Bull Terriers 101

Name: Bull Terrier

Personality: Now here's a dog who knows how to fun, and we're not just saying that because his was the breed chosen to depict Budweiser's Spuds MacKenzie. "Playful and clownish, the bull terrier [aka the English bull terrier] is best described as a three-year-old child in a dog suit," says the American Kennel Club. The breed's intimidating physicality belies its true demeanor, which the AKC goes on to describe as "exceedingly friendly... sweet and fun-loving." Dog Breed Info Center agrees: "Though this breed was once a fierce gladiator, he is much gentler now... courageous, scrappy, fun-loving, active, clownish and fearless... loyal, polite and obedient."

Grooming: No need to set aside tons of time to care for the short-haired bull terrier's coat. "An occasional combing and brushing will do," according to Dog Breed Info Center, which alternately recommends a quick, daily rubdown with a special rubber glove to pick up loose hairs.

Common Health Issues: The bull terrier experiences a number of debilitating, sometimes deadly health issues at a rate significantly higher than that of other breeds. These include luxating patella, heart defects and kidney failure, according to Dog Breed Info Center. These dogs are also "prone to suffer from a zinc deficiency, which can cause death." They also gain weight easily, and white bull terriers are deafness-prone.

Training Tips: When a dog is both way too sweet and slightly physically threatening, that adds up to being "somewhat difficult to train," according to Dog Breed Info Center, best dealt with by providing the "firm, consistent leadership," on which this breed thrives. The California-based Bull Terrier Rescue, Inc. says they are "easily trained if a game appealing to their innate sense of fun can be made of the process."


Best For: Whether it's a retired person, a self-employed worker or a stay-at-home mom, any living situation in which someone is at home with the dog all day is best for the bull terrier, as "bull terriers become very attached to their owners and families and do not thrive when left alone." They love little children in particular, which can be either a good thing or too much of a good thing. (Sometimes the dogs get too excited about having a tot-sized playmate around). Dog Breed Info Center does not recommend bull terriers in a house already occupied by any non-canine pets such as rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs. Overall, says Dog Breed Info Center, bull terriers are "not recommended for most households."

What Bull Terrier Owners Say: Our Facebook friend Amber Stubbs-Aydell of Seguin, Texas, jokingly refers to her dog as "a bull terrorist mix," but gushes, "She's awesome, loving, energetic and loves the heck out of us! Downside is, she eats CDs and books on occasion."

On Twitter, Lauren Egier from Ontario, Canada seems to be of two minds, first saying, "Bull terriers are hard to train. They are very stubborn and will always test the boundaries," but follows up with, "Bull terriers have a great personality. They are real clowns! There's no other breed for me!"

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