bull terrier

Bull Terrier

A brindle and white Bull Terrier
Other names	English Bull Terrier Pig dog (obsolete)
Country of origin	England
Traits Weight Male 20-38kg (44-85 lbs) Height Male 51-61cm (20-24 in) Coat Short, dense Color White, any colour except blue or liver Litter size ~5 Life span up to 12 years
Classification & standards FCI Group 3 Section 3 #11 standard AKC Terrier standard ANKC Group 2 (Terriers) standard CKC Group 4 - Terriers standard KC (UK) Terrier standard NZKC Terrier standard UKC Terriers standard

The Bull Terrier or English Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. Although bred as a companion dog, due to its breed heritage and appearance it is often lumped in as a Pit Bull and is subject in some jurisdictions to Breed Specific Legislation.

Description

Appearance

A white bull terrier showing triangular eyes

Bull Terriers are thick-set and muscular with a short, coarse coat. Acceptable colours for show dogs are white, (skin pigmentation and markings on the head are not penalized in the UK show ring), any colour other than white, or any colour with white markings (although blue and liver are highly undesirable).

The Bull Terrier's most recognizable feature is its head, described as 'egg shaped' when viewed from the front, almost flat at the top, with a Roman muzzle sloping evenly down to the end of the nose with no stop. The unique triangle-shaped eyes are small, dark, and closely set. The body is full and round, while the shoulders are robust and muscular and the tail is carried horizontally. It walks with a jaunty gait, and is popularly known as the 'gladiator of the canine race'.^[1]

There is no designated height or weight for the breed but the average is, Height: 51-61 cm (20-24 inches), Weight: 20-38 kg (44-85 pounds) The Bull Terrier and the Miniature Bull Terrier are the only recognized breeds that have triangle-shaped eyes.

Temperament

Because of their power and difficulty to train ,"bullies" are not ideal for a first-time dog owner. However, their physical strength is matched by their intelligence, which makes them thoroughly reliable pets. Both body and mind need to be kept active and they can be fun and playful. The Bull Terrier is known to show aggressiveness towards other dogs, usually that of the same sex.

Pure Bred Bull Terriers can be extremely strong willed and dominant, especially males. In some cases professional level leadership and training is a necessity on a daily basis to prevent your dog from becoming an aggressive dog towards both humans and dogs. A Bull Terrier is not your average dog, this is a mentally and physically strong breed. Strict leadership and discipline regiment should be engaged from day one of ownership. Your Bull Terrier may seem like playful and mischievous puppy at first, but owners should be very aware to look and recognize aggressive and dominant behavior even in the first 6 months.

They are typically very affectionate dogs that love human company. Older (mature) Bull Terriers are particularly good with children, and usually have a high pain threshold, which reduces the risk of injury to children from a defensive bite. Younger dogs, however, may regard children as playmates and because of their strength could cause inadvertent injury. They are protective of children in their charge, and the females are especially noted for this. Bull Terriers can make formidable guard dogs while their owners are away.

A white bull terrier with an exemplary 'egg shaped' head

The American Temperament Test Society, Inc. (ATTS), a not-for-profit organization that promotes uniform temperament testing for dog breeds, gives the Bull Terrier a pass rate of 92.1%. The average for all breeds is 81.5%. However, it should be noted that

a) the pass rate is a percentage of the "pass" and "total" numbers;

b) a fail in any of the ten subtests fails the entire test; and

c) the tests results do not include any performed after 31 December 2007.

ATTS, as at December 2007, has tested only 63 "Bull Terriers" (they don't list as "English Bull Terrier").

"Bullies" will usually live and play very amicably with other dogs, choosing to discourage with a firm put-down rather than biting any smaller or less capable animals wishing to rough-house outside their class.

The English bull terrier is a great family dog as they are calm and relaxed but will become very active when played with. After about a year or two they should be out of their puppy stage but they should then play with you when you want them to play.

