Bull and terrier

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Bull and terrier
Philippe Rousseau - Best Of Friends - Bulldog & Bull Terrier.jpg
Philippe Rousseau's "Best of Friends"
A bull-and-terrier and a white bulldog (c.1887)
Other namesHalf-and-half, fighting bull terrier, bull-terrier, [1] Canis pugilis [1]
Origin Britain
Foundation stock Old English Bulldog
Old English Terrier
Whippet
Breed statusNot recognised as a breed by any major kennel club.
NotesProgenitor of: Bull Terrier, Miniature Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, and American Staffordshire Terrier.
Dog ( domestic dog )

Bull and terrier was a common name for crossbreeds between bulldogs and terriers in the early 1800s. Other names included half-and-halfs and half-breds. [2] It was a time in history when, for thousands of years, dogs were classified by use or function, unlike the modern pets of today that were bred to be conformation show dogs and family pets. [3] :14 Bull and terrier crosses were originally bred to function as fighting dogs for bull- and bear-baiting, and other popular blood sports during the Victorian era. The sport of bull baiting required a dog with attributes such as tenacity and courage, a wide frame with heavy bone, and a muscular, protruding jaw. By crossing bulldogs with various terriers from Ireland and Great Britain, breeders introduced "gameness and agility" into the hybrid mix. [2]

Contents

Little is known about the pedigrees of bull and terrier crosses, or any other crosses that originated during that time. The types and styles of dogs varied geographically depending on individual preferences. [3] Breeders in one area may have preferred a cross with a higher percentage of terrier than bulldog. Some early anecdotal reports indicate that bulldog to terrier was preferred over bull and terrier to bull terrier, which was likely to have resulted in at least half or more bulldog blood. [3] The bull and terrier was never a bona fide breed; rather, it referred to a heterogeneous group of dogs that may include purebreds involving different breeds, as well as dogs believed to be crosses of those breeds. Those crossbreeds or hybrids are considered the forerunner of several modern standardised breeds. [2] [4]

In the mid-1830s, when enforcement of the ban on bull baiting had begun, the popularity of the original purebred bulldogs declined, and a major shift in canine genetics was occurring. The appearance of certain dogs were being altered by crossbreeding to better suit function. [5] Not only were appearances of dogs changing, so was the terminology used to describe various breeds and dog types as recorded in ancient records. Such changes began casting doubts over the bulldog's earliest known ancestors. [5]

Terminology

Charlie Lloyd and Pilot c. 1881 Cockney Charlie.jpg
Charlie Lloyd and Pilot c.1881

One example of how changing terminology over the centuries has caused confusion is the ubiquitous misuse of descriptors. For example, mastiff is a common descriptor for all large dogs, which created a cloud over the earliest origins of the bulldog. The Alaunt was once believed to be the likely ancestor of bulldogs and mastiffs, both of which came from Asia; others believed bulldogs descended only from mastiffs. [5]

Over the centuries, hybrid bull and terrier crosses have been labelled with several aliases, such as half-and-half, half-bred, pit dog, bulldog terrier and pit bulldog. [2] The most popular name was bull-terrier, a name later applied to the breed James Hinks was developing in the latter half of the 19th century. There are also many paintings, texts, and engravings created during or prior to this period that labelled the bull-and-terrier only as "bull-terrier". Hinks was still developing his new bull terrier, nicknamed White Cavalier, which he presented at the Birmingham show in May 1862. [2] [6]

The term pit bull terrier was sometimes applied, though later applied when naming the American Pit Bull Terrier, a modern standardised breed. [7] [8] The term "pit bull" is a ubiquitous term that is often misused to infer that the pit bull is a bona fide breed of dog, when it actually refers to a diverse group of dogs that may include purebred dogs of many breeds as well as dogs that are assumed to be blends of those breeds. These types of descriptors vary, depending on the recognised breeds and observers' perspectives. Despite anecdotal misinformation and incorrect visual identification, dog owners, animal shelters, veterinarians and the general public routinely use the term "pit bull" in casual and official papers as though it denotes a single, recognised breed. [4] :197–202

History

Bull and terrier, Rose
(Paris, 1863) 01. Bull and Terrier, Paris 1863. "Rose".png
Bull and terrier, Rose
(Paris, 1863)

