Bull Terrier

History

The Bull Terrier breed is truly legendary – these dogs are known all over the world. Over the years of their fighting career, they have earned a reputation as fearless and dangerous animals. Bull Terriers were created specifically for fights in the ring with other dogs.

Accordingly, for these purposes, a dog with unsurpassed fighting qualities was required. In England, this type of entertainment was especially popular, although it was banned by the authorities. In 1850, John Hicks, an expert on dogs from Birmingham, set about creating the breed. To do this, he crossed a white English Terrier (extinct today), an English Bulldog, and a little later he even added a Dalmatian. Although, if you look at the Bull Terrier, you wouldn’t be able to tell.

It took John almost 12 years to create a new breed. The first individuals were presented at an exhibition in 1862. We can say that they have become carriers of the best qualities in all the breeds that took part in their creation. That is – excellent endurance, courage, quick reaction, powerful jaw pressure, excellent physical shape, and intelligence. Strange as it may seem.

The dog standard was first drawn up in the late 19th century by the English Kennel Club. About the same time as the American Kennel Club. Bull terriers with a variety of colors were officially adopted at the beginning of the 20th century.

Description

The Bull Terrier has a compact outline, a muscular build, and is proportional and strongly built. The limbs are strong, and the tail and ears are now, as a rule, not cut off. The head has a non-standard ovoid shape.

Personality

Among ordinary people who are not connoisseurs of dogs, it is very common to believe that the Bull Terrier is a dangerous and inadequate animal. However, free crossbreeding plays a huge role here, often practiced by owners around the world. Accordingly, no one particularly conducts screening and quality control of these dogs. In addition, many deliberately instill aggression and fighting qualities in their dogs. And then they give offspring.

But if we are talking about a Bull Terrier with a good pedigree, taken from a kennel with a good reputation, this dog will surprise you with its friendliness, openness, and good manners. Just like an English gentleman, such a bull terrier knows how to behave in the family, and knows how to behave in society. The dog requires a high level of exercise, training, strength training, and running.

If you are not ready to provide your animal with sufficient activity but really want this particular dog, at least make sure that it has the opportunity to walk outside as much as possible. These are sociable dogs, they love to be in the company of people, and they are strongly attached to their family. They do not like to be alone for a long time.

They treat children well but with very small children and infants, you have to be careful since children at this age scream a lot and still do not know how to behave with a dog. They have a normal level of intelligence, while they are very capable students and all their qualities are amendable to development, including the mind.

This dog needs early socialization. You have to familiarize it with other people, different situations, and other animals, otherwise, it may have aggression towards other dogs. They can be used for protection but they will not be suitable as a watchdog for your house since they can’t live on the street all year round. Unless you live in a warm climate and have no winters.

Training

The Bull Terrier breed is great for training but requires a confident owner with a balanced character. You must be a calm and consistent coach who knows what he wants. You always need to have a clear plan of action and you should never lose your temper over small failures. The dog must see you as a leader who surpasses him both in strength and in personal qualities.

Bull Terrier training should begin at about six months of age, and you must definitely teach the dog basic commands and achieve their perfect execution even in the presence of distractions. Cancel commands are especially important, which can serve you well if your dog gets into a fight with another dog – no breed is immune to this. If you want to train a Bull Terrier specialized commands and make him, for example, a guard dog, it is better to hire a specialist for this purpose.

Care

The Bull Terrier breed needs brushing once a week. Their nails are usually cut three times a month. You should bathe the animal once or twice a week. Always make sure that your pet’s eyes and ears are clean. In cold weather, dress your dog in overalls for a walk.

Common Disease

The Bull Terrier has some health problems, the most common are:

• Hereditary Nephritis – a severe form of kidney disease in Bull Terriers, often seen at an early age. It is caused by small and underdeveloped kidneys, or malfunctioning kidney filters, resulting in high levels of protein in the urine. Such individuals usually do not live longer than 3 years.
• Deafness;
• Heart disease;
• Skin problems;
• May be susceptible to contact or inhalation allergies;
• Lens luxation.

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