Today I’m gonna discuss everything you need to know about the bull terrier including their origins, temperament, trainability, exercise, and grooming requirements.

All the things you must own to keep them happy and healthy. Without further ado let’s get started.

Bull Terrier Puppy Information

  • Temperament: Playful, Charming, Mischievous
  • AKC Breed Popularity: Ranks 62 of 197
  • Height: 21-22 inches
  • Weight: 50-70 pounds
  • Life Expectancy: 12-13 years

bull terrier breed characteristics

Pros

  • Adapts well to apartment living
  • Tolerates hot weather
  • Affectionate with family
  • Kid-friendly
  • Dog friendly
  • Friendly with strangers
  • Low drooling potential
  • Easy to groom
  • Good general health
  • Intelligent

Cons

  • High sensitivity level
  • Potential for weight gain
  • Not for first-time owners
  • Does not tolerates being alone
  • Does not tolerates cold weather
  • Potential for mouthiness (nipping, chewing)
  • High prey drive
  • High wanderlust potential

Bull Terrier Breed Characteristics

bull terrier breed characteristics

Bull Terrier: Overview

  • The bull terrier is a very distinctive and powerful-looking dog.
  • It is a real softie at heart. And loving nothing more than to be part of a family.

Although many of them boast having white coats. Bull terriers come in a lot of other colors which include brindle.

  • Renowned for their fun-loving and courageous natures. The bull terrier is also boasted having a bit of a stubborn streak. That is why their training must start early.

And socializing a puppy is an absolute must for them to grow into well-balanced happy mature dogs.

Bull Terrier Puppy

  • Bull terrier puppy is not the best choice for first-time dog owners.
  • Training a bully can be quite challenging thanks to their stubbornness.

Bull terrier puppies are incredibly cute and it’s all too easy to spoil them. This is a big mistake because bullies are smart. And quickly learn how to dominate a situation if they are allowed.

That’s why consistency is essential when handling and training them even when they are pup.

Origin

The bull terriers we see today were developed relatively recently and were exhibited at a show in Birmingham in 1962 by James Hanks.

Interestingly his family is still involved with bull terriers even to this day. And are highly respected among the breeder’s community.

It was not until 1850 that James Hank standardized the dogs he bred. He achieved this by selectively crossed be breeding bull terriers with over terrier-type dogs. This included the white English terrier.

  • The end goal was to create a gentleman’s companion.
  • Today bull terriers are among the most popular breeds in the UK. Also, known as companion dogs and family pets.

And interestingly miniature bull terriers have been around for as long as their larger counterparts. But were only recognized as a unique breed by the kennel club in 1939.

Bull Terrier Puppy: Temperament

Over the years of careful selective breeding responsible bull terrier breeders have successfully developed a dog.

  • This is the dog that makes for a wonderful family pet and companion.
  • English bull terriers might look ferocious thanks to them being so powerfully built. But in fact, these dogs boast wonderfully kind and friendly natures.
  • There is the added bonus of them having a really keen sense of humor.
  • They are also intelligent characters.
  • And need to be given the right amount of mental stimulation and daily exercise to be truly happy.

Puppy Training

  • bull terrier puppies are also known to be headstrong.

And being such a powerful dog with a lot of terrier in them they need to be handled and trained correctly right from the start. This makes them not the best choice for first-time owners.

  • They need to be well trained from a young age.

So they understand their place in the pack. And who to look up to for direction and guidance.

If they are not handled firmly and fairly from a young age the English bull terrier will soon start to show a more dominant side to their characters. This is something that needs to be avoided at all costs.

But they are known to be placid and calm by nature. Although they can have a bit of that stubborn streak especially true of a dog when they have not received the right amount of training needed.

  • If an English bulldog terrier feels they’re being threatened in any way they will react.

But would rarely be the first dog to show any sort of aggressive behavior toward another dog.

  • male bull terriers might just instigate a fight.

This is something that owners need to bear in mind when walking their dogs in a public place.

But it also really does depend on the dog. And how well they’ve been socialized. How well they behave around other dogs.

Family Pet And Companion

  • They are known to be real people dogs.
  • And English bull terriers do not like to be left on their own for an extended period of time.

This is why they’re not the best choice of dogs for people who spend a lot of time out of the house.

They are however a great choice for people who are familiar with this type of dog. And where one person usually stays at home when everyone else is out.

  • English bull terriers are known to have an affinity with young children.

But thanks to their playful boisterous natures any interaction between a dog and kid should always be well supervised to make sure nobody gets too excited.

Bull Terrier and Other Pets

  • Care must be taken when bull terriers around cats, small animals, and pets.

