The Gull Terrier (also known as the Gull Terr) is a rare

breed of dog A dog breed is a particular type of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing upward of 360 globall ...

that originates from the

Punjab region Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

; it is believed to be several hundred years old. They are often used in dog fighting,

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

, and guarding. The Gull Terrier is a direct descendent of the Bull Terrier breed that came from

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

. These English dog breeds, along with those indigenous to the Indian subcontinent such as the Bully Kutta, played a major role in the Gull Terrier's breeding development and are considered to be a direct ancestor of the modern Gull Terrier. Old photographs of the English Bull terrier delineate many of the same features such as height pointy ears and a long muzzle of the Gull Terrier.

Description

Gull Terrier
is a tall, broad-chested, medium-sized muscular dog that is mostly found in Pakistan and India. Gull Terriers have large erect ears. Their coats are normally white, although sometimes they have dark-colored markings on their faces and bodies. Gull Terriers are wary of strangers. They are protective of their owners and territory. They are highly trainable.

Origin

During the era of the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

in India, Bull Terriers were introduced to the northwestern Indian subcontinent, which now includes the modern republics of India and Pakistan. In

colonial India Colonial India was the part of the Indian subcontinent that was occupied by European colonial powers during and after the Age of Discovery. European power was exerted both by conquest and trade, especially in spice trade, spices. The search for ...

, the Bull Terrier breed soared in popularity, with the Bull Terrier Club of India being established in

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

. Bull Terriers were crossed with local breeds to develop the Gull Terrier, often called the Indian Bull Terrier. The Gull Terrier is a medium-sized dog with short, smooth fur which resembles that of the

Staffordshire Bull Terrier The Staffordshire Bull Terrier, also called the Staffy or Stafford, is a purebred dog of small to medium size in the terrier group that originated in the northern parts of Birmingham and in the Black Country of Staffordshire, for which it ...

. These dogs were originally used in blood sports such as bull baiting, and dog fighting - a bloody entertainment introduced by the British to the Indian subcontinent. When the blood sport was made illegal across the Empire, the Gull Terriers were used as guard dogs. In

, some breeders crossed the Gull Terrier with the Bully Kutta, naming the progeny the " Gull Dong", which "is celebrated in India and Pakistan for its speed and tenacity".

Ban

Under the

New York City Housing Authority The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is a public development corporation which provides public housing in New York City, and is the largest public housing authority in North America. Created in 1934 as the first agency of its kind in the ...

, Gull Terriers, alongside Gull Dongs, are banned in homes. The dog is also banned in the

Cayman Island The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory, and the largest by population. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located south of Cuba and north-east of ...

References

Notes

Citations

External links

The Gull Terr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gull Terrier Dog breeds originating in India Dog breeds originating in Pakistan Dog fighting breeds Rare dog breeds