working English bull

I know they have been used before and would like to see them used again.

my intention is to try and find the best example of the breed i can and see what i can do with it.

obviously it cant be anything like most show types,so i've got my work cut out to try and find what im after.

the work i have available will be Personal\property protection,search and rescue,retrieving shot game and\or bushing to lurcher and gun.

even if its only capable of bushing i'll at least have tried.

this is something ive wanted to try for quite a long time,im in a position to now.

anyone got any tips (besides that i should get a german shepard :lol or advise?

 

Sorry for not responding sooner as I was having some technical problems.

There are a small few Bull Terrier breeders out there who work there dogs, and even more who do not do a very good job of it.

IMO the biggest thing you have to be careful of is unstable temperament.
Bull Terrier's in general are "quirky" and are prone to temper tantrums and OCD and are difficult to train any ways as they are not very bidable breed of dog.

HOWEVER, with that being said I think Bull Terriers can and do make amazing workable dogs.
my female Chimera who passed away at the far to young age of only 2 years old was a wonderful example of a workable Bull Terrier (I hate to call her a working dog as she did not have any real job other then training her)

she had amazing ball drive and would do anything for the ball including climb straight up my hip.
she was very smart and easy to motivate and had to be monitored as she would litterally work for her ball to death if I let her.
I taught her to jump jumps higher then her and have her repeat without a command and jsut a hand signal within just 30 minutes of being taught and would even go out of her way to repeat the exercise without being prompted.

she had a lot of potential.
I had her holding and releasing toys she wanted so so bad to grab, but she would wait while I zig zagged them like an animal at her feet,held them to her mouth, throw it, etc.

There have been a lot of nice little Bullies here who have been very workable and many who were worked.
Many people also assume that a dog from a "show" kennel could never make a good working dog, which is just not true!
my little girl was originally bought to be shown, but her breeder was worried about her size and wanted to let her head fill in more.

One of the best working kennel ive seen also competes in conformation-and wins! there dogs have amazing temperaments and work ability.
so dont be so quick to write of breeders who compete in comformation.

conformation dogs have to have stable enough temperaments to allow strangers to touch them, to be in close proximity of other dogs while focusing and deal with large crowds.
any breeder who is breeding just just a job they do at home do not need the dogs to prove themselves around other people or children.

I wish you the best of luck in your search!

 

imo show types of any breed are usually poorly put together,unhealthy,no nerve,low drive and very expensive.

my show bred mini is fairly well put together,healthy and has good nerve,but she's retarded,thanks i'm sure to having spent the first 4 years of her life in a shed.

I won't go out of my way to even look at any KC show types,but there are some bull breed shows where they favour a functional look,so would be interested in one like that.

we'll see how it goes,and i will post back here with any updates,thanks.

 

I'd also have to disagree. It greatly depends on the Kennel Club as they may be more lenient on certain structural or behavior aspects than most would prefer however it's still up to the breeder to breed for temperament AND structure or just one or the other or neither.

 

Broaden your horizons and open your mind.
There are a lot of good breeders who participate in shows who's dogs are tremendous workable companions.
while im not saying ALL, but you would be surprised.
Get to know some breeders, go have a look at there dogs, go to some confirmation shows and watch some of the dogs in the ring how they respond to bait and such.

Mary Remer for example has a little brindle bitch Chai I got to meet at Silverwood who had AMAZING drive and work ability!

You would be quite surprised to find that Bull Terrier's in teh show ring can be every bit as drivey and workable as those who are not in the ring.
if you would like some kennel names or contacts, feel free to send me a PM.

 

I'm in the UK but if you know anyone here i'd appreciate it!

I've never in my life seen a show dog i'd try to work,I don't know how bad it is over there but here show dogs are useless Collies,German Shepherds,Greyhounds,Huskies you name it.

I want the very best specimen i can find,imo it will have to have some performance bred ancestors within the last few generations not have been bred only for a look.

thanks for getting replying btw.

 

That does explain things a bit better to be honest.
I have to admit here in the US Bullies seem to have a bit more "terrier" temperament to them while dogs in the UK seem to not have the same kind of drive, of course this is all based off what I have seen talking to people on different forums, the american based forums I seen a lot of issues with owners having drivey terriers, problems with puberty, high energy, nipping and all around naughtyness, the american base forums generally see dog aggression as no big deal, they see resource guarding in pups as no big deal and tell owners it is no real thing to worry over.
while the UK based forums it was quite unheard of for a BT to be nippy or high energy, and it is pretty shocking to have a pup who is dog aggressive or a resource guarder.
a few of my UK friends really feel bad for my dogs getting 2-4 hours or so of exercise per day because there dogs would simply be miserable with that kind of exercise.

Like I mentioned these are all things I personally have noticed, it does seem like the dogs in the UK are much lower drive and energy (Which is actually what I personally am wanting currently)

But I will PM you 3 names of kennels I know of who you might contact.