The Bull Terrier is a strongly built, muscular dog. The body is well-rounded with a short, strong back. The head is long and strong, oval-looking in shape, almost flat at the top, sloping evenly down to the nose with no stop – sometimes called the Roman Nose look. The nose is black (may start as pink). The eyes are almond-shaped, small and deep-set, dark, and always on the watch for a morsel that may drop to the floor. The ears are small, thin and close together and does not always listen to your commands. The long neck is very muscular, with robust shoulders, to put off any possible intruders. The tail is set low and on the short side, carried horizontally, and flick like helicopter blades when happy. The coat is dense, short, flat and harsh to the touch. There are two basic colours, the white Bull Terrier and the coloured Bull Terrier which may be black, brindle, black-brindle, red, fawn and tricolour with white markings.

Once regarded as a fierce gladiator, he is much gentler now. A Bull Terrier might have a preventive effect and it might defend its owner in a truly critical situation, but it isn’t bred to be a guard dog. With that, do not let visitors try to pat a Bull Terrier through a fence or vehicle window. Courageous, scrappy, fun-loving, active, clownish and fearless, the Bull Terrier is a loyal, polite, and obedient dog. They become very attached to their owners, and the owners attracted to them.

The Bull Terrier thrives on firm, consistent leadership and affection and makes a fine family pet. Bull Terriers like to be doing something and fit in well with active families where they receive a great deal of companionship and supervision. They do not do well in situations where they are left alone for 8 hours a day – you will get a very sad face even leaving the house for a short while. With the right type of owner this breed is a joy to own, but not recommended for most households.

Fond of both grown-ups and children, but if they do not get enough physical and mental exercise they may be too energetic for small children. Children should be taught how to display leadership toward the dog. Meek owners will find them to become very protective, wilful, possessive and/or jealous.

Bull Terriers may try to join into family rough-housing or quarrel. They need very firm training and lots of exercise. Bull Terriers must be given a lot of structure, or they may become destructive. Be sure to socialize them well and remain their pack leader 100% of the time, otherwise, they can be extremely aggressive with other dogs. Unaltered males may not get along with other male dogs. They are not recommended with other non-canine pets such as rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs. They make excellent watch dogs.

Bull Terriers will do okay in an apartment if they are sufficiently exercised. They are fairly active indoors and a small yard will do. This breed needs vigorous daily exercise, which includes a daily, long walk. The Bull Terrier has a tendency to become overweight and lazy if it is not properly exercised. The Life Expectancy of a Bull Terriers is about 10-12 years. Bull Terriers loved to be groomed and 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.

Lastly, they are back chatters, if they get scolded they may quarrel back. So, are you ready to own a Bull Terrier? Go and watch a few Bull Terrier videos on YouTube (https://bit.ly/3knLcZN) and it may swing your thoughts towards owning a Bull Terrier. The next step is to find the correct Bull Terrier breeder. See the next article.

Brush – Like all dogs it is necessary to give your bull terrier a weekly rubdown with a stiff brush; this will remove any loose hairs, clean the coat and restore the shiny gloss.

Eyes – Check your dog’s eyes daily. A bull terrier may be tough but somehow it has the same feelings as us humans; tears will form when feel neglected. Wipe down those tears and do not mistake it as debris that is flushed to the corners of the eyes; daily wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel can prevent the build up of bacteria.

Ears – Check ears once a week. Your dog’s ears should be pink and healthy inside. If not, don’t do anything to them until you see a vet. Keeping your dog’s ears clean minimizes odour, removes dirt, bacteria and mites trapped in wax. Never use a cotton swab on the inner ear. If you see some violent head shaking with ears flapping, then there is something wrong. Take action.

Tools: cotton wool balls or soft cloth and ear solution.

• There are solutions made specifically for dogs but substitutes include: hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, mineral oil, witch hazel, and tea tree oil. Place a few drops of ear solution into the ear of your Bull terrier. Rub and massage to loosen wax. Swab out with cotton wool balls or cloth.

Teeth – Regular inspection. 80% of 3-year-old dogs have periodontal disease due to lack of brushing. Cavities and gum disease are painful for your dog; they diminish its pleasure and ability to eat. Bacteria that develops can infect the heart, kidney, liver and brain. Awful breath is usually a sign of gum disease.