Bulldogs of the 1800s were described as having a "round head, short nose, small ears and wide, muscular frame and legs." [5] Their temperament has been described as being more aggressive and ferocious than other dogs of the time. It is believed their ancestors may have been mastiffs of Asian descent because of their aggressive tendencies and strength, but the term "mastiff" was used as a general reference for large dogs. [5] Whether or not they were crossed with Pugs to make them better at bull baiting remains controversial. [9]

It is assumed that bull and terrier hybrids were crossed with several varieties of bulldogs and terriers, the types of which depended on location. A 2016 genetic assessment verified that bulldogs were descendants of mastiffs, but it also discovered pugs in the cross. [5] The assessment, which analysed a particular group of individual English bulldogs, used DNA rather than pedigrees to confirm that genetic diversity actually still exists. It further confirmed a substantial loss of genetic diversity in the breed resulting from a small founder population of about 68 individuals. The impact of focused selection for breeding dogs with specific physical traits created artificial genetic bottlenecks. [9]

" The vast majority of dogs that people have as pets really arrived from the Victorian era from very active breeding... There are rather few 'ancient breeds'."

 —Krishna Veeramah, B.Sc., Ph.D. [5]

In Ireland, they used the old Irish bulldog with different terriers and some insertion of hunting sighthound/terrier crosses. [10] In England, there were several varieties such as the Walsall and the Cradley Heath types. [10] Phil Drabble reported that among the various types of bull and terrier, the type from Cradley Heath was recognised as a separate breed to be named the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. [10] In the 19th century, the Walsall type was carried by immigrants to the United States, where it served as an important component for the genetic basis of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed, through specimens such as the dog Lloyd's Pilot [11] and the Colby bloodline, strongly combined with Irish strains. [10] [12] The anatomy of the bull and terrier is the result of selective breeding for the purpose of hunting, [13] dog fighting and baiting.

Descendants

Bull and terriers bear-baiting by Abraham Hondius c.1650 Bear-bating Abraham Hondius 1650.jpg
Bull and terriers bear-baiting by Abraham Hondius c.1650

In "Popular and Illustrated Dog Encyclopaedia" (1934–35), Major Mitford Price wrote, "The original Bull Terrier, or Bull-and-Terrier, as he was then styled, bred for fighting in the pits, bore a far closer resemblance to the Bulldog of that day than to his terrier forebears: for there exists scores of old prints as evidence that the old Bulldog, as well as the Bull-and-Terrier had the unexaggerated (in comparison with the absurd modern standards) Bulldog head, and the legs, straight and longer, of the terrier. At the same time that the new Bull-and-Terrier made its appearance, the Bulldog fanciers began breeding their animals heavier and lower to the ground, so that the Bulldog acquired a new type. [14]

Six distinct breeds descended from the bull and terrier hybrids, five of which were recognised by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in the following order: Bull Terrier, Boston Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff), Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Miniature Bull Terrier. All five breeds have also been recognised by the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), and Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI). The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is recognised by the United Kennel Club (UKC), and American Dog Breeders Association. [3] :39 The AKC does not recognise the American Pit Bull Terrier. After being petitioned in the 1930's to recognise the breed, they relented, however; they recognised these dogs under a different name, the Staffordshire Terrier. The name was later changed to American Staffordshire Terrier, to prevent the dogs from being confused with the English Staffordshire Terriers. The American Staffordshire Terrier and the American Pit Bull Terrier were once the same breed, and many still consider them to be. Today, there are some dogs which have been duel registered as both an APBT through the UKC, and as an AmStaff through the AKC. [15] [16]

DNA analysis

Geneticists have been able to further refine the sparse historical aspects of breed formation, and the time of hybridisation. A 2017 genome-wide research study suggests the following: "In this analysis, all of the bull and terrier crosses map to the terriers of Ireland and date to 1860-1870. This coincides perfectly with the historical descriptions that, though they do not clearly identify all breeds involved, report the popularity of dog contests in Ireland and the lack of stud book veracity, hence undocumented crosses, during this era of breed creation (Lee, 1894)." [17]

It also confirms that the bull and terrier was a heterogeneous group of dogs that may include purebreds involving different breeds, as well as dogs believed to be crosses of those breeds. [2] [4] By 1874, in Britain the first Kennel Club Stud Book was published, which included Bull Terriers [18] and Bulldogs. [19]

Hunters

"Bulldog and scotch terrier" by Alexandre Gabriel Decamps. Circa 1837. An Old English Bulldog and a muzzled bull and terrier. 1837Decamps.jpg
"Bulldog and scotch terrier" by Alexandre Gabriel Decamps . Circa 1837. An Old English Bulldog and a muzzled bull and terrier.

