The history of the English White Terrier is filled with controversy and debate regarding its origins and the factors that led to its extinction. The English White Terrier, weighing 10 to 18 pounds, was known for being part of the early Bull Terrier lineage. Crossbreeding between Bull Terriers and White Terriers was common.
Despite the White English Terrier's presence in the show ring and the establishment of breed clubs, the White English Terrier struggled with health issues and a lack of clear breed standards, particularly regarding ear cropping. It is written that the decline of the English White Terrier can be attributed to several factors. Health problems, such as congenital deafness, plagued the breed, and it was described as fragile and delicate.
The ban on ear cropping in 1895 marked a significant blow, leading to inconsistent ear types being shown and a decline in interest. The English White Terrier's inability to perform as a working terrier further diminished its popularity, overshadowed by more robust and versatile breeds like the Manchester Terrier and the Bull Terrier. By the turn of the century, despite efforts from notable supporters, the White English Terrier faded into obscurity. The English White Terrier lasted less than 40 years and left a legacy of controversy and speculation about its true origins and contributions to the terrier lineage.
Credit: English White Terrier painted by William Bruce
The White English Terrier was not an ancient breed but one manufactured in the 1800's to mirror the smooth coated black and tan terrier. Like Hinks's white bull terrier, the exact combination of the other breeds used is not known for certain. Hugh Dalziel, going under the pen name of "Corsincon" believed that the combination was rather weedy fox terrier, a strong dash of bull terrier and a double dash of whippet. Others, such as Idstone, believed that, due to the delicate nature of the White English Terrier and the fact that it lacked courage and was not up to the job of being a vermin destroyer, the Italian Greyhound was used.
Bull Terrier breed books portray the White English Terrier as having become extinct with the inference being through gene degeneration. Idstone, perhaps, gives the best description saying that the White English Terrier was seldom seen, other than in the possession of dog traders and fanciers of the breed because it was bred more for show than use, it is not a hardy nor a courageous dog. The White English Terrier did gain in popularity for some time as a show dog but out of the ring it was always up against the attributes of the old English black and tan vermin terrier (the larger type of these developed in the North of England, later known as the Manchester Terrier, and the smaller of these developed in the South, becoming the Toy Terrier).
The breed had its ups and downs in popularity and was said to be nearly extinct in the early eighteen sixties, then Mr F White of Clapham Common, London propelled it back into the limelight, exhibiting no less than nine at Islington in 1862. Mr White did, however, also breed and show Bull Terriers and, no doubt, interbred with them to give his White English Terriers more substance and bottle.
The White English Terrier was also up against the new under 16lbs white bull terriers that began to appear on the show bench, which were popular in the show ring and most capable of destroying vermin. As with other breeds when large dog shows came into being, the White English Terrier underwent considerable modification. Whilst the continued crossing of the breed with Bulldogs, Bull Terriers and other smooth haired terriers meant that new genes were being introduced into the breed, in many cases, White English Terriers simply became absorbed into those other breeds. So, in order to try and maintain the fine skulls and proper body lines, it also meant that much inbreeding was practised.
The Bull Terrier Club, subscribed to the view that the White English Terrier had become extinct, with the inference being through gene degeneration, in order that Bull Terrier owners and breeders would pay more attention to the eradication of congenital deafness which had been found to be quite widespread in the Bull Terrier.
Whilst hereditary problems in trying to maintain the proper White English Terrier characteristics was most certainly a serious aspect, in reality, it would appear that the White English Terrier suffered from both becoming out of favour with terrier men, who favoured black and tan as the colour of a real vermin terrier and out of favour on the show bench.
Dr Lees Bell, a great admirer of the breed put it succinctly : While regretting extremely the decay of the White English Terrier, I am afraid they must bow to the inevitable and give place to dogs better suited to the wants and conveniences of the present day than they unfortunately are.
English White Terriers, like Bull Terriers, were cropped and the abolition of ear cropping was the final disaster - a terminal combination as it caused many of the remaining fanciers to drop the breed.
