Bull Terrier

Size
Medium (11kg - 27kg)
Exercise
40 min/day
Training
Daily
Size of home
House with garden
Time at home
Alone with support
Grooming
Low maintenance
Barking preference
Watchdog barking
Personality
Independent

Breeder List

Breeder - Mr Stephen Mackintosh (Chewbacca)

chewbaccabt@hotmail.com
See Details
Breeder - Miss Sandy Avis (BRAEBULL)

wilko@activ8.net.au
See Details

History

The Bull Terrier as we know it today has its origins in England in the early 1800s. The breed was well established as early as 1830 and was mainly the result of crossing the old style Bulldog with several diﬀerent Terrier breeds. One of the first mentions of the Bull and Terrier in Australia was in the mid 1830’s. There is also mention of an imported Bull Terrier in Queensland in 1852, and in 1862 the first dog show in Australia was held in Hobart with 91 dogs entered including Bull Terriers.

In 1886 several Bull Terriers were imported into Victoria and NSW. With the popularity of the new sport of dog shows, a pure white dog with cleaner lines and longer in head became very fashionable. Colour was introduced by selective breeding to the old-style coloured Bull Terrier.

The first Bull Terrier (Miniature)s were imported into Australia by Wally Webster in the early 1960s. A turning point for the breed was when Lavinia (Busty) Graham- Weall- President of the UK Bull Terrier Club at the time- judged in Australia at the Pal International in 1970. A record entry from across Australia set the breed on a new trajectory.

In 2023 there were three Australian bred dogs competitively exhibited in the Bull Terrier Country Competition in Holland. Recently, an Australian dog was exported to the UK, where he has won 9 Challenge Certificates already, and has just been named Bull Terrier of the Year by the UK Club! This shows how far the breed in Australia has progressed.

Characteristics

It is said that the Bull Terrier is the “Gladiator of the canine race” and possesses great courage. It also must be symmetrical and active as well as amenable to discipline.

Often the clown, Bull Terriers will win your heart with their attention-seeking antics, but loving nature. Many a judge will agree with this assessment when they recall handling Bullies at shows!

A unique feature of the breed is its downward faced, egg-shaped head. The head should be strong and deep, right to the end of the muzzle. Viewed from the front it should be egg-shaped and completely ﬁlled. The breed’s proﬁle curves gently, from the top of the skull to the tip of its nose and its eyes should be small, triangular, as dark as possible and give a piercing glint. In fact, the whole dog should be a series of graceful curves- neck into shoulder, slight arching over loin, graceful underline, turn of stifle.

Appearance

Strongly built and muscular, the Bull Terrier is well balanced and active with a keen, determined and intelligent expression. It has been said that the Bull Terrier is an honest dog, as it is difficult to disguise any faults via clever grooming, and the virtues are obvious.

The modern Bull Terrier is a medium-sized dog with no weight or size restrictions according to the breed standard. But in the early days, smaller dogs weighing under 10kg were quite common and have now evolved as the Bull Terrier (Miniature). These two varieties of the breed share a common breed standard with a height recommendation for the Miniature being the only deviation – it should not exceed a height of 35.5cm.

The breed comes in various colours including white, white with head marks, brindle, black brindle, red, tricolour and fawn. In coloured Bull Terriers, colour should predominate. There are no other requirements within the standard regarding colour markings.

Please note that there are NO disqualifications in the breed standard. “Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.”

Health and Maintenance

The Bull Terrier is a relatively healthy breed, but can suﬀer from deafness, heart and kidney disease and some skin conditions. An eye disease called Primary Lens Luxation was prevalent, but found only in the Bull Terrier (Miniature). In 2009 the gene marker was discovered for the disease; this now allows breeders the opportunity to eradicate the disease using a simple DNA test. Reputable breeders test breeding stock for known health issues.

The Bull Terrier’s coat is short and requires only basic maintenance. If your dog spends a lot of time in the sun, be sure to apply sunscreen. The breed should also be tested for heart and kidney problems. Regular exercise and play sessions will help to prevent destructive behaviour brought on by boredom.

Owners should be aware that the breed has an extremely high threshold for pain and may not always show symptoms of illness. Life expectancy is between 12 and 14 years.

