The family tree of the Bulldog is massive with many branches. One of those branches holds the bull-and-terrier breeds, the various results of 18th-century crosses between bulldogs and terriers. Those crosses were made with the intent of producing a dog with the strength and tenacity of thebulldogand the intensity, alertness, agility and “game” nature of the terrier.
Nicknamed WhiteCavaliers, they became fashionable accessories for gentlemen about town and could be soon sitting alongside them as they drove their carriages through the park. A rhyme of the time tells the story of the breed succinctly, saying that Hinks “Found a Bull Terrier a tattered old bum; Made him a dog for a gentleman’s chum.”
The fad spread to the United States. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1885, and the Bull Terrier Club of America was founded in 1897. A new variety of Bull Terrier was invented in the early 20th century when some breeders crossed them with Staffordshire Bull Terriers, adding color to the coat. The “Colored” variety of Bull Terrier was recognized in 1936. Today the Bull Terrier ranks 53rdamong the breeds registered by the AKC.