The Standard Bull Terrier is well known for being a descendant of the bull baiting breed. It goes to say that this breed is a fearless fighter but because of further breeding, it mellowed down to become the gentle companion that it is today. The Miniature Bull Terrier, the small version, possesses the same characteristics only in a smaller package.
The Miniature Bull Terrier possesses the distinct head of the Bull Terrier breed described as an egg shape. The eyes are triangular and closely set while the tail is carried horizontally. The body of the Mini Bull Terrier is muscular, robust, full and round which gives it the appearance of great strength.
Its body is wrapped with a skin-tight short, course and glossy coat. Usually, this breed comes out in colors of either full white, white with markings of other colors, or fully colored. The coat colors may include white, black, red, fawn, brindle and tri-color while any shade of blue or liver is considered a disqualification.
The first Bull Terrier actually came out looking like a Miniature Bull Terrier. But for gaming purposes, breeders developed it to be much larger and so they cross-bred it with the Spanish Pointer. In the early 1900s, there had been lots of Bull Terrier sizes that some ended up like a Chihuahua.
By the 1970's, a weight limit for the breed was established to determine the standard from a miniature. For the miniature-sized Bull Terrier, the established height should be under 14 inches but not less than ten inches. The weight was agreed to range between 25- 35 kilograms.
The Miniature Bull Terrier, like its standard counterpart is also fearless and ferocious in defending the human masters. But like a natural terrier, this breed has the tendency to have bouts of stubbornness. This dog is too energetic to be handled by small children and so training for the dog and instruction for the kids are necessary to avoid knocking them over.
This breed is every inch a warrior when it comes to fighting because even at times that the opponent is a much larger breed, it doesn't back down and fights as long as circumstances allow. This dog is also very loyal and in fact will defend the master against harm. On peaceful moments, however, the Mini Bull Terrier is playful, overly active and sociable towards humans.
If you have a small place, adopting a Miniature Bull Terrier would be a good idea because they are not as active as they are outdoors. What's important is that the Mini Bull Terrier gets plenty of exercise outdoors in order for it to stay fit physically and mentally. This breed also requires minimal grooming since its short coat is kept neat through combing or brushing once a week only.
Related posts:
- The Boston Terrier Breed Standard
- Misconceptions on the Notorious American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT)
- The Silky Terrier From The Land Down Under
- Poodle 101: The Miniature Poodle
- The History Of The Yorkshire Terrier Dog Breed
Posted under Dogs
This post was written by Pawel Lorja on July 5, 2009
