Bull and Terrier vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison

The Bull and Terrier is a blend between a number of Old English Terriers and the Old English Bulldog. It is believed that this extinct dog was the start of breeds such as the American Pit Bull Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

They were excellent for hunting rats and weren’t a true breed. The dog was popular in the British Isles and in the United States in the 19th Century. They became rare as different varieties of Bull and Terrier were bred and standardized.

Most terriers have a good deal of Old English Bulldog blood in them so as to provide them with the courage to fight and hunt prey, while the English Terrier blood provided a feisty temperament and longer legs for speed.

Around 1860, the Bull and Terrier breed split into 2 categories – the pure white Bull Terrier and the ones of color. The Bull and Terrier was never recognized as a standardized breed by any of the kennel clubs.

The first known information about Afghan Hound was in the 19th century. That dog looked like a Saluki. The breed that we know today is a mix of an Afghan hound accentor which came to Britain in 1920s and other breeds that were popular in that period. Afghan Hound became popular because they were used to hunt big prays in Afghanistan. One of those breeds was Tasy breed. They were very popular among royalty because of its posture and elegance. Their popularity grew very quickly through the whole Europe.

They were also very popular because they were used to hunt antelopes, gazelles, and snow panthers. In India, English soldiers used them as a mail carrier.

There isn’t too much detail and information on the Bull and Terrier but we can be sure that with the cross between the Old English Bulldog and the Old English Terrier, he would have been a small to medium sized compact, muscular dog, standing roughly between 38cm to 50cm in height and weighing anything in the region of 11 to 22kg.

He would have had a big head, and most of the dogs had a medium to long tail. His coat was of many colors such as white, fawn, tan or brindle and would have been short and smooth.

As far as temperament goes, the Bull and Terrier would certainly be courageous, feisty, independent, strong and energetic. Socialization wasn’t available in those days but with training, this intelligent breed would be affectionate with his human family.

The average weight of an adult male is 26-34kg, while females are smaller with an average weight approximately 23 kg.

While average height of the Afghan Hound is 68-74cm. Females are slightly smaller with an average height of 63cm.

The lifespan of an Afghan Hound is 12-14 years, but that always depends on the dog to dog. If you have a healthy dog and you take proper care, they tend to live much longer than average lifespan.

Litter Size again variates from dog to dog, but an average litter size is 6-7 puppies.

Afghan hound has many other names, so you might know this breed as Tazi, Tazhi Spay, Da Kochyano Spay, Sage Balochi, Ogar Afgan, Barakzai Hound, Eastern Greyhound, and Persian Greyhound.

Nobody seems to be 100% sure when the classic Bull and Terrier dog became extinct but it is strongly assumed that it was some time between 1890 and 1920.

People believe that there are actually surviving breeds that could be considered Bull and Terriers. One thing is sure, when you consider that the Bull and Terrier is actually made up of several breeds such as the Bull Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Boston Terrier and American Pit Bull Terrier then you can imagine the character of the dog – brave, hardy, intelligent, feisty, bold, confident and fearless. He was a dog who loved his human family and would have been both friend and protector.

These dogs have been popular around the world, and have had a strong influence in the development of a number of other breeds. Even today, breeders are always looking at ways to develop new breeds based on the descendants of the Bull and Terrier.

Afghan hounds love spending time with one owner or one family. They are not very sociable with other guests. They won’t bark or attack. They simply just don’t enjoy big crowd company. They do not enjoy spending time with children, but if trained properly they will learn to adjust. They simply don’t like quick and sudden movements, but they are not aggressive towards children. They are very independent and intelligent dogs. It is important to be gentle, patient and kind because they love positive training and awards. They are amazing breed with proper owner. Rough handling and punishments will make Afghan hound withdrawn or even depressed. Afghan hound do not tend to please its owner.

The Bull and Terrier was no doubt a robust breed with few health issues. However his owners of that time would have had to be aware of eye diseases such as cataracts that could have lead to blindness.

Other health issues they would have had to contend with would have been hip and elbow dysplasia, a disease which can cause lameness in a dog accompanied with pain. Because the Bull and terrier was mixed with the English Bulldog, the dog owners would have had to be aware of respiratory health problems, as the Bull dog is a breed that is susceptible to these problems.

Afghan hounds are generally very healthy breed. But, as every breed, they have tendencies to some health problems. If you want to prevent those diseases it is important to select a right and healthy puppy.

Elbow and hip dysplasia are basically common health problem to any big breed. Juvenile cataracts, Cancer and Hypothyroidism are some of the health problems that have been found in this breed, but overall, with proper care and regular vet checks, you will have a happy and healthy Afghan.

Grooming:

Long ago the Bull and Terrier was developed to be a hunting dog, and because he was a blend of the English Bulldog and Terriers such as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and English Terrier, he no doubt had a short coat that would have required being brushed down from time to time.

Diet:

The Bull and Terrier dog was bred for hunting, and he would have in all likelihood have caught some of his own food. He would therefore have got a lot of protein in. His owners would also have fed him some of their own food too which would have been eggs, home-made bread, rice, fresh vegetables and meat.

He would have had a good quota of raw meat in his diet too and this would have ensured that his coat was shiny and glossy, free of rashes. Dogs such as the Bull and Terrier wouldn’t have eaten commercially produced kibble as that was only introduced in the 1930s.

Afghan hound loves eating and 2-2.5 cups of high-quality dry food. It is better if the dog is feeding twice a day. Always depends on the activity of the dog, metabolism, age, size and built. So it is important to observe your dog and to realize what is the best quantity of food.

Feeding the Afghan puppy

Feeding the Afghan puppy should be feed at least 3-5 times per day. It is important to feed your puppy with smaller portions, but more times per day.

Grooming the Afghan puppy

Grooming this breed is not very hard, but it requires grooming and taking care of the long coat. Besides a couple of baths, every year and regular everyday grooming will make your dog hair look amazing! Afghan hound is not dog with a lot of requirements.