The Bull Terrier is a dog breed coming from the terrier family and that has its origins (just like alternative names suggest) in England. Also know as English Bull Terrier, Bully or Gladiator, the breed comes in two versions, a standard one, a taller one and a shorter one called Miniature Bull Terrier.
The breed was created by crossing many types of dogs in order to give life to an even better animal, combining the best of various individuals. Thus, starting with the mixture of Bulldogs and Old English Terriers, and then adding the Spanish Pointer into the equation, the result was the Bull Terrier.
General Appearance
The Gladiators distinctive features are physical, rather than related to its behavior it has a large, egg-shaped head and the eyes have some sort of triangular form, are small and dark. Starting from the skull and going all the way to the nose, its head lacks curves, being almost flat. The ears can be considered as small to medium-sized, depending on each Bully individual (folded when the dog is not alert). The whole body is strong and well-muscled, especially the jaws that give off a fierce and dangerous feeling.
This breeds coat is short and dense, flat and harsh. These dogs come in either white, in which case colored markings may appear only on the head area, or in various other shades (brindle, red, black, black-brindle, fawn and even in three different colors) having white markings on several parts of the body (head, neck, legs, chest, tail). A Bull Terrier sheds two times a year and, because of the coats general characteristics, needs brushing only occasionally loose hair is easy to remove by using a rubber glove every day and washing should be done only when necessary.
Life and Heath
Having a life span of 10-13 years, the Bull Terrier will be around 50-60 centimeters high and weigh between 20 and 36 kilograms, while the Miniature one may be 25-33 centimeters tall and have 11-15 kilograms (small differences may appear depending on gender). A female Gladiator is able to give birth to 1-13 puppies, the average being 5.
The Bull Terrier is usually a strong and healthy animal. Some issues may appear though, such as heart defects, slipped patella, kidney failure and allergies of the skin (can be allergic to fleas). They may develop a lack of zinc in the organism, which can even cause death, and are prone to deafness puppies should be checked regarding this issue, and owners should be careful throughout the animals entire life. The dogs of this breed will gain weight easily, so make sure not to overfeed and let them become fatties. With appropriate care in general and special attention to the aspects mentioned above, there should be no health problems at all.
Personality and Living Conditions
The Bully was created to be a fierce dog, but, as time passed, it became gentler and, because of this, it may not be the perfect guard dog. Nonetheless, having a courageous and loyal personality by nature, it will protect its family when needed. It is intelligent and obedient, and, with a proper attitude from the owner, it is easy to train. The Bull Terrier is an affectionate animal, very active, that loves to have fun and play with its family. It may not be the perfect pet for children, but, if trained properly from an early age and if the kids are taught how to display leadership towards it, it can adapt to such conditions as well (just keep in mind to bring it as a pet only after your kids are old enough to control it).
Since it is a very energetic dog, the Gladiator needs a lot of exercise, otherwise it may become fat and lazy long walks every day, running, playing sessions and any kind of activity with its owner will be great for this dog (physically and mentally). It can adapt to both apartment and house/yard living conditions, as long as it is exercised properly.
Though it creates a fierce impression at first, the Bull Terrier is actually a loyal, obedient and very affectionate dog, which loves to play and be the center of attention (it has a clownish personality) if trained properly, it can make the perfect pet for your family.
