Bulldogs are affectionate and dependable dogs that were once used to drive cattle and fight bulls. Although, these guys were initially bred to be quite strong and mean-tempered, today, they have become adorably soft and friendly. In fact, these good four-legged boys/girls are known to be amazing with children.

This dog breed is quite special that they are conspired as England’s national dog breed and even have dog foods that are specifically made for them. Too much attention for such Babushkas with a cute and animated-looking face. HAHA…Don’t you thing?!

Anyway but how big can an English bulldog get? Well, Bulldogs are medium-sized dogs. On average, a mature-male Bulldog can grow 50-55 pounds in weight (22.6- 25 kg) and 14-16 inches in height (35.5- 40.5 cm) whereas a mature-female Bulldog is capable of growing 40-45 pounds in weight (18- 20.4 kg) and 12-14 inches in height (30- 35.5 cm).

To put it another way, these doggos are chunky and short with a slight size-difference between the genders. That means, the females tend to weigh about 10 pounds less than the males. However, the size-difference is a typical occurrence in most dog breeds.

Plus, there can be exceptions where a female or a male can out-grow their average sizes mentioned above and achieve an above-average growth limit too but that is with excellent maintenance and physical and mental conditions along with unique breed lines.

When does a Bulldog become full grown?

Once a Bulldog turns one year old, they hardly grow any taller which means they will reach the maximum height growth by 12 months. Similarly, they will finish gaining weight around the one year mark but sometimes even after 12 months, these doggos will put on more muscle and fat in mostly, the chest and shoulder areas to fill out the frame which means this breed will gain weight even after 12 months.

In other words, a bulldog becomes full grown at their one year birthday but yet, has the potential to gain more weight for several more months.

Weight and Height range of male and female English Bulldogs as they grow

Weight and Height range chart of male Bulldogs:

AGE	HEIGHT (INCHES)	WEIGHT (POUNDS)
4 weeks	3-5”	4 – 8 lbs
8 weeks	4-6”	9 – 11 lbs
Three months	5-7”	13 – 18 lbs
Four months	6-8”	19 – 25 lbs
Five months	7-9”	26 – 32 lbs
Six months	8-10”	33 – 36 lbs
Seven months	9-11”	38 – 41 lbs
Eighth months	10-12”	42 – 44 “lbs
Nine months	11-13”	43 – 46 lbs
Ten months	12-14”	45 – 47 lbs
Eleven months	13-15”	48 – 50 lbs
One year	14-16”	51 – 55 lbs
One and half years	14-16”	53 – 55 lbs

 Weight and Height range chart of female Bulldogs:

AGE	HEIGHT (INCHES)	WEIGHT (POUNDS)
4 weeks	3-5”	3 – 6 lbs
8 weeks	4-6”	7 – 11 lbs
Three months	4-7”	12 – 16 lbs
Four months	5-8”	18 – 23 lbs
Five months	6-9”	22 – 26 lbs
Six months	7-10”	26 – 31 lbs
Seven months	8-11”	30 – 34 lbs
Eighth months	9-12”	33 – 37 lbs
Nine months	10-12”	35 – 38 lbs
Ten months	11-13”	35 – 39 lbs
Eleven months	12-13”	37 – 41 lbs
One year	12-14”	40 – 45 lbs
One and half years	13-14”	43 – 45 lbs

What is the Lifespan of an English Bulldog?

On average, an English Bulldog lives for about 8 to 10 years but it is relatively short compared to other dog breeds such as the American or French bulldog that can live for 10 to 15 years.

The reasons for such a short lifespan is mainly due to the pressure, it has on the heart of a Bulldog to continue the growth process and then, support the body and its function and consequently, that pressure shortens the lifespan of the dog. This is a common phenomenon among many large and medium-sized dog breeds.

What is the size of an English Bulldog’s uniquely-shaped head?

As Bulldogs are quite muscular and hefty dogs, their head shape also appears to be quite wider and nothing surprising about it since these doggos have a really broad skull. Not to mention, their face that looks weirdly and charmingly wrinkled with a uniquely pushed-in nose.

However, according to the American Kennel Club, the size of a Bulldog’s face is “at least the height of the dog at the shoulders.””

In other words, the head of a Bulldog becomes as wide as it is tall at the shoulder. Once their head size grew that broad, their body also widens quite a lot by filling out chest and shoulders with muscles. With that, the broadness of the face starts to appear normal and not out of proportion.

Which Bulldog breed is the biggest compared with the English Bulldog?

When people hear the name “Bulldog”, they mainly think of the famous English Bulldog that you often see in Television advertisements, movies and all sorts of media but did you know that there are 9 different Bulldog breeds?

If not, here they are, in descending order (From biggest to smallest, Weight wise):

1. American Bulldog – Height: 20 to 28 inches, Weight: 60 to 120 pounds
2. Buldogue Campeiro ­- Height: 19 – 23 inches, Weight: 77 to 99 pounds
3. Ca de Bou – Height: 20 to 23 inches. Weight: 66 to 84 pounds
4. Olde English Bulldogge – Height: 16 to 19 inches, Weight: 50-80 pounds
5. Valley Bulldog – Height: 14 to 18 inches. Weight: 40 to 80 pounds
6. Australian Bulldog – Height: 17 to 20 inches, Weight: 50 to 78 pounds
7. Continental Bulldog – Height: 15 to 21 inches. Weight: 48 to 66 pounds
8. The English Bulldog – Height: 12 to 16 inches, Weight: 40 to 55  
9. French Bulldog – Height: 11 to 13 inches, Weight: 19 to 28 pounds

As you can see above, American Bulldog is the biggest one out of the 9 breeds and even their puppies are quite large themselves compared to other Bulldog breeds. These doggos are basically a part of American culture and history and even to this day, this breed is used to represent being strong and tough by many university and national sport teams.

