Boston Terrier 101: The Breed Standard

A breed standard is a breed organization’s blueprint of what the ideal dog should look and act like. This is what a show dog like a purebred Boston Terrier is judged against. Instead of being compared to the other dogs in the ring, the dog is compared to how well they fit the breed standard. This is usually what breeders strive to achieve in their breeding programs. A breed standard is the Holy Writ of the dog world.

The charming personality of the Boston Terrier is not only one reason why it is so popular, but also why they do so well outside of a show ring or a breeding kennel. The purpose of developing the breed was to make a good pet for people, unlike other breeds bred to hunt, fight or herd livestock. They are lively, kind, easy-going and good with kids and senior citizens as well as other animals.

The breed standard also reveals another reason why the Boston Terrier is so popular. They are small, but not so small as to jeopardize their health. They are robust, but portable. Although you may find some Boston Terriers outside the lines, they are usually fifteen to twenty-five pounds and only about fifteen inches high at their shoulders. They are most famous in black and white, but also come in seal and white and brindle and white. The breed standard is quite strict on the distribution of white around the body, which disqualifies a lot of Boston Terriers from the ring.

The breed standard also emphasizes sturdiness. They are not to have physical weaknesses like swaybacks, spayed legs, very slow gait or look overly muscular. Their bodies should look sturdy but everything should be in proportion. And the tails are naturally very short, although occasionally a purebred is born with a long tail. The ears are perky and most of the time they are pointed (occasionally a floppy eared one comes along).

Sadly, other breeds like Rottweilers, Boxers, Dobermans and Pembroke Welsh Corgis have to have docked tails in order to show. Another fault is being too big - Boston Terriers are only supposed to be fifteen inches high at the shoulder and twenty-five pounds at the most.

But that also tells you that these dogs need to be kept indoors, as they lack any protection from the elements.

In looking at the Boston Terrier breed standard, you can see not only if your shelter dog is a Boston Terrier (or mostly Boston Terrier), but also get to see how hard it is for a show dog to win a class. But their winning personalities often get them out of trouble in new homes that they got into in their previous homes.

Although the dog might not match the physical description exactly, you’ll know they have the temperament, which is the most important aspect of the Boston Terrier breed standard.