[Kalobbis]

I was looking at the pictures posted of dogs from yesterday versus dogs from today. and made me wonder about the dog I may be incorrect with this info so please feel free to let me know. I do not have experience with Bull terriers other then the one my Grandfather had for Ratting we used to get rats in the storage barn used to store hay corn ect for feed so we had several ratters but anyway. I was under the impression this dog was originally bred to bull bait but did not do so well and ended up being a dog of status or something. but also during that time farms got the dog and then began breeding them for working dogs on the farm such as guarding livestock and also as a ratter and the turned down nose comes from wanting the ratter allows nose closer to the ground with eyes looking more forward and looking at the egg headed dogs seems to make sense. I maybe completely wrong with this did not bother to look it up figured I would probably get better answers right here

[Siffidiolla]

It is just the whims of the show breeders as it is their goal to ruin every breed they touch. Then they add their bullshit "histories" behind the breeds to explain how the way they look.

[Kalobbis]

I was given this answer 30 + years ago because I asked why the dogs head looked like an egg. So I am not so sure its whims of the show breeders and looking at the dog makes sense so maybe the story has some truth Like I said I do not know thats why I am asking

[Gooracouppy]

why dont you ask in the bull terrier forum?

[Kalobbis]

Do not have Access to the Bull terrier forum

[Gooracouppy]

ask purple for it.

[PekHyvac]

There is a lot of different stories on the history. They were originally used for bull baiting. I am not sure if it was said they were not good at it or not, but I know bull baiting became illegal and I think that is why they pretty much stopped. That's when people starting pitting dog against dogs. They were somewhat used in the fighting pit, but they were not good at it so people didn't used them much or continue to. After that is been said they were used as just general farm dogs to catch unwanted pests. Later they became more of a gentle mens dog and people started breeding them for show and pets which in turn has changed the breed immensely over time. In England back in the day it was a symbol of high class to own a bully in that time period.

If you google it every site will tell you a little different version as will every person, but this is generally the gist of the history. I prefer the leaner more agile old style bull terrier than todays dog. The head was changed only for looks and is less functional than it once was. Dogs are being bred to have shorter legs and more stocky. It almost reminds me of how the bulldog changed for the worse as well. Good thing there are some breeders out there still working BTs using them as PP dogs, catch dogs etc and breeding a more agile dog with the drive and character that should be preserved.

[SweetCaroline]

The "Bull Terrier" is really mis-named.

It should have been named "Hinks' Terrier". All Mr. Hinks did was take the old bull and terriers (the same bull and terriers which went on to become the Staffordshire Bull Terrier in England, the same bull and terriers which, when imported to America became the APBT and then the AST)....Hinks took what was considered the rough, ugly bull and terriers and "improve" upon them by using the Old English White Terrier AND Dalmation -- and some histories say Pointer -- to produce a fashionable, all-white dog. That fashionable dog was considered to be an improvement upon the rough old stock and therefore was named the "Bull Terrier". (this was in the mid 1800s).

They WERE used in the pit early in the history as the official "Bull Terrier", but were not THE fighting dogs -- the rough old bull and terriers were.

The early ones WERE quite nice-looking, but there is no functional purpose for that head and the early ones did not have it. It was later on where some of the dogs started to lose their stop and tend towards that Roman-nosed look. That "look" was seized upon upon by breeders as desirable and wow has it ever been exaggerated!

The vision thing -- I have had people tell me that they actually HAVE trouble seeing things below them because of the way the eyes are placed within that hideous head.

Carla

[Kalobbis]

I agree possible with things Below them. not sure if true or not But Liek I tried to explain earlier I was told the turn was to allow the Nose to be on the ground and the dog to see ahead of them easier which makes sense looking at the egg headed dogs which is what my grandfather. But looking at other dogs like Abby for instance she would be looking down if she had her nose to the ground Versus that dog my grandfather had his eye would be looking more forward

[irrehoobe]

It is just the whims of the show breeders as it is their goal to ruin every breed they touch. Then they add their bullshit "histories" behind the breeds to explain how the way they look.

Absolutely right.....if the " trend "...was for bull terriers with 3 ears....show people would then go out their way to breed 3 eared dogs,and then create a reason ( excuse ) for doing so........ then years later when 3 eared dogs became the norm through bad breeding practises......they would argue that 3 ears is what distinguish the breed from all others and a dog with only 2 ears is abnormal and not a " real bull terrier "!!!....

show breeders are a very strange bunch !

[rNr5Di3S]

It sounds like the sort of story english bulldog owners give you to excuse how deformed the dog is. The face needs to be wrinkled and flat so that when he is hanging off a bull that the blood won't get in his eyes.

[Hlennisal]

It sounds like the sort of story english bulldog owners give you to excuse how deformed the dog is. The face needs to be wrinkled and flat so that when he is hanging off a bull that the blood won't get in his eyes.

What a bunch of BS. If you actually asked a modern english bulldog to do ANYTHING beyond sit on the couch, let alone hold a bull, the poor thing would probably wheeze itself to death within minutes.

Don't get me wrong; they're cute, I guess, and I've know a couple with pretty awesome personalities, but I just don't get how anyone can justify breeding an animal that is so deformed it has to give birth by Caesarian. That's beside the fact that most of them have allergies, skin problems, etc.