Compared to the English Bulldogs, the American ones are almost like giants. Just look at the difference in both weight and height. It is a striking size-difference.

However, English bulldog is not the smallest breed since French Bulldog takes that place but still, they are also quite similar to their cousin “English Bulldog”.

How to make sure your English Bulldog will grow into their maximum size?

To grow into the full size of this dog breed healthily, specific care and maintenance are required and it is due to some of the defects in genetics that make these dogs prone to certain health conditions.

For example, an English Bulldog can easily get skin infections if they are not cleaned and washed well with a good grooming routine or these dogs also easily can put on weight if they are not fed properly according to a diet with sufficient exercise.

Let me explain about each aspect when raising a Bulldog healthily:

The diet

There are two things when it comes to a healthy diet of a Bulldog. The first one is the amount of food that you should feed him/her and the second one is what foods to feed him/her.

The amount of foods:

When it comes to the food amount, it is best to determine it by calories rather than volume. There are many ways such as formulas to find the calorie intake.

Normally, for most dog breeds, about 25 to 30 calories per pound of body weight of the dog is the most ideal amount of calories.

But on average, an English Bulldog can eat foods worth of 1150 calories per day to stay and grow healthily. However, this calorie amount is fit for mature English Bulldogs that are moderately active.

Which means the calorie intake of a dog majorly varies depending on the age and the level of activity.

So dogs, that are adults and highly active such as regularly going for long walks and playing in the yard or just working, require an even higher amount of calories than 1150 to offset the calories burnt by being extra active. That means, a Bulldog that is mature and highly active can have a calorie intake of 1300 approx.

On the other hand, if a dog is mature and also, not active at all such as spending time, laying around and doing nothing or it is a senior dog, the best calorie amount is around 950 calories. This way, the dog will not gain weight by eating too many calories.

But “what about an English Bulldog puppy?” you may ask. Well, let me give you average calorie intakes based on the age.

8 weeks old and weighs around 10 to 12 pounds: 330 calories

4 months old and weighs around 10 to 12 pounds:  600 calories

6 months old and weighs around 28 to 35 pounds:  840 calories

8 months old and weight around 35 to 43 pounds: 950 calories

10 months old and weighs around 37 to 46: 1100

One year old when fully grown (Like I mentioned above): 1150

But do not forget. As I previously said, based on the activity level, you have to change the calorie amount accordingly.

What foods to feed Bulldogs:

English Bulldogs have quite sensitive stomachs while also being prone to a lot of allergies. So, usually, it is the most optimal to give them only dog foods but there are certain wet and fresh foods that a Bulldog can eat with no bad outcomes.

When feeding your dog properly, another important thing beside the amount of food, is making sure the diet is well balanced with all the right nutrients and micro-nutrients. 

Approximately, there should be 1-2 grams of protein for each pound of the dog’s body weight and from the rest of the diet, there should be a decent balance of whole grain carbs, fats, omega 6 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.

The exercise

English Bulldogs are utterly lazy dogs and they have many physical limits when being active. For example, if you want to take your Bulldog for a two or three-mile jog, that is likely not going to happen but a slow walk around the block maybe easily doable.

Approximately, 1 hours of activity per day is the ideal amount of exercise for this dog breed and anything more than that could harm them.

So, break down the 60 min daily exercise into a few activities such as taking him/her for walks once or twice a day, play in the yard and maybe, even accompany the doggo with you for a little hike (Not a long one).

How to prevent diseases to ensure the health and the maximum size of your English Bulldog

English Bulldogs are prone to a number of diseases and many dog experts think it is due to some of the defects in this dog breed’s genetics. Nevertheless, that does not mean your Bulldog definitely will have a disease. It is just a concern in this breed and better to be informed and prepared for suitable actions.

So, the best course of action to prevent any harm to your pet from any health condition is to identity the health issue as soon as possible.

To do that, you as the pet-parent, need to know some basic knowledge about the diseases and their symptoms that your dog may show when it has one of the following sicknesses.

Here are the main diseases that an English Bulldog could likely have:

There can be more health conditions but primarily, these are the common ones and now, what is crucial is to identify these health complications.

Here are some of the symptoms your Bulldog may indicate if it has a sickness:

• Fainting
• Coughing
• Struggling to breath
• Stiffening
• Foaming around the mouth
• Drooling too much
• Low range of motion
• Swaying too much
• Weight gain
• Weight loss
• Lethargy
• Thin or balding hair
• Cloudy looking eyes
• Urinating all the time
• No willingness to walk, jump or climb stairs
• Loss of appetite
• Wobbling
• Abnormally worn looking toenails
• Chronic diarrhea
• Vomiting

With that said, the answer to the question – how big can an English bulldog get? is concluding. In summary, it is safe to say that English Bulldogs are medium-sized dogs that are perfect to become house pets. At their first birthday, they becomes full grown and with great care and maintenance, possible health complications can be avoided. Also, these lovable dogs can have a healthy growth into their maximum size and ultimately, live happily with you and your family.

Featured image credit : Photo by Creative Workshop from Pexels