These dogs were used, both as ratters and racers, in England. They were actually considered two breeds, standard and toy, until they were combined, allowing for a great size difference within the breed standard.
Family motivated, this breed is not great with strangers. They tend not to do well with cats. These dogs can be aggressive diggers and barkers. They love to run wild outside but are lap dogs inside.
Miniature Bull Terrier
This is another cross between bulldogs and terriers. It was bred exclusively for fighting other dogs. As in the Staffordshire breeds, they had to be very sweet dogs with humans, so that they could be handled in the pits. While the Bull Terrier was able to retain a certain amount of popularity, when the miniature version was declared, breeders had a hard time finding people that were interested in them.
This is a stubborn and goofy dog. They can become destructive if not given exercise. Not a great match for other pets, they are wonderful with children. They do, however, have a tendency to chew and can cause damage to furniture and the like, if not watched. Like the larger version, these are tough dogs. They remain devoted without the neediness of some other breeds.