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Toby Timmins - Fisherman and Friend
Later, French Bulldogs and other Terrier breeds were used to help define the BOSTON TERRIER as we know it today.
The BOSTON TERRIER has the proud honor of being the very first ALL AMERICAN DOG.
The story is very condensed here, but to quote an article written by Mr. H. W. Lacy and published in the American Kennel Gazette in 1924; “There is no more interesting story in all dogdom than that of the development of the BOSTON TERRIER
The BOSTON TERRIER Club of America was founded in 1891 for the betterment of the Breed. In 1893 the BOSTON TERRIER was accepted by the American Kennel Club and has been a popular breed since.
A dog is the only thing on this Earth that loves you more than he loves himself. Josh Billings
A LOT OF LOVE.....................
The BOSTON TERRIER makes a wonderful pet and companion. They are an indoor dog. They are very happy in an apartment or in a home with a fenced yard to run in. The BOSTON TERRIER has lots of energy and should have room to run and play in a fenced yard or be taken for a walk everyday.
They are compactly built well-balanced and convey an expression of determination, strength, and activity.
The BOSTON TERRIER is inclined to be obedient, well- mannered, and due to their short coat are odorless with a minimum of care.
They are so receptive to affection and attention that to teach them what is required of them is only a matter of a little time and patience. They respond immediately to praise. Once they learn the rules, they never forget. The BOSTON TERRIER is a very smart dog and should always be given a purpose to fulfill in the home. Teach him a new trick or go through the basic tasks he knows with regularity.
The BOSTON TERRIER makes an excellent watchdog as they are very devoted and loyal to their masters.
They are excellent with children and will play for hours. Many stories are documented of the BOSTON TERRIER saving the lives of children in their household.
Purchase you BOSTON TERRIER from a reputable breeder who is willing to answer all your questions. You can contact the American Kennel Club and request the name and address of the breed club’s corresponding secretary who should send you a breeders’ directory. You can also ask your local veterinarian to recommend a breeder. Or a great way to meet breeders is to go to a dog show or obedience trial. Your first contact will probably be over the phone. Be prepared to be screened over the phone by the breeder and you should have questions of your own to ask the breeder. It is imperative to determine that a puppy and owner are right for each other. Here are some questions to ask the breeders:
(As adopted by The Boston Terrier Club of America, Inc.: revised June 14, 1932, May 1, 1946, April 9, 1957, and February 28, 1990)
The Boston Terrier is a lively, highly intelligent, smooth coated, shortheaded, 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.Balance, Expression, Color and White Markings should be given particular consideration in determining the relative value of GENERAL APPEARANCE to other points.
Weight is divided by classes as follows: Under 15 pounds: 15 pounds and Under 20 Pounds: 20 Pounds and not to exceed 25 pounds. The length of leg must balance with the length of body to give the Boston Terrier its striking square appearance. The Boston Terrier is a sturdy dog and must not appear to be either spindly or coarse. The bone and muscle must be in proportion as well as an enhancement to the dog’s weight and structure.
Blocky or chunky in appearance.
The only evident difference is a slight refinement in the bitch’s conformation.
The skull is square, flat on top, free from wrinkles, cheeks flat, brow abrupt and the stop well defined. The ideal Boston Terrier expression is alert and kind. Indicating a high degree of intelligence. This is a most important characteristic of the breed. The eyes are wide apart, large and round and dark in color. The eyes are set square in the skull and the outside corners are in line with the cheeks as viewed from the front.
The ears are small, carried erect, either natural or cropped to conform to the shape of the head and situated as near to the corners of the skull as possible. The muzzle is short, square, wide and deep and in proportion to the skull, it is free from wrinkles, shorter in length than in width or depth: not exceeding in length approximately one-third of the length of the skull. The muzzle from stop to end of the nose is parallel to the top of the skull. The nose is black and wide, with a well defined line between the nostrils.
