Animal register · DogIn the app
Bulldog
English Bulldog, British Bulldog
The Bulldog is a medium-sized, smooth-coated dog from Great Britain: fairly thick set, low, broad, powerful and compact, with a relatively short face, small thin rose ears and round, very dark eyes. Its standard allows whole colours such as red, fawn, fallow and white, brindle and pied; black and black with tan are highly undesirable. It asks for large, wide-open nostrils and says that dogs showing breathing distress are highly undesirable.
Its standard calls it alert, bold, loyal, dependable and courageous, fierce in appearance but affectionate, and The Royal Kennel Club says it remains hugely popular as a family companion for its character and loyalty. UK sources say it needs up to an hour of exercise a day, never in the heat of the day, and gets on well with other household pets if socialised young; it needs grooming once a week, but its facial wrinkles need daily cleaning. The PDSA describes it as a severely flat-faced breed that is very likely to have serious health problems, such as breathing difficulties, and strongly recommends considering a healthier breed, a crossbreed or a mongrel. It usually lives less than ten years.
Available in the 12-week PetPrep Challenge (paid breed).
Updated:
At a glance
- Size
- medium — The Royal Kennel Club S177
- Adult weight
- males 25 kg, females 23 kg — FCI S175
- Daily exercise
- up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S177
- Brushing
- once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S177
- Shedding
- sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S177
Key facts from the sources at the bottom of the page. Where sources differ, each value is listed.
Who it suits
The same tags as in the app. Each tag is backed by the sources listed at the bottom of the page.
What it needs
From breed standards, kennel clubs, veterinary charities and studies. Where sources differ, each one is shown.
Exercise
- Daily exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S177
Coat and grooming
Meals
General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):
Lifespan
Life stages
- Reaches adult size at: about 12–15 months (guidance for its size class) — PetMD S10
General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):
Size and weight
Training
Questions and answers
Answered only from the sourced facts on this page; every answer names its sources.
How much exercise does a Bulldog need?
According to our sources, the Bulldog needs this much exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S177.
How long does a Bulldog live?
According to our sources, the lifespan of the Bulldog is: median 9.8 years — Scientific Reports S54; less than 10 years — The Royal Kennel Club S177. The sources give different values, so each one is listed.
How big does a Bulldog get and how much does it weigh?
Size and adult weight of the Bulldog, according to our sources: Size: medium — The Royal Kennel Club S177; Adult weight: males 25 kg, females 23 kg — FCI S175.
How much grooming does a Bulldog need?
Coat and grooming of the Bulldog, according to our sources: Brushing: once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S177; Shedding: sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S177; Coat: short — The Royal Kennel Club S177.
Who is the Bulldog a good fit for?
Our sources describe the Bulldog as a good fit for: family life — The Royal Kennel Club S177; homes with other pets — PDSA S180. Keep in mind: flat face — breathing and heat problems — UK Brachycephalic Working Group, The Royal Kennel Club, PDSA S93S177S180S182; sensitive skin — prone to itching and inflammation — PDSA, The Royal Kennel Club S180S182; shorter lifespan — Scientific Reports, The Royal Kennel Club, PDSA S54S177S180; sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S177.
Game rules, not veterinary advice
How PetPrep simulates it
In PetPrep one real week is one month of the pet's life. These are the rules the game uses for this breed. PetPrep chose them from the sources on this page; they are not care instructions for a real animal.
| Life stage | Starts | Meals a day | Daily step goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puppy | arrives at 2 months | 4; from month 3: 3; from month 6: 2 | 1,000 steps per month of age (2,000 on arrival), up to 6,000 from month 6 |
| Young dog | month 9 | 2 | 6,000 steps |
| Adult | month 36 (3 years) | 2 | 6,000 steps |
| Senior | month 88 (7.3 years) | 2 | 4,500 steps |
- Step goal = minutes of daily exercise × 100 steps: an adult gets 1 hour, so 6,000 steps a day.
- Learns commands more slowly than the mixed breed of the free plan (0.5× its speed).
- Becomes a senior in month 88 (7.3 years) — the last quarter of the breed's expected lifespan.
- Walks count real steps from Apple Health or Health Connect (with permission, read-only) and the phone's motion sensor — no GPS.
- Combing once a week.
- Care: cleaning the skin folds every day — a task for the child.
- In summer (June–August; December–February in the southern hemisphere) the child and walk screens show a calm reminder between 11:00 and 16:00 family time: no walks in the heat. No weather data, no penalty — steps still count.
Each game number is a PetPrep decision recorded with its sources. — PetMD, AAHA, Dogs Trust, ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, The Royal Kennel Club, Purdue University Canine Welfare Science, Wikipedia, British Journal of Sports Medicine, Scientific Reports, PDSA S10S11S14S18S19S21S24S35S45S54S177S180
Health
For information only, not vet-reviewed. Ask your vet about your own animal.
