Every breed here goes back to the bulldog of the bull-baiting days or to the mastiffs it came from: kept as a bulldog, crossed with terriers to make the bull-and-terrier, or bred up into the big guardian breeds. They share the build, the stubborn streak and the loyalty, and differ in size, shape, health and, for a few of them, what the law says. This is the honest version, written by people who live with them. It is not veterinary advice.
The bull terriers
Bulldog crossed with terrier: the "bull-and-terrier" of the 1800s, later refined into separate breeds on both sides of the Atlantic.
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English Bull Terrier
The egg head. Bred in Birmingham in the 1850s from the bull-and-terrier and the White English Terrier. Kennel Club recognised, Terrier group.
Size
Roughly 22 to 32 kg and 50 to 56 cm at the shoulder; the breed standard sets no upper limit. Built like a small barrel with legs.
Looks
The downward-curving "Roman" head with small triangular eyes is unique to the breed. White, or coloured (brindle, red, fawn, black-and-tan, tricolour), usually with white markings.
Temperament
Affectionate, clownish, stubborn and endlessly entertaining. Needs to be part of the family and will lean on you to prove it. Can be strong-willed with other dogs of the same sex.
Exercise
An hour or so a day plus play and training that makes them think. Famous for "bull terrier runs" (sudden mad laps of the house or garden). Bored ones chew.
Health
Deafness (especially in white dogs; puppies should be BAER hearing-tested), hereditary kidney disease, heart conditions (mitral valve), luxating patellas, skin allergies and obsessive behaviours such as tail chasing. Ask breeders for hearing, kidney (UPC) and heart test results.
The same dog, shrunk. Recognised as a separate breed in the UK in 1939.
Size
Up to 35.5 cm at the shoulder under the UK standard, usually 9 to 15 kg. Everything else about the shape matches the full-size dog.
Temperament
All of the character in a more manageable package, which suits smaller homes, though "small" does not mean "calm". Just as stubborn, just as funny.
Exercise
Less ground to cover but the same need for a daily walk and something to do with its brain.
Health
Primary lens luxation (PLL) is the big one: there is a DNA test and responsible breeders use it. Also deafness, kidney and heart conditions as in the standard breed, and luxating patellas.
Lifespan
Typically 11 to 14 years.
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Staffordshire Bull Terrier
The Staffie. Kept its original bull-and-terrier shape; recognised by the Kennel Club in 1935.
Size
36 to 41 cm at the shoulder; dogs 13 to 17 kg, bitches 11 to 15.5 kg. Compact and very muscular.
Looks
Broad skull, short foreface, rose or half-pricked ears. Red, fawn, white, black, blue or any of these with white, or any shade of brindle.
Temperament
Bold, people-loving and affectionate to the point of silliness; one of the most popular family dogs in Britain for a reason. Can be strong-willed with other dogs, so early socialising matters.
Exercise
An hour a day, ideally with a game in it. Loves to tug, fetch and dig. Happiest in the middle of whatever the family is doing.
Health
L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria (L-2-HGA, a metabolic disorder) and hereditary cataract (HC) both have DNA tests; also PHPV (an eye condition), luxating patellas and skin allergies. Ask for the DNA results for both parents.
Lifespan
Typically 12 to 14 years.
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American Staffordshire Terrier
The AmStaff. The Staffordshire's American cousin, bred bigger from the same bull-and-terrier stock and recognised by the American Kennel Club in 1936.
Size
43 to 48 cm at the shoulder, usually 25 to 32 kg: a Staffie and a half.
Temperament
Confident, people-oriented, keen to please and easy to train when you are consistent. Strong, and can be dog-reactive, so socialise early and keep it on a lead where asked.
Exercise
An hour or more a day plus a job: agility, weight pull, scent work. An under-exercised AmStaff is a demolition contractor.
Health
Cerebellar ataxia (NCL-A, a DNA test exists), hip and elbow dysplasia, skin allergies, heart conditions and hypothyroidism. Ask for hip scores and the NCL-A result.
Lifespan
Typically 12 to 16 years.
In the UK
Not recognised by the Kennel Club, and rarely seen here: a dog of this shape can be judged a "pit bull terrier type" under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, whatever its pedigree says. Read the legal note below before you consider one.
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American Pit Bull Terrier
The original American bull-and-terrier, registered by the United Kennel Club since 1898. Included here for information: it is a banned type in the UK.
Size
45 to 53 cm at the shoulder and 14 to 27 kg, athletic rather than bulky.
Temperament
In the countries where it is kept, described much like the AmStaff: devoted, biddable, high-drive, and needing an experienced owner who takes dog-to-dog behaviour seriously.