The jaw is broad and square with short regular teeth. The bite is even or sufficiently undershot ( the front teeth of the lower jaw overlapping or projecting beyond the front teeth of the upper jaw when the mouth is closed ) to square the muzzle. the chops are of good depth, but not pendulous, completely covering the teeth when the mouth is closed.
The length of the neck must display an image of balance to the total dog. It is slightly arched, carrying the head gracefully and setting neatly into the shoulders. The Back is just short enough to square the body. The topline is level and the rump curves slightly to the set-on of the tail.
The chest is deep with good width, rigs well sprung(curvature of ribs for heart and lung capacity.) and carried well back to the lions. The body should appear short.
The tail is set on low, short fine and tapering. straight or screw and must not be carried above the horizontal. (Note: the preferred tail does not exceed in length more than one quarter the distance from set-on to hock [The tarsus or collection of bones of the hind leg forming the joint between the second thigh and the metatarsus; the dog’s true knee.)
Roach back ( a convex curvature of the back toward the loin. Carp back) , sway back (concave curvature of the back line between the withers and the hipbones), slab-sided (flat ribs with too little spring from spinal column).
The shoulders are sloping and well laid back, which allows for the Boston Terrier’s Stylish movement. The elbows stand neither in nor out. The forelegs are set moderately wide apart and on a line with the upper tip of the shoulder blades. The forelegs are straight in bone with short, strong pasterns. The dewclaws may be removed. The feet are small round and compact, turned neither in nor out, with well arched toes and short nails. Faults: Legs lacking in substance, splay feet (a flat foot with toes spreading) .
The thighs are strong and well muscled, bent at the stifles (joint of the hind leg between the thigh and the second thigh. The dog’s knee.) and set true. The hocks are short to the feet, turning neither in nor out, with a well defined hock joint. The feet are small and compact with short nails.
The gait of the Boston Terrier is that of a sure footed, straight gaited dog, forelegs and hind legs moving straight ahead in line with perfect rhythm, each step indicating grace and power. Gait Faults: There will be no rolling (swaying, ambling action of the hindquarters when moving.), paddling ( front legs swing forward on a stiff outward arc.), or weaving(unsound gaiting action which starts with twisting elbows and ends with crisscrossing and toeing out.) , when gaited. Hackney gait (High lifting of the front feet, like that of a hackney horse).
The coat is short, smooth, bright and fine in texture.
Brindle, Seal, or black with white markings. Brindle is preferred ONLY if all other qualities are equal. (Note: Seal Defined: Seal appears black except it has a red cast when viewed in the sun or bright light.)
Solid black, solid brindle or solid seal without required white markings. Gray or liver colors.
White muzzle band, even white blaze between the eyes and over the head, white collar, white forechest, white on part or whole of forelegs and hind legs below the hocks.
A dog with a preponderance of white on the head or body must possess sufficient merit otherwise to counteract its deficiencies.
The BOSTON TERRIER is a friendly and lively dog. The breed has an excellent disposition and a high degree of intelligence, which make the BOSTON TERRIER an incomparable companion.
The clean-cut short back body of THE BOSTON TERRIER coupled with the unique characteristics of his square head and jaw, and his striking markings have resulted in a most dapper and charming AMERICAN original: THE BOSTON TERRIER.
General Appearance---------------------10
Expression------------------------------10
Head(muzzle,jaw,bite,skull,&stop)-------15
Eyes-------------------------------------5
Ears-------------------------------------5
Neck, Topline, body & tail--------------15
Forequarters----------------------------10
Hindquarters----------------------------10
Feet-------------------------------------5
Color, Coat & Markings------------------5
Gait------------------------------------10
Total----------------------------------100
Remember, there is no perfect BOSTON TERRIER. These are what we the breeders have decided one should look like and what one should not look like. Just because a BOSTON TERRIER does not meet these standard does it mean that they will not make an excellent pet. THESE ARE STANDARDS USED FOR THE CONFORMATION OF THE BREED IN BREEDING AND THE SHOW RING.