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There is a famous saying that “A dog is a man’s best friend”. Yes, they are and it is pretty much evident from the glorious bond shared between a dog and its owner. Unlike other domestic animals, there are lots of options available and every breed has its unique characteristics and behavioral patterns.
Golden retriever, German shepherd, French bulldog, Australian shepherd, etc are some of the dog breeds often sought after by people. Among all the breeds of dogs available here, there’s a breed named “Miniature bull terrier”, which is one of the most stylish dogs of all.
Although a lot of people are dog lovers, not many of them really know what it is like to have a dog if they are new owners. Even if some of them have had dogs for a while, they might not know certain things about their pets like what diseases these dogs can have or what kind of diet is best for them, or what kind of training to give them.
The same is true for miniature bull terriers. This breed of dog is loved all over the world but rarely anyone knows how to treat them perfectly. That is the reason why I am writing this guide to a mini bull terrier so that you guys can educate yourself. So here are a few things that you need to know about mini bull terriers if you are willing to adopt one.
Things you need about miniature bull terriers before adopting it
Difference between bull terriers and miniature bull terriers
There are two main differences between the bull miniatures and mini bull terriers- size and breed type. Bull terriers are purebred whereas the mini bull terriers belong to the cross-bred ones.
The bull terriers can reach up to a height of 22 to 23 inches while miniature bull terriers can only reach up to the maximum of 14 inches. In terms of weight, bull terriers weigh about 65 pounds. Meanwhile, miniature ones weigh around 45 to 65 pounds.
History and origin
There are three kinds of bull terriers (bulldog and white terriers) namely Standard, Toy, and Miniature (mini) bull terriers. The miniature bull terriers are the result of the cross between the standard bull terriers with a Spanish pointer.
The miniature bull terriers hold a history similar to the bull terriers. They originated in England, around 1850 (19th century). According to the records available, they are the 133rd breed belonging to the AKC( American Kennel Club). American kennel club is a registry maintaining the pedigree records and they also work towards the preservation of purebred dogs.
Appearance
The miniature bull terrier is one of the stylish dogs available and the look is quite similar to that of a standard bull terrier. It is very short as suggested by its name. It is a low-maintenance dog and so grooming is not needed much. It comes in white or sometimes in a combination of white.
They have shiny coats and tiny glowy eyes. Their ears are short and pointed. It is believed that the earliest breeders used to chop off their ears for certain reasons. They have a muscular figure and the face has a snout-like appearance. They are also famous for their long and well-defined jaws.
Behavioral pattern
Miniature bull terriers, also known as clown dogs, are friendly in nature. They are brave and mischievous in their own way. Most people find them adorable as they have the ability to become great playmates. They are energetic but also a bit stubborn at times. They are great with both children and adults and surprisingly, with other dogs as well.
If you ask whether they are aggressive or not, the answer will be yes. Sometimes, they become arrogant over silly reasons like the presence of cats in their surroundings, toddlers messing with them, etc. So, proper training has to be given to them at the beginning stage itself.
With stubbornness comes courage as well. If you ever find yourself in any form of danger, these miniature bull terriers would come to your aid no matter what. Other than that, these dogs also require a bit of grooming now and then, it can be either once every day or several times a week.
How To Train These Dogs?
As I mentioned above, the mini bull terriers are very stubborn sometimes and very independent as well. If you want to train them to be good, you will have to start their training very early on.
When these dogs are very young, their socialization should then. If you train them to obey when they are quite young then you would not face any issues going ahead. The energy that is associated with these dogs is not present only when they grow up, as puppies, miniature bull terriers are just as energetic, if not more.
That is the reason why you can play with these dogs as much as you want. These dogs have a risk of developing obesity, so if you think that your dog is growing lazier as it grows old, then you should start monitoring its diet and form an exercise routine.
Eating habits
Being overweight is not only a human problem, it is also a threat to animal life. Due to its short physique, miniature bull terriers must be fed only twice a day (once in the morning and then around dusk), that too with only top-quality dry food.
If you prefer to buy canned goods for your dog, make sure you check the quality and the brand. If you want to feed them home food, then feed them with beef, sweet potato, wholegrain rice, etc.
You can also feed fruits to these dogs. Fruits like berries, muskmelon, bananas, etc can be fed to them as they are good for dog health. However, there are certain fruits that are not suitable for their health (avocados, grapes). Make sure you seek advice before feeding them fruits and vegetables.
Health hazards
Even though they are quite a healthy kind of breed, their eyes are prone to diseases, like conjunctivitis, glaucoma, excessive dryness, etc. Also, there are higher chances of them becoming deaf, which is something that is possible in White mini bull terriers as well as colored mini bull terriers.
The puppies can be born deaf either unilaterally or bilaterally. As deafness is hereditary, these dogs shouldn’t be bred if they have deafness.
Another disease that these dogs are prone to is Lethal Acrodermatitis (LAD) which is a lethal genetic degenerative disease found in these dogs which can start appearing around the age of 14 weeks. In this condition, the black color of the puppies would start appearing to look liverish which is because of a zinc deficiency.
It can lead to skin conditions, dysfunction of their overall system, and even death. A DNA test can be done to determine whether any puppy has LAD or not. Luxating patellas, which is a knee issue, can occur to these dogs as well. Other diseases include Polycystic kidney disease and Bull Terrier hereditary nephritis are autosomal dominant diseases.
These dogs are also prone to heart diseases like aortic valve stenosis and mitral valve dysplasia. Miniature bull terriers are not just prone to health issues physically, they can also get psychological issues.
Is Interbreeding allowed?
Interbreeding is allowed in the miniature bull terriers if it is done with the bull terriers. Although, it is only permitted in Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. Interbreeding is done to reduce the Primary Lens Luxation incidence in these dogs. Bull terriers don’t carry the PLL gene and hence, they are safe to be interbreed with mini bull terriers.
Some Other Mini Bull Terrier Related Queries
There are a number of other doubts or worries that people might have regarding these dogs like whether they shed hair a lot or if they bark often, etc. To answer those questions, you should not worry about these things as mini bull terriers have a shiny coat with short and thick fur which makes it hard for them to shed hair.
Along with that, these dogs also do not bark that often, so that is another advantage as well. Mostly these dogs have a very calm and collected nature and they do not get very aggressive unnecessarily. Although, as I mentioned before, they are very energetic but that energy rarely ever turns to bad behavior.
Another thing that you should keep in mind when it comes to miniature bull terriers is that you should not be giving them baths frequently. Bathing them very often might lead to some health issues so it is advisable that you only give them a bath twice a month.
The growth usually stops around 20 -24 months of age. However, there are chances of them becoming bulky.
The price depends upon the gender, quality, and location. The average cost of a miniature bull terrier is about $1300.
Conclusion | Miniature Bull Terrier
Miniature bull terriers are a very energetic and lovely breed of dogs and you should take utmost care of them because they are very precious. When these dogs are growing, they will need a lot of care but when they stop growing, which is usually around the age of 20 to 24 months, they might not need to be pampered as much.
Although there is a chance that some of them might become bulky after their growth spurt stops. If you want to adopt a mini bull terrier and bring it home, you can do so at the average cost of $1,300, although the price might vary depending upon various factors like gender, quality, and location.
In the end, what matters is that you love your pet and make sure they do not feel any kind of discomfort. If you think your dog is having any health issues, take them to the vet to get them the care they deserve. If you love and care for them, there would be nothing they would love more than you.
