…But Their Strength is No Joke
You’ll have heard the phrase plenty of times: ‘there’s no such thing as a bad dog. Only bad owners.’ And this is never truer than in the case of the Bull Terrier.
Because, as we mentioned earlier, they’ve been associated for so long with aggressive movie characters and rough personalities that we’ve had a tendency over the years to put those qualities onto the dogs themselves, and not leave them with the owners, where they belong.
That being said, though, it doesn’t mean that the Bull Terrier is the perfect pet for everybody. They’re not suited to every owner, especially if that owner is experienced and has never owned a dog before.
Bull Terriers pack a huge punch into their small bodies. They have very little body fat when on the correct diet, and they have large necks and shoulders, so when standing they look like stocky little soldiers.
While they may be small, they’re incredibly strong. For that reason alone, they should be raised by an owner who’s strong enough to handle them. Their small size shouldn’t deceive anyone – they’ll happily pull even a relatively strong adult human male with ease if given the chance.
Bull Terriers were bred as fighting dogs, unfortunately. A couple of hundred years ago, English gentlemen with far too much time on their hands and a cruel streak decided that pitching strong dogs against each other and watching them fight to the death, while betting huge amounts of money on them to do so, was some kind of sport.
It means that this naturally placid and lovable dog was specifically bred to have an incredibly strong bite so that it could do maximum damage in the ring. Even today, sadly, dog fighting still continues, and the Bull Terrier’s strong bite is prized among illegal fighting dog owners.
The Bull Terrier has a bite force of up to 270 psi, or pounds per square inch. If you’re wondering how much that is, it’s about half that of a lion. A Bull Terrier’s bite force is actually pretty close to that of a wolf, which measures in at around 400 psi.
So, it’s clear that the Bull Terrier can do some serious damage if it bites.
It’s not got the largest bite force in the canine world, though. The Bull Terrier might have a stronger bite force than a Doberman and even a German Shepherd, but it would have a long way to go to beat the Kangal, a Turkish breed with a bite force of a whopping 743 psi! That’s some serious bite.
Physical Description
Bull Terriers have a short coat that grows flat to the body. The fur has a tough feel and glossy sheen. The coat comes in pure white or colored, which can be any color along with white markings. A white Bully may have markings on their head only.
Endurance
These energetic dogs have the stamina for hours of play and agility training sessions.
Are English bull terriers dangerous? See for yourself!
The Dog Control Act automatically classifies dogs that are wholly or predominantly of these breeds as menacing, no matter how they behave individually.
We can exempt your dog from being classified as menacing if you can prove that it is an American Staffordshire Terrier.
This happens when a dog has been proven to be a risk to the public, other animals or protected wildlife.