This terrier's most distinctive feature is its head, described as 'egg shaped' when viewed from the front, almost flat at the top, with a Roman muzzle sloping evenly down to the end of the nose with no stop. The unique triangular eyes are small, dark, and closely set. The body is full and round, while the shoulders are robust and muscular and the tail is carried horizontally. It walks with a jaunty gait, and is popularly known as the 'gladiator of the canine race'.
Temperament in the Bull Terrier
Bull Terriers are generally friendly dogs. Their physical strength is matched by their intelligence, and both body and mind need to be kept active. They can be obstinate and are not ideal dogs for the first-time owner. As a breed they are generally placid but it has to be remembered that they were originally bred as fighting dogs therefore they will react if challenged but they will not normally make the first move.(It is a misconception that they were bred for fighting. Dog fighting was common at the time, but they were bred to be companions. Also they were bred for comformation to create a dog that was pleasing to the eye.) They are very affectionate dogs and love company so it is not a good idea to leave them alone for long periods of time as with their strong jaws they can cause lots of damage if bored. Bull Terriers are one of the better breeds of dogs to have around children, but like all pets a watchful eye is always needed.
Bull Terrier Formal Breed Terrier
The Bull Terrier must be strongly built, muscular, symmetrical and
active, with a keen determined and intelligent expression, full of fire
but of sweet disposition and amenable to discipline.
Head
Should be long, strong and deep right to the end of the muzzle, but not
coarse. Full face it should be oval in outline and be filled completely
up giving the impression of fullness with a surface devoid of hollows
or indentations, i.e., egg shaped. 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.
Lips
Should be clean and tight.
Teeth
Should meet in either a level or in 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.
Ears
Should be small, thin and placed close together. They should be capable
of being held stiffly erect, when they should point upwards.
Eyes
Should be well sunken and as dark as possible, with a piercing glint
and they should be small, triangular and obliquely placed; set near
together and high up on the dog's head. Blue eyes are a
disqualification.
Nose
Should be black, with well-developed nostrils bent downward at the tip.
Neck
Should be very muscular, long, arched and clean, tapering from the
shoulders to the head and it should be free from loose skin.
Chest
Should be broad when viewed from in front, and there should be great
depth from withers to brisket, so that the latter is nearer the ground
than the belly.
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 but without heaviness. 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. Behind the shoulders there should be no slackness or dip at the
withers. The underline from the brisket to the belly should form a
graceful upward curve.
Legs
Should be big boned but not to the point of coarseness; the forelegs
should be of moderate length, perfectly straight, and the dog must
stand firmly upon them. 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.
Feet
Round and compact with well-arched toes like a cat.
Tail
Should be short, set on low, fine, and ideally should be carried
horizontally. It should be thick where it joins the body, and should
taper to a fine point.
Coat
Should be short, flat, harsh to the touch and with a fine gloss. The
dog's skin should fit tightly.
Color
Is white though markings on the head are permissible. Any markings
elsewhere on the coat are to be severely faulted. Skin pigmentation is
not to be penalized.
Movement
The dog shall move smoothly, 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 forelegs reaching out well and the
hind legs moving smoothly at the hip and flexing well at the stifle and
hock. The dog should move compactly and in one piece but with a typical
jaunty air that suggests agility and power.
Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points shall be considered a fault and
the seriousness of the fault shall be in exact proportion to its
degree, i.e. a very crooked front is a very bad fault; a rather crooked
front is a rather bad fault; and a slightly crooked front is a slight
fault.
Disqualification
Blue eyes.
Colored
The Standard for the Colored Variety is the same as for the White
except for the sub head "Color" which reads: Color.
Any color other than white, or any color with white markings. Other
things being equal, the preferred color is brindle. A dog which is
predominantly white shall be disqualified.
Disqualifications
Blue eyes.
Any dog which is predominantly white.
Approved July 9, 1974
