Pet Healthipedia

Other names/Nicknames:

• English Bull Terrier
• White Cavalier

Country/Date of origin:

England

• Early 19th century

Height:

• No height is specified

Weight:

• No weight is specified

Personality:

• A real people lover.
• Loyal and faithful to family.
• Usually tolerant with strangers.
• Does not get along well with other dogs or cats.

History:

Bull Terriers were developed in 19th century England for a specific purpose—fighting.  It was created by crossing the Bulldog and various terriers, especially the now extinct White English Terrier.  What resulted was an agile, courageous dog that would stand up to anything.  When blood sports were finally outlawed, fanciers began to discover its other virtues.  The White Bull Terrier was the first variety.  Now there are also Colored ones, although they are not as popular. The White Cavalier is one of the founding breeds in the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Body Type:

• The gladiator of the dog world—muscular, active, and agile.
• Tail is carried horizontally and is not altered.
• Erect ears are not altered.

Coat:

• Short and flat against close fitting skin.
• In the White variety, colored patches over the eye or ear are allowed.  Markings on the body are not.

Health and Wellness:

• Laryngeal paralysis.
• Mitral dysplasia.
• Congenital deafness.
• Polycystic kidney disease.
• Acrodermatitis.
• Atopy.
• Solar dermatitis.
• Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC, actinic).
• Hemangioma (actinic).
• Hemangiosarcoma.
• Mast cell tumors.
• Mitral insufficiency.

What you should know:

• The egghead of the dog world.
• The Bull Terrier’s Roman-nose profile have made it the darling of cartoonists.
• The symbol of macho, the Bull Terrier is well known as Spuds MacKenzie (the mascot of the Budweiser Beer) and the sidekick of General Patton in World War II.
• Noses of puppies are pink but will darken with age.
• Extremely clean in its personal habits.
• Not to be confused with more aggressive pit bulls.