He has a great attitude about acquiring new interests and trying new things, and will put his heart into just about any activity that seems like it will be a good time. Hide-and-seek the person, bobbing for bones in the bathtub, soccer one-on-one in the backyard, surfing the back seat with his head out the window on the way to the park, or a hike in the woods—these are almost definite wins with him. A bull dog just needs his partner to put him in the right kinds of situations, since he is inclined to go “all in.” Even if he is a social butterfly and a dog park regular, a busy Saturday there could feel more like a mosh pit than a social event, and he might get a little carried away with the party vibe and crash the scene. The piñata you got for your weekend barbecue isn’t likely to survive the first five minutes once he realizes that people are having a blast knocking the tar out of it—he will probably want to get in on that fun, and may take it a little too far. It is easy to enjoy almost anything with a bull dog, provided that you pick and choose activities he can engage in comfortably for all parties. If you aren’t prepared for his enthusiasm, his outgoing approach may, indeed, come on too strong and accidentally wreak havoc in a moment.

Education

The bull dog is an intelligent animal developed to live and work closely alongside people. His general MO is to comfortably go along with the instructor’s directions—up to a point. For a bull dog, there is a clear moment at which our instructions become secondary, at best. Once his adrenaline has fully kicked in, he can be impenetrably focused on the object of his engagement, and you may wonder if he remembers that you exist at all.

American Pit Bull Terrier

This isn’t his fault, and it is largely not even a training or educational issue. Bull dogs were bred to be adrenaline junkies, and just like us they can get completely “in the zone” when they are doing their thing. Ignoring you in these moments is not deliberate; it’s chemical. He gets hooked by his own DNA running the “Just do it!” software program. Your job, as his primary educator, will be to help him to stay away from this addiction in the first place.