I’ve always thought of the bull terrier as a strange, endearing hybrid of shark and pig — in the best way possible — with its smooth dome of a head, chunky body, pointy nose and triangular eyes. If you’ve read our Bedlington piece , you’ll know I have a soft spot for… peculiar-looking breeds.

The modern bull terrier was shaped in mid-19th-century England, born from crosses between old bull-and-terrier types — mixing bulldog strength with terrier agility — and refined by James Hinks of Birmingham. He introduced breeds like the English white terrier (now extinct), Dalmatian, pointer and whippet to smooth their appearance and increase ‘elegance.’ Smooth they are, but elegant… It isn't the first word that springs to mind when I look at them. Lovingly I might add.

Their bodies are solid and

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