Bull Terrier

The FCI standard describes the Bull Terrier as courageous, full of spirit and fun-loving, even-tempered and amenable to discipline; although obstinate, particularly good with people. The Royal Kennel Club also calls it an active, people-loving terrier and lists up to one hour of exercise a day. In short, this is a dog that loves being with its family and wants plenty of play and attention.

With a terrier temperament, patient, consistent training is a must. Stubbornness is overcome with rewards and calm repetition; harsh handling backfires. A Bull Terrier left alone or bored can be destructive. The FCI standard also disqualifies aggressive or overly shy dogs; a sound temperament is something to ask a breeder for.

The Bull Terrier suits people who can exercise it every day, make time for training, spend a lot of time with their dog and put up with stubbornness. The Royal Kennel Club lists it as a dog that can live in a small house and wants a small or medium garden; that doesn't remove its need for activity.

According to the FCI, the Bull Terrier comes from Great Britain. The history section says that in the 1850s a man named James Hinks first standardized the breed type and chose the egg-shaped head, that the breed was first shown in its present form in Birmingham in 1862, and that the Bull Terrier Club was formed in 1887. The Royal Kennel Club says the breed descends from a cross between the Bulldog and the White English Terrier and was bred for dog fighting in the 19th century, with Hinks establishing the type. Early on many dogs were white; in the 1920s colored Bull Terriers became more common, and they were valuable in breeding programs because deafness in all-white dogs had become a problem.

The smaller variety, the Miniature Bull Terrier, has been known since the early 19th century; it fell out of favor before the First World War and was removed from the Kennel Club breed register in 1918. It was revived in 1938 with the Miniature Bull Terrier Club, founded by Colonel Richard Glyn and fellow enthusiasts. It has its own FCI standard (No. 359), and the only difference is the height limit. The standard puts no weight or height limit on the regular Bull Terrier, and it does so deliberately.

According to the FCI, it's a strongly built, muscular, balanced and active dog; the unique feature is the downfaced, egg-shaped head. The eyes are narrow and triangular, obliquely placed and so dark they look almost black; the ears are small, thin and set close together, and can be held stiffly erect. The neck is very muscular and arched.

• Height and weight: The standard sets no height or weight limit; it asks for "maximum substance for size of dog consistent with quality and sex." The miniature variety stands no taller than 14 in (35.5 cm), with no weight limit.
• Coat: Short, flat, harsh to the touch and slightly glossy; a soft undercoat may be present in winter.
• Color: Pure white for white dogs; for colored dogs, color predominates, with brindle preferable. Black brindle, red, fawn and tricolor are acceptable; blue and liver are highly undesirable.
• No merle: Since 2011, the Royal Kennel Club has not registered merle Bull Terrier puppies, because of the risk of impaired vision and hearing.

The Royal Kennel Club says the short coat sheds and weekly grooming is enough. A short, harsh coat is managed with weekly brushing; bathe as needed. See our dog grooming guide for general methods.

• Skin: White and light-colored dogs can sunburn; shade and the protection your vet suggests matter. If you see redness, itching or dry crusts, have it checked.
• Nails: Trim them regularly.
• Ears: Even with erect ears, check for dirt and redness.
• Teeth: Brush often with a toothpaste made for dogs.

The FCI standard says amenable to discipline but obstinate; in other words it learns, but makes it clear it has opinions. Work with rewards, keep sessions short and upbeat, and stay consistent. The Royal Kennel Club says up to an hour of exercise a day; let part of it be running and play, and part sniffing and mind games.

1. Early socialization: As a puppy, give it short, positive meetings with different people, children, sounds, vehicles and calm dogs, and keep this up through the first year.
2. Basic cues: Come, wait, drop it and walking without pulling. Our guide to loose-leash walking explains it step by step.
3. Mind and play: A bored terrier can be destructive; chase games, tug games and sniffing games help.
4. Rules around children: It's a strong player, so children and dogs should never be left unsupervised together. Our article on kids and dogs at home covers the ground rules.
5. Vet prep: Use rewards early on to get it comfortable with being handled and having its mouth, ears and paws checked.

