60 Fun Facts About Boston Terrier

The Boston Terrier is one of a small number of breeds to originate in which country?

The American Kennel Club accepted it in 1893, two years after the Boston Terrier Club was formed.

The AKC accepted the Boston Terrier in 1893 under which classification?

Despite the name, it is not shown among the terriers.

The breed traces to a dog bought around 1870 by Robert C. Hooper of Boston. What was the dog called?

The AKC cites 'Hooper's Judge' as the ancestor of nearly all true modern Boston Terriers.

Hooper's Judge, the breed's founding sire, was of what type of lineage?

The same crossbred fighting stock gave rise to the Bull Terrier and the Staffordshire breeds.

About how much did Hooper's Judge weigh?

That is well above today's 25-pound limit; the breed was steadily bred down in size.

Judge was bred to a white bulldog-type female owned by Edward Burnett of Southboro. What was she called?

Also recorded as Kate, she weighed about 20 pounds and had the blocky head still seen in Bostons.

The Old Boston Bulldogs, direct ancestors of the breed, originally weighed up to how much?

They were bred down from fighting dogs of bull and terrier type.

In which year was the Boston Terrier Club formed?

The club was admitted to AKC membership two years later.

Which US state made the Boston Terrier its official state dog in 1979?

It is one of the few state dogs actually indigenous to its state, alongside the Alaskan Malamute.

Rhett, a costumed terrier mascot whose breed was picked by student vote in 1922, represents which school?

Students chose the breed in a vote in November 1922.

BU's costumed mascot Rhett is named after Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind. Why?

Rhett loved Scarlett O'Hara, and BU's primary colour is scarlet; the costume debuted at a football game in 1983.

In the 1922 student vote that made the Boston Terrier BU's mascot, which two animals did it beat?

The breed was first bred in the US in 1869, the same year the school was chartered.

What happened to Danny, the BU mascot dog bought by students in 1933?

Danny II was bought in 1935 and promptly ran away; later mascots included Gulliver, Fumbles and Touchdown.

Under international breed standards, a Boston Terrier should weigh no more than what?

The AKC divides the breed into three classes: under 15, 15 to 20 and 20 to 25 pounds.

How many weight classes does the American Kennel Club divide Boston Terriers into?

The lightest class is under 15 pounds and the heaviest 20 to 25 pounds.

How tall does a Boston Terrier usually stand at the withers?

It is a compact, square-headed dog with a broad chest and short tail.

Besides black and brindle, which colour is accepted with white markings in the Boston Terrier standard?

Seal looks black but shows a red cast in the light; solid colours are not accepted at all.

Which three markings are 'required' by the AKC on a Boston Terrier?

'Desired' markings add a white collar, white forelegs and white up to the hocks on the hind legs.

Because its markings resemble formal wear, the Boston Terrier is nicknamed what?

The refined, pleasant personality is the other half of the nickname.

A Boston Terrier's tail generally does not exceed what length?

The short tail is genetic, not docked, and may be straight, curled or corkscrew.

The Boston Terrier's most distinguishing facial feature is described as what?

The round eyes sit squarely in the skull, and a Boston named Bruschi holds the Guinness record for the largest eyes on a dog.

How large were the eyes of Bruschi, the Boston Terrier with the Guinness record for largest eyes?

Owner Victoria Reed submitted the photo in 2012 on her vet's advice.

Why are Boston Terriers considered excellent dogs for apartment dwellers?

Both sexes are generally quiet, and they get on with children, the elderly and other pets when socialised.

A 2024 UK study found what life expectancy for the Boston Terrier?

That is a little below the purebred average of 12.7 years.

The Boston Terrier's pushed-in face makes it what kind of breed?

The shortened muzzle can obstruct breathing and makes panting an inefficient way to cool down.

In a UK Kennel Club survey, what share of Boston Terrier litters were delivered by caesarean section?

A UK study found Boston bitches 12.9 times more likely than average to suffer obstructed labour.

A study of almost 10,000 Boston Terriers found what rate of hip dysplasia, against 3.52% overall?

The breed's real weaknesses are its airways, eyes and skin, not its hips.

The curved back sometimes seen in Boston Terriers is called what?

It may result from patella problems in the rear legs making the dog lean forward onto its forelegs.

The Boston Terrier is one of the most commonly affected breeds for which hereditary eye problem?

Its prominent eyes are also vulnerable to injury and to bulging (exophthalmos).

Where did the Boston Terrier rank among AKC-registered breeds in 2024?

It has stayed comfortably inside the top 25 for years.

War hero Sergeant Stubby was the unofficial mascot of which US infantry regiment in World War I?

