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The Boston Terrier is a breed of dog originating in the United States of America. The Boston Terrier is a lively, highly intelligent, smooth coated, short-headed, compactly built, short-tailed, well balanced dog, brindle, seal or black in color and evenly marked with white. The head is in proportion to the size of the dog and the expression indicates a high degree of intelligence.
The body is rather short and well knit, the limbs strong and neatly turned, the tail is short and no feature is so prominent that the dog appears badly proportioned. The dog conveys an impression of determination, strength and activity, with style of a high order; carriage easy and graceful. A proportionate combination of "Color and White Markings" is a particularly distinctive feature of a representative specimen.
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. Boston terriers can weigh from 10 to 25 lb,
typically in the vicinity of 15 lb. The breed is known for its
gentle, alert, and intelligent expression. 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.
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."
Frequently, variations on the standard are seen depending
on the ancestry of the individual dog. At various times, the
English Bulldog, 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.
Temperament: Bred for companionship, the modern
Boston Terrier can be gentle, alert, and well-mannered. They
were originally a cross-breed between the White English
Terrier (now extinct) and a French Bulldog according to the
AKC. 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, other canines, and non-canine pets. Boston Terriers
can be very cuddly, while others are more independent.
Health: Many Bostons cannot tolerate excessive heat
and humidity due to the shortened muzzle, so hot weather
combined with demanding exercise brings the danger of heat
exhaustion.
They can live 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 air
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. The quickest way
to stop these episodes is to talk to them calmly, and cover
their nose with the palm of your hand, which will force the
dog to breath more slowly and deeply through its mouth.
Because of their short snouts, they do tend to snort and
snore. These can be signs of serious health issues.Surgery is
available to correct the defects that can cause trouble with
breathing,ie.elongated palate,narrow trachea and pinched
nares. There are risks attached to the surgery so it is
suggested that you put your dog through such surgery only if
its health is compromised. You can adjust their heads so the
dog's airway is straight and the snoring should cease but does
not cure more serious problems as mentioned before. Due to the
Boston's prominent eyes, some are prone to ulcers or minor
injuries to their cornea.
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 an English Bulldog and an
English White Terrier.
Judge weighed over 30 pounds (13.5 kg.). He was bred down
in size with a smaller female and one of those 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, the breed was named the Boston
Terrier after its birthplace.
In 1893, the American Kennel Club (AKC) admitted the Boston
Terrier breed and gave the club membership status, making it
the first American breed to be recognized. It is one of a
small number of breeds to have originated in the United
States.
The Boston Terrier was the first non-sporting dog bred in
America. 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 their 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 enjoyed particular popularity during
the 1920's in America.
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