Health

All puppies should be checked for deafness, as this sometimes occurs (most commonly in pure white dogs) and is difficult to notice, especially in a relatively young puppy. Many Bull Terriers have a tendency to develop skin allergies.^[2] Insect bites, such as those from fleas, and sometimes mosquitoes and mites, can produce a generalized allergic response of hives, rash, and itching. This condition can be stopped by keeping the dog free of contact from these insects, but this is definitely a consideration in climates or circumstances where exposure to these insects is inevitable. Their lifespan is somewhere between 10 and 14 years, although they can live longer - a male bull terrier house pet in South Wales, UK by the name of "Buller" lived to the age of 18 years. The oldest female Bull Terrier on record is an Australian house pet dubbed "Puppa Trout" who remained sprightly into her 17th year. The second oldest female Bull Terrier on record is "Boots Moon Stomp Stout (Crain)" of Denver, Colorado USA. Boots lived to be 16 years of age.

The Bull Terrier's coat is easy to maintain, but grooming can keep it in near-perfect condition. Adding oils to their meals can also vastly improve the quality of their coat.^{[citation needed]} The Bull Terrier requires a fair amount of exercise, but overworking the dog at a young age will cause strained muscles. Older dogs do require exercise, but in small doses, whereas younger ones will be happy to play for hours on end. The breed is renowned for being extremely greedy; be sure to maintain a good balance of exercise and food, or the dog can become overweight. Also, be sure to check ears, eyes, nose and mouth every day for signs of infection, they can also suffer from a bad heart.

Common Ailments: Deafness, Umbilical Hernia and Acne.^{[citation needed]} Bull Terriers can also suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder, such as tail chasing, self mutilation, and obsessive licking.^{[citation needed]}

History

Bull Terrier circa 1915.

Early in the mid-1800's the "Bull and Terrier" breeds were developed to satisfy the needs for vermin control and animal-based blood sports. The "Bull and Terriers" were based on the Old English Bulldog (now extinct) and one or more of Old English Terrier and "Black and tan terrier", now known as Manchester Terrier. This new breed combined the speed and dexterity of lightly built terriers with the dour tenacity of the Bulldog, which was a poor performer in most combat situations, having been bred almost exclusively for killing bulls and bears tied to a post. Due to the lack of breed standards -- breeding was for performance, not appearance -- the "Bull and Terrier" eventually divided into the ancestors of "Bull Terriers" and "Staffordshire (Bull) Terriers", both smaller and easier to handle than the progenitor.^[3][4][5][6]

About 1850, James Hinks started breeding "Bull and Terriers" with "English White Terriers" (now extinct), looking for a cleaner appearance with better legs and nicer head. In 1862, Hinks entered a bitch called "Puss" sired by his white Bulldog called "Madman" into the Bull Terrier Class at the dog show held at the Cremorne Gardens in Chelsea. Originally known as the "Hinks Breed" and "The White Cavalier", these dogs did not yet have the now-familiar "egg face", but kept the stop in the skull profile.^[7][8][9]

The difference between "Bullies" and "Staffies"

The dog was immediately popular and breeding continued, using Dalmatian, Greyhound, Spanish Pointer, Foxhound and Whippet to increase elgance and agility; and Borzoi and Collie to reduce the stop. Hinks wanted his dogs white, and bred specifically for this. Generally, however, breeding was aimed at increasing sturdiness: three "subtypes" were recognised by judges, Bulldog, Terrier and Dalmatian, each with its specific conformation, and a balance is now sought between the three. The first modern Bull Terrier is now recognised as "Lord Gladiator", from 1917, being the first dog with no stop at all.^{[7][8][3][10][11]}

Due to medical problems associated with all-white breeding, Ted Lyon among others began introducing colour, using Staffordshire Bull Terriers in the early 20th century. Coloured Bull Terriers were recognised as a separate variety (at least by the AKC) in 1936. Brindle is the preferred colour, but other colours are welcome.^[9]

Along with conformation, specific behaviour traits were sought. The epithet "White Cavalier", harking back to an age of chivalry, was bestowed on a breed which while never seeking to start a fight was well able to finish one, while socialising well with its "pack", including children and pups. Hinks himself had always aimed at a "gentleman's companion" dog rather than a pit-fighter -- though Bullies were often entered in the pits, with some success. Today the Bullie is valued as a comical, mischievous, imaginative and intelligent (problem-solving) but stubborn house pet suitable for experienced owners.^[3][12]

Bull Terrier facts

• The Afrikaans name for the Bull Terrier is Varkhond (Pig-dog). Many people think it is because of the pig-like appearance of the head and eyes. However, this name is more likely to have arisen as a result of the use in the past of cross-bred bull terriers during bush-pig and warthog hunting in South Africa, particularly in the Eastern Cape.