Health
Hip dysplasia, skin allergies, cerebellar ataxia, heart conditions.
Lifespan
Typically 12 to 14 years.
In the UK
Prohibited. The "pit bull terrier type" has been banned under section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 since 1991: it cannot be owned, bred, sold, given away or abandoned, and the test is the dog's physical characteristics, not its papers. Existing dogs live under exemption (neutered, chipped, insured, muzzled and on a lead in public). We think that is wrong (see deed, not breed below), but it is the law, so we do not list breeders or rescues for it.
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American Bully
A companion breed developed in the United States in the 1990s from the AmStaff and pit bull, in Pocket, Standard, Classic and XL sizes. Recognised by the UKC in 2013; not by the Kennel Club.
Size
Pocket from 33 cm, Standard 43 to 51 cm, XL over 51 cm; heavily muscled and wide, 20 kg to well over 50 kg depending on the size class.
Temperament
Bred as a companion: typically gentle and affectionate with its family. Needs the same firm, consistent handling as any powerful bull breed, and responsible breeding matters more than in most breeds because of how quickly the type grew in popularity.
Health
Hip and elbow dysplasia, skin problems, breathing and heat intolerance in the more extreme types, cherry eye and heart conditions. Ask for hip scores.
Lifespan
Typically 10 to 13 years.
In the UK
The XL Bully is banned (England and Wales from 1 February 2024, Scotland from 1 August 2024, Northern Ireland from 2025): existing dogs need a Certificate of Exemption and must be neutered, chipped, insured, muzzled and on a lead in public, and none may be bred, sold or rehomed. Smaller American Bullies are not prohibited, but a dog that meets the XL height and type description is treated as an XL whatever it was sold as. We think the ban is wrong (see deed, not breed below); thousands of family pets were caught by it.
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Boston Terrier
The "American gentleman": a bull-and-terrier from 1870s Boston bred down into a tuxedoed companion. Kennel Club recognised, Utility group.
Size
38 to 43 cm at the shoulder and under 11.5 kg, shown in three weight classes.
Temperament
Lively, bright, friendly with everyone and easy to live with; the least "bull" of the bull terriers in attitude, though it still bounces.
Exercise
Half an hour to an hour a day, in the shade in summer: the short face does not cope with heat.
Health
Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), eye injuries and cataracts, luxating patellas, hemivertebrae and deafness. Look for parents with BOAS grading and eye tests.
Lifespan
Typically 11 to 13 years.
The bulldogs
The bulldog side of the family: the British original, its French and American offshoots, a modern attempt to recreate the old working bulldog, and the bulldog-mastiff cross.
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English Bulldog
The British Bulldog, the national symbol, and the ancestor of everything on this page. Kennel Club recognised, Utility group.
Size
31 to 40 cm at the shoulder; dogs about 25 kg, bitches about 23 kg. Low, wide and heavy for its height.
Temperament
Placid, dignified, comical, devoted and famously stubborn. A house dog that wants to be near you and is not interested in marathons.
Exercise
Two or three gentle walks a day, never in the heat of the day: heatstroke is a real killer in this breed.
Health
The breed with the most to think about. BOAS (breathing), skin-fold infections, hip dysplasia, cherry eye and other eye problems, hemivertebrae, heat intolerance, and most litters are born by caesarean. The Kennel Club puts it in Breed Watch category 3 and there are Respiratory Function Grading and hip schemes: only buy from parents with those results, and expect vet bills.
Lifespan
Typically 8 to 10 years.
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French Bulldog
Toy bulldogs taken to France by Nottingham lace workers in the 1800s and bred there into the bat-eared Frenchie. Kennel Club recognised, Utility group, and one of Britain's most popular breeds.
Size
About 30 cm at the shoulder; dogs 9 to 14 kg, bitches 8 to 13 kg.
Temperament
Affectionate, playful, a bit of a clown, and happy in a flat as long as it gets company. Rarely barks; snores a lot.
Exercise
A couple of short walks and some play; never a run in hot weather.
Health
BOAS, spinal problems (hemivertebrae, disc disease), skin allergies, eye ulcers and luxating patellas; most litters by caesarean. Buy only from parents with a Respiratory Function Grading result, and beware of "rare" colours sold at a premium.
Lifespan
Typically 10 to 12 years.
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American Bulldog
The working farm bulldog of the American South, kept for catching cattle and hogs, revived after the war by John D. Johnson and Alan Scott. Two types: the heavier Johnson ("bully") and the leaner Scott ("standard"). Not Kennel Club recognised.
Size
Big: dogs 56 to 69 cm and 34 to 45 kg, bitches a little less. A powerful, athletic dog that needs a strong handler.
