The Bulldog is known for its awesome stance and muscular body. The Pitbull is known for those features as well as its athletic build and prowess. How would a dog turn out if it was a result of cross breeding these two “macho” dog breeds? A Bulldog Pitbull Mix that is one of the best hybrid breeds out there.
Read on and find out what are the characteristics and requirements of caring for a Pitbull Bulldog mix.
Table of Contents
Bully-Pit Key Characteristics
- Adaptability: 40%
- Affection Level: 80%
- Apartment Friendly: 60%
- Barking Tendencies: 80%
- Cat Friendly: 40%
- Child Friendly: 20%
- Dog Friendly: 60%
- Exercise Need: 100%
- Grooming Needs: 20%
- Health Issues: 60%
- Intelligence: 80%
- Playfulness: 80%
Pitbull Bulldog Mix Highlights
- The Bullypit is a highly energetic dog that is also very eager to please its owners. This is a trait it inherits from its Pitbull parent.
- Both of its parents have short and rough coats. This is also inherited by the Bullypit, which requires nothing more but a monthly bath and a brushing of the coat 2-3 times a week.
- Both of its parents descended from the English Bulldog or, in the case of the Pitbull, the Old English Bulldog.
- As long as they are properly socialized at a young age, they can be affectionate towards members of their families including pets.
- They will retain their aggressiveness towards other animals, given their capacity as guard dogs.
- Just like its parents, the Bulldog Pitbull Mix is fearless and extremely loyal to its family.
- It inherits the proud bearing and self-assured nature of its parent breeds. It takes also a confident and firm owner to assume a leadership role and put the dog in its place.
- They don’t respond to harsh training regimes; they are more likely to respond to positive coaching and reinforcement.
- It bears the distinction of being recognized by five organizations, despite being a “designer” or cross breed.
- The Bullypit has lots of energy and requires more than an hour of exercise to tame and stave off boredom.
Bulldog Pitbull Mix Appearance
The appearance of the Bullypit, as this mixed breed is called among dog circles, is not far from its pure breed parents. It inherits the broad chest area that is typical of the Bulldog, while maintaining the tall posture of its Pit Bull parent.
As a testament to the fighting background of its parents, it has strong lower jaws that, in the old days, were designed to bite into the neck of a bull and other large animals in the ring until they submit.
Its back and shoulders emanate the stability and strength of both breeds. The stance, however, is more reminiscent of the Bulldog because of its wide spread. The short tails of both are also prominent in the offspring.
Most people often mistake the Pitbull for the Bulldog, and vice versa, but there are differences in their appearance that are often not seen at first glance. For instance, the Bulldog is bulkier than the Pitbull, weighing up to 58 kilograms while the largest Pitbull is only 23-27 kilograms.
The Bulldog’s head is also large but slightly narrower compared to the Pitbull, whose defining feature is its broad skull. The Bulldog’s body is bulky and muscular, while the Pitbull is lean and tall.
Both of these characteristics come together in the Bullypit, which sport the large head of the Bulldog and its bulky frame. Its weight ranges from 68 to 120 pounds.
As both the Bulldog and the Pitbull share a common ancestor – the English Bulldog – they have the same fine coat, with thick hair. This is of course inherited, which sports the long and tapered tail of the Pitbull.
The coat colors are numerous, including but not limited to grey, white, cream, gold, red, yellow and black.
Bulldog Pitbull Mix History
As mentioned earlier, the two pure breed parents of the Bullypit are linked by a common ancestor, which is the English Bulldog.
The American Bulldog is believed to be a descendant of the English Bulldog, and probably a result of breeding that dog with an American dog with similar attributes. What’s true, however, is that both breeds were initially bred for hunting and, later, bull baiting.
The American Bulldog was nearly driven to extinction. However, thanks to the efforts of Dr. John D. Johnson, they were saved from that fate.
The Pitbull is the result of crossbreeding the English Bulldog with the English Terriers. They were brought to America and subjected to the same blood sport that the American Bulldog excelled in – bull baiting. Later on, when the government banned bull baiting in 1835, they were bred for underground dog fighting matches.
