An exceptional breed, the Bull Terrier is very smart and has a mindset different than that of other breeds. Their unconventional way of thinking some times causes difficulties in their training and creates the impression that training them is not going to be easy. Truth is that if you follow our advice, you will have no problem training your dog.
There are breeds cooperative by nature and that makes them easier to train, dogs that have been bred for years for that purpose. 

Created for different kinds of work, Herding dog breeds for example have to be able to cooperate with their humans in order to effectively manage the herd.

Terriers on the other hand – just like bull dogs – do not need to have this trait in order to participate in a breeding program. Courage, bravery and critical mind are traits bred into the terriers.
Because a terrier will go underground into a burrow for vermin, alone without contact with their owner and will have to decide for themselves what to do and how to do it.

Like we have said before, once we identify what the dog wants and needs from us, we can offer those rewards for the behaviour we want. Discover what your dog wants, and you find the key to unlock his willingness and desire. Keep developing this positive attitude, and it turns on a light in your dog. He starts to want to work for you and with you.

A usually arising problem is that the Bull Terrier might suddenly and without obvious reason lose interest in his usual reward and leave you with nothing to motivate him with. No need to panic, you just have to find something else to use for motive. A dog with good food drive that has been rewarded with treats for a long time and suddenly loses interest in it might prefer the ball for reward. So, when you realize that something the dog valued and has worked does not work anymore, just try something else until you find what the dog wants and needs.

Training sessions with a Bull Terrier should be short; 3-5 minutes are enough for the first training sessions. Increase in duration of training sessions must be gradual and only if the dog completely understands and enjoys what you are doing. It is easy to tell when the time is right even for the novice dog owner. The dog will be very excited, wag his tail and offer commands he knows when it is time for a training session. Remember that just like play time, a training session ends before the dog gets tired and loses interest. End the training session while the dog is 100% focused and excited.

 Do not wait for the dog to be bored or tired, it is always you who decides when the training session ends. Chose a command the dog performs very well with ease for a happy ending to every session. If you have just began training and the dog does not know how to perform any commands yet, end your session with petting, a small walk or throwing the ball a few times. During the early stages of training when the session is no longer than 5 minutes you can have 3-4 sessions a day. In time, when the duration is longer and the training more demanding limit the training sessions to two daily.

Once a week – or twice, depending on the dog – will be day off, no training. You will take the dog for his walks, play with his tug or ball but will not train commands.

Always start with clicker training. You can work with verbal markers or a combination of clicker and verbal markers in time if you prefer but always start with the clicker. Always teach one command at a time. For example, when you train the “sit” do not try to also teach the “down” during the same training session. Train one command at a time and move to the next, only when the dog fully understands and perfectly performs that command.

When a dog has learned a command perfectly and you have moved on to teach him a new one, you can add to your training sessions for the new command working the one he has already learned every now and then. Firstly, to remind and reinforce the command he has already learned and secondly, to boost the dog’s confidence by having him do something he knows and gets rewarded by treats and bravos for doing it.

When we teach a new command, for example the “sit” command, we have a mental image of how we want the dog to perform the “sit”. I want the dog to sit right away, upright, in front of me and be focused on me. Now, that is a lot more than just sit. That is “sit” in a specific place “in front of me”, “upright” not a lazy sit on your hip and that’s all and I want you “focused” on me undistracted by your surroundings. As you can see, the “sit” command now has four divisions, comprises four parts.
The training of the command will therefore be divided in these four parts.

1. Teach the “sit” command, meaning: have the dog make the connection between the command and the specific stance (posture)

2. Teach the dog where to sit.

3. How to sit

4. Be focused, meaning: have the dog’s full and undistracted attention.

So, teaching a new command does not mean you will achieve everything at once. Divide the exercise in sections and work methodically one part at a time.

Between free shaping and luring, training a Bull Terrier will be more effective using the luring. Free shaping is not completely disregarded but kept as an additional training tool in case we get a chance to mark a desired behaviour.

I will give a simple free shaping example for all to understand how it works. I take the dog out for a training session. I have a clicker and a treat bag. At some point the dog will sit, I will mark the behaviour with my clicker and give the treat-reward. The dog will soon make the connection between sitting and getting treats. Now all I have to do is watch the dog’s behaviour for moves promising of a sit, so 1-2 seconds before the dog actually sits, I give the “sit” command, mark when he sits and reward after that.

Waiting for a Bull Terrier to “offer” a desired behaviour during a training session is a most unproductive and time-consuming way to work. The Bull Terrier has a million things to do before he considers siting or staying. It will take so long to teach 2-3 commands that most will be very disappointed and eventually give up on training.

That is why we choose the luring method as a primary tool for training. And if the dog happens to offer a desired behaviour, we can always mark that behaviour too. It is possible that dogs with good food drive will not be interested in the treat you hold making it impossible to use luring. Dogs with low food drive will not be interested in treats either.

In that case, for a few days, the dog will not be fed in his bowl but have the amount of food he usually eats as treats during the training sessions. This will help increase the dog’s food drive.
For those who feed kibble it will be very easy to do. For those feeding barf I suggest boiled chicken fillet cut in small pieces for a few days.

The treats used in training should be tasteful and enjoyable to the dog, relatively small in size and easy to swallow. Chose the treats according to the dog. Not too small ,so the reward is of value and not too big, so the dog will not have a full stomach in 5 minutes of training. 

Chose treats that do not require too much chewing, as this would take time out of the training process. We want something pleasing and easy to swallow so the dog can remain focused and be ready for the next treat in no time. This way the training session proceeds uninterrupted. Training starts with the easy commands, easy for the dog to understand what we want from him and how training works. This will form a good basis on which to build our future training progress with more difficult and complicated commands. In case the dog seems to not clearly understand what we ask of him during a training session, we work on easier commands he already performs well for a little while.

Physical exercise is an inextricable part of a training program. A dog with built up energy without outlet will not be able to concentrate on training. Exercise should always be tailored to the dog’s age and physical condition.

Hope you find advice on this post useful and applicable.
Wishing you good training sessions, the Working Bull Terriers Kennel team!