The article and image are shared with the kind permission of Working Terrier History.

Painting by George Earl about 1870 of the White English Terrier. The breed 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.