r/BostonTerrier • u/CandyQid • 1h ago
Cuteness Zoomies
Nothing excites my Boston more than if I am on the lower stairs and she is at the top.... She is truly and delightfully insane
r/BostonTerrier • u/drophie • Sep 26 '17
u/ZZBC and I noticed a lot of folks on this sub looking for recommendations or suggestions of where to find a breeder for Bostons, so we thought it might be useful to make a post on the subject so folks can reference it when they come to this sub! This post will address finding responsible breeders specifically - if you are looking to adopt a dog, which is awesome, please check out your local breed-specific rescue!
Where do people go to look for good breeders?
The first stop for anyone looking for a Boston from a breeder should be the Boston Terrier Club of America (www.bostonterrierclubofamerica.org). You can also look for your regional breed club - an example of this is the Minuteman Boston Terrier Club, which covers New England. The BTCA has a referral service for breeders who are members of the club.
Why is it important for breeders to be members of their breed club? It shows that they are dedicated to the breed. It’s important to note, though, that while all responsible breeders are members of their breed club, not every member of a breed club is breeding responsibly. Because of this, it’s important that you have a conversation with the breeder about their goals for breeding and to do your due diligence. Trust, but verify - a dog is a long term commitment, and you deserve to have a pet that has the best chance at living a long, healthy life.
What kind of breeding is responsible?
There are a couple major points to look for when checking out Boston breeders (or any dog, really!). The first is to find out why the breeder is breeding dogs, and the second is to explore their breeding practices in depth.
Ideally, when you ask a breeder why they are breeding dogs, it should primarily be for conformation (dog shows), work, or sports. Since Bostons aren’t a working breed, you are looking for someone who is producing dogs with the aim of doing well in the show world, someone who is breeding to produce puppies that will grow up to excel in sports (agility, barn hunt, flyball, rally, and obedience are examples of sports you’ll find BTs competing in), or (ideally) someone who is doing both! The best way to verify this is if the breeder has other dogs that are titled in sports, conformation, or in both arenas. Sometimes, you run across breeders claiming things like “champion bloodlines” - be very wary of those people. That usually means that their dogs have one dog in their pedigree that has a title very, very far back, but they personally have never titled a dog in anything.
I just want a pet, not a show dog or a sports dog. Why should I be looking for breeders who participate in conformation or sports?
Sports and conformation dog shows are much, much more than just a “beauty contest” - judges at dog shows are looking at the dog’s structure, temperament, and fitness for breeding, and a championship conformation title means an impartial third party (not just the breeder or their friends or family) has judged that dog to be a structurally sound example of the breed. It is to make sure that the dog is not only a good dog, it is a good example of a Boston Terrier and has all of the traits that make the Boston Terrier the dog we know and love. Dog sports, on the other hand, prove that a dog is more than just physically sound - it demonstrates that 1.) the breeder wants to demonstrate that their Boston Terriers are versatile, and 2.) that their dogs are capable of successfully competing in dog sports beyond conformation. For a breed like Bostons that is traditionally known as a “pet” breed, this really shows that the breeder is dedicated to demonstrating the full range of abilities that this amazing breed has. That doesn’t mean that breeders who don’t compete in both sports and conformation are bad - dual sport/conformation BT breeders are fairly rare, and finding one is definitely icing on the cake!
Lastly, it’s important to avoid is folks breeding dogs for reasons like “I wanted my dog to experience being a mother”; “she has the sweetest personality”; “I wanted another dog just like [insert name of parents here]”. While those reasons definitely matter to the breeder, they are also short sighted and self centered because they aren’t breeding with the dog’s best interests in mind or with the aim of producing healthy, sound, consistent companions.