Temperament
Loyal, protective, confident and very physical. Good with its own family, reserved with strangers; needs early socialising and an owner who trains consistently. Not a first dog.
Exercise
Plenty: long walks, running, a job. Bored American Bulldogs dig, chew and escape.
Health
Hip and elbow dysplasia, neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL, DNA test) and ichthyosis (DNA test), deafness, cherry eye, entropion and skin allergies.
Lifespan
Typically 10 to 14 years.
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Olde English Bulldogge
Sometimes written "Ye Olde English Bulldogge". An American recreation of the 18th-century bulldog, started by David Leavitt in Pennsylvania in 1971 from English Bulldog, Bullmastiff, American Bulldog and pit bull lines, aiming for the old look with a healthier body. Recognised by the UKC in 2014; not by the Kennel Club.
Size
43 to 51 cm at the shoulder; dogs 27 to 36 kg, bitches 23 to 32 kg. Taller, longer in the leg and muzzle than the English Bulldog.
Temperament
Courageous, friendly, steady, protective of its family and generally good with children. Wants to be involved in everything.
Exercise
More able than the English Bulldog: an hour a day and it will happily hike, but still watch the heat.
Health
Generally sounder than its ancestor because of the longer muzzle, but hip dysplasia, some breathing problems in shorter-faced lines, skin allergies and bloat all occur. Ask for hip scores and, because the breed is small in numbers, look hard at the breeder.
Lifespan
Typically 9 to 14 years.
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Bullmastiff
The gamekeeper's night dog, bred in England in the 1800s at roughly 60 per cent Mastiff and 40 per cent Bulldog to knock down and hold poachers. Kennel Club recognised, Working group.
Size
Very big: 61 to 69 cm at the shoulder and 41 to 59 kg.
Temperament
Calm, quiet, devoted and naturally protective, with an off switch indoors. Needs firm, kind training from puppyhood because an untrained adult is simply too strong to argue with.
Exercise
Moderate: a couple of steady walks a day rather than long runs, especially while growing.
Health
Hip and elbow dysplasia, cancers (lymphoma, mast cell tumours), bloat, heart conditions (subaortic stenosis), entropion and hypothyroidism. Ask for hip and elbow scores and heart checks.
Lifespan
Typically 7 to 10 years.
The big cousins
The mastiff-type guardians the bulldog descends from, and their modern relatives. Wonderful with the right owner; all of them are too big and too strong to be anyone's first dog, and one of them is banned here, which we think is wrong.
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Cane Corso
The Italian farm and estate guardian, descended from the Roman war dogs, rebuilt from near extinction in the 1970s. FCI and AKC recognised; the Kennel Club lists it as an imported breed.
Size
Dogs 64 to 68 cm, bitches 60 to 64 cm; 40 to 50 kg of muscle.
Temperament
A serious guardian: calm and devoted at home, aloof and watchful with strangers, quick to learn and quick to take charge if nobody else does. Needs an experienced, consistent owner, early socialising and a job.
Exercise
An hour or two a day plus training. Bored Corsi become a problem fast.
Health
Hip and elbow dysplasia, bloat (gastric torsion), heart disease (dilated cardiomyopathy), eyelid problems (entropion, ectropion, cherry eye), epilepsy and demodectic mange. Ask for hip and elbow scores and heart checks.
Lifespan
Typically 9 to 12 years.
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Dogue de Bordeaux
The French Mastiff, the dog from Turner & Hooch. Kennel Club recognised, Working group.
Size
58 to 68 cm at the shoulder; dogs at least 50 kg, bitches at least 45 kg. The biggest head in the dog world in proportion to the body.
Temperament
Calm, affectionate, patient with its family and naturally protective. Stubborn, and drools magnificently.
Exercise
Moderate: steady walks, nothing strenuous while growing, and nothing at all in the heat.
Health
Heart disease (dilated cardiomyopathy and aortic stenosis), hip and elbow dysplasia, bloat, breathing and heat problems from the short face, skin-fold infections and eyelid problems. Heart checks and hip scores are essential.
Lifespan
Sadly short: typically 5 to 8 years.
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Mastiff
The English Mastiff, the old British guardian and one of the heaviest breeds there is. Kennel Club recognised, Working group.
Size
Dogs from 76 cm, bitches from 70 cm; 70 to 100 kg, sometimes more.
Temperament
Gentle, dignified, quiet and deeply loyal; a natural guardian that mostly guards by being enormous. Needs early training simply because of what it weighs by six months.
Exercise
Moderate and steady; growing puppies must not be over-exercised. Happy to snooze most of the day.
Health
Hip and elbow dysplasia, bloat, heart disease, cystinuria (bladder stones, DNA test), progressive retinal atrophy (DNA test) and cruciate injuries. Big vet bills, big food bills.
