puppy listings every year. The fix is not Kijiji's to make: lobbying a classifieds platform to change a 12-year-old policy is not a winnable fight. The fix is buyer education. If every Canadian buyer who searches "American Bulldog puppies" knew what an actual American Bulldog looks like and what to ask, the relabeled listings would stop converting. The fraud only works because the public doesn't know.
If this article helped, please share it. Send it to anyone you know who is shopping for a "Bulldog puppy" on Kijiji. The bigger the public knowledge gap closes, the harder it gets for the relabeling to keep working.