Boston Terrier
Posted: 02/14/2023 | BY: Content Writer
Boston Terrier Dog Breed Profile
Pet Profile
A friendly, intelligent, lively, people-pleasing breed with tuxedo coloring!
- Medium sized 38cm – 43cm
- Weight between 4.5kg and 11.3kg (10 – 25lbs)
- 13-15 years lifespan
The Boston Terrier is a popular breed that was originally bred to be the perfect companion, and that’s just what they are – man’s best friend.
Boston Terriers are just as happy in an apartment or a rural home just as long as they are with their people, and they love kids!
Boston Terriers are not as feisty and confrontational as other terrier dog breeds but they are high-energy dogs and intelligent making them a popular breed. Their comic antics keep everyone entertained!
History Of Boston Terrier Dogs
A truly American breed, the Boston Terrier was first recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1893.
A breeder took two popular breeds and bred them into a bull terrier mix. The dog breed started with a dog named Judge; a cross between an English Bulldog and a white English Terrier.
Characteristics of Boston Terrier Dogs
Boston Terriers have the nickname the American Gentleman due to their kind and gentle nature.
The Boston Terrier breed makes excellent companion dogs for active families and older owners alike.
This lively dog is a well-proportioned, smooth-coated breed with a compact build and a short tail with an intelligent-looking face and large, upright ears.
The Boston Terriers breed’s distinctive markings look as if they are wearing a tuxedo with a dark head, shoulders, and body and a white neck, chest, and face.
Adopting A Boston Terrier From A Breeder Or Rescue
It’s always best to buy your Boston terrier puppy from a reputable breeder who screens their dogs and puppies for genetic health problems to help avoid health issues.
You can also adopt from a Boston terrier rescue dedicated to rehoming these friendly dogs.
Exercise and Nutrition For The Boston Terrier
The Boston Terrier dog breed loves to play. Boston terriers need about 30 mins walking a day but they are more into playing than walking.
The Boston terrier is a generally healthy dog but can suffer from heat exhaustion in hot weather due to breathing difficulties caused by their short muzzles, so skip the walks in hot weather.
They love to chase a ball so can get enough exercise playing fetch inside or out if need be. You’ll need to be able to give them quite a bit of playtime to keep them happy and stop them from being bored! A bored Boston terrier can get up to all kinds of no-good!
They are prone to gastritis, flatulence, and obesity and have big appetites so it’s important to control their diet carefully and give them high-quality dog food.
Their nutritional needs for your Boston terrier will vary depending on how old they are, their current weight, and their activity levels.
Obesity in dogs can cause huge health issues so feed your Boston terrier according to your veterinarian’s advice and get their weight checked regularly.
Common Health Problems And Illnesses For Boston Terriers
The Boston Terrier dog breed is quite new and has largely been carefully bred so doesn’t have a lot of health problems.
However, their short muzzle can cause breathing problems (they are brachycephalic). It can cause everything from snoring to poor breathing in the heat and cause them to over-heat, to more serious problems needing surgery.
Buying dog insurance when your Boston puppy is young is also a good idea so they are covered should the worst happen and they need expensive veterinarian care.
This condition results in the bones of the spine failing to form properly. Some dogs may not show any symptoms when young but some puppies with the condition can have impaired movement and have poor coordination in their hind legs. Surgery is often the only treatment and dogs can end up being paralyzed.
Unfortunately, there is no genetic test for this condition as it’s thought to be a complex hereditary disorder.
The Boston Terriers’ face shape and prominent eyes can mean they can easily injure their eyes. They are prone to suffering from cataracts, lens-induced uveitis, corneal ulcers, and glaucoma.
Lens-induced uveitis is often seen in dogs with cataracts and is an inflammation of the middle layer of the eye causing discomfort and in severe cases, pain. It is difficult to treat.
Over time dogs with cataracts can develop Glaucoma or lens luxation (where the lens is displaced in the eye).
Glaucoma is caused by increased fluid pressure in the eyeball and it can damage the nerve fibers of the eye. Lens luxation and glaucoma can cause blindness over time.
Breeding dogs can be screened for the gene that causes juvenile cataracts so ask your breeder if they have tested their breeding dogs for this condition before buying a puppy from them.
Other conditions cannot be screened for genetically so it’s important to get your dog’s eyes checked regularly for potential problems.
Four to six percent of all Boston Terriers are deaf in one ear. They suffer from a type of deafness that starts in the inner ear called sensorineural deafness.
The more white they have on their bodies, the more likely they are to be deaf in one or both ears.
Deaf dogs still make great pets but shouldn’t be allowed to breed, so make sure your puppy’s parents and your puppy have had BAER hearing tests and were unaffected.
Fun facts About The Boston Terrier
- Boston Terriers are made for toilet humor as they tend to fart a lot! Their face shape causes them to swallow air which causes the problem. Maybe they’re named after Boston, or Beantown, for gas reasons!
- Boston Terriers were originally called Round Heads but luckily the ‘Boston Terrier’ name is the one that stuck.
- The Boston terrier breed has been the official state dog of Massachusetts since 1979.
- They don’t shed much and have a low-maintenance short coat that is virtually hypoallergenic dog hair.
- Many Boston Terriers make great therapy dogs as everyone is a potential new best friend, and they excel in dog sports.