Tools: Toothbrush/finger cap/cloth, dog toothpaste, tooth scraper.

• Never use human toothpaste. It is not edible. Starting your dog off with this practice takes patience. Reward it constantly. Start off by getting it used to its mouth being handled. Progress to touching the teeth with your finger. Get some meat-flavoured toothpaste and apply with your finger.
• Then introduce the brush. Clean a few teeth at a time and soon you will have a routine that takes just minutes. Brush in a circular motion and get under the gum line.
• If you don’t want to brush every day, use a tooth scraper once or twice a month to get rid of the build up of plaque. It accumulates mostly on the outside of the teeth and on the back molars. This won’t be much fun for you or your dog though. Lots of bones and hard, crunchy foods can minimize plaque but not to a truly effective degree.

WARNING NOTE: Bull Terriers love to play with a ball. Do not play in a sandy area – the gravel or sand will stick to the saliva covered ball and will eventually grind away the teeth when they try to bite the ball. The best ball is a large basket ball and keep it properly inflated otherwise the bully will try to chew it. DO NOT USE TENNIS BALLS.

Nails – Every two months. Nail care is very important for your bull terrier. Nails that aren’t trimmed can splinter and infect the quick or grow and curl into the flesh. This can be painful for your dog to walk on. It will affect its gait, posture, and eventually it’s skeletal and ligament health. Nails should never touch the ground. When your dog is standing its nails should rest above the ground. If you hear clicking on the kitchen floor, clipping is overdue.

Tools: Dog Nail Clippers (scissors, pliers, guillotine).

Introducing your dog to nail clipping should start off by getting it used to its paws being handled. Stroke, touch and manipulate your dog’s paws whenever you are giving it affection. Sit beside your dog and put your arm around its shoulders if you can so that you are clipping from underneath and at the right angle. Lift the paw and press on it to expose the claw.

• If it has a clear nail you should be able to see the quick: a dark bundle of nerves and blood vessels. Clip from underneath close to the quick but do not cut into it. If you do, your dog will soon let you know.
• Buff the ragged edge with a file. If it has a dark nail, clip just under the curve of the nail and then you will be able to look inside and see the quick if you look close enough. Clip using tiny snips at a time.
• Don’t forget to check for dewclaws: an extra claw dogs may have farther up on the leg that works like a thumb.
• It’s better to clip the nails of your bull terrier more frequently than not as this causes the quick to recede farther away from the tip.

Paws – Inspect Daily. It is very important to check between your dogs pads for foreign objects that may have wedged there and check the pads themselves for cuts, scrapes and infection.

Expressing Glands – Every 2 to 4 weeks.

This is a task normally done when you take your dog in for professional grooming. Your dog uses scent glands in the anus to mark its territory. These glands also excrete when your dog defecates. At times, they may get impacted. Signs of this include: increased dog odour, excessive licking and chewing of the behind and worst of all, scooting (when your dog drags its bottom along the floor or carpet or turning around on its bottom). There is no risk of overly expressing these glands so it’s best to get accustomed to doing it regularly as it will lessen dog odour.

Tools: Warm cloth

Lift the dog’s tail and hold the cloth against it’s behind. Place your fingers at 5 o’clock and 7 o’clock and press inward and squeeze to expel.

Bathing – As needed.  Bull terriers do not need regular bathing. This strips the natural oils that protect and repel dirt from the skin. Frequent bathing dries out the skin and prevents your dog from having a healthy coat. A rubdown with a damp towel can remove dirt. With regular brushing, ear cleaning and gland expression, dog odour will remain minimal. Bathing a few times a year is usually adequate. The exceptions to this is when your dog manages to find something less than pleasant to roll in, or during its shedding season. A bath can help to remove a large amount of shedding hair.

Tools: Non-slip mat, sprayer hose, dog shampoo, conditioner, leash, towels.

• Choose a place where you can block escape routes and expect 1-3 water-spraying shakes.
• A leash tied to a higher point than your dog’s head will keep it standing and prevent it from escaping. This is highly recommended as it’s really difficult to hold a slippery dog.
• Never bathe your dog in standing water and never use human shampoo.
• If you choose to bathe your bull terrier outside, attach the hose to the tap of your kitchen sink for warm water.
• Grooming salons often offer self-service use of their well-equipped facilities.
• Wet your dog using your hand to massage it.
• Avoid getting water into the eyes, nose and ears.
• Cotton wool can be stuffed into the ear canal to deter water.
• Massage the shampoo into a lather.
• Rinse thoroughly as leftover shampoo can severely dry out and irritate your pet’s skin.
• Squeeze out excess water by running your hands along its body and pressing.

