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No portrait of a breed is complete without a look at its origins, in
particular because the media keeps digging up these old accounts to
exaggerate the rare but nontheless terrible accidents.
 The
bull terrier is a British breed. Tales of fights between dogs and
bears, lions, bulls can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when
British noblemen satisfied their passion for gambling by putting on
these spectacles. To that end, various breeds of dogs developed. The
bull dog is first mentioned in the 17th century.
It was then a relatively short dog, which was used in fights against
bulls as its name indicates. This brave and noble breed brought
great honor and much financial gain for its owner. Only the
brightest and bravest animals survived the fights and were bred for
results. While the fights started out by pitting dog against bulls,
bears and lions, towards the end of the 18th century, the British
bourgeoisie became increasinly more interested in fights between
dogs and other dogs since the costs and spatial requirements were
much lower.
To meet these new requirements it became necessary to breed a
different kind of dog: the bulldog's bravery was needed in a
quicker, more agile dog. This led to the cross breeding of bull dogs
and terriers and a new breed: the bull terrier. The requirements for
this new breed: fight to the end, yet be obedient towards the owner!
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It is difficult to understand
nowadays how people could find these cruel spectacles, the dog fights,
entertaining. However, one has to remember that times were very
different: duels between men were then also a common occurrence and
even to this day, similarly perverted events such as bull are held
legally.
In England, animal fights were outlawed in 1835, but unfortunately
dog fights still take place in the underground scene. Bull terriers
are not often used in these fights since they do not have enough
natural agression to satisfy the perverts and animal torturers who
still find pleasure in watching these fights.
The rules for the early fights
stated that a fighting dog always had to be gentle and well inclined
towards humans. The media today ignores this fact and instead tries
to convince its readers that fighting dogs were bred to be dangerous
to humans and 'fighting dog' became 'killer dog'. People who are
familiar these animals know that the exact opposite is true: there
are few breeds of dog which are as trusting towards humans as
fighting dogs. A self confident dog with nerves of steel can never
be as dangerous as a nervous insecure animal: over 90% of dog bites
are result of the dog's fear or insecurity - traits which are
foreign to the bull terrier.
There are few people who do not
have an opinion of this breed - one way or another. You will either
meet total rejection (mostly by people who have never had contact
with a Bulli) or unrestrained enthusiasm. Objectively, one has to
admit that the looks of the bull terrier take some getting used to,
especially for someone who is not familiar with the breed. Even
though I had been visiting dog shows since my childhood, the Bulli's
looks kept me from finding out more about the breed for years.
Without having done my own research, I believed all the negative
publicity about bull terriers which can still be heard and read now.
But one day I went to a dog show and had to take a closer look at
the breed. And to my surprise, the dogs were very different than I
had expected. As anyone who gets to know the breed closely, I was
fascinated by their fun, happy, self confident manner. Which brings
me to the breed's most distinguishing mark: their character.
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 Even
as a pup, the Bulli is curious and approaches anything however big
or strange with confidence. The difference between bull terriers and
other breeds becomes apparent at about eight weeks of age: the
normal shyness and caution of all things strange which are common in
other breeds are entirely absent in bull terrier pups. The
extraordinary trust towards humans is also noticeable at that age.
Besides their intrepidmess and self-assuredness, the Bulli does
possess a certain stubbornness. Once he's fixed their his mind on
something, he'll probably get this way. His charm and dogged
persistence are irreststible and there is nary a bull terrier who
hasn't secured his spot on the sofa after a short time.
Because of their mixed heritage
(bull dog and terrier) there are two different kinds of bull
terriers. They can be either heavy built and closer resembling the
bull dog or possess the lighter wiry body type of the terrier. The
latter usually have more developed temperament. One of the most
pleasing characteristics of bull terriers is the fact that they are
not hunters by nature (although they can be taught).
Walks with a Bulli are
completely stress free, even in areas where game is plentiful. The
typical bull terrier never strays far from its owner. Some Bulli
owners do however underchallenge their dogs in terms of exercise -
they need a reasonable amount (maybe while the owner rides a bicycle)
every day to avoid becoming overweight. The breed does enjoy feed
enormously and you don't want to end up with a 'fat pig" instead of
an athlete!
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In closing, we as friends of
the bull terrier breed would appreciate if we and our dogs were met
with more objectivity. If you ever have the opportunity to really
get to know a bull terrier, I promise you will be fascinated by its
character and openmindedness, even if his looks may put you off
originally. As unique and strange as he looks, as uniquely wonderful
is his character. Anyone who knows one of these fun-loving bundles
of energy understands the saying 'There are dogs and there are bull
terriers'.
The Bulli is certainly not a
dog for anyone (but then which dog really is?). As the owner of a
bull terrier you should have an even temperament to be able to offer
firmness while training your dog. You should not be too sensitive
since people often make rude remarks and call the dogs names.
Comments like 'Is it true that bull terriers can't open their jaws
once they bite down on someone?', 'How strong is his bite?' or 'How
can anyone buy such an ugly dog?' are common and can frustrate and
hurt the proud new owner. On the other hand, because of the negative
comments by others, the owners and friends of this breed are a
tightly knit group, almost a secret society !
Bull terriers need exercise.
However, if you jog or bike for hours every day and are looking for
a companion, the bull terrier is not the right dog. He is the right
dog if you are looking for a fun, playful and energetic dog who will
accompany you on extended walks and occasional exercise.
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As with most breeds, there are
certain illnesses which are common in some lineages of bull terriers.
Unlike other large breeds, bull terriers do not commonly suffer from
hip dysplasia. On the other hand, cases of knee patellulaxation (dislocation
of the knee) have been becoming more common. This is probably due to
the extremely steep placement of the hind legs as well as some
genetic predisposition. Unfortunately, not enough emphasis in dog
shows is placed on well angled hips as opposed to a proper weight
and head structure. Dogs who place well in shows despite having less
than perfect motion of the hind legs are then unfortunately used for
breeding and pass these unfortunate traits on to their descendants.
A common problem especially among white Bullis is a sensitive skin.
Several factors need to be present however to cause this to turn
into a health problem: too much protein in the diet is often a
trigger, and a Bulli's diet (especially if he's light) should
therefore be balanced, but low in protein.
An excess of protein is a
burden on the entire body and over the years the kidneys suffer as
well. This is true for all dogs, but for dogs with a predisposition
for kidney disease, a bad diet can have dire consequences.
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Copyright 2002 © by Mag. R.
Bregenzer
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