Breed Spotlight: the Boston Terrier

As the name suggests, this breed of dog is an All-American breed that originated in the great city of Boston, Massachusetts. The ancestors of the Boston Terrier include bulldogs, terriers, and the bull-and-terrier crosses that were so commonly used for the gruesome sports of bull-baiting and dog fighting.

The Boston Terrier breed is believed to have begun under the guidance of Boston native Mr. Robert C. Hooper in the 1860s. He used his handsome brindle and white Bulldog-White Terrier cross, Hooper’s Judge, as foundation stock. It is also believed that early French Bulldogs were incorporated into the breed at some point, possibly to tone down the tenacity of the terrier temperament and produce the American Gentleman that we have today. Originally known as the Round-Headed Bull and Terrier, then as the Boston Bull Terrier, the name was finally shortened to the Boston Terrier in 1891. The Boston’s reign of popularity was at its peak from 1905 to the end of the 1930s. Today the Boston Terrier remains one of the most easily recognized and iconic American dog breeds in the world, with his popularity extending far beyond American shores.

Want to learn more about the Boston Terrier? Click here for the full breed standard.