Pitbull and Bulldog Mix Trainability
Both the Pitbull and Bulldog were bred to be responsive to training. Their training was even more specialized than what most dogs undergo today because of the sport that they were used in.
For instance, they were trained to be able to recognize their trainers even during the heat of combat. This is so they won’t attack the trainers and handlers who are tasked to separate the dogs from the animals they were baiting as well as other dogs.
This means that both breeds can recognize and respond to specific commands from their trainers, a trait which modern Pitbulls and Bulldogs have. This is, of course, passed down when the two muscle breeds are crossed.
Like all dogs, in order for training to be effective, it must be initiated at the earliest time possible in the dog’s life. While an adult dog can be trained — it would require an expert to achieve that feat — it takes much more time than it would if you started training the dog from its puppy days.
There are many things you can train them to do. You can, for instance, socialize them with your family and friends so they can recognize visitors that come into your house. Remember, these are fiercely loyal dogs who are also protective of their families.
That trait also makes them ideal guard dogs. These are highly intelligent beings, and very eager to please their owners, so it’s easy to train them to watch the house and keep intruders away.
Do take care not to use physical force and punishment-based techniques in training your Bullypit. These are confident and proud dogs, and will not respond positively to heavy-handed training. Instead, coach them positively and they will learn to follow you.
Make sure to be consistent and firm, for these dogs are self-assured and will look up only to somebody who acts and feels like a pack leader to them.
Bulldog Pitbull Mix Temperament
It’s sad that people find both parent breeds to be intimidating and scary. Granted, their appearance and posture does give that impression. Their capacity as guard dogs also fuels that fear, thinking that nobody can approach a Bulldog or a Pitbull Terrier without getting mauled.
It would be a surprise to most that a Pitbull can actually be one of the sweetest dogs you’ll ever come across. It has a natural instinct to please his masters and perhaps their friends and will warm up to people it is comfortable with.
They’re also very affectionate, and cuddly – characteristics that people don’t know are inherent in the Pitbull.
On the other hand, the Bulldog is just confident and can be very social as well. They can be trained to be gentle towards children and perhaps other pets if they’ve been socialized early on. Of the two, it is the Pitbull that is more likely to be aggressive towards other animals.
Both breeds are known to be very brave, and confident. These are qualities that you can expect the Bullypit to inherit from its parents as well.
Bulldog Pitbull Mix Nutrition
Proper and adequate nutrition can be achieved by giving the dog a balanced diet. Bear in mind that the balanced diet of a human being is different from that of a dog, so please refrain from feeding human food to your dog.
A dog’s balanced diet is composed mostly of proteins, followed by fats and, lastly, carbohydrates. Unlike humans, the dog’s digestive system is capable of producing the calories it needs in order to fuel their everyday activities.
Being highly energetic animals, the mix dog bred from a Pitbull and Bulldog will require lots of protein to sustain their activity levels. When it comes to fats, dogs like the Bullypit require foods that are rich in Omega-6 and Omega-3.
Don’t forget that dogs also need nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Thus, the ideal dog food is one that is packed with protein, fatty acids, carbs, and the necessary nutrients that your canine friends need to sustain their growth, development, and overall health.
Always make it a point to avoid food that is heavy with chemical preservatives. Even natural preservatives that we use in our food like salt can cause upset stomachs. The more natural the food is, the more beneficial it is for your dog.
While there are brands of dog food that claim to be balanced for both puppies and adults, it’s best to feed puppy food that is formulated specifically for them. These products maximize the nutrients that the puppy needs in order to grow strong and healthy.
Health and Care
Both its parents have a very long life span. They both can reach up to 15 years of age, provided that their owners make sure to give utmost attention to their health and nutrition. The Bulldog Pitbull Mix can live up to that life span as well.
