One of the most common questions asked before pet parents adopt a brand-new bully is: Are English bulldogs high energy? The answer might surprise you, actually – this breed might not be the most agile or speedy one, but they sure can peg it when they want to.
We’re letting Lorraine, a bulldog pet parent, take the reins – so, let’s find out what they have to say, shall we?
Are English bulldogs high energy?
English bulldog pet parents on Reddit have said several things about their bullies being super high energy for the breed, including this user. They state:
“English bulldog… turned one year old… very energetic for an EB.”
This Reddit user also says something similar:
“I have an English Bulldog… full of beans all day every day. He’s one year and four months old, is he still full of puppy energy?”
The internet will tell you that English or British bulldogs are (and we quote:)
- Low-to-moderate energy
- Lazy
- Relaxed
- Content to spend hours sleeping
- Happy to live without a yard
While these statements can be true, many, many bulldog parents will tell you that the opposite is, in fact, closer to reality.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) categorises dog breed activity or energy levels on a scale of one to five – one being a couch potato dog, and five being a very high energy dog.
The bulldog sits right in the middle of that scale, halfway between couch potato and very high energy, and this is something that we, as bulldog parents, can get behind.
As a generalisation, bulldogs do sit in the middle of that scale. Sometimes, though, they’re super sleepy – couch potato doggos. At other times, they’re at the top end of the scale: very high energy, zooming around like a maniac, sending things and people flying.
They aren’t fondly referred to as “bulldozers” for nothing!
Energy levels through the ages
Puppies spend more time sleeping than their adult bully counterparts, but they’re also much faster, much zoomier, and much more difficult to capture.
Adult bulldogs often have lots of energy in shorter bursts than other dog breeds. Frank the Bulldog, for example, gets the absolute maddest zoomies right after he’s done a poop. Straight after. He’ll poop, then run laps around the garden like a cheetah.
Senior bulldogs are slower than adults and puppies, as to be expected. The same applies for sick or injured doggos. They can and do still get the zoomies, though. They might not be as fast or as frequent as the young’uns, but they’ll still run rings around you, given half the chance.
Are English bulldogs high energy at night?
George the Bulldog was rescued at around four years of age. He wasn’t crate trained, but he was trained to sleep in the kitchen – with a baby gate – at night. For the most part, aside from scuffling around with the blankets of his bed, he was really good at sleeping the whole night through.
Frank the Bulldog was introduced to our home as a puppy, and he was immediately crate trained. He goes to bed when the pet parents go to bed, and he stays there until morning – quietly, content, and without much of a peep.
There were a few dodgy nights right at the beginning, but once trained, he’s been as good as gold.
Conclusion: Are English bulldogs high energy?
As with all dog breeds – and even all dogs – each one will be different. George the Bulldog was a completely different doggo, in basically every single way, from Frank the Bulldog.
Generally, though, English bulldogs are high energy in short bursts, with some laziness thrown in.
What has been your experience with English bulldogs? Have yours been high energy? Low energy? Somewhere in between? We’d love to hear your experiences, and you’ll be helping other pet parents, too!
