English bull terriers bull dog and terrier breeds crossed

The English bull terriers came into existence where the bull dog and terrier breeds were crossed. They were originally bred for dog-fighting, but these dogs are lovable companions. The sport of dog-fighting became infamous when bull baiting was prohibited by law in England in 1835. There was need of a smaller breed so that on the arrival of police at the dog fights the dogs could be more easily hidden under ones coat.

As the dog fights usually remained longer than bulldog fights this dog breed had to be more energetic and light. The older type of bulldog was crossed with different terriers including Manchester terrier for the creation of a new type of fighting dog.

By crossing a bulldogs and terriers many mental and physical features like alertness in terrier, cohesiveness and high threshold of pain of the bulldog amalgamated in one breed.

It obtained the ability of a canine gladiator which would fight to the death to please his master. It got the head which is more closely resembled to that of the early bulldog and it was much leggier compared to bull terrier.

[caption id="attachment_1877" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="English Bull Terrier"][/caption]

For obtaining symmetrical body, longer head and to get rid of the bowed legs, James Hincks of Birmingham, England, in 1850, first standardized the breed by selectively breeding the old type bull terrier with other breeds, including the white english terriers. This resulted in an all white bull terrier with a cleaner outline and tight shoulders.

In order to distinguish English bull terriers from the bulldogs and terriers which looks same as the Staffordshire bull terrier today, James Hinks only bred white dogs. The English bull terriers breed was firstly named as Hinks Breed and also referred to as The White Cavalier because it was bred to protect himself and his family.

It is a conclusion based on guesswork that other breeds were further crossed along the generations giving bull terrier an egg-shaped head.

Infusion of Dalmatian blood to give the breed a more refined look, stronger and longer legs were confirmed by many sources. The Spanish pointer, The Greyhound, Foxhound and Whippet were crossed along the same lines. Crossing of Borzoi and Collie may also have been occurred into the gene pool for more refinement of the head.

Until 1895, the ears of the bull terrier were cut as closely as possible to make sure that during the fight they would not be harmed by the dogs opponent. After that cropping was prohibited by law. As it was outlawed bull terrier breeders now sought to breed exemplars whose ear were in good proportion with the rest of their body. The breed suffered a setback when breeders tried to get the required shaped ear without losing other qualities.

The first English Bull Terrier was named as Lord Gladiator and was born in 1917. It was the first dog of the breed that we now know as the English bull terriers.

Some experts suggested introducing colors other than white because there were some problems associated with the white color. Ted Lyon was the man who is known for the development and acceptance of colored bull terriers in the ring, whose favorite color was brindle.

In 1887, the first English bull terriers club was created in England. The bull terrier club published the bull terrier standard in 1888. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1895. Two different sizes, the standard bull terrier and the miniature bull terriers were recognized by AKC in 1992.

English bull terriers are more athletic and more playful today. Their energy make them good companions. They need steadfast handling and regular training.

Photo source:raasdecesdomundointeiro.blogspot.com