Boston terrier

If you are familiar with the Boxer breed, then you have an idea what a Boston terrier looks like. BTs are small dogs, typically 20-25 lb, but we have seen them as small as 8 lb and as large as 38 lb. A BT has a short black coat but should have a white chest, a white collar and a white blaze on the face. They have erect ears which can be so large as to give them a bat-like appearance. They have "screw" tails which are naturally short and usually crooked. They have short muzzles and a stocky build.

Because of their short muzzles they cannot tolerate heat and because of their short coats they cannot tolerate cold. They MUST be kept in the house.

BTs are unswervingly loyal and fiercely protective. They like to sleep with their owners. They are energetic and playful and will run you ragged if you let them. However, they do not play fetch. If you throw a ball a BT will run after it and pick it up but he will run away with it if you approach.

Because of their protruding eyes BTs are prone to eye injuries. We see a lot of BTs are are one-eyed or blind.

One caveat; when they get excited, BTs tend to nip. We have had a number of dogs turned in to us because they supposedly bit children. If you have children under six years of age, we recommend that you get a dog of a more docile breed.

The Boston Terrier, also known as the Boston Bulldog is one of the few American breeds of dogs. They were first bred to be pit fighters in the late 1800's in Boston. They were developed using the Pit Bull Terrier, French Bulldog, Bullterrier and English Bulldog.

In 1889, the American Bull Terrier Club was formed by a group of about 30 Boston fanciers. Over time, opposition arose from bull terrier and bulldog fanciers about the similarity of the breed’s name. In 1891, the American Bull Terrier Club changed its name to the Boston Terrier Club of America and changed the name of the breed to the Boston Terrier. The breed was accepted into the American Kennel Club in 1893.

In the 1900's, breeders started breeding the dogs smaller, turning them into more of a companion animal, rather than a fighter. Today the breed is more like the Pug than a Pit bull. They are still compact, well-muscled and strong dogs, though.

In the early 2000's, Boston Terriers started popping up in television commercials for all kinds of things. They are usually doing naughty things in these commercials, like pulling hoses with running water into houses or jumping on tables to eat human dinners. Even though they are more easily recognizable than they used to be, people are always asking me what mine is when I walk him. Depending on where you are, people either think he is a Pit bull puppy or a French Bulldog. They really are a “poor man’s” French Bulldog, though, as they have a lot of the same features of that breed but without the high price tag.