A simple guide to building muscle on your bull terrier
Bull terriers are a naturally athletic breed with a stocky and well-defined muscular build. To maintain the breed’s characteristic appearance, pet parents often choose to build bulkiness and muscular definition on their bull terriers. This keeps the dog happy and in optimum health.
Remember not to confuse the desire to healthily bulk up a bull terrier with the excessive bulking associated with dogfighting and other illegal activities that harm the dog. This sort of extreme bulking is dangerous for the health of bull terriers and can lead to serious complications.
So if you’re a pet parent who wants to bulk up your bull terrier in a healthy way, keep reading.
Guidelines before starting your bull terrier bulking journey
We encourage pet parents to be responsible, sensible, and educated dog owners in all situations, especially when building their dog’s muscle mass. So please be sure to read the following guidelines.
- Don’t start bulking your bull terrier’s muscles before they are 18 months old. In their first 18 months, dogs are still growing, and working them too hard or using weights can damage their young bones.
- Always use professional, vet-approved, strength-building equipment to bulk up your bull terrier. Using big collars, weighted vests, and huge chains are associated with dogfighting and are harmful to your dog.
- Remember to train your bull terrier using its natural strength. If you push your dog too hard, it will put a strain on its body and nervous system.
- Use positive training methods, making sure your bull terrier is enjoying the training and happy. Make sure your dog isn’t performing as a result of fear.
Steps to follow when bulking your bull terrier
ONE: Consult your vet before you begin
Before you try any of the methods below, remember to consult your vet about all areas of your bull terrier’s health and medical history. Make sure that you get the all-clear before you start changing your dog’s diet, adding supplements, or begin strength training. Your vet will be your biggest support in making sure that your bull terrier stays happy and healthy during the bulking process.
TWO: Feed your bull terrier a nutritious diet
Be sure to feed your bull terrier a well-balanced and nutritious diet that provides them with basic nutrients as well as additional nutrients to build and repair their muscles.
It is important to feed your bull terrier good quality dog food that contains a sufficient amount of the right macronutrients: proteins and fats, not excessive carbohydrates. To help your bull terrier build muscle, make sure its diet contains around 30% protein and 25% fat.
Proteins build and repair your dog’s muscles. However, be sure not to give it too much protein as it will be harmful to its kidneys.
Feeding your bull terrier healthy fats will maintain its body mass while it stays very active. If your dog doesn’t get enough fat, its muscles and fat stores will start to deplete. But make sure that you don’t feed your dog too much fat or unhealthy fats because it may lead to obesity.
If you’re looking for the perfect dog food option, we recommend using the Bully Max High Performance Super Premium Dog Food. It is meat-based and contains 30% more protein and 20% more fat than traditional options, with 535 calories per cup. What’s even better is that it has no artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, or hidden ingredients that could harm your bull terrier.
When feeding your dog, always follow the recommended food amount guidelines on the packet. If your dog starts to lose weight or is consistently hungry after feeding, increase the amount of food you give it.
Remember to always consult your vet before making changes to your bull terrier’s diet.
THREE: Give your bull terrier supplements
Additional supplements are beneficial and often necessary for your bull terrier, especially when it is bulking. Look for supplements that contain omega fatty acids, glucosamine, and chondroitin, which are good for hip and joint support.
Bully Max Performance Chews contain the aforementioned nutrients, and they help to build muscles and maximise growth. They are vet-approved and contain no creatine, steroids, or other harmful ingredients.
FOUR: Use strength training to build muscle
Exercise is a big factor in bulking up your bull terrier. But once again, remember not to start bulking or conditioning your dog before it reaches 18 months as it will be detrimental to their bone growth and may cause irreversible damage.
Always do a warm-up with your bull terrier before you start with training to prevent strained muscles and injuries. This could be doing special stretches with your dog or massaging its major muscle groups to get the blood flowing before exercise.
Strength training is the best form of exercise to promote muscle growth and strengthening. Train your dog using its own strength, through weight pulling. Start with light weights using professional harnesses and under the supervision of a trainer to ensure that your dog remains safe and healthy. Begin gradually, slowly incorporating heavier weights as your dog gets stronger. Never start your bull terrier on heavy weights as it will overwork its muscles and cause harm.
Stamina and strength training go hand-in-hand. Your bull terrier’s strength and muscles will not increase without stamina. So slowly increase the distance your dog pulls the weights. As you increase the distance, you’re building your dog’s ability to withstand physical exertion. This will help maintain the muscle that is being formed.
Other forms of exercise you could include to build stamina are:
- Walking that slowly becomes running.
- Swimming, which is low impact.
- Walking on the beach or wetlands to provide resistance.
Use the Bully Max Heavy-Duty Resistance Dog Leash to add extra resistance to your dog’s training routine—quickly, easily, and safely.
At the end of each workout, make sure your bull terrier has time to cool down. We suggest a short, leisurely walk before your return home.
FIVE: Ensure your bull terrier gets enough rest
Exercise causes stress on your bull terrier’s muscles. Rest is a key to allowing your dog’s body to repair all the muscles. Without sufficient, deep rest, the muscles won’t have time to repair and grow so additional muscle mass won’t form.
So make sure that your bull terrier rests every other day.
Conclusion
The health, wellness, and happiness of your bull terrier should always be preeminent when bulking up your dog. That means giving it nutritious food, the proper supplements it needs, sufficient exercise, and plenty of rest.
Remember to consult your vet about any changes and make sure that all training is monitored by a knowledgeable trainer.
If your bull terrier shows signs of exhaustion or injury, stop the training immediately and seek advice from your vet.
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