Adopting a new dog can be exciting, but it can also be stressful.
Trust me, I know the feeling.
If you are getting ready to adopt a Bull Terrier, you may be curious if your Bull Terrier can get along with other dogs and if you have any issues that you need to worry about.
The specific question you may ask yourself is a simple yet important question to ask.
I have been raising a Terrier myself for the past 3 years and brought my Terrier into the home with another dog that I have been raising for 6 years, so I have plenty I can share with you on this topic.
Are Bull Terriers Good with other dogs?
Yes, Bull Terriers are good with other dogs. Bull Terriers need socialization with other dogs beginning at a young age to be comfortable and well-behaved around other dogs. Bull Terriers that do not receive socialization around other dogs may be territorial and aggressive.
Before you run off thinking that the above explains everything you need to know, I wanted to break down this topic and have a bit of a longer and more detailed discussion on the matter.
By the end of the discussion, you will know how a Bull Terrier will respond and behave around other dogs and what you can do as the owner to give your Bull Terrier the best chances of being a well-behaved and well-socialized dog in general.
Here is how I intend to break down this topic for you today:
- The Bull Terriers Personality Toward Other Dogs
- Socialization Will Play A Big Role
- Other Tips I Recommend For Bull Terriers To Co-Exist With Other Dogs
- What Dogs Get Along With Bull Terriers
- Bull Terriers Can Do Great With Other Dogs With Proper Socialization
The Bull Terriers Personality Toward Other Dogs
You have a valid concern wondering how your potential new addition to the family may act around other dogs.
Perhaps you currently have a dog and want to adopt a Bull Terrier, or maybe you have a Bull Terrier, and you are ready to adopt a completely different dog breed.
In either of these situations, it is important to understand a Bull Terrier’s personality around other dogs so that you can rest easy and know that your household will remain dog-aggression-free.
Dogs that fall into the Terrier breed are unique, to say the least.
I know from experience and have been in the situation you are contemplating right now.
In general, Terriers are high-energy dogs and, in many circumstances, a working dog that desires to work and please their owners.
These inherited and bred traits can also lead to a jealous and protective side of the dogs that fall into the Terrier dog breed, such as the Bull Terrier.
It is one of the reasons this breed can make for an excellent guard dog.
In addition to their sizeable physical build, they can strike an intimidating presence on other dogs if they are not socialized beginning at young ages and have not had any kind of training around other dogs in general.
That is why one of the most important things you can do if you plan to embark on this journey is to understand the socialization process for your Bull Terrier and execute it to the best of your ability.
I want to dive into those details next.
Socialization Will Play A Big Role
With all dog breeds, socialization plays a significant role in their upbringing, behavior, and actions towards other dogs and pets.
It is a process that is essential and a process that needs to begin right away.
Especially for those of you who want to introduce a Bull Terrier to another dog in the home after the adoption.
I highly recommend you begin the process by allowing your Bull Terrier and another dog to slowly feel each other out.
Allow them a few short durations of time in the first few days to play, sniff each other out, and learn about each other.
In the beginning, they may be curious more than anything and do the typical sniffing.
Especially if one of the dogs is still a puppy.
As you begin feeling the bond growing and building trust between the dogs, you can increase the amount of time around each other.
Suppose it goes anything as it did for me.
In that case, your dogs will begin interacting with one another all the time.
You will also get to a point where you feel comfortable not always supervising the interactions.
The reason I recommend not doing this, in the beginning, is that a small chance of aggression or negative behavior is still possible and could occur.
I would rather be safe and stop an interaction if need be instead of overdoing it or overstimulating either of the dogs too much in one session.
Trust me, start slow, and start the socialization process.
Eventually, your two dogs will be doing great with one another and certainly can co-exist under the same roof.
Other Tips I Recommend For Bull Terriers To Co-Exist With Other Dogs
I wanted to compile a few additional tips for you if you intend to have your Bull Terrier bonding and begin the interaction phase with a new dog in the immediate future.
Below, I have put together my top 3 tips I would recommend to anyone in the same situation as you trying to allow a Bull Terrier and another to get along and get off on the right foot.
Dedicate Time For Each Dog
One thing that I have noticed with my Jack Russell Terrier is that she can certainly get jealous.
While this never causes issues or any aggression, you can quickly tell it frustrates her.
Terriers are known to demand attention and affection, and Bull Terriers are no different.
Even with the socialization process underway, you still want to allocate time for each dog.
This prevents either dog from jealousy kicking in or the protective and possessive nature of the Terrier dog breed taking over.
Have Separate Comfort Spaces
My yellow lab and Jack Russell Terrier get along great, and I would even say that they protect one another and are each other’s best friends.
Nonetheless, sometimes even the best of friends needs some time apart.
When Graham and Luna (my dogs) are around each other too much, they begin play fighting.
To emphasize, this is play fighting, and it is not aggressive at all.
Still, the behavior quickly turns into annoyance.
I feel as if each dog is almost annoyed when it reaches a certain point as well.
You should ensure that if these behaviors begin, that you have a spot that each dog can go to relax.
Maybe this is using separate dog beds or a gated area in the home.
It does not necessarily matter what your approach is but have an area they can go to have some “alone time.”
Be Willing To Separate The Dogs If Necessary
The last tip I want to mention about having a Bull Terrier get along and interact with other dogs is that sometimes you need to force the issue a little bit and separate the dogs.
Whether this is due to slightly aggressive attitudes or annoying behaviors is one thing.
The point I am trying to make is simple.
While it may go great most days with your dog’s socializing and being friends, sometimes you need to give them a “time-out” from another.
Especially in the beginning, so do not be afraid to do so.
What Dogs Get Along With Bull Terriers
One of the most common questions you will see when it comes to two dogs co-existing in the same household is simple.
What dogs will get along with my Bull Terrier the best?
Here is the deal.
Bull Terriers are high-energy dogs that demand exercise, are typically on the move, and require attention.
With that being the case, it is often more difficult for a Bull Terrier to live peacefully with other dogs that demand the same attention and exact needs.
This means that other Terriers or Bull Terriers would be at the bottom of the list as dogs that would get along great with a Bull Terrier.
On the other hand, dogs of similar size and a calmer demeanor can be great companions for a Bull Terrier.
Examples of dogs that would get along with a Bull Terrier include the following:
- Labradors
- Golden Retrieves
- Pointers
- Border Collies
- Spaniels
Bull Terriers Can Do Great With Other Dogs With Proper Socialization
Hopefully, the point I have been trying to make during this discussion has become apparent.
Bull Terriers can get along with other dogs and live with other dogs without issue.
Socialization is critical for this to happen with ease, and most of the responsibility falls on you as the owner.
Provide socialization, provide affection, and supervise the interactions.
I assure you having a Bull Terrier live or interact with any other dog is 100% possible.
I have done it successfully, and so can you.
Luna and I wish you the best of luck with your Bull Terriers and the journey you have ahead of you, and we certainly hope that your Bull Terrier socializes well and gets along with other dogs right away!
Do You Have A Bull Terrier Currently Living With Another Dog?
Do you have any further tips to share with the readers about socializing a Bull Terrier to get along with other dogs in the household?
How about other tips for getting a Bull Terrier to get along with other dogs in general?
Be sure to share those thoughts, stories, and concerns by dropping a comment below.
As always, Luna and I appreciate you stopping by and reading today, and we will see you again next time.