Home / Breeds / Bull Terrier / Similar breeds
Airedale Terrier tops the list for the Bull Terrier because of the same family, the same Terrier group and the same medium size class. It stands 22 to 24 inches and weighs 50 to 65 pounds, against 21 to 22 inches and 50 to 70 pounds for this breed. The American Staffordshire Terrier and the Kerry Blue Terrier follow in the same family.
Below, every match gets its own short reading: the overlap first, then the difference that matters most.
The Airedale Terrier is the strongest match this comparison finds for the Bull Terrier. Both records read the same way: terriers and pinschers at family level, Terrier at group level. The records give both the same working background: terrier work. The size records line up: medium for both, 22 to 24 inches and 21 to 22 inches. Little separates them beyond small shifts in the numbers already noted.
Go deeper: the Airedale Terrier profile or breeds similar to the Airedale Terrier.
The American Staffordshire Terrier follows immediately after the top match. Each is filed with the terriers and pinschers and classed in the Terrier group. A shared past runs through both: terrier work. The medium class covers both, heights 17 to 19 inches and 21 to 22 inches. The contrast is gentle, mostly a matter of slightly wider or narrower ranges.
Go deeper: the American Staffordshire Terrier profile or breeds similar to the American Staffordshire Terrier.
The Kerry Blue Terrier belongs in this company on the strength of its record. Each is filed with the terriers and pinschers and classed in the Terrier group. A shared past runs through both: terrier work. The medium class covers both, heights 18 to 20 inches and 21 to 22 inches. What difference there is sits in the fine print of the ranges rather than in any single trait.
Go deeper: the Kerry Blue Terrier profile or breeds similar to the Kerry Blue Terrier.
Scoring keeps the Glen of Imaal Terrier close to the Bull Terrier as well. Family and group agree: the terriers and pinschers grouping, and the Terrier group, cover both. Both were shaped by terrier work, according to the records. Where they part company is size: the Glen of Imaal Terrier stands 13 to 14 inches to the Bull Terrier at 21 to 22 inches.
Go deeper: the Glen of Imaal Terrier profile or breeds similar to the Glen of Imaal Terrier.
Scoring keeps the American Pit Bull Terrier close to the Bull Terrier as well. Family and group agree: the terriers and pinschers grouping, and the Terrier group, cover both. Size nearly matches, both medium: 17 to 21 inches against 21 to 22 inches. The differences are of degree rather than kind: a step in the figures here, a shade in the record there.
Go deeper: the American Pit Bull Terrier profile or breeds similar to the American Pit Bull Terrier.
The Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier rounds out the closest matches. Both are medium dogs: 17 to 19 inches at the shoulder against 21 to 22 inches. The contrast is gentle, mostly a matter of slightly wider or narrower ranges.
Go deeper: the Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier profile or breeds similar to the Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier.
| Breed | Size | Height | Weight | Lifespan | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bull Terrier | Medium | 21 to 22 in | 50 to 70 lb | 12 to 13 yrs | Terriers and pinschers |
| Airedale Terrier | Medium | 22 to 24 in | 50 to 65 lb | 11 to 14 yrs | Terriers and pinschers |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | Medium | 17 to 19 in | 40 to 70 lb | 12 to 16 yrs | Terriers and pinschers |
| Kerry Blue Terrier | Medium | 18 to 20 in | 33 to 40 lb | 12 to 15 yrs | Terriers and pinschers |
| Glen of Imaal Terrier | Medium | 13 to 14 in | 32 to 36 lb | 12 to 15 yrs | Terriers and pinschers |
| American Pit Bull Terrier | Medium | 17 to 21 in | 30 to 60 lb | 12 to 14 yrs | Terriers and pinschers |
| Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier | Medium | 17 to 19 in | 30 to 40 lb | 12 to 14 yrs | Terriers and pinschers |
Height spreads widest between the Airedale Terrier, at 22 to 24 inches, and the Glen of Imaal Terrier, at 13 to 14 inches, despite their shared grouping in this set.
On the recorded traits the Airedale Terrier scores highest: a shared family, the same group, a matching size class, shared working roots and a close lifespan. The American Staffordshire Terrier is next in line.
Smaller on both counts in the records: the Glen of Imaal Terrier stands 13 to 14 inches and weighs 32 to 36 lb, against 21 to 22 inches and 50 to 70 lb for the Bull Terrier.
On the recorded ranges the American Staffordshire Terrier lives longest of the matches, 12 to 16 years against the Bull Terrier at 12 to 13 years.