Miniature Bull Terrier profile

Other Names: English Bull Terrier, Miniature English Bull Terrier, Mini Bullies, Mini Bulls

Country of origin: Great Britain

Dog Group Kennel Club: Terrier

General appearance:

A replica of the Bull Terrier, the Miniature Bull Terrier shares the same breed standards except for the height. Mini Bullies are strongly built, symmetrical and active, with a keen, determined and intelligent expression. They have thick muscular bodies, despite their small stature. The Miniature Bull Terrier has a very short and flat coat. The coat should remain harsh to the touch and should always be glossy. The coat should be close lying and very tight. The skin of this breed should always be tight, never having wrinkles or saggy skin. Miniature Bull Terriers have the distinctive mark of a muzzle without a stop. It has the typical Romanesque face.

Colours: pure white, or any color to predominate

Size:

Bitch      25.5cms(10") 35.5cms(14")

Dog        25.5cms(10") 35.5cms(14")

Weight:

Bitch      11kg (25lbs)  15kg(33lbs)

Dog        11kg (25lbs)  15kg(33lbs)

Temperament:

Lively, friendly, yet protective, this breed can be quite difficult at times. The Miniature Bull Terrier should not be left unsupervised around small children. This breed does well around other pets given the proper socialization, however should be supervised around smaller animals. They love to be companions, and thrive off of family. Miniature Bull Terriers are stubborn, courageous, playful and energetic. They are clownish, humorous and fun loving. They can be protective and willful, and do not obey orders consistently. They are difficult to train, and males usually do not get along with other males, although any other combination is fine.

Movement: When moving appears well knit, smoothly covering ground with free, easy strides and with a typical jaunty air.

Care and training:

Regular grooming is not necessary for this shorthaired breed. Occasionally brushing and combing should be sufficient to remove any loose hair from the Miniature Bull Terrier. A wipe down with a damp washcloth should also keep this breed fairly clean. The ears should be cleaned on a regular basis, and the nails should be clipped at least once every two weeks to keep them at a manageable length.

The Miniature Bull Terrier can be difficult to train and is not for the inexperienced. They can be willful and dominant making training a task. The handler must be firm, consistent, and always dominant to prevent problems. The Miniature Bull Terrier can be very stubborn so obedience classes are recommended at an early age to make training a little easier in the future.

Overall Exercise: 100 - 120 minutes per day.
Mini Bull Terriers are an active breed that require a fair amount of exercise, both free running and roadwork.

Feeding requirements: Miniature Bull Terriers like their food so their food intake should be monitored closely as they do have a tendency to put on weight.

Exercise: Med 

Grooming: Low 

Noise: Low

Personal Protection: Medium

Suitability As Guard Dog: Medium

Level of Aggression: Medium

Compatibility With Other Animals: Medium

Suitablity for Children: Medium

Often docked? No

Average litter: 1 - 9

Life expectancy (yrs): 12 -13

Health issues: Zinc deficiency and deafness.

History: The Miniature Bull Terrier is a direct descendant from the Bull Terrier and they share the same history. Bull Terriers were crossed with the old English Bulldog and English White Terrier (now extinct) in the early 19th century. James Hinks, from Birmingham in Great Britain, originally developed the breed between the 1830s and the 1860s. They are also most certainly mixed with Dalmatian, and are thought to have converged with the Spanish Pointer, Greyhounds and Whippets. White being Hinks' favorite color for the breed, the dogs were originally all white. The characteristics chosen from this mixing of the breeds was the egg shape of the head, the white color, and the small triangular eyes. Along with these preferred attributes came frequent deafness, heart disease and skin problems. At this time they were a lighter more agile dog who was used to bait bulls, dog fighting and to tackle vermin. Color was only added later on in the 1900s when crosses were made with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.