MINIATURE BULL TERRIER Breed Standards
Not surprisingly, the Miniature Bull Terrier is a direct descendant of the Bull Terrier, which was produced during the 19th century from crosses between the Bulldog, Old English Terrier, White English Terrier and Dalmatian. The great variation in the Bull Terrier’s constituent breeds led to a wide range of sizes, from as little as four pounds all the way up to the seventy pound full sized Bull Terriers we see today. The Miniature Bull Terrier is the product of breeding among the small to medium sized specimens – so-called “Toy” Bull Terriers died out during the early 20th century.
The Miniature Bull Terrier has existed in the United States as long as the Bull Terrier, which was AKC recognized in 1885, but recognition of the Miniature Bull Terrier did not come until much later. Because Miniature Bull Terriers were so few in number, there were concerns that recognizing them as a distinct breed and only allowing them to breed with one another would result in their extinction; the English Kennel Club recognized the Miniature Bull Terrier in 1939 and was confronted with this very problem. As the Miniature Bull Terrier slowly grew in the United States, the American Kennel Club admitted it into the Miscellaneous Class in 1963 and granted full recognition as a member of the Terrier Group in 1991. For some reason, the Miniature Bull Terrier has never enjoyed anything like the popularity of the Bull Terrier, but dog aficionados believe this is ripe to change, as the Miniature’s size makes it amenable to a greater variety of living conditions
SKILLS: 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: 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.
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.
CARE REQUIRED: The Miniature Bull Terrier is easy to groom. An occasional combing and brushing will do. This breed is an average shedder, shedding twice a year. You can remove loose hair by a daily rubdown with a special rubber glove. White hairs are more noticeable than the colored ones on furniture and clothes.
CHARACTER: The temperament should be full of fire and courageous, but even and amenable to discipline.
TRAINING: This breed needs vigorous daily exercise, but they should always be on a lead in public at all times, because they will fight with other dogs. The Miniature Bull Terrier has a tendency to become overweight and lazy if it is not properly exercised.
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR: Miniature Bull Terrier will do okay in an apartment if they are sufficiently exercised. They are fairly active indoors and a small yard will do. They prefer warm climates.
EXERCISE: This breed can be a wonderful pet if very thoroughly socialized and trained, but not recommended for most households. Fond of both grown-ups and children, but may be too energetic for small children.
