The appearance of the bull terrier - a molded muscular body, a sharp muzzle with powerful jaws, small evil eyes leaves no doubt about the purpose of breeding this breed. Fighting qualities, aggression cultivated over the years towards other dogs, left an imprint on the dog’s character. Why the Bull Terrier is dangerous for people and animals, we will consider further.
Character of dogs
Bred in the UK for dog fighting and baiting other animals, the Bull Terrier has a number of qualities that make it a difficult pet. Fearlessness, fortitude, lightning-fast reaction and insensitivity to pain made him the most dangerous dog for the enemy.
At the same time, the bull terrier is playful, curious, intelligent, active and devoted to its owner. Fans of this breed prove that with proper and strict upbringing with mandatory socialization from an early age, a Bull Terrier can be raised as a loyal and obedient family friend. However, throughout the dog’s life (and they live for at least 12 years), the owner will have to prove his leadership to the dog. The Bull Terrier is ready to respect and obey only a strong-willed person.
Health
In general, Bull Terriers are dogs with good health, although they are not immune to allergies.
- You need to pay attention to the bull terrier's paws, the area around the eyes, ears, area around the muzzle; if redness appears there, you need to contact a veterinary dermatologist.
- Before buying a white bull terrier, you need to make sure that it is really white and not an albino dog, the health of the latter is much weaker, so it is best to take a pet from official breeders.
Why is the breed considered dangerous?
The reputation of the Bull Terrier as a dangerous dog in our country is largely the fault of the breeders who brought the breed into the country. In the wake of the fashion for these dogs with an unusual appearance and an intriguing reputation as fighting dogs, many tried to make money by selling puppies. They were bred uncontrollably, and inbreeding was often used due to the lack of unrelated sires. Tests of individuals for mental stability and lack of aggression were not carried out.
Often the bull terrier was bred as a bodyguard or security guard, which does not correspond to the specialization of the breed. By arousing aggression towards humans in a pet through training, the result was an unpredictable and dangerous animal. Having felt the taste of the fight and the associated adrenaline rush, the bull terrier strives to get into a fight again and again. Such an animal becomes dangerous to people.
Currently, there are serious nurseries of this breed, where the selection of animals for breeding is carried out with the utmost care. Individuals with an unstable psyche and a tendency towards unmotivated aggression towards animals and people are not allowed to breed.
Pit bull or bull terrier
Both breeds of dogs were bred to fight with their own kind and other animals. The character traits of the representatives are similar: quick reaction to a stimulus, self-will and stubbornness, lack of fear. However, the pit bull terrier stopped taking part in dog fights only recently, so this breed can be considered more dangerous to other animals. A pit bull, even in a simple game with another dog, is acutely sensitive to attacks in its direction and may not react at all in a friendly manner. His aggression does not manifest itself on humans. Currently, selection is aimed at ridding dogs of genetically inherent anger towards other animals. Bull terriers and pit bulls, when properly cared for and trained, are good companions and loyal to their owner.
Bull Terrier or Boxer
The boxer has long been used to bait bulls and even bears. Possessing great strength and powerful jaws, the breed can rightfully be classified as dangerous to surrounding people and animals. However, boxers are easy to train and treat people with kindness. Representatives of this breed are successfully used in sports and in police service. If we compare a boxer and a bull terrier in terms of controllability, then the former can be considered a more trainable dog.
Rat exterminator and pet
Bull Terriers are excellent hunters , although completely different breeds were used for these purposes in England. However, in competitions for the destruction of rats, which were held in public, boules had no equal. A powerful, seemingly slow-moving dog, demonstrated miracles of mobility and maneuverability. All records for the destruction of rodents belonged to bull terriers.
In those years, sports competitions involving dogs were extremely popular - aristocrats and hunters invariably attended them. The new breed aroused keen interest with its numerous talents.
The endurance and natural strength of the dog were especially impressive - only the bull could support the weight of the body with the force of his clenched jaws. Having jumped up, the dog grabbed a tree branch or a suspended tire with his teeth and hung for 2-3 minutes. Such sports activities gave the dog real pleasure.
Attitude towards children
The Bull Terrier, contrary to popular belief, is not aggressive towards humans. A well-mannered dog will never even allow himself to snap at a person, let alone bite. However, in families where there is a bull terrier and a child, adults should be especially vigilant. The fact is that in the dog’s mind, a family hierarchy is clearly built (for an animal, the owner’s family is his pack). From the point of view of the dog, the undisputed leader is the owner, followed by other members of the household. Children, as the weakest representatives of the pack, are on the lowest rung. The dog's behavior completely depends on what level in the social ladder it places itself on. If an animal considers itself more important than a child, it is considered potentially dangerous to children.
A dog with a strong and stubborn disposition must be taught obedience from a young age. The slightest signs of aggression towards any family member must be strictly suppressed.
We must not forget that even a well-mannered bull terrier finds it difficult to tolerate if a child pulls his ears, tail, pokes his fingers into his eyes, or sits on top. Even a simple push from a dog's face can result in injury for a child. It is better not to tempt fate and not leave a small child alone with a dog.
Photo gallery
Despite the ominous stories, you should know that a bull terrier, like any other dog, can become a kind and loving friend to you - it all depends on you.
How to choose a puppy - price
When preparing to purchase a pet of this breed, you should carefully weigh all the pros and cons. Smart and loyal bull terriers require a lot of time for exercise and active walks. You need to buy a bull terrier puppy from a large nursery, making sure that you have a pedigree and medical certificates. This is the only way to be sure of the dog’s mental and physical health.
The gender of the bull terrier has an impact on the pet's character. Males are more independent and energetic. Unneutered Bull Terriers can be dangerous to other dogs.
When choosing a puppy from a litter, you need to observe the behavior of the babies. It is better to opt for a curious, active and affectionate dog. To purchase a purebred bull terrier, you can contact the following kennels: Nord Line, Challenger, McLaren. The average price of a puppy is 50,000 rubles.
Proper care
Coat care is minimal, just bathing once every 1-2 months and brushing with a soft rubber brush is enough. They do not accumulate any tangles and do not shed.
In addition, these dogs really need both mental and physical exercise.
Upbringing
From the first minutes of a bull terrier puppy’s stay in the family, rules of behavior for the baby are established:
- teach sharing toys;
- if during play the puppy begins to show aggression, all actions immediately stop;
- During walks, friendly behavior and games with other dogs are encouraged.
When training a Bull Terrier, it is important to be persistent and patient; only daily training with the dog will give good results.
You cannot hit your pet for disobedience! The Bull Terrier is insensitive to pain, but it will remember insult and humiliation for a long time.
The owner of a bull terrier needs to remember that it is not always possible to defeat the animal's fighting instincts directed at other brothers. Therefore, during walks, the owner needs to be especially careful, monitoring the behavior of his pet. A mentally healthy and adequately trained dog will bring a lot of joy to the owner and will not be dangerous to others.
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
This breed was bred to take part in bullying. Later, when animal fighting was abolished, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier began to be used as a devoted companion.
He has proven himself to be an excellent watchdog. The dog is calm, brave, and intelligent. Loves children. A real nanny.
Nutritional Features
Choose a balanced menu for your dog. This is either standard natural food or high-quality premium factory food.
The animal can quickly gain excess weight, try to keep it in shape. With proper nutrition and proper care, bull terriers live 11-14 years.
Details of a creepy story: a bull terrier killed a dog, and the owner gets off with a fine
On the morning of February 8, Maya was getting ready to go about her business when her husband took Rocky, a miniature dog of no particular breed and the family’s favorite, for a walk. Less than ten minutes had passed when Sergei ran into the apartment, not himself, shouting to his wife to call the police. The dog was no longer with him. Then the girl realized that something terrible had happened.
“We went for a walk with Rocky. “He was, as always, on a leash,” the man retells the events of that day. “From a distance, I noticed that our neighbors were walking their dogs between the houses. We were always afraid of their bull terrier, because when he saw people or other animals, he became furious. We tried to avoid this dog. I didn’t see who was walking with him, but I noticed that the dog was on a leash.”
Sergei was about to move away from the place where the neighbors were walking their dog, but he literally stayed for a minute, cleaning up after his dog. It was this moment that turned out to be fatal. With his peripheral vision, the man managed to notice how the neighbor’s bull terrier was rushing towards them, already without a leash and collar. A split second, and little Rocky found himself in the mouth of an aggressive dog.
With prey in my teeth
Rocky's owner tried to pull out his pet, unclench the teeth of the aggressor, even hit him on the head in desperate attempts to win back his pet, because there was nothing to grab onto, the dog was without a collar. The owner of the bull terrier grabbed the animal by the hind legs, but nothing helped. Another minute and Rocky stopped screaming and twitching his paws. Sergei tried to take the already dead dog away from the dog, but his powerful jaws held the body in a death grip.
“When I ran out into the yard with my husband, I saw how the same bull terrier, whom the whole house is afraid of, was sitting with a bloody muzzle and holding my Rocky in his teeth. At the same time, he was already wearing a collar and a leash,” says Maya. “I started getting hysterical, I screamed as loud as I could, and the owner of that dog, Svetlana, simply told me: “Why are you yelling, you fool?” She didn't have an ounce of regret. Rocky lived with me for 12 years, we picked him up on the street when I was still living with my parents, we took him out and fed him. He was a kind and peaceful dog, but now you can’t bring him back!”
Several people witnessed the incident, including a child who saw the terrible sight from the window.
Other witnesses in the yard tried to help the victims and did not allow the owner and the killer dog into the house until the police arrived.
“When the police arrived, and my husband was treated for the wound on his arm, which he received while trying to free our dog, I went to the apartment to get documents on Rocky. When I turned my head, I saw a bull terrier without a leash approaching us and already starting to run,” recalls Maya. “By some miracle, with a dead dog in my arms, I managed to hand the keys to my husband, and we jumped into the entrance. At the door the bull terrier was caught with a noose and taken away. As it turned out later, Svetlana simply let the dog off the leash when they tried to pick him up.”
