Known for their distinctly-shaped head and their jaunty gait, bull terriers are one of the most popular dog breeds in existence. As their name suggests, bull terriers are a cross-breed between pitbulls and terriers, but they’re known to be from the terrier family, and thus, possesses most of a terriers qualities. Bull terriers are active, zany, and fun-loving, thus, they have become popular characters in various movies, books, cartoons, and advertisements. The most popular bull terriers would be Spuds MacKenzie from the Budweiser beer commercials during the 1980s or just recently as the Bullseye, the dog from Target.
Bull terriers are the gladiators of the dog world, known to defend their owners during critical situations. They are known to be cheerful, active, scrappy, clownish, and very courageous. They quickly develop an attachment with their owners, making them very loyal pets. However, these dogs must never be left alone for more than eight hours a day for they tend to get very lonely. Bull terriers need lots of exercise, and at some cases, may even be too rowdy or energetic for small children. This dog breed needs to be dominated by a firm owner with consistent leadership, lest they turn into willful, protective, and possessive dogs that are hard to train and control.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) categorizes dogs into 7 groups:
- herding
- hound
- non-sporting
- sporting
- terrier
- toy
- working
The Bull Terrier is categorized by the American Kennel Club as a terrier, more specifically, a bull type terrier. Terriers are generally small, very active, wiry, and fearless, originally trained to hunt down foxes, rabbits, and rats.
Bull Terriers were once thought of to be fierce dogs, but they are much gentler today. They do exceptionally well in defending their owners in critical situations, but they are far from being true guard dogs. This dog breed is generally polite, loyal, and obedient.
Owners who have long cared for bull terriers use a variety of words to describe them. Here are among the most popular.
- Active
- Loyal
- Zany
- Spontaneous
- Intense
- Obedient
- Fearless
- Sociable
- Needs companionship
- Rambunctious
- Rough
- Fun
- Loves to play
History of Bull Terriers
Before mid-19th century, the bull and terrier breeds were used to control vermin and participate in various animal blood sports. Bull and terrier dogs where interbred to create the bull terrier, a dog with the dexterity and the speed if terriers and the tenacity of bulldogs. Many dog breeders claimed that breeding terriers with bulldogs created a product that enhances the fighting quality of these dogs. Todays bull terriers are the descendants of the bull and terriers of past ages, with their close cousins being the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Today, bull terriers are far from what they have been originally bred to become. They are comical, imaginative, mischievous, and very intelligent, thus, they can become stubborn house pets for owners who are inexperienced.
Active and Sociable Dogs
Bull terriers are both very active and very sociable. They love the company of people, and should they be made to live indoors, should always be in the company of people. When left alone, bull terriers tend to be very destructive, especially when they are bored.
A bull terrier can be very strong willed and thus, may be a challenge to train. This particular quality makes the bull terrier unsuitable for timid and first-time dog owners who don’t know anything about training. A bull terrier that isn’t socialized and trained at an early age will turn aggressive towards animals, dogs, and people that he does not know.
Bull Terrier Training…
