The Bull Terrier is a stocky, strongly built, well balanced muscular dog. The Bull Terrier is courageous, intelligent, outgoing, inquisitive and can be notoriously stubborn and head strong. Almost clownish at times, the Bull Terrier is happy, thrives on affection, fearless and loyal to his owner. His need for attention makes the Bull Terrier suitable for an active family where he receives a great deal of interaction and companionship. The Bull Terrier does not do well left alone for extended periods of time. The Bull Terrier needs daily exercise, firm training and excels in a structured environment. Irrespective of size dogs should look masculine and bitches feminine.
HEAD
The Bull Terrier’s most unique feature is his head. Its distinctive egg like appearance shows off its keen determined expression. The Bull Terrier’s head should be long, strong oval looking in shape almost flat at the top from ear to ear sloping down to the nose, but not coarse (No stop). Viewed from the front it should be full completely filled in void of any depression, cavity or crater in its surface. It should not be sunken or concave. In side view,( profile) the head curves downwards from the top of the skull to the tip of the nose, which should be dark in color and bent downwards at the tip, nostrils well developed. The head should demonstrate the depth and strength of muzzle and underjaw, The underjaw should be deep and well defined. The Bull Terrier has a triangular (almond shaped) eye. The eyes are small, well sunken and closely set high up on the dogs head. There should be greater distance from nose to eyes than eyes to the top of skull A dark eye is preferred but any color except blue is permissible. Ears are high, small, thin and should sit erect. The Bull Terrier should have clean tight lips and teeth. The Bull Terrier’s teeth should meet in either a level or in a scissor bite. A normal scissor bite is where the incisor teeth in the upper jaw are in contact with but slightly overlap those in the bottom jaw. A level bite is one where the incisor teeth meet exactly surface to surface.
NECK
Very muscular, long, arched, tapering from shoulders to head, no loose skin
CHEST
The Bull Terrier’s chest, when viewed from the front, should be deep and broad. There should be great distance from withers to brisket so that the latter is nearer the ground than the belly.
BODY
The body of the Bull Terrier is well rounded with prominent spring of rib. The back should be short and strong, the back ribs deep. The backline behind the withers is level, arching or roaching slightly over broad well muscled loins. The Underline from brisket to belly forms a rising curve.
The shoulders should be strong and muscular but without bulk or mass (overloaded). The shoulder blades should be wide and flat and there should be a very unmistakable backward slope from the bottom edge of the blade to the top edge forming an almost right angle with upper arm. Behind the shoulders there should be no dip at the withers.
LEGS
The Bull Terrier’s forelegs have the strongest type of round quality bone. The forelegs should be of adequate length and the dog should stand soundly upon them. They should be perfectly straight. Elbows held straight and strong turning neither in or out,, pasterns upright. Hind legs in parallel when viewed from behind. Thighs muscular rand second thighs well developed, stifle joint well bent and hock well angulated with bone to foot short and strong.
TAIL
Short set low and carried horizontally, thick at the base and tapers to a fine point.
FEET
Round and compact, well arched toes
COAT
Short, flat and shiny with a hard texture, no loose skin
COLOR
White and Colored. All colors and patterns acceptable with the exception of Merle
SIZE
There are no weight nor height limits, but each individual dog should exhibit the appearance of maximum substance in relation to its size.
MOVEMENT
The Bull Terrier covers ground with smooth easy strides. When trotting, movement parallel, front and back, only converging towards center line at faster speeds, forelegs reaching out well and hind legs moving smoothly at hip, bending well at stifle and hock, with great drive.
FAULTS
Undershot or Overshot mouth
DQ
* Exhibiting human aggression
* Failure to stand for Examination
* Males must have two normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum
