English bull terrier mix transforms into Dalmatian with one tiny adjustment

A pet owner has revealed the small adjustment that can change his dog’s appearance from an English bull terrier’s to a Dalmatian’s.

Dmitry Pepper told Newsweek that from the moment he laid eyes on Biscuit, he knew she was a special dog. Some of that is down to her breeding—or rather, her mixed breeding. The 9-year-old pooch is a unique blend of English bull terrier, Dalmatian, whippet, old English bulldog and borzoi. “We had thought no other dog looked like her until my followers shared pictures of their white, spotted dogs,” Pepper said.

In a TikTok video that has received more than 562,000 views since it was posted on March 22, Pepper transforms Biscuit’s appearance from that of an English bull terrier to that of a Dalmatian by gently pulling her ears down.

In doing so, he shows that, among the many breeds that make up his dog, there is a significant dose of Dalmatian.

In an interview, Pepper discussed the circumstances that led Biscuit to the life she enjoys with him and his family. In April 2015, Biscuit was found wandering around a neighborhood in Georgia and brought to a kill shelter.

She was initially adopted by a family, but they surrendered Biscuit, who was called Diamond then, to a shelter in Maine after their elderly dog took a dislike to her.

Over the next few months, Biscuit spent time with a foster family, while the shelter she was in posted pleas on social media for someone to adopt her. Given the small window of time dogs have to make an impression on shelter visitors, dogs like Biscuit can sometimes fall through the cracks in the system.

A 2014 study published in Applied Animal Behavior Science found that the average shelter visitor interacted with one dog per visit, and that the interactions lasted for about eight minutes.

In Biscuit’s case, it took Pepper and his family a matter of seconds to fall in love with her, the owner said, after coming across her picture on social media in 2015. “We had to adopt her,” he added. That involved driving three hours to a small town called Jonesport, where they met Biscuit, and she became a part of their family.

These days, Biscuit has Joy, whom Pepper describes as “a hyperactive English bull terrier” puppy. While Biscuit may be older, she’s more than capable of keeping up with her younger sibling.

“She is a playful, energetic dog who loves people, pets and going on car trips and to the park,” Pepper said. “Her favorite activities are walking with me and Joy outside, at the park, car trips, and going under the covers at night to sleep. She is very personable and loves to be close to humans.”

Biscuit has another pastime: starring in videos posted on social media under the handle @MisterMainer. To date, across TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, Biscuit has gained over 20 million followers.

“Her videos feature her in various activities and characters. Her most notable videos are when she is dressed up in a bob wig as a real-estate agent named Karen Bark, selling not-so-appealing homes, making light of the expensive houses in today’s market,” Pepper said.

“She has caught the eye of notable celebrities, such as Meghan Trainor, Charlie Puth, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Anitta. People even recognize Biscuit and me in public when we walk around,” he added.

Biscuit serves as an example of the kind of unique beauty that existed in mixed-breed dogs, but she’s more than just a pretty face to Pepper and her legion of fans.

“Since 2021, when she rose to fame, my followers have told me how her videos bring them joy, especially during hard times,” Pepper said. “Working with Biscuit and Joy helped me during the COVID pandemic, provided me with a job and opportunities, and helped me during difficult times in my life.”

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our “Pet of the Week” lineup.