Miniature Bull Terrier

The Miniature Bull Terrier is in every way – except size – exactly like the Bull Terrier. Bull Terriers were first meant to be rough, tough fighting dogs but now exhibit a much gentler, playful personality. As a matter of fact, the jovial nature and the distinctive egg-shaped head of the Bull Terrier made it an apt choice for Target ads and Anhauser Busch’s popular "Spuds McKenzie" ad campaign. The breed can be solid white or colored.

A Look Back
When created in the early part of the nineteenth century from crossing a Bulldog with the now-extinct White English Terrier, Bull Terriers as small as the present day Miniature were common if not the rule. Early in the Bull Terrier’s history, breeders thought he wasn’t big enough, so they added some Spanish Pointer to the breed. Because of the variety in sizes that resulted, breeders began to separate the Bull Terriers into groups: Miniature (midsize), and Standard (the largest).

Right Breed for You?
The strongly built, active and determined Miniature Bull Terrier is often described as clownish and fearless. Although fond of both grown-ups and children, they may become too energetic for small children without the proper exercise and training. They are not recommended for families with other non-canine pets such as hamsters and guinea pigs. This easy to groom breed requires only occasional brushing.

• Terrier Group; AKC recognized in 1991.
• Ranging in size from 10 to 14 inches tall at the shoulder.
• Vermin hunter, good watchdog.

Miniature Bull Terrier Breed Standard

Terrier Group

General Appearance
The Miniature Bull Terrier must be strongly built, symmetrical and active, with a keen, determined and intelligent expression. He should be full of fire, having a courageous, even temperament and be amenable to discipline.

Size, Proportion, Substance
Height 10 inches to 14 inches. Dogs outside these limits should be faulted. Weight in proportion to height. In proportion, the Miniature Bull Terrier should give the appearance of being square.

Head
The head should be long, strong and deep, right to the end of the muzzle, but not coarse. The full face 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. The profile 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.

To achieve a keen, determined and intelligent expression, the eyes should be well sunken and as dark as possible with a piercing glint. They should be small, triangular and obliquely placed, set near together and high up on the dog's head. The ears should be small, thin and placed close together, capable of being held stiffly erect when they point upwards. The nose should be black, with well developed nostrils bent downwards at the tip. The lips should be clean and tight. The teeth should meet in either a level or scissor bite. In the scissor bite, the top teeth should fit in front of and closely against the lower teeth. The teeth should be sound, strong and perfectly regular.

Neck, Topline, Body
The neck should be very muscular, long, and arched; tapering from the shoulders to the head, it should be free from loose skin. The back should be short and strong with a slight arch over the loin. Behind the shoulders there should be no slackness or dip at the withers. The body should be well rounded with marked spring of rib. The back ribs deep. The chest should be broad when viewed from in front. There should be great depth from withers to brisket, so that the latter is nearer to the ground than the belly. The underline, from the brisket to the belly, should form a graceful upward curve. The tail should be short, set on low, fine, and should be carried horizontally. It should be thick where it joins the body, and should taper to a fine point.

Forequarters
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. The 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 up on them. The elbows must turn neither in nor out, and the pasterns should be strong and upright.

Hindquarters
The hind legs should be parallel when viewed from behind. The thighs are very muscular with hocks well let down. The stifle joint is well bent with a well developed second thigh. The hind pasterns should be short and upright.

Feet - The feet are round and compact with well arched toes like a cat.

Coat - The coat should be short, flat and harsh to the touch with a fine gloss. The dog's skin should fit tightly.

Color - For white, pure white coat. Markings on head and skin pigmentation are not to be penalized. For colored, any color to predominate.

Gait - The dog shall move smoothly, covering the ground with free, easy strides. Fore and hind legs should move parallel to each other when viewed from in front or behind, with 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.

Temperament
The temperament should be full of fire and courageous, but even and amenable to discipline.

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.

Approved May 14, 1991
Effective January 1, 1992

Bull Terrier

Playful and clownish, the Bull Terrier is best described as a three year-old child in a dog suit. Given his muscular build, the Bull Terrier can appear unapproachable, but he is an exceedingly friendly dog, with a sweet and fun-loving disposition and popular in the obedience, agility and show rings. The Bull Terrier can be all white (markings on the head are permissible) or colored.

A Look Back
Bulldog-terrier crosses, of various sizes and colors, became popular as sporting dogs in the early 1800s. Around 1860, English dog dealer James Hinks developed a more refined version of these crosses, distinguished by its all white coat. These dogs soon established themselves as a new breed – the Bull Terrier. In Hinks’ day they were often referred to as White Cavaliers. In the early 1900s Bull Terriers were back crossed with brindle Staffordshires to produce a colored variety.

Right Breed for You?
Bull Terriers become very attached to their owners and families and do not thrive when left alone. The breed loves children, but obedience training is necessary and care must be taken that they don’t get over stimulated around younger children. Their short coats are easy to care for, but the breed requires daily exercise.

• Terrier Group; AKC recognized in 1885.
• No size standard, but most stand 21 to 22 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh 50-70 pounds.
• Game sports.

Bull Terrier Breed Standard

Terrier Group

White

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

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