Videos Boston Terrier Breed Information
Alternative names -
Boston Bull & Terrier
Boxwood
Country of origin -
United States
Classification and breed standards
FCI:|Group
9 Section 11 #140|Stds
AKC:|Non-sporting|Stds
ANKC:|Group 7
(Non-Sporting)|Stds
CKC:|Group
6 - Non-Sporting|Stds
KC
(UK):|Utility|Stds
NZKC:|Non-sporting|Stds
UKC:|Companion
Breeds|Stds
The Boston Terrier is a breed of dog originating
in the United States of
America.
1. Appearance
Boston Terriers are typically small, compactly built, well
proportioned dogs with erect ears, short
tails, and a short muzzle that should be free of wrinkles. They usually have a square sort of
face. According to international breed standard, the dog should
weigh no less than 10 pounds and no more than 25 pounds. Boston
Terriers usually stand 15-17 inches at the withers.
The Boston Terrier is characteristically marked with white in
proportion to either black, brindle,
seal, or a combination of the three. Seal is a color specifically
used to describe Boston Terriers and is defined as a black color
with red highlights when viewed in the sun or bright light. If all
other qualities are identical, brindle is the preferred color
according to most breed standards.
Ideally, white should cover its chest, muzzle, band around the
neck, half way up the forelegs, up to
the hocks on the rear legs, and a white blaze between but not
touching the eyes. In show dogs,
symmetrical markings are preferred. Due to the Boston
Terrier's markings resembling formal
wear, in addition to its refined and pleasant personality, the
breed is commonly referred to as the "American
Gentleman." The breed is known for its gentle, alert, and
intelligent expression.
Frequently, variations on the standard are seen depending on the
ancestry of the individual dog. At various times, the Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier,
English Mastiff, Staffordshire Bull Terrier,
and French Bulldog—among other
breeds—have been crossbred with Boston Terrier lines to minimize
inbreeding in what is necessarily a small gene pool.
2. Temperament
While originally bred for fighting, they were later down bred
for companionship. The modern Boston Terrier can be gentle, alert,
expressive, and well-mannered. Many still retain the spunky
attitude of the typical terrier. It must be noted however, that
they are not considered terriers by the American Kennel Club, but
are part of the non-sporting group. Boston Terrier is something
of a misnomer. They were originally a cross-breed between the
Old English Bulldog and the
English White Terrier.
Both of these breeds are now extinct.
Some Bostons enjoy having another one for companionship. Both
females and males generally bark only when necessary. Having
been bred as a companion dog, they enjoy being around people, and,
if properly socialized, get along well with children, the elderly,
other canines, and non-canine pets. Boston Terriers can be very
cuddly, while others are more independent.
3. Health
Several health issues are of concern in the Boston Terrier:
cataracts (both juvenile and adult
type), cherry eye, luxating patellas, deafness, heart
murmur, and allergies. Curvature of
the back, called roaching, might be caused by patella problems with the rear legs, which in
turn causes the dog to lean forward onto the forelegs. This
might also just be a structural fault with little consequence to
the dog. Many Bostons cannot tolerate excessive heat and also
extremely cold weather, due to the shortened muzzle, so hot or cold
weather combined with demanding exercise can bring harm to a Boston
Terrier.
They can live up to 15 years or more, but the average is around
13 years.
The Boston, like other short-snouted breeds have an elongated
palate. When excited, they are prone to a
"reverse sneeze" where
the dog will quickly, and seemingly laboriously, gasp and snort.
This is caused by fluid or debris getting caught under the palate
and irritating the throat or limiting breathing. "Reverse sneezing" episodes
won't hurt a Boston in the least, but it will scare the dog,
and maybe its owners, a good deal.
Because of their short snouts, they do tend to snort and
snore. These can be signs of serious health
issues. Due to the Boston's prominent eyes, some are prone to
ulcers or minor
injuries to their cornea.
4. History
The Boston Terrier breed originated around 1870, when Robert C.
Hooper of Boston purchased a dog known as Hooper's Judge, a
cross between the Old English
Bulldog and the English
White Terrier. (Both of these breeds are extinct)
Judge weighed over 30 pounds (13.5 kilos). He was bred down in
size with a smaller female and one of his male pups was bred to yet
a smaller female. Their offspring interbred with one or more
French Bulldogs, providing the
foundation for the Boston Terrier. Bred down in size from
pit-fighting dogs of the bull and terrier types, the Boston Terrier
originally weighed up to 44 pounds (20 kg.) (Olde Boston
Bulldogge). Their weight classifications were once divided into
lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight.
The breed was first shown in Boston
in 1870. By 1889 the breed had become sufficiently popular in
Boston that fanciers formed the American Bull Terrier Club, but
this proposed name for the breed was not well received by the Bull
Terrier Fanciers. The breed's nickname, "roundheads",
was similarly inappropriate. Shortly after, at the suggestion of
James Watson (a noted writer and authority), the club changed its
name to the Boston Terrier Club and in 1893 it was admitted to
membership in the American Kennel Club.
In 1893, the American Kennel
Club (AKC) admitted the Boston Terrier breed and gave the club
membership status, making it the first US breed to be recognized.
It is one of a small number of breeds to have originated in the
United States that the AKC recognizes.
The Boston Terrier was the first non-sporting dog bred in the
US.
In the early years, the color and markings were not very
important, but by the 1900s the breed's distinctive markings
and color were written into the standard, becoming an essential
feature. Terrier only in name, the Boston Terrier has lost most of
its ruthless desire for mayhem, preferring the company of humans,
although some males will still challenge other dogs if they feel
their territory is being invaded.
Boston Terriers were particularly popular during the 1920's
in the US.
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
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