Alice White
#4 It is not known what fate would have awaited the participants in the bloody performance if it had not been for the law issued in 1835, which prohibited the opening of fighting pits and the exploitation of animals in such a perverse manner.
However, human greed has found a loophole here too. Taking advantage of the fact that the law prohibited only fights between large animals, the organizers decided to switch to hounding dogs exclusively. First, these performances required less effort, money, and time. Secondly, the presence of fighting breeds was easier to conceal from the representatives of the law than the keeping of cattle.
#5 A wave of breeders’ interest in compact animals has reignited.
Bulldogs, due to their sluggishness, could not provide a spectacular battle for onlookers, and the organizers of the entertainment program did not want to lose money. At that time, work began on the development of a new breed, which would have retained the previous ferocity, but slightly decreased in size, becoming more resourceful and agile. For this, enthusiastic breeders crossed a terrier with an Old English Bulldog. The first was valued for vigilance and dexterity, the second - for endurance, perseverance, and strength. As a result of selection, a new breed appeared - the Bull and Terrier - which was ideal for participating in clandestine battles. These dogs were called gladiators for their willingness to fight to the bitter end for the approval of the owner (and, of course, he arrived on impromptu sweepstakes).
#6 The glory of the creator of the first bull terriers belongs to James Hinks, an English breeder who, in 1850, began work on improving the breed.
The man planned to improve the appearance of Bull and Terriers by making them more sophisticated. In 1862, at a dog show in Birmingham, Hinks presented the result of his fruitful selection, which had an aristocratic appearance, but retained the fighting qualities of the unprepossessing progenitors.