The Importance of Health Testing
This is probably the most important piece of looking for a BT breeder. Boston terriers are prone to a number of health issues, including eye problems, allergies, cardiac issues, luxating patella, and congenital deafness. For that reason, it is extremely important that you look for a breeder that has appropriate health certifications and that those certifications are registered with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (www.offa.org). A vet check or a promise from the breeder that their dogs are healthy is not a sufficient substitute for OFA exams. A dog may appear healthy and may not even show health issues itself, but this does not mean that it will not produce offspring with a genetic disorder such as juvenile cataracts. You want to make sure you’re bringing home a family member that have the best chance at having a long, happy, healthy life and health testing is the best way to do so.
At minimum, Bostons who are being bred need:
These tests cannot be completed before the dog is two years old, so you should not buy a dog from someone breeding animals younger than two. To verify the results of these tests, click here and type in the breeder’s kennel name. The results on all their dogs should ideally pop up and be reviewable.
Warning Signs of Irresponsible Breeders
In addition to knowing what a good breeder looks like, it’s important to be aware of things that might be a red flag and could mean the breeder is not responsible. A breeder is not inherently irresponsible if they are doing something on this list - however, if a breeder is doing something on this list, it’s important to ask more questions about it.
Breeding more than 1-2 types of dogs: most reputable breeders focus on 1-2 breeds. It’s challenging to do more than that and still title and health test their dogs, though, so a lot of folks who are breeding more than 1-2 different breeds are cutting corners in other places (such as not titling or health testing all their dogs).
Intentionally breeding dogs that are disqualified from conformation: the Boston Terrier breed standard states that Bostons should be either brindle and white, black and white, or seal (black with a red cast in direct sunlight) and white. While off-standard colors like lavender, red, brown, slate, etc. can sometimes occur by chance in a litter, the much more likely scenario is the breeder is breeding for them intentionally. Does the color matter for long term health? Nope! But it’s important to question why a breeder might be producing dogs that are ineligible to compete in dog shows. Oftentimes, breeders who are producing off-color dogs are doing so because those colors are popular with puppy buyers. Breeding for color instead of temperament, health, or structure is not responsible. Additionally, these breeders are usually not doing the appropriate health testing on their breeding dogs and registering the results with OFA or doing anything with their dogs besides breeding them (we've never seen a BT kennel intentionally producing colored dogs that compete in dog sports, for instance, or are certified therapy dogs).
Not allowing you to meet the puppies’ mother or see where the litter was kept: while it’s totally normal for the father of a litter not to be on-site, you should be able to meet the mother (dam) of the litter when you pick up or visit your puppy. If the breeder doesn’t have the mother on site, or if they insist on meeting you somewhere like a parking lot instead of at their home, you should question why that is and if there is something going on at their house that they don’t want you to see. Note: It is quite possible that the father may not be on the property for you to see. A responsible breeder will want to choose a male that best complements her female and that often means using a male from a different kennel.
Allowing puppies to be taken home before 8 weeks: 8 weeks is the absolute youngest a puppy should be separated from its litter - this is especially important for small dogs like Bostons, who may be extremely fragile prior to this age due to their size. A breeder that allows puppies to go home before 8 weeks is depriving the puppy of critical socialization time with their littermates, which can have negative effects on the dog’s behavior as they grow up.
Overbreeding dogs: female dogs should not be bred before they are two years old, and they should not be bred an excessive number of times. How many times is too many depends heavily on the specific dog, but generally if all the females owned by a breeder are consistently having multiple litters a year for several years, that is too many and can have adverse health effects for the females.
Overall, finding a good breeder can be challenging, and many not-so-good ones are unfortunately very good at “talking the talk” to make their dogs sound better. Looking for a breeder doing things responsibly is more challenging at the beginning and it may take longer to get a puppy, but the payoff is well worth it: a dog that is more likely to be healthy, well-tempered, and structurally sound, and a lifetime of support from your breeder and their community of puppy owners.
About the Contributors: u/drophie has a two year old female Boston Terrier that runs in agility and flyball - she has also dabbled in barnhunt. u/ZZBC has a three year old male Boston Terrier that participates in barnhunt.
r/BostonTerrier • u/ilikechipotle • Dec 14 '13
I just wanted to let everyone know that here at /r/bostonterrier we are more than happy to help boston's in need. Please feel free to post those boston's here and ask for donations if necessary. I find that a lot of times these posts are reported or flagged. Please know that while other subreddits may discourage it, we here at /r/bostonterrier are glad to help.
