Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Boston Terrier Breed Overview
- History of the Boston Terrier Breed. Where Boston Terriers came from
- What the Boston Terrier Looks Like
- How Much is the Boston Terrier Puppy?
- Best Boston Terrier Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Boston Terrier
- Boston Terrier Growth
- What Colors do Boston Terriers Have?
- The Temperament of the Boston Terrier
- How Long Boston Terriers Live
- Boston Terrier Litter Size
- How Fast Boston Terriers Can Run
- Good Names for Boston Terriers
- How Intelligent are Boston Terriers?
- How Popular are Boston Terriers with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Boston Terriers and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Boston Terrier
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Boston Terriers
- Other Things to Know About Boston Terriers
Boston Terrier Breed Overview
The Boston Terrier is a small-sized dog.
The adult Boston Terrier stands 12 to 15 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Boston Terrier belongs to the Companion Dogs group.
Dogs in the Companion Dogs group, like the Boston Terrier, were bred to be companions for humans. Their main goal in life is to be with people, and they will be very sad if left to themselves for long hours day after day.
The fact that the Boston Terrier belongs to the Companion Dogs group is one of the reasons why Boston Terriers have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Boston Terrier is generally described as:
- Friendly
- Intelligent
- Lively
History of the Boston Terrier Breed. Where Boston Terriers came from
Around 1870, Robert C.
Hooper of Boston, who already owned an English Terrier, purchased a Bulldog from Edward Burnett.
These two dogs gave birth to a litter of puppies.
Their descendants were then crossed with French Bulldogs, giving rise to the Boston Terrier.
Because they originated in Boston, the breed is named after the city.
The ancestors of the breed were larger and heavier (weighing up to 44 pounds) than the breed is today.
They were used in fights.
They are now regarded as lovers rather than fighters.
By 1889, the breed had grown in popularity in Boston.
They were the first non-sporting dog bred in the United States and were admitted to the American Kennel Club in 1893.
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What the Boston Terrier Looks Like
The Boston Terrier is a small, strong dog with a broad head.
The nose is black and the muzzle is short but proportional to the head.
The body is short and has a square appearance.
The bite in the mouth is either even or undershot.
The breed has a determined and lively expression.
Their eyes are large, round, and widely set.
Their small erect ears are either cropped or left natural.
The tail is positioned low on the body and can be straight or screwed-shaped.
They are a small and stocky dog with a short and smooth coat that can be black and white, seal and white, or brindle and white.
The muscular legs are spaced widely apart.
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How Much is the Boston Terrier Puppy?
The average price of a Boston Terrier puppy is $1670. The price of a Boston Terrier puppy ranges from $1200 to $1999.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Boston Terrier. These factors include what health records the Boston Terrier puppy has, the lineage of the Boston Terrier puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Boston Terrier based on the many factors that determine the price of the Boston Terrier puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Boston Terrier puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Boston Terrier breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Boston Terrier Breeders
We have researched reputable Boston Terrier breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Boston Terrier breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
Tybarrius Spears
Puppy Price: $2,300
Toano Quality AKC Boston Terriers
Puppy Price: $1000_1500
Barbara Rowland
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Built Tough Bullies
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Joann Harper
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Adopting or Rescuing the Boston Terrier
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Boston Terriers included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Boston Terrier named Decoster In Co that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Boston Terriers like Decoster In Co on pefinder.com.
Louie is the name of another Boston Terrier (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more Boston Terriers that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Boston Terrier Growth
New Boston Terrier owners need to know about the growth of their Boston Terriers. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Boston Terrier will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Boston Terrier early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Boston Terrier puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Boston Terrier at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Boston Terrier
What Colors do Boston Terriers Have?
