Bull Terrier vs Pitbull: Ancestry and Breeding
The history and ancestry behind both the bull terrier and a pitbull is fraught with violence and unfortunate situations. Both of these dogs were originally bred to be fighting dogs, both in dog fighting rings as well as bullfighting rings. This is where their names come from, and it is an unfortunate part of their history.
Overall, the bull terrier is an older dog breed compared to the relatively recent pitbull. The pit bull was developed in 19th century England or Scotland, while the bull terrier dates as far back as 13th century Britain. Despite their sordid pasts, both of these dogs make fantastic companions. Let’s talk more about their behavioral differences now.
Bull Terrier vs Pitbull: Appearance
You can easily tell the differences between a pitbull and a bull terrier based on their appearance alone. This is because the bull terrier has a very distinct egg-shaped head, while the pit bull has a face that is more similar to a variety of other dog breeds. Given the fact that the bull terrier has a long and drooping nose, you can easily pick out this dog when compared to the rounded head of the pitbull.
Additionally, the ears of the bull terrier are much larger than the ears of the pitbull, though both the dog breeds have erect ears. Other than that, it can be difficult to tell these two dogs apart, given the fact that they both have short and soft fur in a variety of colors and patterns. However, once you see the face of a bull terrier, it is one you truly won’t ever forget!
Bull Terrier Vs Pit Bull Terrier Past
Although both breeds look different, they share the same purpose and ancestor from the past. Way back in Great Britain, people were into blood sports such as bull-baiting and dogfighting involving.
With the aim of combining the fierceness of a Bulldog and the agility of terriers, they crossbreed the two dogs and created the first ancestors of the Bull Terrier.
Bull Terriers before didn’t have an egg-shaped head. The muzzle used to be proportional to its head. However, when bull-baiting and dogfighting were outlawed, one Englishman named James Hinks redesigned and standardized the look. Later on, Dalmatians were used to create this breed.
Meanwhile, the American Pit Bull Terrier came from the English Staffordshire Terrier. The Staffordshire Terriers first arrived in America in the mid-1800s. These Staffordshire Terriers were redesigned to be much larger from the English version.
It produced the American Pit Bull Terrier. However, the AKC didn’t recognize this breed because they don’t want to associate themselves with the cruelties carried by the breed.