Some believe that the courage of most terriers, both past and present, to bear the bites of badgers and other prey they are meant to corner, dig for, or attack is derived from having a quarter to an eighth of Old English Bulldog ancestry. [20] Other terriers that were not developed by crossing Old English Bulldogs and earth-working dogs were believed to be of inferior quality and were valued far less. [13] There are earth-working dogs who by default and definition are called terriers because they have the ability to go to ground; however, the best earth-working and hunting terriers were regarded as the progeny of bulldogs bred to earth-working dogs (terriers), with the offspring known as bull-terriers or half-bred dogs, among other names. [13] [21]

Walsh also wrote of the Fox Terrier (or, rather, of its cross-breed ancestor): "The field fox-terrier, used for bolting the fox when gone to ground, was of this breed [bull and terrier]." Not only is the Fox Terrier the progeny of the bull-and-terrier, [22] but so is the Airedale Terrier, [23] rat-working terriers, working black and tan terriers and most all other vermin-hunting terriers. [13] [21] James Rodwell described in his book titled The Rat: Its History and Destructive Nature, that the great object, among the various breeders of bull-and-terrier dogs for hunting vermin and rats, was to have them as nearly thorough-bred bull as possible, but at the same time preserving all the outward appearances of the terrier as to size, shape and colour.

The terrier as used for hunting is a strong useful little dog, with great endurance and courage and with nearly as good a nose as the Beagle or Harrier. From his superior courage when crossed with the Bulldog, as most vermin-terriers are, he has generally been kept for killing vermin whose bite would deter the Spaniel or the Beagle, but would only render the terrier more determined in his pursuit of them. ~ John Henry Walsh, The Dog, in Health and Disease, by Stonehenge (1859)

Dog fighting

Fighting Dogs Getting Wind by Edwin Henry Landseer, 1818 Fighting dogs catching their breath - painting.jpg
Fighting Dogs Getting Wind by Edwin Henry Landseer, 1818
A Dog Fight at Kit Burns' by Edward Winslow Martin. New York, 1868. A Dog Fight at Kit Burn's.jpg
A Dog Fight at Kit Burns' by Edward Winslow Martin. New York, 1868.

In the 19th century, breeders crossed Bulldogs and English White Terriers to produce fighting dogs that were the forebears of the modern Bull Terrier breed. [25] When blood sports were banned in the early 1800s, breeders continued with their clandestine dog fights in discreet venues, such as basements and warehouses. A major shift in canine genetics occurred during the Victorian era, at which time the appearance of certain dogs were being actively altered. The early bulldogs of the 1800s were described as having a "round head, short nose, small ears and wide, muscular frame and legs." [5] In the 1830s, the ban on bull baiting was being strictly enforced, and with it, a noticeable decline in the popularity of the original bulldogs. Breeders had already begun crossing bulldogs with terriers for clandestine pit fighting. [2]

James Hinks, a dog breeder in Birmingham, is credited for his role in helping to standardise the bull and terrier hybrid. [2] Hinks introduced new blood, presumably Collies to add length to the muzzle. [25] His version was becoming a more streamlined version of the bulldog and terrier hybrid while still maintaining substance. Hink's son said that, early on, his father also used Dalmatians to create the Bull Terrier's striking all-white coat. [2] Others have suggested that Hinks straightened the bulldog's tendency for bowed legs by adding Pointer blood, or possibly Greyhound. Hink's son recalled, "In short, they became the old fighting dog civilized, with all of his rough edges smoothed down without being softened; alert, active, plucky, muscular, and a real gentleman." [2] Hink's early Bull Terriers were white which gave rise to congenital sensorineural deafness (CSD), a genetic condition linked to coat colour phenotypes in English bull terriers with genetic variations that go beyond coat colour. The appearance of the Bull Terrier continued to change over time, and by the 20th century its egg-shaped head had become more prominent, soon to be standardised along with the various colours that had been introduced. [2]

