It’s important to ensure that your new pup gets on with all existing or new family members, and sometimes, that will include kids – your own kids, other peoples’ kids, your kids’ friends, and so on. But what about the bulldog breeds? Are English bulldogs good with kids?
Why don’t we take a closer look and find out?
Are English bulldogs good with kids?
Yes… and no.
Regardless of breed, kids should always be supervised with dogs – and also with other pets. Even cats can get scrappy from time to time.
Dogs, though, are bigger, and this is definitely the case for our favourite four-legged friend, the English bulldog.
Studies have shown that the bite force of a bulldog can be as much as 210 PSI.
Humans have an average PSI bite of around 160-165.
Just in case you were wondering, a jaguar has a bite force of 1,500 PSI.
Your bulldog can’t do as much damage as a jaguar… but it can do a lot more damage than you – the average human. If your dog snaps, which they can sometimes do, particularly if they have certain underlying medical conditions, then it is likely that someone will get hurt – and a child will, of course, probably get hurt more than an adult will.
Bulldogs and other dog breeds can be trained to behave well around children. Our former bulldog, George, was amazing around children. The bond he had with the youngest member of the family, who was only around two years old at the time, was absolutely incredible. He was soft, patient, slow, and gentle.
Frank, our current bulldog, is just over a year old, is very much still in the hyper puppy phase, and would probably knock someone over rather than bite them… but he has still nipped at loved ones and strangers.
Regardless of how well (or not) George and Frank are/were around children, we would never leave them unsupervised. Accidents can happen in a split second, and if you’re not around (and you don’t have cameras around the home,) then there’s a chance that you’ll never know.
English bulldog temperament for kids
As a general rule, the bulldog breed is a friendly one, with lots of tail wags for friendly little faces. They love being fussed over, which is generally what kids do, and they love being played with, which is also what kids do. When they get along, it’s a great little combination.
On the other side, though, bulldogs can get grumpy and sulky when they’ve had enough – and when that happens, little grumpy snaps can happen.
Older English bulldogs are (usually) slower than their younger counterparts, so they tend to have a better temperament for kids. Younger bully pups are great for playful fun, but if well-trained, can sit down and be patient.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) describes the average English bulldog’s temperament as:
- Friendly
- Courageous
- Calm
The bulldog breed is described as the following by Pedigree UK:
- Gentle
- Placid
- Jealously territorial (space, people, and items)
- Loving
- Stoic
- Devoted
As English/British bulldogs parents ourselves, we would describe the breed as:
- Loyal
- Funny
- More energetic than you’d think (especially puppies)
- Welcoming
- Accidentally boisterous
Safety precautions for an English bulldog with children
If you want to ensure that your doggos and kiddos are safe at all times, there are some safety precautions that you should know about and implement.
1: Always supervise bulldogs and kids
First and foremost, supervising dogs (and other pets) and kids together prevents almost all bad situations… providing you’re keeping an actual eye on them, of course.
You can prevent snappy behaviour before it happens, spot the warning signs of aggressive behaviour, and separate the dogs from the kids when one or both are getting too wound up.
2: Have a way to separate English bulldogs and kids
Baby gates are a great tool for bulldogs, because they’re basically incapable of hopping over them. They might barge straight through them, though… which is something you’ll probably need to consider.
There are so many different options for separating dogs and kids, from baby gates, pull-across doors or separators, crate training, putting them in different rooms and shutting the door, and so on.
3: Learn to spot the signs of tension
When your English bulldog is getting cranky, they are likely to exhibit one or more of the following signs:
- Stiff/tensed-up body and muscles
- Tail down and/or tucked between their back legs (if they have one)
- Ears pinned right back
- Wide eyes
- Growling
- Excessive licking and/or drooling
- Pacing
- Inability to settle
- Not listening to commands (unusually)
You should also know the signs of your kids getting annoyed and wound up in the same way. I probably don’t need to give you a list of signs of that, though… right?
If you spot the signs, separate them. There won’t always be signs that conflict is on the horizon, but if there are and you miss them… in the eyes of the law, you might find that you are the one in the wrong.
4: Introduce children to bulldogs slowly and cautiously
If you plonk a child and a dog, who are complete strangers to each other, in a room, then hope for the best… what do you think is going to happen? There will probably be a lot of curiosity, sure – but what about the nerves and anxiety, or the “newness” of it all. What happens if one gets overwhelmed, or they both do?
Gradual and slow is the name of the game when it comes to introducing your bulldog to the rest of the family, whether they’re kids, cats, other dog, adults, or anyone/anything else.
Conclusion: Are English bulldogs good with kids?
And that, as they say, is that, my bulldog-loving friends!
English bulldogs are great with kids, as long as you’re a good pet parent (and human parent) and supervise them when they’re together, separate them with things look like they might get a little wild, and never leave them alone together.
It’s important to reiterate that house training, social training, and command/recall training are all vital parts of the bulldog pet parenthood process. A dog, regardless of breed, is only as polite, well-behaved, and well-trained as you train it.
Thanks for stopping by and checking out Planet Bulldog today! It’s been a blast, having you here, and we hope you’ve found what you’re looking for today. If not, why not have a little look around our other bulldog content below?