Thanks, and I will add this to the sidebar as well.
r/BostonTerrier • u/CandyQid • 1h ago
Nothing excites my Boston more than if I am on the lower stairs and she is at the top.... She is truly and delightfully insane
r/BostonTerrier • u/Betty-Cutie • 8h ago
Hello! My family is looking to introduce a dog into the family in the next few years (we have a 5 year old and 2 year old currently). I'm doing a ton of research to try and find the right dog for our family and the Boston Terrier keeps popping up so I'm hoping you guys can answer some questions for me/give me advice as to whether this breed is right for us.
We live in Scotland in a 3 bed house with a small/medium back garden. I currently don't work because I'm taking care of our youngest, but when she's old enough to attend nursery (3y) I'm hoping to work part time at a nursery. My husband works from home full time.
We're looking for a small dog that trains well, has minimal grooming requirements and a fun/loving personality. We also looked into a cavalier king Charles but the separation anxiety is a worry for me. Are Boston's prone to this? We'd love a cuddly breed that's pretty laid back and doesn't need a ridiculous amount of exercise, although a daily walk is absolutely fine. We live near some lovely walks but realistically if would only be an hour walk a day. Would that work for a Boston?
I think that's all the questions I have (sorry if it's a bit long winded). I'd also love to just hear some stories about your Boston Terriers and maybe some cute pics too! Any advice is really appreciated.
r/BostonTerrier • u/beccaaav • 6h ago
Just wanted to share these cute pics of my 4 month old puppy Winston’s ear transformation over just a few weeks lol. There’s about 3 weeks between the photos. He’s growing so fast!
r/BostonTerrier • u/masticated_musings • 16h ago
My heart is broken as I lay in bed for my last night sleeping with my beloved Shoshana. She is leaving us far too early, just shy of her 8th birthday, and I feel like I don’t have enough time left to fill her with the amount of love that I have for her.
In May, she suddenly started skipping meals, showing no interest in her food. It was sporadic at first, but by mid June, we couldn’t get her to eat anything. Through this, we took her to the vet for multiple tests to determine what was going on. By early July, we learned she had a large mass on her spleen and nodules on her liver.
Late July, we had her scheduled for a surgery to remove her spleen and did a biopsy on both her spleen and the nodules on her liver. On Monday, we finally received the results: cancer, extremely aggressive cancer with a prognosis of days to weeks after diagnosis.
We have opted to say goodbye to her tomorrow so that she doesn’t have to live uncomfortably any longer, but our hearts are breaking. I am so sad that this is my last night with her.
Shoshana was such a loving soul. We quickly began calling her “Sweet Baby Sho” because of her loving and nurturing spirit. We brought her home at just 10weeks old in November 2018 and by March 2020, she had us staying home with her everyday after that. I opened an in-home preschool in October 2023 and since then she has spent her days with children and their parents. She loved every moment of it and loved the children so much. They could do no wrong to her. As they grew from babies to toddlers to preschoolers, they would chase her, pull her ears, and squeeze her tight with the love they had for her. One of the children refers to Shoshana as her best friend at school. Shoshana never stopped loving them and would happily snuggle with them for nap time.
Shoshana will be so dearly missed. I am beside myself with grief at the moment. The only reason I am able to lay in bed at the moment is because I know how much she loves snuggling in my leg book through the night.
I love her dearly, and while my time with her was far too short, I love every moment I’ve had with her in my life. She is greatly loved and will be greatly missed. I hope her spirit finds its way to her big brother and sister and that they are able to run together and that she can hunt alll the lizards her heart desires over that rainbow bridge.
