Information on AKC Miniature Bull Terrier Puppies
AKC MEET THE BREEDS®: Miniature Bull Terrier
The Miniature Bull Terrier is in every way – except size – exactly like the Bull Terrier. Bull Terriers were first meant to be rough, tough fighting dogs but now exhibit a much gentler, playful personality. As a matter of fact, the jovial nature and the distinctive egg-shaped head of the Bull Terrier made it an apt choice for Target ads and Anhauser Busch’s popular "Spuds McKenzie" ad campaign. The breed can be solid white or colored.
A Look Back
When created in the early part of the nineteenth century from crossing a Bulldog with the now-extinct White English Terrier, Bull Terriers as small as the present day Miniature were common if not the rule. Early in the Bull Terrier’s history, breeders thought he wasn’t big enough, so they added some Spanish Pointer to the breed. Because of the variety in sizes that resulted, breeders began to separate the Bull Terriers into groups: Miniature (midsize), and Standard (the largest).
Right Breed for You?
The strongly built, active and determined Miniature Bull Terrier is often described as clownish and fearless. Although fond of both grown-ups and children, they may become too energetic for small children without the proper exercise and training. They are not recommended for families with other non-canine pets such as hamsters and guinea pigs. This easy to groom breed requires only occasional brushing.
If you are considering purchasing a Miniature Bull Terrier puppy, learn more here.
- Terrier Group; AKC recognized in 1991.
- Ranging in size from 10 to 14 inches tall at the shoulder.
- Vermin hunter, good watchdog.
© The American Kennel Club, Inc.
Miniature Bull Terrier Breed Standard
General Appearance
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, Proportion, Substance
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.
Head
The head should be long, strong and deep, right to the end of the
muzzle, but not coarse. The full face should be oval in outline and
be filled completely up, giving the impression of fullness with a surface
devoid of hollows or indentations, i.e., egg shaped. The profile
should curve gently downwards from the top of the skull to the tip of the
nose. The forehead should be flat across from ear to ear. The distance
from the tip of the nose to the eyes should be perceptibly greater than
that from the eyes to the top of the skull. The underjaw should be
deep and well defined.
To achieve a keen, determined and intelligent expression, the eyes should
be well sunken and as dark as possible with a piercing glint. They should be small,
triangular and obliquely placed, set near together and high up on the dog's head.
The ears should be small, thin and placed close together, capable of being
held stiffly erect when they point upwards. The nose should be black, with
well developed nostrils bent downwards at the tip. The lips should be clean
and tight. The teeth should meet in either a level or scissor
bite. In the scissor bite, the top teeth should fit in front of and closely
against the lower teeth. The teeth should be sound, strong and perfectly regular.
Neck, Topline, Body
The neck should be very muscular, long, and arched; tapering from the shoulders
to the head, it should be free from loose skin. The back should be short
and strong with a slight arch over the loin. Behind the shoulders there should
be no slackness or dip at the withers. The body should be well rounded with marked spring of rib. The back ribs
deep. The chest should be broad when viewed from in front. There should
be great depth from withers to brisket, so that the latter is nearer to the ground
than the belly. The underline, from the brisket to the belly, should form
a graceful upward curve. The tail should be short, set on low, fine, and
should be carried horizontally. It should be thick where it joins the body, and
should taper to a fine point.
Forequarters
The shoulders should be strong and muscular, but without heaviness. The
shoulder blades should be wide and flat and there should be a very pronounced
backward slope from the bottom edge of the blade to the top edge. The legs should
be big boned but not to the point of coarseness. The forelegs should be
of moderate length, perfectly straight, and the dog must stand firmly up on them.
The elbows must turn neither in nor out, and the pasterns should be strong
and upright.
Hindquarters
The hind legs should be parallel when viewed from behind. The thighs
are very muscular with hocks well let down. The stifle joint is well bent
with a well developed second thigh. The hind pasterns should be short
and upright.
Feet - The feet are round and compact with well arched toes like
a cat.
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.
Gait - The dog shall move smoothly, covering the ground with free, easy strides. Fore
and hind legs should move parallel to each other when viewed from in front or
behind, with the forelegs reaching out well and the hind legs moving smoothly
at the hip and flexing well at the stifle and hock. The dog should move compactly
and in one piece but with a typical jaunty air that suggests agility and power.
Temperament
The temperament should be full of fire and courageous, but even and amenable to
discipline.
Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points shall be considered a fault, and the seriousness
of the fault shall be in exact proportion to its degree.
Approved May 14, 1991
Effective January 1, 1992
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