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Bull Terrier History

The Bull Terrier is a dog of English descent, that was originally was as a pit fighting dog. It was bred around the 1830's by cross breeding the English Bulldog with the now extinct White English Terrier. The aim of their breeding program was to get a lighter, more agile fighting dog. The dogs of this time were mostly white, but some breeders cross bred their dogs with Staffordshire Terriers to get the tri-colour coat. By Selective breeding the Bull Terrier has today developed into a companion animal and much loved family pet. The Bull Terrier was officially recognized as a breed by the AKC in 1885.

Bull Terrier Temperament

The character of the Bull Terrier is loving, affectionate, loyal and humorous. Since they are typical terriers, they tend to have a stubborn streak and can be difficult to train.They can be a socially dominant dog and tend not to do well with other dogs and strangers. Due to this fact, they need a strong, confident owner and are not suited to the first time dog owner. Bull terriers are alert and make good watch dogs, but some can be suspicious of strangers. They have very high prey drives, are atheletic and need a lot of exercise. They do well at at such dog sports as agility. In the right hands, a Bull Terrier makes an excellent family pet.

Bull Terrier Appearance

Bull Terriers are a medium sized, well muscled dog that usually weighs between 40 to 80 pounds and stand 15 to 22 inches at the withers. The most distinctive feature of this dog is it's egg shaped head and broad stance. They have a short, sleek coat and the acceptable colours are pure white, white with black patches, black and tan, fawn, and brindle

Bull Terrier Grooming

This breed needs very little care because of their short coat. A quick wipe down with a damp cloth and an occasional brushing will suffice.

Bull Terrier Life Expectancy and Health Problems

This is a generally robust breed with few health problems. The most common is an inherited zinc deficiency and the chance of deafness in pure white dogs. The average lifespan of Bull Terriers is 12 to 14 years.

Famous Bull Terriers

There are many famous Bull Terriers. The Target Corporation uses a Bull Terrier in their ad campaigns. Scud was a dog featured in the animated movie Toy Story. Bulls Eye was the companion of Fagan in the movie Oliver! Other Famous Bull Terriers are:

Blue, the dog of the famous hockey commentator Don Cherry

Spuds MacKenzie of the Bud Light Beer ads.

Bull Terrier Pros and Cons

This simplified list may help you decide if a Bull Terrier might be a good fit for your lifestyle.

Do You Want

• a medium sized, atheletic dog?
• an energetic dog that loves to play?
• a dog that has an easy care coat?
• a dog that makes a good watchdog?

Do You NOT Want

• a dog that needs a lot of exercise?
• a dog that needs a confident owner?
• a dog that can be suspicious around strangers?
• a dog that can be aggressive around other dogs?
• a dog that doesn't get along well with other small housepets like cats?

Useful Bull Terrier Links

The Bull Terrier Club of America

The Bull Terrier Club of Canada

The Bull Terrier Club UK