Bully Kutta

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Bully Kutta
Alternative names
Bully Cutha South Asian Mastiff Pakistani Bully Dog Punjabi Mastiff Alangu Mastiff
Country of origin
Punjab region of Pakistan and Northern India
Classification and breed standards
Not recognized by any major kennel club
Notes
Recognized by the United National kennel club UK.

Bully Kutta is a breed of dog.

1 Appearance
2 Temperament
3 History and use
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Appearance

Bully Kutta males reach a height of 36-42 inches at the withers. Females range from 30-36 inches. Males weigh between 180 to over 200 pounds, while females can be anywhere from 150-180 pounds. Bullys are very muscular and thick boned. They have a somewhat Mastiff appearance, and have a wrinkled and boxy face.

[edit] Temperament

Due to the nature of the work these dogs are bred to perform, they are known to be human aggressive and difficult to handle, but with proper socialization from an early stage they can become superb protectors and guardians.

[edit] History and use

There are two sides being disputed regarding the origins of these dogs -

1. That the Bully Kutta was developed during the British Colonial rule in India for sporting purposes - resulting from crosses of various Mastiffs and Bandogges brought from the west around that time.

2. That it is of ancient origin, and direct offspring of the Alaunt and Hyrcania dogs of Ancient Persia, as well as the legendary Assyrian Molossus - brought the Indian subcontinent by the Indo-Aryan invaders. There is evidence that Pakistan and India already had such Mastiff type dogs long before the arrival of the British, and are mentioned in the literature of Alexander the Great and Aristotle. Through early contacts between the Persian and Assyrian empires, and the Indus Valley civilization, it is possible that the large Mastiff type dogs of India and those of the Persians/Assyrians, have influenced each other.

The truth of those two likely lies somewhere in between. It is mostly found today in areas belonging to Pakistan - particularly in Punjab, Azad Kashmir and North-West Frontier Province. A local strain of Bully Kutta exists, which became known as the "Sindh Mastiff" and "Indian Mastiff". In spite of its name - it hales from Punjab not Sindh.

The "Bully" in its name actually comes from the Hindi/Urdu word bohli - meaning heavily wrinkled. "Kutta" means dog. Due to the fact that the BK is not bred to a standard or have any kind of recognition - it is technically not yet a "breed", rather a type of dog. In Pakistan the term "Bully Kutta" can refer to any kind of very large Mastiff type dog.

Though in the past it has been used by criminal gangs for dog fighting, which is illegal in Pakistan, the majority are pets or used as guard dogs.