Dog
Group:
Terrier 
Bull Terrier Champions
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Breed Description:
The Bull Terrier is a powerfully built, burly white dog with a distinctive body and an even more distinctive egg-shaped head. He is muscular and active, with a determined and intelligent expression and a sweet disposition. The head of the Bull Terrier breed of dog is long, strong and deep right to the end of the muzzle. It is egg-shaped, and should be filled completely. In profile it should curve gently downwards from the top of the skull to the tip of the nose. The forehead should be flat across from ear to ear. The distance from the tip of the nose to the eyes should be perceptibly greater than that from the eyes to the top of the skull. The underjaw should be deep and well defined. The lips of a Bull Terrier should be clean and tight. Teeth should meet in either a level or a scissors bite. In the scissors bite, the upper teeth should fit in front of and closely against the lower teeth, and they should be sound, strong and perfectly regular. The ears of the Bull Terrier breed of dog should be small, thin and placed close together. They should be capable of being held stiffly erect, pointing upwards. The eyes should be well sunken and as dark as possible, with a piercing glint. They should be small, triangular and obliquely placed; set near together and high up on the dog's head. The nose is black, with well-developed nostrils bent downward at the tip. The neck of the Bull Terrier breed of dog is very muscular, long, arched and clean, tapering from the shoulders to the head and devoid of loose skin. The chest is broad when viewed from in front, with great depth from withers to brisket, so that the latter is nearer the ground than the belly. The body should be well rounded, with marked spring of rib. The back should be short and strong. The back ribs deep. Slightly arched over the loin. The shoulders should be strong and muscular. The shoulder blades should be wide and flat and there should be a very pronounced backward slope from the bottom edge of the blade to the top edge. The underline from the brisket to the belly should form a graceful upward curve. The legs of the Bull Terrier breed of dog should be big boned but not to the point of coarseness; the forelegs should be of moderate length, perfectly straight. The elbows must turn neither in nor out, and the pasterns should be strong and upright. The hind legs should be parallel viewed from behind. The thighs very muscular with hocks well let down. Hind pasterns short and upright. The stifle joint should be well bent with a well-developed second thigh. The feet are round and compact with well-arched toes like a cat. The Bull Terrier's tail should be short, set on low, fine, and ideally should be carried horizontally. It should be thick where it joins the body, and then taper to a fine point. The coat of the Bull Terrier should be short, flat, harsh to the touch and with a fine gloss. The dog's skin should fit tightly. In color, the Bull Terrier breed of dog is white. Markings on the head are permissible. Markings elsewhere on the coat are to be severely faulted. Skin pigmentation is not to be penalized. The Bull Terrier breed of dog has a smooth gait, covering the ground with free, easy strides. Fore and hind legs should move parallel each to each when viewed from in front or behind. The dog should move compactly and in one piece, but with a jaunty air suggesting agility and power.
Temperament:
The Bull Terrier breed of dog is often stubborn, but outgoing and even-tempered. He is playful and friendly, very attached to his family but protective around strangers. He requires early socialization to coexist peacefully with other pets. His loyalty is unmatched. He needs a firm but kind owner with a wealth of patience and the confidence to assert him or herself as pack leader.
Height:
No size standard, but most are 18 to 24 inches
Weight:
45 to 80 pounds
Health Problems:
Health problems associated with the Bull Terrier breed of dog include allergies, patellar luxation, zinc deficiency, mitral dysplasia, and congenital deafness.
Living Conditions:
The Bull Terrier does best with a large fenced yard, but can adjust to apartment living if exercised a great deal outdoors.
Exercise:
The Bull Terrier breed of dog requires regular exercise, and quite a bit of it. Bull Terriers who do not get enough exercise sometimes turn to destructive behaviors such as chewing. Be mindful when letting your Bull Terrier off-leash, as they can sometimes be intimidating to other dogs, leading to rough play.
Life Expectancy:
10 to 12 years
Grooming:
The grooming requirements of the Bull Terrier breed of dog are minimal. He requires regular brushing with a soft bristle brush or a hound glove to loosen dead hair and dirt. He sheds a moderate amount year-round.
Origin:
The Bull Terrier breed of dog originated in England, the result of crossing a Bulldog with the now extinct white English Terrier. The Bull Terrier became standardized in the 1850s. He was used for dogfighting. Comments
The standards for all the breeds accepted to the AKC are used here for breed information, and those not part of the AKC are resourced from FCI standard information, where it is written and coded into the club rules for those breeds.
