Canis lupus familiaris – Bull Terrier

Family : Canidae

Text © Pietro Paolo Condò – Giudice Enci-fci

 

English translation by Mario Beltramini

 

It descends from the old English white terrier, nowadays extinct, and like all the terriers of the type bull, its origins are those of a fighting dog, a dog employed in the fights which were much appreciated in the XVIII and XIX centuries in England.

Originally, its coat was fully white, later on, through crossings with the Staffordshire bull terrier, they got also the coloured coat, which has been recognized by mid twentieth century and which is possible to cross with the white one.

It is a solidly built dog, muscular, well balanced and active, with an acute, determined and intelligent expression.

The head is long and strong, typically egg-shaped, the black truffle, the strong denture with a perfect scissors bite, the narrow eyes, slant placed, well deep-set, black or the most possible dark brown with a penetrating look, the small and close ears.

The neck is well muscled and without dewlap, the body is well roundish, the back is short.

The tail is short too; low inserted and carried horizontally, is big at the base and then reduces to a thin tip. The limbs have a good bony framework with muscled shoulders and thighs; round and compact feet; the fingers are well curved.

 When moving, it is well compact and covers the ground with nimble and easy paces and in typical lively manner; the forelimbs have a good extension and the back ones move easily since from the hip, bending well knees and hocks, with a remarkable shove.

The skin adheres strictly to the dog, the hair is short, flat and hard when touched (in winter time there can be down hair with morbid texture). Colours: a) pure white (the pigmentation of the skin and the dots on the head are not to be penalized); b) particolored, where the colour must prevail (the preferred colour is the brindled, are acceptable the brindled black, the red, the tawny and the tricolour, highly undesirable are the blue and the liver).

The normal sized bull terrier has no limits of size and of weight, but it must give the impression of maximum substance in respect to the size, whilst the bull miniature, which is nothing else than a bull in reduced measure, must not exceed the 35,5 cm (14 inches) whilst there are no weight limits.

After the standard, the bull terrier, rightly called the gladiator of the dog races, is full of fire and brave, of calm temper, easy to manage and, even if stubborn, particularly good with the persons. The selection, which was aimed to improve its character has nowadays rendered the breed, fights forgotten, is purely a companion dog, where, however, remain untouched courage, predatory instinct and tendency to the dominancy.

In family, it’s a sociable and playful dog, affectionate and loving of the comforts, even if being very active.

 

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