How to Identify a Boston Terrier

The original Boston Terriers were a cross between the English Bulldog and now extinct English White Terrier. They were bred down in size from the larger bull terriers, though were still considered to be a particularly agile and ferocious pit dog. The breed that we now know if significantly smaller than the original pit dog, which had no real name save the moniker “roundheads,” weighing up to 45 lbs. In 1893 the species had been bred to be much smaller and was officially recognized and named the Boston Terrier in homage to its city of origin. Since then Boston Terriers have become very popular throughout the country thanks to their winning demeanor and personality. The current generation is not at all aggressive toward humans or other animals. Here is a guide on how to identify a purebred Boston Terrier.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Start by judging the animal’s size and looking at its body. The dog should be no more than a foot and a half at the shoulder and weigh at most 25 lbs. It should be compact and well muscled with long, straight legs. It should have a wide barrel chest and narrow withers, withers being the hips.

2. Examine the dog’s fur. It should be short, skin tight, silky and shiny. The breeds only come in brindle and white, black and white, and brown and white. The white is always the secondary color marking the chest, feet, underbelly, under the jaw, ringing around the neck and accenting the face.

3. Look at the dog’s face, which is a very recognizable feature for this species. They have a broad, flat head without wrinkles and a short, square muzzle leading to an ample black nose. The eyes are set far apart and are very large. Ears are small, bat like, and erect. The breed is as close to having a flat face while still possessing a snout. Many people get the impression that the dog might have run face-first into a concrete wall. If the dog matches this description then it’s a Boston Terrier.

Tips & Warnings

• This breed is gentle and playful around children, very accepting of other animals and dogs, and is trusting of strangers.
• Some badly bred Boston Terriers may have a bone defect in the skull that stunts brain growth, resulting in a retarded dog. The breed is very intelligent and will take to training well, but they get so excited that house training can be difficult.

Resources

• List of reliable Boston Terrier breeders