Meet the Bull Terrier

Our story begins in England in the early 1800s. We were bred by crossing a Bulldog with the now extinct White English Terrier. These “bull and terriers” from way back in the 13th century were used in blood sports, like bull-baiting, which was an event where we baited the bulls and spectators would bet on the outcome.

By the 1830s, bull-baiting was outlawed and humans turned to dog fighting, which unfortunately sorta became my dog breed’s forte. We were mixed with Spanish Pointers to increase our size, making us much better competitors. We continued to be bred with other dogs too, like Dalmatians, and by 1917, the first modern Bull Terrier was born! His name was Lord Gladiator.

Britain banned dogfighting and we were put to better, less violent use. We became quite fashionable in the eyes of young gentlemen. A man named James Hinks wanted to make us even more good looking. He bred all-white Bull Terriers and people started referring to us as “White Cavaliers.” Some people still call the all-white ones this because of our sweet temperaments and courage – which multi-colored Bull Terriers possess, too! Among early Bully lovers was General George S. Patton, whose best pal Willie famously followed him everywhere.

Now, most of us are just family dogs, but some members of our pack show up in advertisements! Spuds Mackenzie was a Bull Terrier used in Bud Light commercials in the 80s. He was so beloved that they even brought him back as a ghost in a 2017 commercial! Our other superstar sibling, Bullseye, was the famous Target mascot throughout the 90s and 2000s!

In 1885, a dog named Nellie II became the first Bull Terrier registered by the AKC. In 1897, the Bull Terrier Club of America was formed. The colored Bull Terrier became a separate variety in 1936 and the miniature Bull Terrier became a separate breed in 1992.