• There is also a miniature version of this breed; this distinct breed is officially known as the Miniature Bull Terrier.

• Bull Terriers are prominently featured in Jonathan Carroll's 1980 novel The Land of Laughs.

• Bull Terriers have appeared in several movies, including: A Dog's Life (1918), It's a Dog's Life (1955), Oliver!, Baxter, Patton, Toy Story, Babe: Pig in the City, Next Friday,Friday After Next, Frankenweenie, Trainspotting, Bulletproof and Derailed, "Scotland, PA", and "The Incredible Journey"

• A Bull Terrier appears in several scenes of the 1976 film Je t'aime... moi non plus. Not having seen one before, one of the main characters has difficulty determining whether it is a dog or a pig.

• Bull Terriers have also featured in television shows such as the 1970s television show Baa Baa Black Sheep, in the opening credits of the British television show Barking Mad, and in the short lived Fox series Keen Eddie.
• A Bull Terrier is the main character in a Max Brand novel "The White Wolf".

• Spuds Mackenzie, a dog featured in an advertising campaign for Bud Light beer in the late 1980s, was a bull terrier.

• Famous Canadian Don Cherry owned a Bull Terrier named "Blue" that is featured on the show "Hockey Night in Canada".

Famous Bull Terriers

• Bullseye mascot of the Target Corporation
• Meatball, White bull terrier pet of Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington in Baa Baa Black Sheep (TV series).
• Patsy Ann
• Rude Dog
• Whiskey, from the Eidos Commandos series
• Spuds MacKenzie
• Best in Show Champion Rocky Top's Sundance Kid - aka "Rufus" - Bull Terrier (Colored) - 2006 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show [1] [2]
• Scud, from the Disney/Pixar film Toy Story.
• Chico, a dog in Next Friday and Friday After Next
• Brut, in the novel, Answers to Brut, by Gillian Rubinstein
• Odd's dog, Kiwi, is rumored to be a bull terrier but he looks more like a Whippet.
• In Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, Bill Sykes owns an English Bull Terrier named Bullseye.
• The dog from Angry Kid
• Baxter, from the film Baxter - with the tagline, "Méfiez-vous du chien qui pense." ("Beware the dog that thinks.")
• Pete, from the Fox-television series "Keen Eddie", 13 episodes, 2003
• Chester, Chad's (Preppy) dog in Rockstar's video game Bully.
• Bodger, an old white bull terrier, is a major character in the book The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
• Fritz, the black-and-white bull terrier who appears in every Chris Van Allsburg book.
• Rick Springfield's bull terrier Ronnie appears on the cover of his album Working Class Dog.
• Sparky, the dog who appears in "Frankenweenie"
• Blue, owned by Canadian hockey commentator Don Cherry, is widely considered to be almost as famous as Cherry himself.^[13]
• Willie, owned by World War II US Army General George S. Patton and named after William the Conqueror.
• Abraxas Aaran, who portrayed Willie (see previous entry) in the 1970 film Patton.
• Spunky, of Rocko's Modern Life, resembles a Bull Terrier.
• Sam, friend and companion of Alby Mangels, Dutch-Australian adventurer, who accompanied Alby on his world travels.
• Lockjaw, Pepper's companion in Sierra's Pepper's Adventures in Time.
• Creampuff, one of Irish Murphy's pig hunting dogs from the Footrot Flats comic series^[14].
• Wally, the subject of the book Wally's World - Life with Wally the wonder dog by Canadian author Marsha Boulton
• Kirk Hammett of the thrash metal band Metallica has a bull terrier named Darla.
• Unnamed bull terriers regularly appearing in New Yorker cartoonist George Booth's cartoons. ^[15]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bull Terrier

• BullieSOS
• Bull Terrier Info Page
• Bull Terrier Ingles
• Bullies In Need Rescuing and rehoming Bull Terriers in the UK since 2002
• Bull Terrier Rescue, Inc.
• Dogs In Depth Page