What breed is the Target dog?

Bullseye is an English Bull Terrier. If you are here because you saw the advert and wondered what that dog is, this is the short version, plus the honest answer about what living with one is actually like.

Who Bullseye is

Bullseye has been Target's mascot since 1999, when he appeared in a campaign called "Sign of the Times", set to a reworked version of the Petula Clark song. The dog is a white English Bull Terrier with the Target logo ringed around his left eye, which is where the name comes from.

The role is played by several different dogs: Target said in 2019 that six could step in, with two more in training, which is normal for a long-running animal mascot.

The ring around the eye is applied for shoots using pet-safe colouring. It is not a natural marking, although a coloured patch over one eye is genuinely common in the breed and is exactly why the design works.

What makes the breed recognisable

The head is the thing. The Royal Kennel Club standard describes it as "egg shaped" when viewed from the front, with a profile that "curves gently downwards from top of skull to tip of nose", and eyes "appearing narrow and triangular, obliquely placed". No other breed looks like that, which is why a Bull Terrier silhouette works as a logo.

Beyond the head: small erect ears, a stocky muscular body, and a short flat coat. Most adults weigh 22-32 kg (50-70 lb) and stand 53-56 cm (21-22 in) at the withers. There is also a Miniature Bull Terrier, same dog in a smaller frame at 8-13 kg (18-28 lb).

What the advert does not tell you

Adverts sell a calm, photogenic dog sitting exactly where he was asked to sit. Worth knowing what you would actually be taking on.

• They are extremely people-focused and do badly left alone for long days.
• They are stubborn. Bred to get on with things without instruction, and it shows in training. Short sessions and real motivation work; repetition does not.
• They do not settle themselves. Daily exercise plus something to think about is not optional.
• Health runs in the breed. Congenital deafness, two inherited kidney conditions and atopic skin disease are all recognised. In one study of 1,060 puppies, 10.19% were deaf in at least one ear.
• Compulsive tail chasing has a genetic component in Bull Terriers specifically.

None of which is a reason not to get one. It is a reason to read whether the breed fits your household before you decide.

Other famous Bull Terriers

Bullseye is the best known, but not the only one.

• Patsy Ann, a white Bull Terrier who was declared the official greeter of Juneau, Alaska in 1934 and has a bronze statue on the waterfront. She was deaf, which makes her a rather fitting mascot for a breed where hearing loss is common.
• Spuds MacKenzie, the Bud Light mascot of the late 1980s. Widely remembered, though the campaign drew criticism at the time over its appeal to young audiences, and it is more a piece of advertising history than a breed story.
• General George S. Patton's dog Willie, a white Bull Terrier who travelled with him during the Second World War.

The breed's appearances in film and television are similar: it is the head. A Bull Terrier reads instantly on screen in a way most breeds do not.

Frequently asked questions

What breed is the Target dog?

Bullseye is an English Bull Terrier: a white one, with the Target logo ringed around his left eye. The breed is recognised by the Kennel Club and the AKC and is easily identified by its oval, almost egg-shaped head and small triangular eyes.

What is the Target dog's name?

The mascot is called Bullseye, after the logo around his eye. He first appeared in 1999 in Target's "Sign of the Times" campaign. Several dogs play the role; Target said in 2019 that six could step in, with two more in training.

Is the ring around Bullseye's eye real?

No. It is applied for shoots with pet-safe colouring. A coloured patch over one eye is genuinely common in white Bull Terriers, which is presumably why the design works as well as it does, but the precise bullseye is make-up.

Are Bull Terriers good pets if I liked the Target adverts?

They can be excellent, and they are not a low-effort dog. They are affectionate, funny and deeply attached to their people, and they are also strong, stubborn, boisterous and poor at being left alone for long days. They need daily exercise, mental work and consistent training for their whole lives.

Sources

• Target Corporation. "Bullseye 101: what to know about Target's furry mascot." corporate.target.com
• The Royal Kennel Club. Bull Terrier breed standard. www.royalkennelclub.com
• De Risio L, Freeman J, Lewis T. "Prevalence, heritability and genetic correlations of congenital sensorineural deafness and coat pigmentation phenotype in the English bull terrier." BMC Veterinary Research. 2016;12:146. bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com
• Reamer D. "Adored by visitors and protected by locals, Patsy Ann was the canine queen of Juneau." Anchorage Daily News. 3 March 2024. www.adn.com

This is general information, not veterinary advice. It cannot account for your individual dog, and nothing here replaces an examination by a vet who can see him. Anything that looks urgent needs a vet now rather than a web page.

Related guides

• The complete owner's guide
• Are they good family dogs?
• Bull Terrier colours and markings
• Bull Terrier vs pit bull