- Flat-faced (brachycephalic) breed: the short muzzle, narrow nostrils and extra soft tissue in the airway can make breathing harder (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, BOAS). — PDSA S180
- Overheats quickly and is more vulnerable to heatstroke than most dogs, especially in warm weather. — Royal Veterinary College S87
- The skin folds, especially on the face, can trap moisture and become infected (skin fold pyoderma); the facial wrinkles need daily cleaning. — PDSA S180
- Eyelid problems (eyelids turned in or out), dry eye and cherry eye occur in the breed; eye testing is available. — PDSA S180
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, where the joints do not develop correctly, occur in the breed and can lead to joint disease. — PDSA S180
Before you buy: what to check with the breeder
Questions to settle before you take a puppy home. The points are advice from vets, welfare charities and kennel clubs; each cites its source.
For every breed
- See the puppy with its mother, where it was born. — PDSA, RSPCA K1K2
- The puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks of age. — PDSA K1
- Ask for the pedigree. Under FCI rules a pedigree may be issued for correct parentage only. — FCI K7
- Ask to see the health-test results of both parents. Which tests matter depends on the breed. — PDSA, British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K1K9K10
- National kennel clubs can set breeding rules that go beyond the FCI's — ask the breed club which tests the parents need. — FCI K7
- Ask for a written sale contract that records the puppy's background and health. — British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K9K10
Laws on the minimum age, microchipping and vaccination differ by country — check the rules where you live.
Health tests of the parents for this breed
Tests the Royal Kennel Club recommends as a minimum
Other screening schemes for this breed
- Breathing test for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS grading) — The Royal Kennel Club S177
These lists come from the UK's Royal Kennel Club and are an orientation; national kennel clubs can set their own, stricter rules. Ask the breed club and the breeder which tests the parents have done.
Similar breeds
Other dogs in the register with similar needs — each with sourced facts.
Sources
Every fact on this page cites one of these sources.
- S10PetMD — S. C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP, 2025-05-20 — When Do Dogs Stop Growing?https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/when-do-dogs-stop-growing
- S11AAHA — 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines — Canine life stage definitionshttps://www.aaha.org/resources/life-stage-canine-2019/canine-life-stage-definitions/
- S14Dogs Trust (UK) — Caring for an older doghttps://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/at-home/looking-after-an-older-dog
- S18ASPCA — General Dog Carehttps://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
- S19VCA Animal Hospitals (2025-02-21) — Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Doghttps://vcahospitals.com/pets-first/know-your-pet/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-your-dog
- S21The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Puppy feeding tipshttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/health-and-dog-care/health-dog-care/health/health-and-care/a-z-of-health-and-care-issues/puppy-feeding-tips
- S24Purdue University Canine Welfare Science (content: Pet Leadership Council 2019, bedogsmart.com) — Dog Fitness and Exercise (PDF)https://caninewelfare.centers.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dog-Fitness-and-Exercise.pdf
- S35Wikipedia — The Intelligence of Dogshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs
- S45British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) — Tudor-Locke C. et al. How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097628https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6029645
- S54Scientific Reports (LJMU repository copy) — Author Correction: Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death (McMillan et al. 2024, doi:10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w) (PDF)https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/22506/8/Author%20Correction%20Longevity.pdf
- S87Royal Veterinary College — VetCompass news — Flat-faced dogs such as bulldogs, French bulldogs and pugs at increased risk of heat strokehttps://rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/news/flat-faced-dogs-such-as-bulldogs-french-bulldogs-and-pugs-at-increased-risk-of-heat-stroke
- S93UK Brachycephalic Working Group — UK BWG home pagehttps://www.ukbwg.org.uk/
- S175FCI — FCI-Standard N° 149 — Bulldog (EN PDF reachable at dev.fci.be; date of publication of the valid standard in the PDF: 13.10.2010)https://dev.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/149g02-en.pdf
- S176FCI — FCI breeds nomenclature — Bulldog (149)https://fci.be/en/nomenclature/BULLDOG-149.html
- S177The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Bulldog — breed information page (Breeds A to Z, older address)https://thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/breed/display.aspx?id=4084
- S180PDSA — Bulldog breed informationhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/medium-dogs/bulldog
- S182The Royal Kennel Club — Breed Watch tally sheet — Bulldog (PDF)https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media/ydajrjfi/breed-watch-tally-sheet-bulldog.pdf
- K1PDSA — Getting a puppyhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/getting-a-puppy
- K2RSPCA — Buying a puppyhttps://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy
- K7FCI (copy hosted by Norsk Kennel Klub) — International Breeding Rules of the FCIhttps://nkk2023.stage22.coretrek.no/getfile.php/131987377-1520848467/Dokumenter/Registrering/FCIs%20avlsregler%202013.pdf
- K9British Veterinary Association — What should you consider when buying a puppy?https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/what-should-you-consider-when-buying-a-puppy/
- K10FOUR PAWS UK — Questions to ask when buying a puppyhttps://www.four-paws.org.uk/our-stories/publications-guides/questions-to-ask-when-buying-a-puppy
PetPrep is a simulation for families. This page is not veterinary advice — for a real animal, ask a vet or the breed club.
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