The Bull Terrier is a very strong muscular dog. Strong in body and in mind. At times can be very stubborn. They make good family pets and are good with children. Can tolerate other animals if brought up with them. Only experienced Breeder/owners should have more than one dog in the household. Can be nippy when teething.

FOOD COST - £5 -£8 PER WEEK

Some can be fussy eaters others will devour every thing in sight. So can put on too much weight if not exercised enough and will become couch potatoes if given the choice.

HEALTH - Not prone to illness but will pick up and eat anything left on the floor. So care must be taken or will be costly at the vets to remove obstruction. Can result in death of dog.  Can suffer from skin complaints (Acne, possible diet, gluten allergy)

AVERAGE PRICE OF PUPPY - £600-£800

EXPECTED LIFESPAN - 8 to 15 years with correct diet and exercise.

WEIGHT AND SIZE - Come in all sizes.(NO SIZE LIMIT) From Terrier type to Bull type. Terrier being lighter from about 25 kilos to Bull at about 35kilos and more.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - ENGLAND

HISTORY - Originally bred as a fighting dog, Bull baiting, ratting etc; towards the end of the 1800’s was bred as a gentleman’s pet and companion and for the show ring.

Today are renowned as a family pet and house dog. Not content to just sit at your feet but just loves to sit with you or on you as close as possible.

LIKES AND DISLIKES - Do not like being left alone for long periods. Can get distressed and lick paws continually.

Loves company and attention. Likes exercise and playing. May not like walks if raining. Like travelling in car.     

CHARACTER AND TEMPERAMENT - Bull Terriers are friendly dogs but will protect the family. They have a great sense of humour and are highly intelligent. They need to be active and stimulated. They need a firm but kind hand as they can be obstinate and hard work for the first time owner. Patience and proper training and love will be rewarded with total love and devotion from your Bull Terrier. Bull Terriers are normally quite placid but it must be remembered what they were originally bred for. They will not normally make the first move but if challenged by another dog they will react.

GROOMING - A good stiff brush once or twice a week is all that is required.

Check ears and teeth and clean as necessary. Road walking should keep nails short but Dew claws will need trimming regularly.

COLOURS - White, white with head markings, brindle, brindle and white, red , red and white, tricolour, black brindle, fawn.

BREED STANDARD

GENERAL APPEARANCE - Strongly built, muscular, well balanced and active with a keen, determined and intelligent expression.  

CHARACTERISTICS - The Bull Terrier is the gladiator of the canine race, full of fire and courageous.  A unique feature is a down faced, egg shaped head.  Irrespective of size dogs should look masculine and bitches feminine. 

TEMPERAMENT - Of even temperament and amenable to discipline.  Although obstinate is particularly good with people.  

HEAD AND SKULL - Head long, strong and deep right to end of muzzle, but not coarse.  Viewed from front egg shaped and completely filled, its surface free from hollows or indentations.  Top of skull almost flat from ear to ear.  Profile curves gently downwards from top of skull to tip of nose which should be black and bent downwards at tip.  Nostrils well developed and under jaw deep and strong. 

MOUTH - Teeth sound, clean, strong, of good size, regular with a perfect regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.  Lips clean and tight.  

EYES - Appearing narrow, obliquely placed and triangular, well sunken, black or as dark brown as possible so as to appear almost black, and with a piercing glint.  Distance from tip of nose to eyes perceptibly greater than that from eyes to top of skull.  Blue or partly blue undesirable. 

EARS - Small, thin and placed closed together.  Dog should be able to hold them stiffly erect, when they point straight upwards. 

NECK - Very muscular, long, arched, tapering from shoulders to head and free from loose skin. 

FOREQUARTERS - Shoulders strong and muscular without loading.  Shoulder blades wide, flat and held closely to chest wall and have a very pronounced backward slope of front edge from bottom to top, forming almost a right angle with upper arm.  Elbows held straight and strong, pasterns upright.   Forelegs have strongest type of round, quality bone, dog should stand solidly upon them and they should be perfectly parallel.  In mature dogs length of foreleg should be approximately equal to depth of chest. 

BODY - Body well rounded with marked spring of rib and great depth from withers to brisket, so that latter nearer ground than belly.  Back short, strong with backline behind withers level, arching or roaching slightly over broad, well muscled loins.  Underline from brisket to belly forms a graceful upward curve.  Chest broad when viewed from front. 

HINDQUARTERS - Hind legs in parallel when viewed from behind.  Thighs muscular and second thighs well developed.   Stifle joint well bent and hock well angulated with bone to foot short and strong.  

FEET - Round and compact with well arched toes. 

TAIL - Short, set on low and carried horizontally.  Thick at root, it tapers to a fine point. 

GAIT/MOVEMENT - When moving appears well knit, smoothly covering ground with free, easy strides and with a typical jaunty air.   When trotting, movement parallel, front and back, only converging towards centre line at faster speeds, forelegs reaching out well and hind legs moving smoothly at hip, flexing well at stifle and hock, with great thrust. 

COAT - Short, flat, even and harsh to touch with a fine gloss.  Skin fitting dog tightly.  A soft textured undercoat may be present in winter. 

COLOUR - For White, pure white coat.   Skin pigmentation and markings on head not be penalised.  For Coloured, colour predominates; all other things being equal, brindle preferred.  Black brindle, red, fawn and tri-colour acceptable.  Tick markings in white coat undesirable.  Blue and liver highly undesirable. 

SIZE - There are neither weight nor height limits, but there should be the impression of maximum substance for size of dog consistent with quality and sex. 

FAULTS - Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree. 

NOTE - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.