We have no source saying the Bull Terrier needs a special food; a balanced dog food suited to its age is the basis. Talk with your vet about the type of food and the amount.

• Watch the weight: Because it's a muscular dog, it can be hard to tell "solid" from "overweight" by eye; if you can feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat and see a waist from above, the weight is about right.
• Treats: In reward-based training, count treats as part of the daily meals.

Also check our list of foods that are dangerous for dogs.

The Bull Terrier's health issues are well studied. The information below is for awareness only; ask your vet about diagnosis and treatment.

Congenital deafness

In a UK study that measured the hearing of 1,060 Bull Terrier puppies with a brainstem response test (De Risio et al., 2016), 10.19% of puppies had congenital deafness: 8.21% in one ear and 1.98% in both. About half of the puppies (50.85%) were white; 96.29% of the deaf puppies had a white coat, and 19.29% of the white puppies were deaf. The study says there's a hereditary component and that deafness occurs mainly in white dogs of this breed. The Royal Kennel Club lists hearing testing (BAER) and litter screening as recommended screening for breeders. Deafness in one ear is easy to miss; ask for the test result when choosing a puppy.

Kidney disease

Two separate inherited kidney problems are reported in the Bull Terrier. The first is hereditary nephritis: according to the study by Hood and colleagues, it's inherited as an autosomal dominant disease and leads to kidney failure at variable ages; many affected dogs have blood in the urine and some have an eye lens problem (anterior lenticonus). The same study says deafness is not associated with this disease. The second is polycystic kidney disease, another inherited disorder in which cysts develop in the kidneys; one study linked it to a specific gene region. These diseases may not show signs at first, so regular vet checkups and, when appropriate, urine and ultrasound screening matter. When choosing a puppy, ask about the parents' kidney screening.

Fatal acrodermatitis

This is a recessively inherited disease seen in Bull Terriers and Miniature Bull Terriers (Bauer et al., 2018). Its signs are poor growth, immune deficiency and skin lesions, especially on the paws. The responsible gene change has been found, so a DNA test is possible; if a breeder has run it, ask for the result.

Tail chasing

The Bull Terrier is one of the breeds known for excessive tail chasing (a compulsive behavior). In the study by Tiira and colleagues of 368 dogs (Bull Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and German Shepherds), the behavior usually started at 3–6 months and its severity varied a great deal from dog to dog; milder cases were most common. Almost half of the tail-chasing dogs were unresponsive to their surroundings during bouts and also showed other compulsive behaviors more often. Environmental factors played a part too, such as the number of dogs in the home and how early the dog left its mother. So it shouldn't be brushed off as "just funny." If it chases its tail often, for long stretches or so absorbed it can't hear you, show your vet or a behavior specialist.

Skin

Science for Animal Welfare (formerly UFAW) lists atopic dermatitis (an allergic skin disease) and shoulder osteochondrosis (a developmental shoulder joint disorder) among the Bull Terrier's breed-specific genetic problems. If you notice itching, redness or limping, show your vet.

The Royal Kennel Club says "over 10 years" for the Bull Terrier. That's a broad range, and we couldn't find a solid breed-specific lifespan study, so we're not giving a single number. Kidney disease and other inherited problems can affect lifespan.

The honest summary: a puppy from screened parents, a healthy weight, regular checkups and knowing the early signs are the most concrete steps.

• Consider a shelter: Purebred dogs and mixes end up in shelters and rescues too. Seeing an adult's temperament up front is a big advantage. Our guide to adopting a dog from a shelter walks you through it.
• If you buy from a breeder: Meet the parents in person and make sure they're calm and steady. Ask for hearing (BAER) test results, kidney screening and the acrodermatitis DNA test result; look for a breeder who screens whole litters. Ask for the inbreeding coefficient too.
• Red flags: Sellers who show no health records; promises of a "rare color"; sellers who won't show you the mother.
• Time: Training, exercise and attention are a commitment of years.
• Registration: Rules vary by country. In Türkiye, owned dogs must be microchipped and registered; for puppies, a declaration is made within three months of birth. Details are in our article on PETVET registration and microchips.