AKC MEET THE BREEDS®: Bull Terrier

Playful and clownish, the Bull Terrier is best described as a three year-old child in a dog suit. Given his muscular build, the Bull Terrier can appear unapproachable, but he is an exceedingly friendly dog, with a sweet and fun-loving disposition and popular in the obedience, agility and show rings. The Bull Terrier can be all white (markings on the head are permissible) or colored.

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THE BULL TERRIER
HISTORY

     The Bull Terrier is a British breed of dog. Its predecessors were developed for the purposes of pit fighting, in the middle of the 19th century.   The "sporting enthusiasts" of that time loved to bet on dog fights, bull fights, bear fights, etc. Some of them decided to mate two formidable breeds of dog, the Bull Dog and the Black and Tan Terrier (which is now extinct). They wanted to combine the Bull Dog's tenacity, courage and high threshold of pain, with the terrier's lightening speed, agility and unsurpassed ratting (eg.,killing) instinct. What resulted was an extremely rugged dog, well suited for pit fighting, which is still popular in parts of the world to this day. It was not a pretty dog. It had bowed legs, and its colors have been described as "smutty". It was called the Bull and Terrier dog. On the other side of this not so pretty picture, is the fact that the dog had unfaltering devotion to its owner.
     It got the reputation as a "canine gladiator", a juggernaut in a fight and would fight to the death for his master. Some of the owners of this breed found other uses for the dog as well. They used it for sheep herding and hunting, as well as vermin control. Mr. James Hinks, of Birmingham, England, decided to cross another dog into the gene pool of the Bull and Terrier, that of the White English Terrier. He thought that the gentlemen of the day would enjoy a distinctive looking and loyal companion as well as a bodyguard. The result was an all white Bull Terrier, refered to as "The White Cavalier". The White English Terrier is another distinct breed that is now extinct, but its genes are being carried by the Bull Terrier to this day. Other Bull and Terrier breeders also utilized the "White Cavalier" in their breeding in order that the colors of their dogs would become more defined. This also gave the Bull and Terrier a more elegant line, a little more graceful in bearing, and the legs were no longer bowed. It seemed that Mr. Hinks decided to add in few other ingredients into the genetic soup as well. The Dalmatian, Greyhound, the Spanish Pointer, Foxhound and the Borzoi were used like a cook would use spices in the kitchen. A pinch here and a dollop there. The Bull and Terrier went through many changes at the hands of Mr. Hinks and other breeders, on its way to become the Bull Terrier we know today.
     In 1888 the Bull Terrier standard was published by the Bull Terrier Club in England. The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1895. In 1992 the A.K.C. recognized that there were now two size differences, the Standard Bull Terrier - that measures more than 14 inches in height to the withers. And the Miniature Bull Terrier, that measures 10 to 14 inches in height to the withers. That is the only difference. The rest of the standard is the same for both.
     The colored Bull Terrier gained recognition as an A.K.C. variety in 1936. The colored Bull Terrier was a result of the outcrossing of the Bull and Terrier breed with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. It may be important to realize that the white color is a dominant trait in this breed. White crossed to white produces white puppies.
          In 1987, the Bull Terrier gained quite an audience when Spuds MacKenzie made "his" debut in the Bud Light commercials for Anheuser-Busch Beer Company. What some people didn't realize was that "Spuds" was a she. Mostly, these sets of commercials just showed that some people have no sense of humor.
     The Bull Terrier Club of America and the breeders of the Bull Terrier have done a good job of keeping the Bull Terrier a healthy and consistent breed of dog. As with all things, there are some good and bad in any group. Be careful when purchasing this breed, as temperament is equally important as the body line and proportions.