They might just view them as a game. They do have high prey. Keep in mind that they have a lot of terriers bred into them.

However, if a bull terrier grows up with smaller animals and a house that includes the family cat. Then they do usually get on well with them.

Intelligence

If they’re socialized and trained appropriately the English bull terrier is an intelligent character.

  • And they’re capable of learning things relatively quickly.

However as previously mentioned they do have a bit of a stubborn streak in them. This is why they are not the best choice for people who are not familiar with the type or breed of dog.

  • They do not respond well to any sort of harsh correction or heavy-handed training.

But they do answer very well to positive reinforcement and consistent training from someone they know. They can look up to for direction.

Bull terrier puppies must be taught the ground rules right from the word go. So they understand the limits and boundaries that the owner sets them.

  • You must bear in mind that a puppy will always test limits.

Consistency is essential. These cute little puppies grow up to be powerful strong-willed dogs. They need to know what is expected of them. And most importantly their place in the pack. And who the alpha dog is in the household.

Breed Standards: Appearance

Males can grow 50 to 61 centimeters tall and weighing between 20 and 30 kilos.

The bull terriers are well-muscled dogs. They boast a very distinctive shaped head.

The Head is rather long and egg-shaped when viewed from the top of their heads. Between their ears is virtually flat and in profile with their muzzles. They curve downwards from the top of a dog’s head right to the tip of their nose.

Their lower jaw boasts being strong and deep. Their eyes are quite narrow and triangular in shape.

Color-wise eyes can either be very black or dark brown. With bull terriers having a very distinctive glint about them is a small fin. And placed neatly close together on a dog’s head which they carry very upright.

The bull terrier has that strong jaw of a perfect scissor bite where their opportunity of a lap the lower ones.

The neck is extremely powerful muscular. And along which dogs all carry arched which taper from their shoulders to their head. Showing no loose skin whatsoever.

The shoulders are muscular strong without being overloaded. A dog’s shoulder blades are flat wide and close to the chest wall. Having a pronounced backward slope to them.

Front legs around with lots of bone which sees the bull terrier standing very solidly and squarely on them. And their body is well rounded with dogs having well-sprung ribs of good depth from their withers to their brisket.

Their back is quite short but very powerful. And level only arching over a dog’s well-muscled and broad loins.

Bellies curved gently upwards which adds to the dog’s powerful appearance. Hindquarters are powerful with dogs boasting strong well-muscled thighs. And their tail is short and set low. The dog carries his tail horizontally.

When it comes to their coat bull terriers boast having a flat short and harsh yet glossy coat with a softer undercoat. That typically grows during the colder winter months.

Health Issues

The average life expectancy is bull terriers between 10 and 14 years when properly cared for and fed a good appropriate diet.

Thanks to good breeding practices by reputable breeders the breed are generally strong and healthy.

  • But like other breeds with white coats, the bull terrier puppy is prone to deafness.

The good news is that more breeders that are aware of the issue. And screen their dogs before using them in a breeding program. This means the number of bull terriers with hearing issues is rapidly dropping.

Grooming

Thanks to their short tight coats the English bull terriers are low maintenance.

Although bull terrier puppies need to be introduced to all the tools. So they learn to enjoy a grooming session. And the one-to-one attention they’re given when they’re being brushed.

It’s particularly important to touch and play with a puppy’s paws, nails, ears, and other parts of their body. So when it comes to trimming nails checking ears and doing other things for the dogs don’t get stressed out.

Bearing in mind a bull terrier that wriggles makes it much harder to clip nails and check things over older dogs.

It’s also important to check a dog’s ears on a regular basis and to clean them when necessary. If too much wax builds up in a dog’s ear it can lead to painful infections. It can be hard to clear up.

  • In short, prevention is often easier than cure when it comes to ear infections.

Positive And Negatives

The positives include

  • They are incredibly loyal and devoted to their families
  • They’re fun-loving and energetic by nature
  • The perfect choice for people who work from home and who lead active outdoor lives.
  • They’re good with kids of all ages and excellent watchdogs.
  • Low maintenance
  • They’re known to be moderate shadows.
  • They’re highly adaptable just as happy living in town as they are in the country.
  • And they’re very sensitive to their owner’s mood which can make them excellent companions.

However, some of the negatives can include

  • They mature slowly
  • Remain boisterous for a long time.
  • Puppies can be quite destructive around the home.
  • They hate being left on their own which makes them suffer from serious separation anxiety.
  • They’re known to be stubborn when it suits them.
  • And bullies are prone to suffering from certain health issues so vet bills can be high.
  • They’re not the best choice for first-time dog owners because they can be hard to train with that stubborn streak.
  • They’re also expensive to buy and that may also make some expensive to insure.