Dry with a towel.

On a warm summer’s day Marianne’s right hand Karlien, heard a great commotion in the backyard. One of the free roaming bull terriers was barking furiously. Running with great speed out of the kitchen Karlien saw a yellow Cape Cobra with a raised body and spread hood, hissing and lashing out at Santa, the mother of Klaas. In the meantime at the rear of Santa the smaller inexperienced bull terrier Klarien also wanted to be part of the action and was running up and down to have a closer look while Santa tried her utmost to stay between Klarien and the Cape Cobra. In the meantime Marianne arrived, gave one look and headed for the closest weapon, a spade.

During this time, with Karlien on-looking and waiting for Marianne to come back and intervene, the barking of Santa was becoming more ferocious, still frantically trying to keep Klarien away from the snake. As Marianne stepped closer with the spade, the Cape Cobra got distracted by the movement and Santa saw the opportunity to grab the head at the back. It was one crunching bite…. and one painful yelp!

The next moment Santa was lying on her side, panting for breath, the snake dead; Santa also busy losing her life. She must have bitten too hard on the head and one of the poisonous teeth have spiked her in the mouth – she had no chance – she died within few minutes.

This is how Marianne rears her “children”. The most compassionate bull terriers with the most protective instinct. It was a very sad day for Marianne, her staff and close friends sharing her passion for bull terriers. Santa will always be remembered as the mother for all; she liked to interact with all the offspring, very caring. She paid the ultimate price for being an excellent bull terrier mother.

The first thing to consider is travelling from the breeder to your home. Make sure you have enough “bedding” to comfort the young one, which will perhaps sleep most of the way if it is a long drive. Add a little cuddly toy to the bedding, it will give some comfort.

A puppy’s place is not in your bed, t least not at night when you sleep in it. There’s no problem if your puppy (and later an adult dog) sleeps in your bed during the day, but it’s important to keep them away at night. The reason behind this is quite simple—canines have a hierarchy. Wolves from the bottom of hierarchy pyramid don’t sleep together with the chief wolf. In your family you are the chief, has to be the chief. Your puppy is not. In fact all members of your family should be at some point chiefs to your puppy. This is very important to understand for better living later when dog becomes more stubborn and self-conscious. NOTE: Please heed to these instructions; you ARE the master, the chief, the “boss”. There is a saying that bull terriers do not have owners, they only have servants.

Now that you know what you shouldn’t do, let’s see how to survive through the first night. If your breeder gave you a rag from smelling like the puppy’s mother, it will be of tremendous help. If not, then prepare a few old unwashed shirts or any part of your clothes which has your smell. From time to time I had to give up my mohair jersey, or rather, it was “confiscated”. It will help the puppy feels safe and cosy and will give him a sense of being near you. Also, it’s advisable to give him plenty of old rags so the puppy can dig and make his place more comfortable.

Be sure the puppy has performed everything outside, before retiring to bed. This is very important for the pup to understand that this has to happen. Since the pup does not have full control over the bladder, accidents do happen. Prepare then at least a corner for old newspapers that the pup build a sense of there is a place to go to do his thing. Also make sure he’s not hungry, but don’t feed the puppy once you placed him in his bed. This will just awake him and you don’t want a cheerful puppy at 3 in the morning. Generally, a good practice is to play a lot with a puppy during the day, so he becomes exhausted for the evening.

If there is trouble for your puppy to fall asleep, and he wants to climb into your bed, place his bedding near your bed. To calm him down, just speak to him gently, but don’t touch him. Let him know you are near, but don’t get him used to physical contact during bedtime. In the morning, get up early and take him outside, so he doesn’t make a mess in your bedroom.

Writing this short note I have chuckled quite a lot. It is difficult, very difficult to adhere to these simple rules. Bullies are just too adorable when they are pups, strolling behind you grunting all the way, perhaps just like a little piglet as this Alexander the Great does. It is the beginning of many grunting talks and demand trying to persuade you they are the “boss”.