Caring for a Bull Terrier
Animal file: English Bull Terrier
The English Bull Terrier, often simply called "Bull Terrier" or "Bully", is a dog breed characterized by the shape of the head and the small, triangular-shaped eyes. Bull Terriers are considered potentially dangerous dogs in some places, so in order to adopt one you'll need to consult the town council to see if you need to get the relevant license.
Despite what you might think, English Bull Terriers are tremendously loving, protective and fun animals, and they are also very active. There is a variant of this breed called the miniature Bull Terrier, which only measures between 30 and 35 cm (11 to 14 in) tall and is among the Vulnerable Native Breeds of the UK.
Bull Terriers are strong and sturdy dogs that don't require much looking after. However, they are very active and extroverted dogs that will need lots of socialization, and they shouldn't be left alone for too long. Because English Bull Terriers are so family-orientated, they can suffer from separation anxiety and end up destroying everything in the house.
If you have enough time to look after one of these dogs, we promise the bond you build will be very rewarding. Keep reading this AnimalWised article and learn all about caring for a Bull Terrier.
What is the best diet for a Bull Terrier?
As other dogs, English Bull Terriers will need to be fed quality food in order to grow up healthy and have appropriately shiny coats. It's preferable to choose dry feed over semi-wet or wet foods, since these latter kinds have too much sugar and Bull Terriers have a tendency to get fat.
The amount of food consumed each day will depend on their age:
- Bull Terrier puppies should eat feed specifically designed for them three times a day.
- Once they're one year old they'll move on to adult feed, and will only need to eat twice a day. Note that English Bull Terriers are very active and need to release this energy, so you'll need to choose a specific food for energetic dogs.
- When Bull Terriers get older they're not as energetic, so it's recommended to move on to a feed for senior dogs, or light feed, so that they don't get too fat.
Caring for a Bull Terrier's coat
Looking after an English Bull Terrier's coat is easy, as this is a short-hair breed. All you need to do is brush it from time to time to remove dead hair and dirt with a brush, or with a special rubber glove. Bull Terriers molt twice a year.
When it comes to bathing a Bull Terrier, you don't need to do anything different. As always, don't bathe your Bull Terrier excessively or you will damage its skin. Furthermore, you should use quality products specifically designed for bathing dogs. If you have a white Bull Terrier, you can use color enhancing shampoos to highlight its natural beauty.
Exercise and activities for Bull Terriers
As we've mentioned above, Bull Terriers are very active and nervous. As such, caring for a Bull Terrier entails taking it for long walks and spending lots of time playing and running with it.
This is necessary for your Bull Terrier to release its pent-up energy so that it doesn't feel the need to destroy everything it finds at home. Moreover, being a breed with a tendency to put on weight, it needs to burn the calories that it consumes in order to avoid health problems.
Among other things, English Bull Terriers are slightly difficult to train. With this in mind, if you tire it out through large walks it will be easier to train it and make sure that your Bully is a happy and stable dog.
Don't forget that training a dog will help it feel safer, develop its intelligence and improve its relationship with you. Therefore, make sure you do your obedience sessions once a week. Here you can learn more tips to train an American Bully that you can adapt for your dog.
If you want to read similar articles to Caring for a Bull Terrier, we recommend you visit our Basic care category.