Is the Bull Terrier Smart? Is It Aggressive?

1 Bull Terrier Intelligence and Temperament

I. Is the Bull Terrier Smart?

The Bull Terrier looks honest and simple, but its intelligence is not especially high. A scientific study ranked the Bull Terrier 66th — fifth from last among tested breeds. So the Bull Terrier is indeed not a smart dog, but fortunately it is gentle toward humans and reads body language, acting by its owner’s expression. So with patience and repetition it can learn. For example, when training it to follow commands, it may ignore you at first, but after several repetitions it grasps the trick and happily accepts the reward. Some Bull Terriers may deliberately ignore you after a few repetitions — until you bring out a more tempting reward!

II. Bull Terrier Temperament Traits

1. Gentle and Loyal

Though the Bull Terrier looks a bit fierce, its temperament is not aggressive. Compared with many dogs, it is fairly gentle, obedient, dutiful to its owner and highly submissive, especially kind and friendly to children, patient and affectionate. Properly cared for, it makes a loyal family guard dog. Its one downside: it may be aggressive toward other small animals.

2. Lively and Active

In daily life, love of exercise is a Bull Terrier trait; it busies itself all day with things it finds fun. The Bull Terrier is happy to join family activities, likes to play and exercise with its owner, and loves to jump happily or chase its tail at home, endlessly. It has its happy moments and quiet moments; occasionally you’ll see it sitting alone, as if pondering a complex question.

3. Brave

The Bull Terrier is not only not very smart but also quick-tempered with a strong fighting spirit — you might call it great courage. Because it never yields to other animals and may even injure other dogs, some surveys list the Bull Terrier among the fiercest breeds. It has the courage to face any danger unflinchingly, and it is precisely this fine quality that ranks it among the world’s top ten fiercest dogs. But through continuous breeding, today’s Bull Terrier has minimized its wildness and become gentle and docile, so it is now quite suitable as a pet dog at home.

Tip: To learn more about the Bull Terrier, read our guide on Bull Terrier temperament.