Temperament and Suitability

The breed possesses an even temperament, is highly intelligent, but can also be stubborn. Though some may not believe this, several Bullies have obedience titles! Overall it’s a fun-loving dog that is particularly good with people.

The Bull Terrier is happiest when living with a family and makes a wonderful companion. But as with any breed, care should be taken around small children. When the dogs are younger they are still very powerful and can be quite boisterous.

The breed is equally happy on a rural property as it is in an apartment. It will exercise as much as you want to. The Bull Terrier can be independent minded and stubborn, so should be socialised from an early age.

Words: Christine Craven, Ken Foster, Linda Martin
Image supplied by Tony Wiseman

In Conclusion

Now you know a little about the Bull Terrier, you may think that this is the dog for you. Before you make a decision, please make contact with the breed club or your State controlling body for purebred dogs. They will be able to give you information about available puppies and also suggest dog shows where you can see the breed and speak to breeders. In this way you will gain a better perspective of the Bull Terrier and its needs, and whether this breed would suit your lifestyle.

Official breed standard as recognized by Dogs NSW (Last Updated: 05 Aug 2009)

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A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament, and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.

General Appearance

Strongly built, muscular, well balanced and active with a keen, determined and intelligent expression.

Characteristics

Courageous, full of spirit, with a fun loving attitude. A unique feature is a downfaced, eggshaped head. Irrespective of size dogs should look masculine and bitches feminine.

Temperament

Of even temperament and amenable to discipline. Although obstinate is particularly good with people.

Physical Standards

Head and Skull	Head long, strong and deep right to end of muzzle, but not coarse. Viewed from front eggshaped and completely filled, its surface free from hollows or indentations. Top of skull almost flat from ear to ear. Profile curves gently downwards from top of skull to tip of nose which should be black and bent downwards at tip. Nostrils well developed and underjaw deep and strong.
Eyes	Appearing narrow and triangular, obliquely placed, black or as dark brown as possible so as to appear almost black, and with a piercing glint. Distance from tip of nose to eyes perceptibly greater than from eyes to top of skull. Blue or partly blue undesirable.
Ears	Small, thin and placed closed together. Dog should be able to hold them stiffly erect, when they point straight upwards.
Mouth	Teeth sound, clean, strong, of good size, regular with a perfect regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Lips clean and tight.
Neck	Very muscular, long, arched, tapering from shoulders to head and free from loose skin.
Forequarters	Shoulders strong and muscular without loading. Shoulder blades wide, flat and held closely to chest wall and have a very pronounced backward slope of front edge from bottom to top, forming almost a right angle with upper arm. Elbows held straight and strong, pasterns upright. Forelegs have strongest type of round, quality bone, dog should stand solidly upon them and they should be perfectly parallel. In mature dogs length of foreleg should be approximately equal to depth of chest.
Body	Body well rounded with marked spring of rib and great depth from withers to brisket, so that latter nearer ground than belly. Back short, strong with backline behind withers level, arching or roaching slightly over broad, well muscled loins. Underline from brisket to belly forms a graceful upward curve. Chest broad when viewed from front.
Hindquarters	Hindlegs in parallel when viewed from behind. Thighs muscular and second thighs well developed. Stifle joint well bent and hock well angulated with bone to foot short and strong.
Feet	Round and compact with well arched toes.
Tail	Short, set on low and carried horizontally. Thick at root, it tapers to a fine point.
Gait/Movement	When moving appears well knit, smoothly covering ground with free, easy strides and with a typical jaunty air. When trotting, movement parallel, front and back, only converging towards centre line at faster speeds, forelegs reaching out well and hindlegs moving smoothly at hip, flexing well at stifle and hock, with great thrust.
Coat	Short, flat, even and harsh to touch with a fine gloss. Skin fitting dog tightly. A soft textured undercoat may be present in winter.
Colour	For White, pure white coat. Skin pigmentation and markings on head not be penalised. For Coloured, colour predominates; all other things being equal, brindle preferred. Black brindle, red, fawn and tri-colour acceptable. Tick markings in white coat undesirable. Blue and liver highly undesirable.
Size	There are neither weight nor height limits, but there should be the impression of maximum substance for size of dog consistent with quality and sex.

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.