5 Historical Facts about Boston Terriers - Fact # 5

Brought to you by Animal Planet; for the next 5 days, we will be bringing you 5  facts 
about the Boston Terrier breed including the significance of a black dot that appears 
on the  head of some dogs. 

Fact # 5

They're True Americans

During the 1870s, fanciers in Boston, Mass. began breeding a strongly built dog 

with a blocky head, developed from a cross between an English bulldog and the 

white English terrier, which no longer exists today. Originally the dogs were known as

 "Round Heads," but in 1891 they were renamed Boston terriers to reflect the 

breed's birthplace. Two years later, to the delight of the breed's supporters, the

 AKC officially recognized the Boston terrier. The Boston was one of the first 

American breeds to be recognized by the AKC. During the next century, through 

careful selection of breeding stock, dedicated fanciers methodically worked to 

bring out the pleasing features seen in today's Boston terriers -- compact body, 

distinctive coat markings and expressive dark eyes.

Over the years the breed has been a favorite canine companion to both old and 

young. "A Boston terrier can be a child's rough-and-tumble best buddy, or a 

senior citizen's soul mate and confidante," proclaims the Boston Terrier 

Club of America.

Image Credit: GK Hart/Vikki Hart/Getty Images | Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS | Don Mason/Corbis | JupiterImages/Thinkstock | DLILLC/Corbis | Bloomimage/Corbis

5 Historical Facts about Boston Terriers - Fact # 4

Brought to you by Animal Planet, we bring you fact #4 about the historical origin of the Boston Terrier

4: They're Prone to More Than 20 Eye Diseases

The most common eye disease in Bostons is painful corneal ulcers, frequently 

caused by either trauma or an irritating substance entering the eye. Other 

problems, however, like cataracts and glaucoma are inherited, so if you decide 

to purchase a puppy instead of adopting/rescuing one, seek out a conscientious 

breeder committed to producing healthy litters.

 Responsible Boston breeders make sure a veterinary ophthalmologist tests the 

mother's and the father's eyes before mating them to verify that they're 

disease-free. This greatly reduces the risk of inherited eye disorders from being 

passed down to the pups.Once the litter is born, the puppies should also be tested 

for any troubling eye defects and diseases such as juvenile cataracts, which can 

decimate a young dog's sight  before his first birthday. 

5 Historical Facts about Boston Terriers - Fact # 3

Brought to you by Animal Planet, we bring you fact #3 about the historical origin of the Boston Terrier

Fact # 3 

They Make Great Therapy Dogs

Bostons might be small in stature, but they're big on being best friends. For more 

than 100 years they've been bred to enjoy the company of people, making them 

ideal for animal-assisted work where their sole job is to put a smile on patients' 

faces in nursing homes, hospitals and other health care facilities.

A handful of national organizations, including Therapy Dogs International and 

Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs help train and register dog-handler teams, 

as well as oversee volunteer programs throughout the country.

Getting started usually requires some basic training on both ends of the leash.  

Becoming a registered Pet Partner team with Delta Society, for example, entails 

completing an eight- or 12-hour training workshop or an at-home study course. 

Handlers learn how to prepare for a visit, interact with clients and prevent disease 

transmission from animals to people. They also undergo a skills and aptitude 

test with their dog, given by a local evaluator.

5 Historical Facts about Boston Terriers - Fact # 2

Brought to you by Animal Planet, we bring you fact #2 about the historical origin of the Boston Terrier

Fact #2 

They're Versatile Athletes

The brainy Boston terrier is able to hold his own in the highly competitive world 

of canine sports. Their innate desire to please people is a big part of the breed's 

ability to quickly learn and excel in a variety of performance events. Here a just 

a few of the sports where you'll find the Boston competing -- and winning!

- Flyball is a lightning-quick relay race where two dogs zoom down a 51-foot 

(15.54-meter) course, jumping over hurdles, to reach a box that spits out a 

tennis ball. The dogs must catch the ball then run back down the course to 

the finish line where their teammates are waiting for their turn to go. The first 

team with all four dogs to finish without making any mistakes wins the heat.                                 

- Agility is another action-packed game, in which dogs running at top speeds 

are directed by their owners to jump hurdles, scale ramps, burst through tunnels, 

traverse a see-saw and weave through a line of poles. The dog with the least 

amount of errors and fastest time wins.

