American Pit Bull Terrier vs Bull Terrier

An American Pit Bull Terrier
Photo: geoggirl
A Bull Terrier
Photo: Robert Tadlock from Westminster

Side by side

American Pit Bull Terrier
Bull Terrier
Adult weight
Males 16–27 kg (35–60 lb); females 14–23 kg (30–50 lb) (registry figure)1
Males 23–32 kg (51–71 lb); females 20–27 kg (44–60 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
Males 45–53 cm; females 43–50 cm (registry figure)1
Males 53.3–55.9 cm; females 53.3–55.9 cm (breed club figure)2
Lifespan
12–13 years3
Median 12 years4
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes5
Group
Terrier (AKC)
Terriers6
Coat
No sourced figure
Short coat6
Shedding
No sourced figure
Sheds through the year
Grooming
No sourced figure
A brush once a week
Exercise
No sourced figure
A moderate amount
Health
No sourced figure
Dry eye (far more likely)7
Class
Companion
Companion

Which suits you

Size
The Bull Terrier is a little larger on average: about 26 kg (56 lb) as an adult, against 20 kg (44 lb) for the American Pit Bull Terrier.
Temperament
They differ most on activity (American Pit Bull Terrier: needs lots of exercise; Bull Terrier: a good daily walk and play) and on affection (American Pit Bull Terrier: a lap or leaning dog; Bull Terrier: affectionate on its own terms).
Alike
Both are rated the same on handler demand: needs an experienced owner.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

American Pit Bull Terrier
Terrier · Medium

Breed standards describe a confident, eager and people-focused dog that is usually friendly with strangers, which makes it a poor guard dog.

Bull Terrier
Terriers · Medium

By temperament the Bull Terrier is lively, affectionate and clownish, with a stubborn streak and a strong attachment to its household, though it can be intolerant of other dogs.

The American Pit Bull Terrier page →The Bull Terrier page →

Breed traits

Day to day
American Pit Bull Terrier
Bull Terrier
Activity
Differs
Needs lots of exercise
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs an experienced owner
Needs an experienced owner
With people
American Pit Bull Terrier
Bull Terrier
Affection
Differs
A lap or leaning dog
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Bonded to its family
Independence
Differs
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Decides for itself
Around the home
American Pit Bull Terrier
Bull Terrier
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Differs
Barks to alert, then settles
Quiet
Prey drive
Likely to chase small pets
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour8. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home9,10.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Bull Terrier grows to the heavier adult, about 26 kg against the American Pit Bull Terrier's 20 kg.
American Pit Bull Terrier
Bull Terrier
0102030402m4m6m9m12m18m
0102030402m3m4m6m9m12m18m

More comparisons

Compare the American Pit Bull Terrier with
American Pit Bull Terrier vs Staffordshire Bull TerrierAmerican Pit Bull Terrier vs American Staffordshire TerrierAmerican Bully vs American Pit Bull TerrierAmerican Pit Bull Terrier vs German ShepherdAmerican Pit Bull Terrier vs BulldogBull Terrier vs Miniature Bull TerrierAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·