The bulldog personifies courage and determination. Bulldogs make up for their anti-social attitude toward other dogs, especially those of the same sex, with his love for family and outstanding ability with children. He is highly accepting of other, non-dog family pets and is at least cordial with strangers, with most being quite friendly. Only slightly more active outside than in, he is a real couch potato who is rarely awake for much more than four hours a day. But he is always ready for a short play session as long as temperatures are moderate and it does not involve running. With this low activity level and a reluctance to bark, it is understandable they make poor watchdogs. But with their bulk, large heads, and jowly jaws, they can be intimidating to a potential intruder who does not know him, resulting in an above average guardian. Bulldogs can be food aggressive and should be fed by themselves. Snorting, sobering, grunting and flatulence all go hand-in-hand with short-faced dogs.

With the most recognizable mug in all of dogdom, the Bulldog is a short, squat dog that when viewed from above should resemble a pear. Standing about 14 inches at the shoulder, a mature male should weigh around 50 pounds with a mature female weighing about 10 pounds less. The coat should be short and flat with a glossy shine and no hint of feathering or a curl. The acceptable coat colors are, in order of preference, red brindle, any other brindle, solid white, solid red, fawn or fallow, piebald or inferior qualities of any of the aforementioned. Solid black is considered an undesirable color. Their short coat benefits from a quick weekly brushing to remove dead hair. They are average shedders. Bulldogs struggle to regulate their body temperatures. This results in a dog that is suited to neither hot nor cold temperatures. Requiring protection from both heat and cold, they are at great risk in hot humid conditions. If the outside temperature is higher than 80 degrees or the humidity is high, limit the time a Bulldog spends outside.

Easy to socialize but not easy to train, Bulldogs see no reason to repeat something they have already done and they can not be forced to anything they do not want to do. Training sessions must be kept very short. Boring them almost assures great difficulty in getting their attention for the next training session. The best motivation consists of lots of praise and a pocket full of treats. Bulldogs make a great choice for a first-time dog owner.