Other names/Nicknames:
- Yankee Terrier
- Round Heads
- American Bull Terrier
Country/Date of origin:
- United States
- 1800′s
Height:
- 15 to 17 inches
Weight:
- 10 to 25 pounds
Personality:
- Very affectionate.
- The Boston Terrier is not a terrier. It does not have the fiery temperament of that tribe.
- Dapper and intelligent.
- Can have a stubborn streak.
History:
A breed made in the United States, the Boston Terrier is the result of a cross between an English Bulldog and a white English Terrier (a breed now extinct). The original Boston Terriers, which weighed 35 pounds, were considerably larger than the typical twenty-pound dog today. Dog fanciers around Boston called the dog they developed the Round Head, Yankee Terrier, American Bull Terrier, and several other names. When the breed was admitted to the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1893, it was decided that Boston Terrier would be used.
Body Type:
- A distinctive , dapper-looking dog with a broad head, large, round eyes, and tuxedo markings.
- The short tail is set low and is not carried above horizontal. It can be either straight or screw. It is never docked.
- The ears are carried erect and are set at the corners of the skull. They are sometimes cropped.
Coat:
- Smooth, short, and shiny.
- Permissible colors are brindle and white (which is preferred), or black and white.
- A regular symmetry of the markings is extremely important in this breed.
- The placement of the white is called tuxedo patterning.
- There must be a white muzzle, a white blaze on the head, and white on the neck, chest, forelegs, and hind legs below the hocks.
- Minimal grooming required.
Health and Wellness:
- Calcinosis circumscripta.
- Brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome.
- Hydrocephalus.
- Cleft lip and palate.
- Hemivertebrae.
- Congenital deafness.
- Tracheal hypoplasia.
- Cataracts.
- Mast cell tumor.
- Dystocia.
- Atopy.
- Glaucoma.
- Patella luxation.
- Skin fold pyoderma (facial and tail).
- Cushing’s syndrome (PDH and AT)
- Chemodectomas.
- Melanoma.
What you should know:
- This is an excellent breed for the first time dog owner.
- It will adapt itself to whatever life style you have.
- It is small, relatively quiet, long-lived, smart, and short coated.
- It was at one time the most popular dog in America. It has been out of vogue for many years, but appears to be making a comeback.
- The breed is closely associated with the city of Boston and is used as a mascot or symbol of many things in Beantown.