Lifespan
Typically 6 to 10 years.
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Neapolitan Mastiff
The wrinkled Italian guardian (Fang in the Harry Potter films). Kennel Club recognised, Working group.
Size
60 to 75 cm at the shoulder; 50 to 70 kg.
Temperament
Steady, watchful and devoted, wary of strangers and slow to warm up. Not a dog for busy households with lots of visitors unless it has been socialised very well.
Exercise
Gentle daily walks; the loose skin and heavy build do not suit heat or hard running.
Health
Hip and elbow dysplasia, cherry eye, entropion and ectropion, bloat, heart disease, skin-fold infections and cruciate injuries. The Kennel Club monitors the breed for excessive skin and eyelid problems.
Lifespan
Typically 7 to 9 years.
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Boerboel
The South African farm mastiff, bred by settlers to guard homesteads against everything up to and including lions. AKC recognised; not by the Kennel Club.
Size
Dogs 60 to 70 cm, bitches 55 to 65 cm; 60 to 90 kg.
Temperament
Confident, intelligent, intensely loyal and territorial. A working guardian first and a pet second: needs an experienced owner, a secure garden and firm, early training.
Exercise
An hour a day with a purpose; happiest with space and a job.
Health
Hip and elbow dysplasia, eyelid problems, bloat, heart disease and vaginal hyperplasia in bitches. Hip and elbow scores matter.
Lifespan
Typically 9 to 11 years.
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Presa Canario
The Canary Islands cattle dog and guardian (Perro de Presa Canario or Dogo Canario). FCI recognised; not by the Kennel Club.
Size
Dogs 60 to 66 cm, bitches 56 to 62 cm; 40 to 65 kg.
Temperament
Calm and attentive with its family, suspicious of strangers, dominant with other dogs. Strictly for experienced owners who will socialise and train it from day one.
Exercise
An hour or more a day and mental work.
Health
Hip and elbow dysplasia, epilepsy, bloat, heart disease and eyelid problems.
Lifespan
Typically 9 to 11 years.
In the UK
Legal but rare. It is sometimes confused with the banned types, so keep its papers in order.
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Dogo Argentino
Argentina's white big-game hound, created in the 1920s by Antonio Nores Martínez from the Cordoba fighting dog and a dozen other breeds. Included for information: it is a banned type in the UK.
Size
60 to 68 cm at the shoulder; 40 to 45 kg; always white.
Temperament
Where it is kept, described as loyal, courageous and affectionate with its family, with a very high prey drive.
Health
Deafness (linked to the white coat), hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism and skin problems.
Lifespan
Typically 10 to 12 years.
In the UK
Prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, together with the Japanese Tosa and the Fila Brasileiro. We think that is wrong (see deed, not breed below), but it is the law, so we do not list breeders or rescues for it.
If you want a puppy, use a breeder who health-tests (ask for the certificates, not promises), lets you meet the mother in the home, and asks you as many questions as you ask them. The Kennel Club lists breed clubs and assured breeders.
The law, briefly
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 bans five types in the UK: the pit bull terrier type, the Japanese Tosa, the Dogo Argentino and the Fila Brasileiro since 1991, and the XL Bully since 2024. "Type" is judged on the dog's physical characteristics, so a dog sold as an American Staffordshire Terrier, or as a "Standard" Bully that grew, can be seized whatever its papers say. Everything else on this page is legal to own. The official guidance is at gov.uk, and you should know it, because it is the law whether we like it or not.
Where Bullmania stands: deed, not breed
We think these laws are stupid and should not exist. A dog is not dangerous because of the shape of its head or the width of its chest. It is made dangerous by people: by breeding for aggression, by chaining and neglect, by training it to fight, by letting a powerful dog roam untrained and unsupervised. Thirty-plus years of the Dangerous Dogs Act have not made anyone safer; they have filled kennels with family pets seized on a tape measure and put down for their measurements, while the people who actually caused the harm carried on. Every serious dog-welfare body, from the RSPCA to the Kennel Club to the British Veterinary Association, says the same thing.
Punish the deed, not the breed. Hold irresponsible owners to account: proper penalties for anyone whose dog hurts a person or another animal, for anyone who breeds or trains a dog to be aggressive, for anyone who keeps a dog in conditions that make it dangerous, whatever breed it is. Fund enforcement of the laws that already cover that. Educate owners. Then leave the dogs alone. No breed of dog should ever be banned or singled out, for any reason.
Until the law changes, keep your bull breed's papers, microchip and insurance in order, keep the lead on where it is asked for, and be the ambassador that proves the point.
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