Bull Terrier

The Bull Terrier has two varieties, the white and the colored. The white is to be solid white, and the colored can be any color other than white, or any color with white markings as long as the white isn't predominate.

The breed dates back to about 1835. They were established by mating a bulldog to the now extinct white English Terrier. They were then called "bull and terrier." Years later, in an attempt to make the breed larger, they were crossed with Spanish Pointers.

This was a dog for sportsman, when dogfights were allowed and well attended. They were known as the "gladiator" of the canine world. They had great strength, agility and courage. They were bred for gentleman, by gentlemen-those who had a great sense of fair play, and those who scorned the liar and the deceiver in any game. The dog was taught to defend itself and his master, yet not to ever seek out or provoke any fighting. The white variety, which was the most popular variety in those times, was known as the "white cavalier."

One of the founding fathers of Bull Terriers, bred a strain of all white Bull Terrier dogs. With popularity, only white bull terriers were shown. This is where the term "White Cavalier" originated. The all white dogs were seen with occasional patches of color found mostly on the head. During the redevelopment of the breed after the ear cropping ban, and the movement to the downward head we now see in today's Bull Terriers, the acceptance of color on the head arrived in the show ring. And due to a few determined breeders, the dogs were outcrossed to the older styled colored terriers. The man who is known for the development and acceptance of colored bull terriers in the ring is Ted Lyon, whose preferred color was brindle. Today there is no such dog of a pure white Bull Terrier. All Bull terriers, including those who appear all white in color are colored bull terriers. The white bull terriers of today are a result of a white masking factor that masks the color of the dog. Even today, with all things being equal the preferred color for colored Bull Terriers is brindle, due to the fact that brindle can be easily lost.

In 1895, King Edward VII expressed This opinion to stop ear cropping to the Kennel Club, in turn they declared the ban of ear cropping which did set the breed back several years. This forced English Bull Terrier fanciers to redesign the ear. The person most credited with the development of the tulip ear is Harry Monk. The United States did not accept the change as quickly. It wasn't until 1956 until the standard was finally rewritten calling for an erect ear. The standard had called for a cropped ear up until the early 1930s.


Bull Terriers require a lot of patience, especially during the puppy months. These times can be very trying for you and your dog. As you will learn their mouths are purpose built. There is little to persuade them not to destroy. It is a good idea to provide quality chew toys that can stand up to a young Bull Terrier's teething phase.

Health concerns for Bull Terriers include: Unilateral and Bilateral deafness which is when Bull Terrier is deaf, but the degree of hearing can vary. It can be either unilaterally (one-sided) in which the dog is able to hear in one ear, or bilateral (both ears affected) in which the dog can not hear at all. Deafness can occur in both whites and coloreds.

Another concern is Luxating Patellas, which is when the kneecap slips out of place. The range can be mild to severe and depends on how shallow the groove is. The parents can be checked for this when they are two years old by an orthopedic veterinarian. It is always wise to limit a puppy/ adolescence bull terrier's strenuous activity to help not cause undue strain on young joints.

Kidney Disease is also a concern with the Bull Terrier. This is divided into three forms. The first is renal dysplasia which results kidney failure. The disease causes the kidney's cells to develop improperly, resulting in a nonfunctioning kidney(s).

The second form is Hereditary nephritis. This is also fatal, but with a slower progression. Research has not been able to determine a specific age to test for because it can range in age from as early as 2 years up to 8 years. The best prevention is testing breeding dogs every year for Urine-Protein/ Urine-Creatinine Ratio.

The most recently discovered kidney disease is Polycystic Kidney Disease. You may also hear it as PCKD. It is very common to be seen inconjuction with heart valvular problems. Currently, the most reliable diagnose is made from an ultrasound of the kidneys.

Reputable breeders will test their dogs for these problems prior to breeding them, which will make dogs from their kennel much less likely to have any of these conditions. Please be aware of the problems in the breed and make sure that the breeder does the proper health screenings to assure your pet will be as healthy as possible his whole life.

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