Some people still regard the Miniature Bull Terrier as a new breed, possibly because the ‪#‎AKC‬ recognized it less than 25 years ago. In reality, however, the Mini Bull Terrier is over 75 years old, and possibly closer to 140 years old if one considers that the first Bull Terrier champion in England, “Nelson,” would be considered a miniature by today’s standards: “Made up” (as the Brits call making a champion) in 1873, Nelson was very short and weighed but 16 pounds.

England’s Kennel Club accepted the Miniature Bull Terrier back in 1938, but a lack of consistency among the dogs caused breeders to lose interest and one might say the breed was ignored for some time. Resembling their breed in fervor (bless them), a group of tenacious Miniature Bull Terrier fans started the Miniature Bull Terrier Club in the 1960s and worked hard to improve all aspects of the breed. By 1963, the Minis could be shown in the miscellaneous class at AKC dog shows; an infusion of English minis in the 80s improved breed type, and in 1992, the Minis joined other terriers in the Terrier Group.