Page 41 - Dog

BULL’S EYE A FIGHT TO THE FINISH Small, half-pricked ears
This bull terrier starred with Oliver The Staffordshire bull terrier Very
Reed, who played Sikes in the first entered the show ring as a muscular
1968 film Oliver!, based on a novel recognized breed in 1935. It body
by English writer Charles Dickens was developed in the Midlands
(1812–1870). Bull terriers were of England, originally as a
developed in the 1700s by crossing fighting dog, by crossing the
bulldogs and terrier types to old-fashioned bull terrier with
produce a fierce fighting dog the bulldog and the now-
(pp. 46–47). Their small, fine, erect extinct Old English terrier.
ears were developed to avoid
illegal ear-cropping (pp. 44–45).

Dark, deep-
set eyes Staffordshire bull terrier

V-shaped
ears,
falling
forward

THE ROUGH AND THE SMOOTH
These popular terriers were first bred in the 1800s by
Jack Russell, a clergyman from Devon, England. Coat can
These small dogs were a cross between several now- be long
extinct breeds and varied much in appearance and and
size. Kennel clubs are beginning to recognize the Jack rough-
Russell as an official breed – for example, the British haired, or
Kennel Club made the Parson Jack Russell (but not short and
all Jack Russells) an official breed in 1990, but in the smooth-
U.S. and Canada the Jack Russell is still not haired
recognized as an official breed for showing.
Jack Russell terriers

Streamlined body
and short-haired
coat make a dog
built for speed

Thomas Bewick’s (pp. 42–43) engraving
of an old-fashioned lurcher

IN THE LURCH
The lurcher was originally a crossbreed (pp. 60–61)
between a greyhound and a terrier; its patience,
intelligence, speed, and fighting ability made it a perfect
dog for a poacher (pp. 40–41). Many owners would like
to enter their lurchers in the show ring, but as yet they
are still not recognized as an official breed. HEAD OVER HEELS
It’s hard to say what
breed this little dog is
– but he has certainly
surprised his mistress
with his amusing antics.

3
(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.