Bull Terrier

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Bull Terrier

A brindle and white Bull Terrier

Other names

English Bull Terrier
Pig dog (obsolete)

Country of origin

Traits

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.

1 Description
- 1.1 Appearance
- 1.2 Temperament
2 Health
3 History
4 Bull Terrier facts
5 Famous Bull Terriers
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Description

[edit] Appearance

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

Bull Terrier physique

Weight:	20-33 kg (45-72 pounds.)
Height:	51-61 cm (20-24 inches.)
Coat:	Short, dense
Litter size:	~5
Life span:	10-12 years

Bull Terriers are thick-set and muscular with a short, dense coat. Acceptable colours for show dogs are white, (skin pigmentation and markings on the head are not penalised 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: 15-33 kg (35-72 pounds) The Bull Terrier and the Miniature Bull Terrier are the only recognised breeds that have triangle-shaped eyes.

[edit] Temperament

A Bull Terrier doing dog agility

Bull Terriers are known as friendly and outgoing dogs, even having a "clownish" attitude about them. Their physical strength is matched by their intelligence, and both body and mind need to be kept active. They can be fun and playful. As a breed they are generally placid and will not normally make the first move. They are very affectionate dogs that love human company. Bull Terriers are particularly good with children, and usually have a high pain threshold, which reduces the risk of injury 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. Bull Terriers do not make as good a guard dog as people think due to their fondness for people, but will defend their "pack" if needed.

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 91.5%. The average for all breeds is 81.5%.

[edit] 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]^[3] Insect bites, such as 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 - the oldest female Bull Terrier on record being an Australian housepet dubbed "Puppa Trout" who remained sprightly into her 17th year.^[4] 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.

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

[edit] History

The Bull Terrier was developed in England during the 1860s and 1870s. During the 1860s and 1870s the Old English Bulldog had already been extinct for decades, and James Hinks of Birmingham employed the services of his own modern English bulldog named "Madman", the English White Terrier (which was not a working or sporting terrier, the White English Terrier began its creation in the 1860s, and was first presented to the public in 1864).^[5] A breeder crossed the English White Terrier with the New English Bulldog to create the Bull Terrier.

Colored Bull Terriers are due to Bull Terrier breeders crossing their dogs with Staffordshire Bull Terriers in the 1900's..^[6]

With the Original Bull and Terrier blood, combined with an injection of an original strain of Bull and Terrier blood from the Staffordshire Bull Terrier in the early 1900s, the Bull Terrier still remains a formidable sporting Terrier..^[7]

[edit] 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, Frankenweenie, Trainspotting, Bulletproof and Derailed, "Scotland, PA"

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.

[edit] Famous Bull Terriers

Bullseye mascot of the Target Corporation
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]
Grimm, from the cartoon Mother Goose and Grimm by Mike Peters.
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 the film Oliver!, 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.[3]
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.
Meatball, White bull terrier pet of Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington in Ba Ba Black Sheep.
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.