In the 1830's, when bull fighting enthusiasts wanted a dog that would perform better in the fights, breeders began working on the Bull Terrier. The goal was to create dogs that would be more agile in their attacks. They began by crossing the Old English Bulldog and the Old English Terrier with some Spanish Pointer thrown into the mix. Unfortunately, the resulting breed didn't perform as well as the bull fighting enthusiasts had hoped it would. As a result, the Bull Terrier's popularity as a bull fighter decreased, but their popularity as a pet for the elite members of society increased.
An all-white Bull Terrier was developed in the 1850's and people immediately took a liking to the breed. Over the years, people have tried adding Dalmatian, Greyhound, Foxhound and Whippet into the Bull Terrier bloodline. Bull Terriers have proven to be excellent guard dogs and are still extremely popular in both the United States and Europe. The Bull Terrier Club was developed in 1887 in England and in 1895 the breed received American Kennel Club recognition.
