The English Miniature Bull Terrier is a

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

with origins in the extinct English White Terrier, the Dalmatian and the

Bulldog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is a stocky, muscular dog of medium size, with a large head, thick folds of skin around the face and shoulders and a rel ...

. The first existence is documented in 1872 in ''The Dogs of British Island''.

Description

Appearance

Miniature Bull Terriers have short, fine, and glossy coats that are very close to the skin, like Bull Terriers. They are accepted in the ring to be white, white with another colour, or fully coloured. However, like the Bull Terriers, any blue or liver-coloured coats are undesirable. These dogs require minimal grooming. In the early 1900s, the difference between the breeds was determined by the dog's weight. However, this led to Miniature Bull Terriers becoming so small and fine that they looked more like a Chihuahua than a Bull Terrier. So, in the 1970s, the weight limit was replaced with a height limit of under fourteen inches. They are usually no smaller than ten inches. According to the AKC, miniature bull terriers' weight must be proportionate to its height. However, they tend to range from 20 to 35 lbs. The Miniature Bull Terriers have a very bold build. They have very muscular shoulders and a full body. Like the Bull Terrier, they have a head described as "egg-shaped". It is flat on top with a Roman

nose A nose is a sensory organ and respiratory structure in vertebrates. It consists of a nasal cavity inside the head, and an external nose on the face. The external nose houses the nostrils, or nares, a pair of tubes providing airflow through the ...

. The eyes are triangular and closely set. The ears are carried erect and are not cropped or otherwise altered. The tail is carried horizontally rather than vertically.

Temperament

Like Bull Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers are loving and, like many

terrier Terrier () is a Dog type, type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many Dog breed, breeds or landraces of the terrier Dog type, type, which are typically small, wiry, Gameness, game, and fearless. There are fi ...

breeds, they can be stubborn at times; but despite this they make great dogs for people with limited space. Miniature Bull Terriers are known to be stubborn and courageous. Despite their diminutive stature, they will readily challenge larger dogs. However, as with any dog, owners can reduce the likelihood of confrontations by providing appropriate training. They are very energetic and playful and love people, but care must be taken as they are variable around other dogs. Miniature Bull Terriers require little grooming. A quick brushing once a day or a few times a week is sufficient. Sunscreen must be used on any sparse white sections of fur around the face, ears, hindquarters or stomach when outdoors to avoid sunburn and cancer.

Health

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 12.2 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds. Deafness occurs in both colored and white Miniature Bull Terriers. Puppies can be born unilaterally deaf (deaf in one ear) or bilaterally deaf (deaf in both ears). Deaf dogs should not be bred due to deafness being hereditary. BAEP (or BAER) testing is done on puppies prior to sale to discover which puppies have hearing problems. Lethal

acrodermatitis Acrodermatitis /ac·ro·der·ma·ti·tis/ is a childhood form of dermatitis selectively affecting the hands and feet and may be accompanied by mild symptoms of fever and malaise. It may also be associated with hepatitis B and other viral infectio ...

, also known as Acrodermatitis of the Bull Terrier is a rare genodermatosis monogenic autosomal inherited disease found exclusively in white Bull Terriers (including the miniature Bull Terrier). The condition is usually fatal and is characterised by poor growth, decreased serum copper and zinc levels, immunodeficiency,

bronchopneumonia Bronchopneumonia is a subtype of pneumonia. It is the acute inflammation of the Bronchus, bronchi, accompanied by inflamed patches in the nearby lobules of the lungs. citing: Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition, Copyright 2014 ...

, skin lesions, and erosions on the

distal Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position provi ...

extremities. Other symptoms that occur later on include crusting,

papules A papule is a small, well-defined bump in the skin. It may have a rounded, pointed or flat top, and may have a dip. It can appear with a stalk, be thread-like or look warty. It can be soft or firm and its surface may be rough or smooth. Some ...

pustules A skin condition, also known as cutaneous condition, is any medical condition that affects the integumentary system—the organ system that encloses the body and includes skin, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this sys ...

erythema Erythema (, ) is redness of the skin or mucous membranes, caused by hyperemia (increased blood flow) in superficial capillaries. It occurs with any skin injury, infection, or inflammation. Examples of erythema not associated with pathology inc ...

hyperkeratosis Hyperkeratosis is thickening of the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the epidermis, or skin), often associated with the presence of an abnormal quantity of keratin,Kumar, Vinay; Fausto, Nelso; Abbas, Abul (2004) ''Robbins & Cotran Pathol ...

, and colour dilution. The condition manifests within the first few weeks of life and most puppies affected die before the age of 2. Their size is roughly half of their unaffected litter mates at a year old. Unlike the human condition

acrodermatitis enteropathica Acrodermatitis enteropathica is an autosome, autosomal dominance (genetics), recessive metabolic disorder affecting the uptake of Zinc in biology, zinc through the inner lining of the bowel, the mucous membrane. It is characterized by inflammation ...

, zinc supplementation does not improve symptoms. The Miniature Bull Terrier is one of the more commonly affected breeds for

primary lens luxation Ectopia lentis is a Ectopia (medicine), displacement or malposition of the eye's lens (anatomy), lens from its normal location. A partial dislocation of a lens is termed lens subluxation or subluxated lens; a complete dislocation of a lens is t ...

which is caused by an

autosomal recessive In genetics, dominance is the phenomenon of one variant (allele) of a gene on a chromosome masking or overriding the Phenotype, effect of a different variant of the same gene on Homologous chromosome, the other copy of the chromosome. The firs ...

mutation of the

ADAMTS17 ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif, 17 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ADAMTS17 gene. Function This gene encodes a member of the ADAMTS (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs) protein ...

gene.

History

When the Bull Terrier breed was first created in 19th century England, it was about the same size as the Miniature Bull Terrier. Miniature Bull Terriers were granted membership in the

American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit breed registry, registry of purebred dog pedigree (animal), pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions eve ...

(AKC) on 14vMay 1991 (effective 1 January 1992).

References

External links

{{English dogs FCI breeds Terriers Dog breeds originating in England Vulnerable Native Breeds Toy terriers