Boston Terriers come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- Black
- Merle (Red)
- Brindle
- White / Cream
- Gray / Blue / Silver
- Tricolor (Brown, Black, & White)
- Red / Chestnut / Orange
- Bicolor
- Brown / Chocolate
- Yellow / Tan / Blond / Fawn
Boston Terriers come in the following lovely secondary colors in addition to their primary colors:
- White / Cream
- Red / Chestnut / Orange
- Black
- Brindle
- Brown / Chocolate
- Gray / Blue / Silver
The Temperament of the Boston Terrier
The temperament of the Boston Terrier based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Boston Terrier for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Boston Terrier here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Owner Directed Aggression | 7.6 percent |
| Energy Level | 64.5 percent |
| Excitability | 61.9 percent |
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 56.3 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 53.5 percent |
| Prey Drive | 50.7 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 46.6 percent |
| Stubbornness | 37.9 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 37.1 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 35.6 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 26.5 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 25.5 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 19.6 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 18.5 percent |
How Long Boston Terriers Live
The lifespan of the Boston Terrier is typically from 13 to 15 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the Boston Terrier. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 42 pet Boston Terriers lived.
From the study, it was found that Boston Terriers have an average lifespan of 10.9 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for Boston Terriers to live as long as 15.7 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your Boston Terrier to live long.
Boston Terriers live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your Boston Terrier to improve your Boston Terrier`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your Boston Terrier live long.
Boston Terrier Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 46 different Boston Terrier birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Boston Terriers can have is 4 puppies. Also, the Boston Terrier can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 8 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Boston Terrier will have depends on factors such as the age of the Boston Terrier, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Boston Terrier will have and how the litter size of the Boston Terrier compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Boston Terriers Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 205 different Boston Terriers, the average speed of the Boston Terrier is 21.2 mph (34.1 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Boston Terrier ran in a race is 27.01 mph (43.5 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Boston Terrier is 12.01 mph (19.3 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Boston Terrier compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Boston Terriers
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Boston Terrier ranked by popularity:
- Charlie
- Bentley
- Ollie
- Bobby
- Buddy
- Scooter
- Kodi
- Chewy
- Loki
- Tank
How Intelligent are Boston Terriers?
| Boston Terrier | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 54 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 25 To 40 Repetitions |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the Boston Terrier has an obedience intelligence rank of 54 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Boston Terriers in the `Average Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Boston Terriers tend to learn new commands after 25 to 40 repetitions.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Border Collie | 1 |
| Papillon | 8 |
| Belgian Sheepdog | 15 |
| Weimaraner | 21 |
| Belgian Malinois | 22 |
| Welsh Springer Spaniel | 31 |
| Manchester Terrier | 32 |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | 34 |
| Norwegian Elkhound | 36 |
| Bedlington Terrier | 40 |
| American Water Spaniel | 44 |
| Bichon Frise | 45 |
| Boxer | 48 |
| Alaskan Malamute | 50 |
| Ibizan Hound | 53 |
| Skye Terrier | 55 |
| Old English Sheepdog | 63 |
| Great Pyrenees | 64 |
| Borzoi | 75 |
| Basenji | 78 |
How Popular are Boston Terriers with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Boston Terrier.
The popularity of the Boston Terrier averaged over the years is Number 21 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Boston Terriers and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Boston Terrier is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Boston Terrier puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Boston Terrier breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Boston Terriers for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Boston Terriers here.
How to Take Care of Boston Terrier
To take good care of your Boston Terrier, you need to make sure that you groom your Boston Terrier regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Boston Terrier regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Boston Terrier`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Boston Terrier daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Boston Terrier.
Also, you need to feed your Boston Terrier high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Boston Terrier from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Boston Terrier and how much food to feed the Boston Terrier at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Boston Terrier has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Boston Terrier needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Boston Terriers
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Boston Terrier.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Boston Terrier:
- Finnish Lapphund (75 percent match with Boston Terrier). Learn more about the Finnish Lapphund here.
- Norfolk Terrier (77 percent match with Boston Terrier). Learn more about the Norfolk Terrier here.
- Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier (79 percent match with Boston Terrier). Learn more about the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier here.
Other Things to Know About Boston Terriers
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Boston Terrier that you need to know about the Boston Terrier breed: