A Denotany Puppy at 8 weeks old
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Like most breeds, the Bull Terrier has a sporting past which developed from the needs and fashions of the days gone by.
Badger and Bull fighting were common amusements in the days when humans made a holiday of executions, when cruelty
not only to animals but also to other human beings was a natural thing.
The Bull Terrier was developed from a variety of breeds into a dog with great virtues that were prostituted by the baser
instincts of those who bred and owned him. His courage was proverbial, his endurance and resistance to pain
unbelievable, and his intelligence was almost uncanny. These virtues, which we admire in both humans and animals, made
him a great fighter, so much so that he is remembered as a fighter rather than for his other sterling qualities.
There were two other attributes which the Bull terrier possessed above all rivals and which not only added to his value as a
fighting dog, but also remains today to make him an ideal family dog. One of these was the ability to solve new problems
and to think for himself in case of emergency. Once in the pit, the dog that could not solve a new attack died. The other
quality was a craving for human companionship, a friendly love for all people and especially for his own particular family.
These qualities made him not only unusually reliable with children, but also a companion and protector who can be
depended upon in an emergency.
The Bull Terrier of today has retained the great physical and mental qualities of his redoubtable ancestors, but he has
largely lost the instinctive combativeness of early days. It is the other dog who is generally most willing to start a fight, but it
is the Bull Terrier who is least willing to quit
Rainbow Bridge