Famous bull and terriers

Author David Harris describes in his book The Bully Breeds, two illustrations of prize fighting dogs. The first was Trusty appearing in an 1806 issue of Sporting Magazine, and the second was Dustman appearing in an 1812 issue of the same magazine. Trusty was a fawn coloured bull and terrier that showed more bulldog traits than terrier, and was reputed to be undefeated, having won 104 dog fights. Trusty was purchased by Thomas Pitt, 2nd Baron Camelford and presented to Jem Belcher, a champion prize fighter of England. Unlike Trusty, Dustman appeared to have more terrier traits than bulldog and was used for badger-baiting. [26]

"DUSTMAN is a celebrated dog, the property of Wm. Disney, Esq. and of a breed between a bull and a terrier, the best of any to attack that formidable animal, the badger. The breed of dogs of this description, has been much encourage of late, and held in great estimation, as being more staunch than the terrier, and not too powerful for the badger." [20]

In 1822, Pierce Egan, a sporting event commentator of the 1820s, first introduced the name Bull Terrier (not to be confused to the 1880s Hinks' Bull Terrier). Subsequently, Bulls-eye was introduced in The Adventures of Oliver Twist (1838), presumed to be a bull terrier owned by the villain Bill Sykes. [26]

Another notable bull and terrier was named Billy, weighing approximately 26 pounds; "his most notable feat was killing 100 rats in 5 min 30 sec at the Cockpit in Tufton Street, Westminster, London, UK on 23 April 1825." [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pit bull</span> Type of dog

Pit bull is an umbrella term for several types of dog believed to have descended from bull and terriers. In the United States, the term is usually considered to include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and sometimes the American Bulldog, along with any crossbred dog that shares certain physical characteristics with these breeds. In other countries, including the United Kingdom, the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed specifically, while the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not considered a pit bull. Most pit bull–type dogs descend from the British bull and terrier, a 19th-century dog-fighting type developed from crosses between the Old English Bulldog and the Old English Terrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog breed</span> Group of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs

A dog breed is a particular type of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing upward of 360 globally recognized breeds. These breeds possess distinct traits related to morphology, which include body size and shape, tail phenotype, fur type, etc, but are only one species of dog. Their behavioral traits include guarding, herding, and hunting, and personality traits such as hyper-social behavior, boldness, and aggression. Most breeds were derived from small numbers of founders within the last 200 years. As a result of their adaptability to many environments and breedability for human needs, today dogs are the most abundant carnivore species and are dispersed around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrier</span> Dog type

Terrier is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. There are five different groups of terrier, with each group having different shapes and sizes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staffordshire Bull Terrier</span> British breed of dog

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also called the Staffy or Stafford, is a purebred dog of small to medium size in the terrier group that originated in the northern parts of Birmingham and in the Black Country of Staffordshire, for which it is named. They descended from 19th-century bull terriers that were developed by crossing bulldogs with various terriers to create a generic type of dog generally known as bull and terriers. Staffords share the same ancestry with the modern Bull Terrier, although the two breeds developed along independent lines, and do not resemble each other. Modern Staffords more closely resemble the old type of bull terrier, and were first recognised as a purebred dog breed by The Kennel Club of Great Britain in 1935.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patterdale Terrier</span> Dog breed

The Patterdale Terrier is a breed of dog descended from the Northern terrier breeds of the early 18th century, originally bred in Patterdale, Lake District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog fighting</span> Blood sport

Dog fighting is a type of blood sport that turns game and fighting dogs against each other in a physical fight, often to the death, for the purposes of gambling or entertainment to the spectators. In rural areas, fights are often staged in barns or outdoor pits; in urban areas, fights are often staged in garages, basements, warehouses, alleyways, abandoned buildings, neighborhood playgrounds, or in the streets. Dog fights usually last until one dog is declared a winner, which occurs when one dog fails to scratch, dies, or jumps out of the pit. Sometimes dog fights end without declaring a winner; for instance, the dog's owner may call the fight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog show</span> Competitive exhibition of dogs

A dog show is an animal show, an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a breed show, is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs conform to the established breed type for their breed, as described in a breed's individual breed standard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mongrel</span> Dog with mixed breeds

A mongrel, mutt, or mixed-breed dog is a dog that does not belong to one officially recognized breed, including those that result from intentional breeding. Although the term mixed-breed dog is sometimes preferred, many mongrels have no known purebred ancestors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Bulldog</span> Dog breed

The American bulldog is a large, muscular breed of mastiff-type dog. Their ancestors were brought to the British North American colonies where they worked on small farms and ranches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog crossbreed</span> Dog type

Dog crossbreeds are dogs which have been intentionally bred from two or more recognized dog breeds. They are not dogs with no purebred ancestors, but are not otherwise recognised as breeds in their own right, and do not necessarily breed true.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Pit Bull Terrier</span> American dog breed

The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is a dog breed recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) and the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA), but not the American Kennel Club (AKC). It is a medium-sized, short-haired dog, of a solid build, whose early ancestors came from England. When compared with the English Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the American Pit Bull Terrier is larger by margins of 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) in height and 25–35 pounds (11–16 kg) in weight. The American Pit Bull Terrier varies in size: males are normally about 18–21 inches (45–53 cm) in height and around 35–60 pounds (15–27 kg) in weight, while females are normally around 17–20 inches (43–50 cm) in height and 30–50 pounds (13–22 kg) in weight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bull Terrier</span> Dog breed

The Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. There is also a miniature version of this breed which is officially known as the Miniature Bull Terrier. This breed originates in 19th century England. Bull Terriers are most recognised by their unique head features. The Bull Terrier was originally bred for vermin control and bloodsports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olde English Bulldogge</span> Dog breed

The Olde English Bulldogge is an American dog breed, recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) in January 2014. The breed is listed in the UKC Guardian Dog Group. Five years prior to UKC recognition, the breed was registered by the former Canine Developmental, Health and Performance Registry (CDHPR), a privately held business located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In the early 2000s, CDHPR had been working with the UKC under a unique agreement to develop breeding plans and strategies in an effort to produce improved breeds of dogs that would be accepted as purebred and, therefore, eligible for UKC registration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaunt</span> Dog breed

The Alaunt is an extinct type of dog which came in different forms, with the original possibly having existed in North Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe from ancient times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Terrier</span> Dog breed

The Manchester Terrier is a breed of dog of the smooth-haired terrier type. It was first bred in the 19th century to control vermin, notably rats, at which it excelled. So efficient at the task was it that it often appeared in rat-baiting pits until that sport, which had effectively been illegal in the UK since 1835, finally died out at the beginning of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old English Bulldog</span> Dog breed

The Old English Bulldog is an extinct breed of dog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulldog type</span> Dog type

Bulldogs are a type of dog that were traditionally used for the blood sports of baiting and dog fighting, but today are kept for other purposes, including companion dogs, guard dogs and catch dogs. Bulldogs are typically stocky, powerful, square-built animals with large, strong, brachycephalic-type muzzles. "Bull" is a reference that originated in England that refers to the sport of bull-baiting, which was a national sport in England between the 13th and 18th century. It is believed that bulldogs were developed during the 16th century in the Elizabethan era from the larger mastiffs, as smaller, more compact dogs were better suited for baiting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Bully</span> Dog breed

The American Bully is a modern breed of dog that was developed as a companion dog, and originally standardized and recognized as a breed in 2004 by the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC). Their published breed standard describes the dog as giving the "impression of great strength for its size". In 2008, the American Bully was recognized by the European Bully Kennel Club (EBKC), and on July 15, 2013, by the United Kennel Club (UKC). The UK Kennel Club, American Kennel Club, and International Canine Federation do not recognize the American Bully as a separate breed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dogue Brasileiro</span> Dog breed

The Dogue Brasileiro is a mastiff-type working dog breed originating in Brazil. It is neither recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) nor the American Kennel Club (AKC). However, it has the official Brazilian recognition by the Brazilian Confederation of Cynophilia (CBKC) where it belongs to the Group 11 – Breeds not recognized by the FCI.

The American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) is an all-breed dog registry founded in 1909 by Guy McCord and Con Feeley. The registry is headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT in the U.S., but has multiple affiliate clubs located around the world. The registry began by promoting the John Colby strain of pit bull types. Over time, the focus changed to the registration and promotion of purebred American Pit Bull Terriers, a breed that few other breed registries have recognized because of its ancestral origins as a fighting dog in England and Ireland. The first official breed registry to recognize American Pit Bull Terriers was the United Kennel Club (UKC) in 1898 when it registered its first dog, "Bennett’s Ring", owned by UKC founder C. Z. Bennett. ADBA sponsors various conformation dog shows, weight pulling competitions, and Top Dog Athletic Events consisting of three canine competitions: treadmill race, wall climb and lure coursing. In 1976, ADBA began publishing a quarterly magazine titled The American Pit Bull Terrier Gazette.

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