MyDogBreedsThe English White Terrier was developed in the 1860’s by a group of breeders from the Sealyham terriers, the Jack Russell terrier, and the Fox Terrier. These breeders were looking for a white terrier that could be more successful in the show ring than the current prick-eared English terrier. They named their new breed, the English White Terrier or the Old English terrier. In later years in the United States, the English White Terrier was mixed again with the Rat Terrier and the Old English Bulldog to create both the Boston terrier and the Bull terrier.
Although the breed did not last long it did have a prestigious ancestry that could be traced back centuries in England among ancient terriers. The word terrier was in use in England in 1440, showing that the dogs were well known at that time. Most historians agree that the dogs were even older than the 1400’s. It is believed that terriers who “went to ground” after prey, existed as far back as the time of Christ in England.
Most of these ancestors of the English White Terrier were not white. White terriers came onto the scene around the 1700’s.The first picture of white terriers appeared in 1790 when Sawre Gilpin, a British artist, painted “A Huntsman with Hounds Foxhunting” and the terriers in the painting were white with brown marks. Others began to show the same kind of terriers in their artwork – white coated. Before this it is believed that breeders killed the white terriers at birth because they were often deaf and inferior to the other terriers. In the early part of the 19th century, the white terrier began to be completely white with no markings. The Kennel Club recognized them in 1874 as the White English Terrier.
The breed faced many genetic issues, deafness and the Kennel Clubs felt there was no difference between the current White English terrier and the English White terrier despite the difference in their ears. The new English White Terrier had dropped ears instead of Prick-ears. They considered them to be the same breed and not even different types. They were the smallest of all terriers and considered to be a good pet but not a show dog or a working dog. Because of this it was not very popular, and it actually had been bred to be a show dog and not a working dog. The English White Terrier was not recognized by any Kennel Club and within 30 years it was extinct.
The English White Terrier had a pure white coat with no markings of any kind. His coat was short, hard, and glossy and his body was firm, muscular and hard. The breed was small – almost a toy. They had a body like the Manchester Terrier. They had long legs and large feet. The tail was medium size and straight out from the body.
The English White Terrier had a very refined head with a fairly long muzzle. Their bite was even, and their eyes were brown, amber or black. Their ears dropped – unlike the pricked ears of the White English Terrier.
The English White Terrier was affectionate and devoted to his family. It was the softest tempered of all terriers and made an excellent pet. Some of the English White Terriers were animal aggressive while others were not. Training was difficult because of the wide-spread deafness in the breed. IT loved to be cuddled and held. They were also tenacious and game for any type of fight or hunt despite their size and deficiencies.
The breed was considered to be unhealthy for the most part and became extinct because of this. Many complained that the breed was inbred and had a weak constitution because of it. Deafness was prevalent throughout the breed. This deafness occurs in many white animals, but the English White Terrier had the highest rates among all white dogs.
It was best to feed the English White Terrier 1-2 cups of dry meal per day served in 2 meals.
As mention previously, the English White Terrier was congenitally deaf and had a weak constitution.
This little dog with all its problems was still a very energetic dog and needed considerable exercise. Owners had to develop exercises and games to keep the English White Terrier occupied as with any terrier. If they didn’t have a job or something to occupy their minds and bodies, they were destructive.