The Bull Terrier was the first of many breed dogs bred and developed from the cross between Bulldogs and Terrier’s, so popular with the sporting fraternity and high society in the UK during the 19th century, and throughout the Victorian era.
It was the result of a strain, until then called "Bull and Terrier", which was nothing more and nothing less than a broad denomination used at the time to classify dogs resulting from crossbreeding and their subsequent direct descendants, among bulldogs of the time and some terrier-type breeds, namely the old English White Terrier (now extinct), which became widespread after the English parliament banned dog fights in 1835.
This denomination was common to dogs of varied type and of little homogeneity and although the Bull terrier shares a similar name, it appears as an improved section, modernized by the old fighting dogs and developed primarily as a hierarchical symbol, resulting from the growing influence and high society's interest in canine exhibitions that arose when dogs competed for their appearance, rather, for their morphological beauty.
The consumerism exacerbated by this impetuous “formal” society and the growing influence of high society's interest in power games have given rise to many new breeds, both for the new and modern sport among purebred dogs, and for clubs, exhibitions, literature and infrastructure that accompanied them. The popularity of the public's growing interest in dogs was reflected in the increase in shows and in prizes that amounted to high rewards.
At the end of the 1850's, a big change was to come, James Hinks, a breeder and dog dealer from Birmingham, who until then owned some of the best old fighting dogs at the time, had experimented, crossing these dogs mostly Old English White Terrier (now extinct) and some Dalmatians, resulting in a new strain of white dogs, which he would later call Bull Terriers, a name by which they would become widely known.
This new breed of dog was refined and its resemblance to the old bulldog had been extensively restructured, they appeared with a long and clean head of wrinkles, long neck, muscular, more stylized and active and a finish far from the rusticity of its direct ascendant, in short, they turned the old fighting dog into a civilized warrior.
Quickly, this “Old Stock”, more attractive and modernized, brought many admirers together and the real White rider became a fashion of exuberance, elegance, exoticism and power.
The first brushstrokes of the first standard of the breed appear in 1887 by the recently formed breed club (BTC), describing the Bull Terrier as a dog of strong construction, square, muscular, symmetrical and active, determined and intelligent expression, full of fire, but with a sweet and mild disposition to discipline. A unique feature is its descending nasal cane and oval shaped head. Regardless of size, Males should look masculine and Females feminine.
In Bull Terriers the most exacerbated characteristic that differentiates them from other dogs is the head. Therefore, for a dog to be considered “typical”, it must obviously have a long, well-filled head with no groove or depression. It should have a curved profile from the tip of the occiput to the tip of the nose.
From the front, the head should be ovoid, without any imperfections or grooves between or below the eyes. Expression is also very important, the correct skull design cannot be enhanced by large eyes and set low, giving the appearance of a sheep's expression, or large ears inserted laterally, giving the appearance of a donkey. The eyes are small, dark and triangular, the ears small, thin, pointed, placed together and always pointed upwards. The black truffle gives the Bull Terrier a very characteristic, penetrating and alert expression.
This expression is commonly described as “varmitty” (which has no synonym in Portuguese, but the closest would be a predator expression, or predator expression). The jaw must be square, well developed and the bite should be closed with scissors.
Another equally important feature is the presence of bone and substance. The Bull Terrier has no minimum or maximum size, but the standard says that the dog should always have maximum substance in relation to its size. Essentially the breed describes a thick, muscular dog with heavy, round bones, giving the impression of a lot of body density, but never to the point of being coarse. The Bull Terrier should be balanced and agile, the back should be short, the shoulder should be well placed and muscular, the hindquarters angled and well built and the thighs muscular. The upper line should be very wide followed by a slight depression near the last rib, ending in a short tail, set low and carried horizontally..
In color, Bull Terriers can be white, pure white fur. Skin pigmentation or markings above the neck line are allowed and should not be penalized. In color, color predominates over white. The brindle is preferred. Dark brindle, red (suede), brown and tricolor are acceptable. Blue stains and/or livers are highly undesirable and penalized by the standard.
In terms of hair, the Bull Terrier is a low maintenance breed, with just a few weekly brushings and a bath when necessary.
The temperament of the Bull Terrier breed differs from that of other breeds, in that they prefer the company of the owner much more than the company of other dogs, so when we are going to introduce a Bull Terrier into a family in which another dog already lives, it is essential to select sex and character. With children they are extremely affectionate and careful, although sometimes a little clumsy, they are especially friendly, faithful and protective.
Owning a Bull Terrier is not a “seven-headed bug”, any dog of any breed tends to mischief in their home and these dogs, if well disciplined, will surely lose these mania before they reach adulthood..
The Bull Terrier is an eternal playful, often referred to as "the clown" of the canine breeds. It is a breed that needs little space, as they will spend most of their time lying somewhere. The ideal, and for any breed, are daily walks, with a lot of fun, but the Bull Terrier will not “die” if one day it is closed and he cannot go for a walk.
The Bull Terrier likes affection but needs owners who are firm. They will never be aggressive towards people and despite being a little jealous, dogs of typical temperament will not react under any circumstances. They will not make the neighbor's dog miserable, nor terrify the park. They are strong dogs, who react if they are attacked, but a Bull Terrier with a typical temperament is the “dizzy” type and will never “attack before and ask after”, these characteristics are reflected in dogs with temperamental deviations.
A Bull Terrier is an eternal lover, a breed to be in constant contact with adults and children, so don't even insist on wasting time training a Bull Terrier to guard.
Enio Roque Velho