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LargeTerrier Group

Bull Terrier

The Bull Terrier was created in mid-19th-century England by James Hinks by crossing the Bulldog with the now-extinct White English Terrier.

Calculate Bull Terrier age
Lifespan12 yrrange 11–13
SizeLargeTerrier Group
Weight50–70 lb22.7–31.8 kg
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10

Gallery (3)

About

About the Bull Terrier

The Bull Terrier was created in mid-19th-century England by James Hinks by crossing the Bulldog with the now-extinct White English Terrier. The egg-shaped head silhouette was selected in the 1920s and is breed-defining; standard and miniature varieties are separate AKC breeds.

Aging

How Bull Terriers age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 12.0 years (n=6,654). Congenital deafness — particularly in white-coated lines — is the defining breed-specific inherited concern with BAER testing standard; polycystic kidney disease and acrodermatitis secondary.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 12 yr · range 11–13Senior careSenior at 6 · geriatric at 10Common health issues5 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
50–70 lb(22.7–31.8 kg)
Height
21–22 in(53.3–55.9 cm)
Coat type
Short
Colors
Black BrindleBlack Brindle & WhiteBlack Tan & WhiteBrindleBrindle & WhiteRedRed & WhiteWhiteWhite & Black BrindleWhite & BrindleWhite & RedWhite Black & Tan
Temperament

Temperament

How Bull Terriers tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

playfulcharmingmischievouscourageous
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • High prevalencetypical onset ~6 yr

    Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram)

    Description and veterinary guidance for Adult-Onset Cardiac Disease (Echocardiogram) land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~1 yr

    Congenital Cardiac Defect

    Description and veterinary guidance for Congenital Cardiac Defect land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
60min
per day

About 60 minutes of activity per day keeps a Bull Terrier physically and mentally satisfied. Split it between a structured walk and free play.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.