bull terrier

Bull Terrier

A red 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.

Description

Appearance

A white bull terrier showing triangular eyes

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 deep-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

Though this breed was once a fierce gladiator, it is much gentler today. A Bull Terrier might have a preventive effect and it will certainly defend its owner in a truly critical situation. Bull terriers are known to be courageous, scrappy, fun-loving, active, clownish and fearless. The Bull Terrier is a loyal, polite, and obedient dog. They become very attached to their owners. The Bull Terrier thrives on firm, consistent leadership and affection and makes a fine family pet. Bull Terriers like to be doing something and fit in well with active families where they receive a great deal of companionship and supervision. They do not do well in situations where they are left alone for 8 hours a day. This breed can be a wonderful pet if very thoroughly socialized and trained, but not recommended for most households. Fond of both grown-ups and children, but if they do not get enough physical and mental exercise they may be too energetic for small children. Children should be taught how to display leadership towards the dog. Meek owners will find them to become very protective, willful, possessive and or jealous. Bull Terriers may try to join into family rough housing or quarrel. Bull Terriers must be given a lot of structure. Be sure to socialize them well and remain their pack leader 100% of the time, otherwise, they can be extremely aggressive with other dogs. Unaltered males may not get along with other male dogs. Males and females can live together happily and two females can also be a good combination with care and supervision. They are not recommended with other non-canine pets such as hamsters and guinea pigs. They make excellent watch dogs.

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 problem 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.^{[citation needed]} The oldest female Bull Terrier on record is an Australian house pet dubbed "Puppa Trout" who remained sprightly into her 17th year.^{[citation needed]} The second oldest female Bull Terrier on record is "Boots Moon Stomp Stout (Crain)" of Denver, Colorado USA.^{[citation needed]} Boots lived to be 16 years of age.^{[citation needed]}

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]} English Bull Terriers have thin, fine hair that requires minimal grooming. They are known to have light shedding patterns, they are also hypoallergenic. Another important issue is that any whiteness around the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, stomach or hindquarters with a short and sparse haired breed such as this must be protected against the sun with a gentle but high SPF factored sunscreen to prevent sunburn and subsequent cancer. 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 elegance 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 many 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", "The Incredible Journey", and Space Buddies",

• 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.
• Rex from the film Stealing Harvard. Rex is a mean dog who always agrees with his master. However, his crankyness goes away when he tries to bite a man in the crotch and ends up falling in love.
• 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 and was also the name of a famous MA 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
• Mr. Séamus the muse for Canadian Pop Surrealist painter Brandon Steen
• 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]
• Fuchsl, Adolf Hitler's dog while he fought in the trenches of World War 1. The dog was reportedly lost, which upset Hitler, however his love for dogs and respect for the breed continued into later life.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bull Terrier

• Bull Terrier SA || A complete encyclopedia!
• UK Coloured Bull Terrier Club
• BullieSOS
• Bull Terrier Info Page
• Bullies In Need Rescuing and rehoming Bull Terriers in the UK since 2002
• Bull Terrier Rescue, Inc.
• Dogs In Depth Page