However, they are not without health concerns, of course. First, let’s take a look at possible health conditions that the Bulldog parent can develop as listed down by Easy Pet MD:
- Hip dysplasia
- Elbow dysplasia
- Abnormalities in the skeleton as the puppy grows
- Demodex mange, an itchy and, over time, fatal parasitic infection
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
- Shortness of Breath
- Snoring
- Deafness, either partial or complete
- Susceptibility to sunburn
- Cataracts
- Frequent passing of gas
As for the Pitbull, the Trupanion Breed Guide said, it could develop any of the following health conditions over time:
- Carebella ataxia
- Parvovirus
- Blindness
- Cleft palate
- Disease of the nervous system
- Skin infections
- Mange infestation
- Hip dysplasia
- Knee problems
- Kidney or bladder stones
- Barbesiosis
Some of these conditions can be treated or managed effectively if spotted at the earliest opportunity. That’s why it is of utmost importance that you observe the medical checkup schedule prescribed by your veterinarian.
Regular checkups will help your dog’s physician discover possible problems early using various tests. You’ll then know if you need special treatment or special additions to your routine especially when grooming and feeding the dog.
Thanks to its genes, the Bulldog Pitbull Mix is one huge ball of energy that’s just waiting to be unleashed. To keep the dog happy and contented, you will need to devote at least an hour or an hour and a half to exercise it.
Exercise can be as simple as one long walk around the neighborhood, which will benefit both you and the dog. If you got the time, you can also play fetch or jog with your Bullypit companion.
Individuals of this breed excel at shows and exhibitions, so you might want to add that to your training routine if you’re looking to put up your dog at the competitions.
Grooming
Despite its short coat, it is still an active shedder. It does not shed a lot as compared to thick-maned dogs like the German Shepherd or the Collie. However, there is still that periodic elimination of old hair from its body.
To take care of shedding, you will only need to brush their hair for about 5-10 minutes every week. You can do it twice a week if you want to or if you notice that it is shedding a lot heavier than other times.
It’s recommended to give your Bullypit a bath only once or twice a month. Frequent bathing can actually be detrimental to their skin because it strips their skin of oils. This leaves them susceptible to dry skin, and skin infections.
Other grooming requirements including checking the ear for parasites and ear wax, as well as signs of skin irritation. Brushing will also benefit your dog’s health greatly by eliminating tartar. Brushing twice a week should be fine, and can be done together with trimming its nails.
Bulldog Pitbull Mix Puppies
The litter size for Bulldog Pitbull Mix breeds will depend on which parent is the female. If it is a Pitbull, the average size for a litter is 5 puppies. On the other hand, if the mother is a Bulldog, the mother dog can give birth to at least 5 and at most 9 puppies.
There isn’t much for the owner to do during the first few weeks of the puppies’ life. They spend most of their day sleeping and drinking milk provided by their mother. The mother also tends to be wary of people and will growl at anyone who will try to approach her babies.
Your role at this point then is to feed the mother dog, and make sure nothing will harm her or her puppies at the most vulnerable point of their lives.
You can start interacting with your furry little family members when they turn four weeks old. They’re now able to get up and walk around, although still under the supervision of their doting mother. At this time, she also starts weaning them from milk. You can start introducing them to solid food for puppies by then.
By eight weeks, the puppies are ready for the world. At this point, if you’re simply a buyer of a pitbull bulldog mix puppy, you can receive a call or message from the breeder informing you that your new pet is ready for pickup.
Pitbull Bulldog Mix Price
A Bulldog mixed puppy can fetch up to $900, but also cost as low as $500.
A pure breed Pitbull can also cost you the same, as the average price of a Pitbull puppy is anywhere between $500 to $700. On the other hand, a Bulldog puppy can fetch upwards of $1,500, with some individuals priced at $4,000 each.
These prices, of course, do not include the costs for maintenance like dog food and puppy toys, and medical expenses like booster shots, periodic medical checks and vaccinations.
Breed Organizations
The Bullypit is one of the few crossbreeds to be recognized by five organizations. The mixed breed can be registered in these five outfits:
- American Canine Hybrid Club
- Backwoods Bulldog Club
- Designer Dogs Kennel Club
- Dog Registery of America Inc.
- International Designer Canine Industry
If you are considering getting a Bulldog Pitbull Mix, you must learn everything you can about feeding and training. These are the most essential needs of the mix breed. Keep their temperament in check and get ready for fun times ahead.
