Throughout the long and bloody history of dog fighting, aficionados of the sport have sought to create the ultimate dog gladiator. Such was the case in 1835, when breeders crossed the Bulldog with the now extinct Old English Terrier to create what was then called the ?Bull and Terrier.? Subsequent crosses with the Spanish Pointer added size and increased the breed?s value as a pit fighter.

As time passed, dog fighting became less popular and dog shows were on the rise, and breeders therefore set out to improve the appearance of the breed. In 1860, James Hinks crossed the ?Bull and Terrier? with the White English Terrier and Dalmatian, creating an all-white dog known as the Bull Terrier that was taken up immediately by young gentlemen of the day. These refined dogs were known to never pick a fight with dog or man, but to defend themselves and their masters ardently if challenged, and were thus given the nickname ?White Cavalier.?

The Bull Terrier was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1885, though at the time the breed standard specified that the only color acceptable in the breed was white. By 1900, crosses with the Staffordshire Bull Terrier created a colored variety of the Bull Terrier; though initially scorned by breeders, the dog was eventually accepted and brought into the AKC standard in 1936.

The Bull Terrier?s considerable success in television and cinema puts it in the same league as the Jack Russell Terrier, German Shepherd and Collie in terms of on screen presence. The best known Bull Terrier is Spuds MacKenzie, who appeared in one of Budweiser?s most popular advertising campaigns during the late 1980s.