Dog World 1997, thanks to Frank Dyson
There is considerable controversy as to whether the English White Terrier was an ancient breed or a recent one in the late 1800’s. Edward Ash states that the white terrier was a new breed and had Italian Greyhound in it. The White Terrier weighed somewhere between 10 to 18 pounds. Syndom Edwards disputed this, and claimed that the White Terrier existed around 1800. The early Bull Terriers were within the weight range of the White Terrier. The writings of Stonehenge indicate that there was crossing and backcrossing between the Bull Terrier and the White Terrier prior to Hinks. Jacob Lanphier crossed his great bulldog, King Dick, into Smooth Haired Terriers, and showed them as the latter.
William George's famous Bulldog Dan may also have been bred into White Terriers. Bulldogs were sometimes crossed with the Smooth Haired Terrier and the offspring exhibited in the terrier classes, so why not Dalmatians? Hinks as one of the creators of the White Terrier would have been able to do just that. These terriers could then have been crossed into Hinks Bull Terrier stock.
The breed (White English Terrier) was never a sporting or working terrier and was created for the exhibitions, and to take advantage of the growing popularity of dog shows.
Very little has been written on the breed, as the first dog labelled as a White English terrier was a dog called Teddy, at a Birmingham show in 1860 owned by Mr. Gardner of Rugby. The parents of Teddy being Tomlinson's Teddy and Tumbler, who was out of Tomlinson's Sal had no such label or descriptions. The breed at this time was shown in a class labelled as "English and other Smooth haired Terriers". Within a few years a club for the breed was created with the objective of making the White English terrier a pure white replica of the Manchester terrier.
Of course the existence of White terriers goes back centuries, gaining popularity through out the 1800's, primarily by hunters who benefit from the terriers being a color easy identifiable by both the field and/or the hounds, but lets no confuse the terrier in the field or farm by this new creation that only in modern times paints a ancient history by creative authors.
Many have speculated as to the ingredients of the White english terrier, such as Manchester terrier, Fox terrier, Bull terrier and Italian Greyhound, just to mention the most common theories. One interesting fact was White Bull terriers and White English terriers were being developed at the same time, and in one instance at the same kennel, that of Mr. James Hinks.
While today known for his Bull terriers he was also breeder of the English whites and freely admitted that the two breeds were on occasion inter-bred. In fact he claimed the larger heavier puppies faced the world as light weight Bull terriers, while the smaller and more lightly built ones became English terriers. While this is possible, (at least in the early days) it wouldn't have been often as the White English terrier become known for it's head shape, some describing as "apple head".
The goal was a "pure white" and "short, fine and glossy" coat, weight between 14 and 20lbs, and expected to convey an impression of "well-bred, high class, smart and neat looking dog, well suited for companion or a house guard".
The breed was plagued with problems, one was "faking", according to complaints surrounding the shows of exhibitors trimmed the hair from the dogs ears and tails to hide the feathering (which is ironic as we have seen what they do today).
Another issue that is mentioned is the ban of ear cropping for showing dogs in 1895, which also happens to be the same year as the last show for White english terriers. Over night there was full dropped and semi erect ears, being shown with the club never had a set standard for ears, however, other cropped breeds survived the change such as the Irish Terrier, Bull terrier etc...why not the White English? perhaps it was "too little too late" there was not enough show quality younger dogs to step in, with the numbers already declining or perhaps the date is just one big coincidence?
Getting back to the lack of good dogs, this was in fact a self imposed problem, due to the rules of coloured markings being a disqualification and spots of brindle and russet kept appearing in selective breedings, espeically behind the ears and neck. Often the best dogs of a litter has blemishes while only the poorest specimens were all-white, in turn the breed became known as a delicate one.
Perhaps the nail in coffin for the breed was it's health issues of being ravaged by Congenital deafness. The well known author on dogs, Rawdon Briggs Lee describes the English White Terrier as "the most fragile and delicate of all our terriers," noting that "he is not a sportsman's companion," but that he "makes a nice house dog" but "requires a considerable amount of cuddling and care."
So, even with the support of James Hinks of Bullterrier fame, Mr. Jacquet, the first Secretary of the Kennel Club, and Mr. Shirley it's founder, as well as Vero Shaw the well known judge and author of several books on dogs the White English terrier slipped away into history.
After the White English breed clubs abrupt ending and lack of interest, the breed is gone by the turn of the century, lasting less then 40 years, the life of the English White Terrier was over.
Painting by George Earl about 1870 of the White English Terrier.