He was assigned to the 26th 'Yankee' Division and served 18 months on the Western Front.

Where was the future Sergeant Stubby found wandering as a stray in July 1917?

Corporal James Robert Conroy befriended him during training and smuggled him aboard the troop ship.

How did Stubby win over the commanding officer who discovered him after being smuggled to France?

Conroy had trained him to salute in camp, and the officer let him stay.

How many battles did Sergeant Stubby take part in during his 18 months in the trenches?

He also served in four offensives, starting at Chemin des Dames in February 1918.

After being injured by mustard gas, Stubby returned to the front with what?

He learned to warn his unit of gas attacks and could hear incoming shells before the men.

What act in the Argonne led Stubby's commander to nominate him for the rank of sergeant?

He is said to have held the man by the seat of his trousers until American soldiers arrived.

Which general presented Stubby with a gold medal from the Humane Education Society in 1921?

The moment was captured in a famous photograph; Stubby also met three presidents.

After the war, Stubby became mascot of which college's teams while his owner studied law there?

Given a football at half-time, he would nudge it around the field.

To which institution was Sergeant Stubby's preserved body presented in 1956?

Conroy presented the taxidermy mount, with Stubby's ashes sealed inside, to the Smithsonian, where it remains on display.

How long was Sergeant Stubby's obituary in the New York Times in 1926?

That was longer than the notices given many notable people of the day.

Which Spartanburg, South Carolina school has a live Boston Terrier mascot named Blitz?

Its teams are the Terriers.

Lennu, a Boston Terrier who went viral in 2017, belonged to the president of which country?

Sauli Niinistö's dog got a pastry named after him and a Reddit photoshop challenge.

Why did President Niinistö say his Boston Terrier Lennu had been kept out of the public eye?

The couple said they had not known about the breed's health issues when they got the dog.

Which breed descended from 19th-century fighting crossbreeds was recognised by the AKC before the Boston?

The AmStaff, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Miniature Bull Terrier followed.

How is the Boston Terrier's temperament typically described?

The breed has lost most of the aggression of its fighting ancestors, though males may still square up to intruding dogs.

The Boston Terrier's muzzle is described as short and generally what?

The bite is even or slightly undershot, and the ears stand erect.

The Boston Terrier's happy-go-lucky personality is said to come with a merry sense of what?

Eager to please and easy to train, they can nonetheless turn protective and territorial toward strangers and other pets.

Besides straight, which shapes can a Boston Terrier's naturally short tail take?

The tail is a product of the breed's genetics and generally does not exceed two inches.

Besides the US Army's gold medal, which country also awarded war dog Sergeant Stubby a medal?

He wore three service stripes and one wound stripe, and was the first dog ever given a rank in the US Army.

How does the 'seal' coat colour accepted in the breed standard actually appear?

Solid colours and any not listed—black, brindle, seal or a mix with white—are rejected by the standard.

What kind of bite does the breed standard describe for the Boston Terrier's short muzzle?

The head is square with erect ears and a slightly arched neck, and the muzzle is generally wrinkle-free.

What is the middle of the American Kennel Club's three Boston Terrier weight classes?

The lightest class is under 15 pounds and the heaviest runs from 20 pounds up to a maximum of 25.

Which extra markings make up the AKC's 'Desired' set beyond the required bands?

Symmetry is preferred in the show ring, and the formal-wear look earned the breed its 'American Gentleman' nickname.

Lennu, the pet of Finland's President Sauli Niinistö, was his companion from 2012 until which year?

He turned up at many of the president's less formal appearances, and photos of the pair went viral in the US in 2017.

Since which year has the live mascot Blitz attended home football games at a South Carolina college?

The Spartanburg school is one of several to adopt the breed, following Boston University's lead in 1922.

How many service stripes did Sergeant Stubby wear at his 1921 medal ceremony?

He also had one wound stripe, and died in 1926 remembered as America's greatest war dog.

The curved back sometimes seen in the breed may be caused by problems with which joint?

Rear-leg kneecap trouble makes the dog lean forward onto its forelegs, producing the curve.

About how much did Gyp, the white bulldog-type female bred to Hooper's Judge, weigh?

Stocky and strong, she had the blocky head still seen in the breed; Judge himself weighed about 32 pounds.

How much likelier than average are Boston Terrier bitches to suffer difficult births, per a UK study?

More than 80% of litters in a Kennel Club survey were delivered by caesarean section.

From whom did Robert C. Hooper buy the dog Judge, the ancestor of nearly all modern Boston Terriers?

Judge was of bull and terrier lineage, and the American Kennel Club traces almost every true Boston back to him.