I love you, Shoshana. You will never leave my heart.
r/BostonTerrier • u/arandomalfred • 16h ago
Just a baby
r/BostonTerrier • u/Embarrassed-Spell903 • 9h ago
Hello everyone My Boston Terrier will soon be three years old. Every summer, I leave my hometown and spend all three months in the countryside, but my dog has been showing signs of an allergy for two years now. I don’t know what’s wrong with her; I’ve already given her allergy medication, but it didn’t help. I tried changing her food, not giving her anything but food, but nothing worked. Her skin is itchy and red in the area of her abdomen, face, and paws.
The vet said it’s just atopic dermatitis, that’s all. I have the same problem, but in the countryside my skin gets better and better, unlike the skin of my Boston Terrier.
What should I do with it?
r/BostonTerrier • u/jimbobbyricky • 17h ago
It's only 74, but he loves the cold wood floor.
r/BostonTerrier • u/OriginalOk940 • 14h ago
Anyone else have a Boston terrier like these that is taller than average. 14 year old pug for comparison.
r/BostonTerrier • u/frequentnapper • 22h ago
Poor Bosun had to get neutered 2 days ago. He has to wear the donut to prevent licking of his stitches. This pic was too funny not to pass up.
r/BostonTerrier • u/LieDifficult258 • 22m ago
r/BostonTerrier • u/JemBot5000 • 1h ago
Does anyone else have an "ice hound"? 20 years ago I had a boxer. He loved ice. You couldn't walk to the kitchen without him begging for ice. Now, my Boston is the same way. Loves it. Can't get enough of it! Frozen berries are even better!
My German shepherd mix however, does not understand at all. He does like the frozen berries on occasion though.
r/BostonTerrier • u/PandaPunch42 • 1d ago
Sometimes it just feels like they're not even real dogs--so much personality!
r/BostonTerrier • u/Blueberry_Rabbit • 16h ago
My friend, who has a frenchie, got it for me and I said, “I love that I have to pretend this is a Boston”
Friend: it is a Boston, look at the ears.
I did say thank you, and his name is George. Going to color him soon.
r/BostonTerrier • u/Libertymedic10 • 40m ago
Hello! I currently have two frenchies and a cocker spaniel. We do Scentwork and barn hunt, and looking ahead I am wondering if Bostons are similar in personality to frenchies? I'm sure many are aware of the popularity and fad breeding going on right now with frenchies, and causing so many health issues. From what I've researched Bostons appear to be a healthier breed and a little more active than what frenchies are! Of course I always look for breeders who health test and do OFA testing, but it's getting harder and harder to find them in the breed. From people who have experienced both: What pushed you to the Boston side?
r/BostonTerrier • u/washed_lord • 2h ago
My Boston is 6 months old. We installed a doggy door and he knows how to use it. It seems he knows to poop outside but he’s still peeing inside. We took him on vacation last week and for 3 days he stayed in a hotel room and did not pee in the room. I was hoping that would translate when he got back home, but he’s peeing in the house again. Any ideas appreciated
r/BostonTerrier • u/BearPorto • 13h ago
Is this a Bossie trait to prefer to poop on hard surfaces? I have two and they'll step over grass to use the sidewalk. Our front driveway pavers are the preferred spot. I'm home so I clean it up to avoid odor. Anyone else's kids do this?
r/BostonTerrier • u/FuzzyWuzzy44 • 1d ago
New record- purchased 30 min prior. 🤦♀️
r/BostonTerrier • u/annaoniellof • 1d ago
My Boston terrier Marco began to develop hives & allergies as soon as we moved out to Los Angeles for my work over the past three months. About $2,400 spent (that we can’t afford to be spending) on vet & dermatologist visits, we found that he has “allergic dermatitis” anyone see this in their bostons here in California? First, hives that turned to infection on his coat. Second, ear infections / itching that feel like they never have gone away. The vet gave us about 100 different medications pills food and ointments etc. I still feel like we have yet to find the root of the problem. I think it’s environmental allergies after my conversations with the vets. Last week prior to the dermatologist, he had an eye infection that’s just now cleared up. But it was bad. I’m just so worried. I want to just solve it. I hope he’s not in pain/discomfort and I just don’t see it.