Penalty for murder
According to Municipal Police Inspector Kersti Matkur, when she arrived at the scene, the bull terrier was covered in blood, there were remains of meat between his teeth, and the dog was trembling with excitement. Moreover, this is not the first time that a bull terrier has shown its aggressive nature. According to the MuPo, two recorded cases are associated with him, during the last of which a child was injured. The neighbors at the entrance had long been afraid of the beast, but they could not find justice for its owner.
“When my wife was pregnant, and even more so when the children were born, we tried to talk to the owner of the bull terrier so that she would put a leash and muzzle on it, because the dog is quite aggressive,” explains Dmitry, who lives in the same house. “She doesn’t leave the apartment, but flies out barking wildly.” All our requests were ignored. Then my neighbors and I collected signatures and wrote a collective statement to MuPo so that they would oblige the owner to muzzle the dog, but the police told us that they could not help. When we found out that the dog also bit people, it became really scary to leave the entrance.
We didn’t let the children go on the stairs, we always carried them out in our arms – you never know.”
MuPo refuses to comment on the further fate of the owner and the bull terrier himself due to the fact that the investigation is ongoing. But, according to our legislation, even if a dog bites a person, such an incident is considered from the point of view of the Animal Protection Law, which prescribes under what conditions a dog must have a collar with a leash, a muzzle, etc. In this regard, the owner only faces a fine: up to 800 euros for an individual and up to 2,200 euros for a legal entity.
It happens that dog attacks are also considered in accordance with the Criminal Code. But in this case, it must be a deliberate setting of the dog on the victim, which can be regarded as causing bodily harm or death due to negligence. In addition, each local government has regulations regarding the care and maintenance of animals. According to these regulations, a case of violation can be conducted by both regular police and municipal police.
From a legal point of view, punishing an owner for something a dog has done is the same as punishing a parent for a child’s misdeed. The job of the police is to identify a violation: lack of a muzzle, a leash, walking in the wrong place, etc. Bites, wounds and psychological trauma come as an addition. You will have to go to court to demand compensation and more serious punishment.
Doesn't attack first
After everything that happened, the owner of the bull terrier Svetlana abandoned the pet with whom she had lived side by side for six years, and Skif (that’s the name of the bull terrier) immediately after the tragedy went to an animal shelter. Why the woman was able to betray the dog so easily and why she was so careless about its maintenance will remain a mystery, since Svetlana refuses any communication with the media.
“Now we have a bull terrier, I walk with him, observe his behavior. I can say that he is scared,” sums up the director of the shelter, Larisa Kozyreva. “He behaves absolutely adequately; it’s just necessary to create the appropriate conditions for him.” I have already found him a new home. Future owners know his history, these are people experienced in raising dogs and will be able to find the right approach to him.”
Bull Terrier breeder Nelly Privalova says this breed is one of those dogs that never attack first.
“It is very difficult to comment on the situation, since we were not present.
But I can say 100% that the bull terrier does not attack first,” the specialist assures.
“I don’t believe that he rushed at that dog out of the blue.” There have probably been some conflicts before. But the Bull Terrier is a dog with a “short ignition”; it easily succumbs to provocation. As soon as another dog barks, the bull terrier is already on edge.”
Plus, according to Privalova, bull terriers have a very good memory. “A few years ago we went to an exhibition in Spain, and with us on the bus were Finnish colleagues with a boxer,” continues the breeder. “And this boxer, when we were getting on the bus, suddenly broke out of the mistress’s hands and rushed at my bull. Naturally, we separated the dogs. But from then on, as soon as my bull sees boxers, his withers stand on end, the dog remembered this. And on the other hand, when he sees an Afghan hound, no matter what color, he flies towards it as fast as he can with joy. Because he lived his whole life with an Afghan hound and remembers this warm relationship.”
Safety first
According to Nelly Privalova, the main responsibility for what happened always lies with the owners, because when keeping such serious dogs as bull terriers, special attention should be paid to equipment: a good collar that cannot be wriggled out of, a strong leash.
“You can’t put everyone under the same brush and say that they are all murderers. Otherwise, at the championships, when the bull terriers get together, they would chew each other up, but this is not the case,” Privalova gives an example. “Bull terriers have a death grip, and their jaws are strong enough to crush them with one press.” You can unclench his teeth: take him firmly by the balls and squeeze them, this is a very sensitive place, but, apparently, the hostess did not know about this technique. But first of all, if a woman was aware that her dog reacted this way to other dogs, she should have taken care of safety. It’s strange why in six years she didn’t do anything to curb the dog. Here's the question. You can't blame the animal."
Nelly also draws attention to the fact that owners of small dogs often also neglect safety,
and, first of all, their own animal, when they unwittingly allow him to provoke large dogs by barking or even by friendly attempts to play.
“If a dog has already started to fight and show aggression, it is very difficult to stop,” the breeder sums up. - And this applies to any breed. If a dog feels that it can attack with impunity, it will continue to do so. But here we cannot talk about radical measures like euthanasia. You just need to put her in the right hands who can keep her in check. The dog should live in an apartment without other animals. It’s like a child with special needs: he must be alone in the family and feel that the person is the leader of the pack. Then such problems will not happen again.”
