Comparison
XL vs XXL American Bully
One of these is a recognised size class. The other is a word people use to sell a large one.
XL is the largest recognised American Bully size class: 20 to 23 inches at the withers for a male. XXL isn’t a class. There’s no standard for it, no height range, and no body that recognises it. It’s a marketing term for a large XL, and knowing that’s worth money to you.
What XL actually means
A height class, and nothing more. An XL male stands 20 to 23 inches at the withers and a female 19 to 22, on the same frame, structure and temperament as a standard bully. Adult weight typically runs 80 to 120 pounds for a male.
It isn’t a separate breed, it isn’t a cross with anything, and it doesn’t have a different character. It’s the same dog, taller.
What XXL means
It means somebody is selling you a large XL and would like more money for it.
There’s no XXL class, no XXL standard and no measurement at which an XL becomes one. In practice the word is applied to dogs at the upper end of XL, and sometimes to dogs that are simply overweight, which is worth saying plainly because a fat bully photographs as an impressive one.
| XL | XXL | |
|---|---|---|
| Recognised class | Yes | No |
| Defined height | 20 to 23 in male | None. Undefined |
| Typical weight claimed | 80 to 120 lb | 120 lb and up |
| Standard exists | Yes | No |
| Typical price | $2,000 to $5,000 | $4,000 to $12,000 |
The price row is the whole point. You’re paying a premium of several thousand dollars for a word with no definition behind it.
The part that matters for the dog
Chasing size past the top of the XL range has consequences, and they’re the same consequences as chasing shortness at the other end: more mass on joints that have to last twelve years, worse heat tolerance, and a heart working harder for longer.
Across dogs generally, larger body size correlates with a shorter life. Within this breed the pattern holds. A well-built XL kept lean will very likely outlive a heavier dog bred for the number on the scale.
There’s also a straightforward practical point. A hundred and thirty pound dog costs more to feed, more to medicate, more to board, and is harder to get into a car when it’s twelve years old and its hips hurt.
What to do with this
If you want a big bully, buy an XL and buy a well-built one. Ask what the parents measure at the withers rather than what they weigh, because weight is the number that gets inflated and height is the one that defines the class.
I’ve a page that ranks for XXL because that’s what people type, and it says exactly what this one says. Every puppy I sell is $700 whatever its class, so I gain nothing by calling a dog XXL.
XL puppies available · Size by class · What XL costs elsewhere
Ask what the parents measure
Height at the withers, not weight. You’ll get the real number, including when it’s lower than you hoped.