- Obedience events are where dogs perform a series of exercises ranging from 

following basic commands, like sit, stay and down, to more advanced verbal 

commands and hand signals. Dogs are judged on how closely they match a 

perfect performance. 

Image Credit: GK Hart/Vikki Hart/Getty Images | Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS | Don Mason/Corbis | JupiterImages/Thinkstock | DLILLC/Corbis | Bloomimage/Corbis

5 Historical Facts about Boston Terriers - Fact # 1

Brought to you by Animal Planet, we bring you fact #1 about the historical origin of the Boston Terrier

Fact #1 

Some Boast a Haggerty Spot

A circle of dark hair on top of the Boston's head (smack dab in the middle) is 

known as a Haggerty dot, spot or star, depending on who you ask. We just call 

it cute! Dogs with this special marking are descendents of one of the original 

lines of Boston terriers owned by the Haggerty family in the early 1900s, 

according to the Boston Terrier Club of America. Highly respected Boston 

terrier breeder and judge Vincent Perry called this mark "the kiss of God" 

and considered it a lovely addition to a dog's perfect markings.

Coat colors and markings are a big deal in purebred circles. Each club's 

written standard details what's acceptable and what's not. For example, 

the Boston terrier's ultra-short coat is only permissible in three colors -- 

brindle, black or seal, which appears black but when viewed in bright light 

has a red hue. These colors are then complemented by a splash of white 

on the muzzle, chest and between the eyes. It's also OK if the back lower 

legs and front legs (in full or part) are white.

Image Credit: GK Hart/Vikki Hart/Getty Images | Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS | Don Mason/Corbis | JupiterImages/Thinkstock | DLILLC/Corbis | Bloomimage/Corbis

Boston Terrier History

The Boston Terrier breed originated around 1870, when Robert C. Hooper of Boston, purchased a dog known as Hooper's Judge, who was of a Bull and Terrier type lineage. Hooper's Judge is either directly related to the original Bull and Terrier breeds of the 18th and early 19th centuries, or Judge is the result of modern English Bulldogs being crossed into terriers created in the 1860s for show purposes, like the White English Terrier.

Judge weighed over 27.5 pounds (13.5 kilos). The offspring interbred with one or more French Bulldogs, providing the foundation for the Boston Terrier. Bred down in size from pit-fighting dogs of the Bull and Terrier types, the Boston Terrier originally weighed up to 44 pounds (20 kg.) (Olde Boston Bulldogge).^[2] The breed was first shown in Boston in 1870. By 1889 the breed had become sufficiently popular in Boston that fanciers formed the American Bull Terrier Club, the breed's nickname, "roundheads". Shortly after, at the suggestion of James Watson (a noted writer and authority), the club changed its name to the Boston Terrier Club and in 1893 it was admitted to membership in the American Kennel Club, thus making it the first US breed to be recognized. It is one of a small number of breeds to have originated in the United States. The Boston Terrier was the first non-sporting dog bred in the US.

In the early years, the color and markings were not very important, by the 20th century the breed's distinctive markings and color were written into the standard, becoming an essential feature. Terrier only in name, the Boston Terrier has lost most of its ruthless desire for mayhem, preferring the company of humans, although some males will still challenge other dogs if they feel their territory is being invaded.

Boston University's mascot is Rhett the Boston Terrier. The Boston Terrier is also the mascot of Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.

Boston Bull?

Differences Between Boston Bulldogs and Boston Terriers
in BOSTON NEWS

When I’m out with my Boston terrier a lot of people ask me if she’s a Boston Bull. I wasn’t familiar with Boston bull’s, so I decided to do a little research …

Turns out, Boston Terriers were originally bred from the Boston Bull breed.

They are generally bigger than today’s Boston terrier. They weigh anywhere from 25 to 45 pounds and come in a variety of colors. Boston terriers are much smaller (15-25 pounds) and they only come in 3 color combinations:

Brindle/white
Black/white
Seal/white

As Boston terriers became more refined they started to take on a new look. Breeders wanted to make them smaller, and started paying attention to body proportions and markings.

Below Are Some Pictures Of Boston Bulldogs: