Post by charmingnancy on Feb 24, 2009 22:42:09 GMT -5
Boston Terrier
Group: 6- Non-Sporting
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Purpose: Fighting dog
Description:
Truly an "All-American" dog, the Boston Terrier is a lively and highly intelligent breed with an excellent disposition. Conveying an impression of determination, strength and activity, he is short-headed and compactly built, and must be black, brindle or seal with white markings.
Appearance- Breed Standards:
Coat and Colour:
Coat short, smooth, bright and fine in texture. Colour brindle with white markings. The brindle to be evenly distributed and distinct. Black with white markings permissible but brindle with white markings preferred. Ideal markings: white muzzle, even white blaze over head, collar, breast, part or whole of forelegs, and hind legs below hocks.
Head: Skull square, flat on top, free from wrinkles; cheeks flat; brow abrupt, stop well defined. Muzzle short, square, wide and deep, and in proportion to skull; free from wrinkles; shorter in length than in width and depth, not exceeding in length approximately one-third of length of skull; width and depth carried out well to end; the muzzle from stop to end of nose on a line parallel to the top of the skull. Nose black and wide, with well-defined line between nostrils. Mouth: The jaws broad and square, with short regular teeth. Bite even or sufficiently undershot to square muzzle. The chops of good depth but not pendulous, completely covering the teeth when mouth is closed. Eyes wide apart, large and round, dark in colour, expression alert, but kind and intelligent. The eyes should be set square in the skull, and the outside corners should be on a line with the cheeks as viewed from the front. Ears carried erect, either cropped to conform the shape of the head, or natural bat, situated as near the corners of skull as possible.
Neck: Of fair length, slightly arched and carrying the head gracefully; setting neatly into shoulders.
Forequarters: Shoulders sloping. Elbows standing neither in nor out. Forelegs set moderately wide apart and on a line with point of the shoulders; straight in bone and well muscled; pasterns short and strong.
Body: Deep with good width of chest; back short; ribs deep and well sprung, carried well back to loins; loins short and muscular; rump curving slightly to set-on of tail; flank very slightly cut up. The body should appear short but not chunky.
Hindquarters: Hind legs set true; bent at stifles; short from hocks to feet; hocks turning neither in nor out; thighs strong and well muscled. Feet round, small, and compact and turned neither in nor out; toes well arched.
Tail: Set-on low; short, fine and tapering; straight or screw; devoid of fringe or coarse hair, and not carried above horizontal.
Note- The preferred tail should not exceed in length approximately half the distance from set-on to hock.
Gait: The gait of the Boston Terrier is that of a sure-footed straight-gaited dog, forelegs and hind legs moving straight ahead in line with perfect rhythm, each step indicating grace with power.
Faults: Long or coarse coat; coat lacking lustre. All white; absence of white marking; preponderance of white on body; without the proper proportion of brindle and white on head; or any variation detracting from the general appearance. There shall be no rolling, paddling, or weaving when gaited, and any crossing movement, either front or rear, is a serious fault. Skull “domed” or inclined; furrowed by a medial line; skull too long for breadth, or vice versa; stop too shallow; brow and skull too slanting. Muzzle wedge-shaped or lacking depth; down-faced; too much cut out below the eyes; pinched or wide nostrils; butterfly nose; protruding teeth; weak lower jaw; showing turn-up, lay back; wrinkled. Eyes small or sunken; too prominent; light colour or walleye; showing too much white or haw. Ears poorly carried or in size out of proportion to head. Ewe-necked; throatiness; short and thick. Loose shoulders or elbows; long or weak pasterns. Flat sides; narrow chest; long or slack loins; roach back; sway back; too much cut-up in flank. Hind legs too straight at stifles; hocks too prominent; splay feet. A long or gaily carried tail; extremely gnarled or curled against body.
Disqualifications: Solid black; black and tan; liver or mouse colours. Dudley nose.
Scale of Points
General appearance- 10
Skull- 10
Eyes- 5
Muzzle- 10
Ears- 2
Neck- 3
Body- 15
Elbows- 4
Forelegs- 5
Hind legs- 5
Gait- 10
Feet- 5
Tail- 5
Colour- 4
Ideal markings- 5
Coat- 2
TOTAL= 100
Size:
Not exceeding 25 lb. (11 kg), divided by classes as follows: lightweight, under 15 lb. (7 kg); middleweight, 15 lb and under 20 lb (7-9 kg); heavyweight, 20 lb. and not exceeding 25 lb. (9-11 kg). Boston Terriers usually stand 15-17 inches at the withers.
Temperament:
Boston Terriers have friendly, very strong, lovable, laid-back, unforgettable personalities. Bostons can range in temperaments from those that are eager to please their master to those that are more stubborn. Both can be easily trained given a patient and assertive owner.
While originally bred for fighting, they were later down bred for companionship. The modern Boston Terrier can be gentle, alert, expressive, and well-mannered.
Some Bostons enjoy having another one for companionship. Both females and males generally bark only when necessary. Having been bred as a companion dog, they enjoy being around people, and, if properly socialized, get along well with children, the elderly, other canines, and non-canine pets. Some Boston Terriers are very cuddly, while others are more independent.
Health:
Several health issues are of concern in the Boston Terrier: cataracts (both juvenile and adult type), cherry eye, luxating patella, deafness, heart murmur, and allergies. Curvature of the back, called roaching, might be caused by patella problems with the rear legs, which in turn causes the dog to lean forward onto the forelegs. This might also just be a structural fault with little consequence to the dog.
Many Bostons cannot tolerate excessive heat and also extremely cold weather, due to the shortened muzzle, so hot or cold weather combined with demanding exercise can bring harm to a Boston Terrier. A sensitive digestive system is also typical of the Boston Terrier. In the absence of proper diet, flatulence is associated with the breed.
Bostons, along with Pug, Pekingese, Shih Tzu and other short-snouted breeds are Brachycephalic breeds. The word comes from Greek roots "Brachy," meaning short and "cephalic," meaning head. This anatomy can cause tiny nostrils, long palates and a narrow trachea. Because of this, Bostons may be prone to snoring and reverse sneeze, a rapid and repeated forced inhalation through the nose, accompanied by snorting or gagging sounds used to clear the palate of mucus, but does not harm the dog in any way.
Average Lifespan:
They can live up to 15 years or more, with an average of around 13 years.
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. Judge's specific lineage is unknown, however, Hooper's Judge is either directly related to the original Bull and Terrier breeds of the 1700s and early 1800s, or Judge is the result of modern English Bulldog's being crossed into terriers created in the 1860s for show purposes, like the White English Terrier.
Judge weighed over 29.7 pounds. Their 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.)
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, but this proposed name for the breed was not well received by the Bull Terrier Fanciers; the breed's nickname, "roundheads", was similarly inappropriate. 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, but by the 1900s 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 Terriers were particularly popular during the 1920s in the US. In 1979, the state legislature recognized the Boston Terrier as the state dog of Massachusetts.
Sources:
CKC
AKC
Wikipedia
Pictures:
Photobucket
Group: 6- Non-Sporting
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Purpose: Fighting dog
Description:
Truly an "All-American" dog, the Boston Terrier is a lively and highly intelligent breed with an excellent disposition. Conveying an impression of determination, strength and activity, he is short-headed and compactly built, and must be black, brindle or seal with white markings.
Appearance- Breed Standards:
Coat and Colour:
Coat short, smooth, bright and fine in texture. Colour brindle with white markings. The brindle to be evenly distributed and distinct. Black with white markings permissible but brindle with white markings preferred. Ideal markings: white muzzle, even white blaze over head, collar, breast, part or whole of forelegs, and hind legs below hocks.
Head: Skull square, flat on top, free from wrinkles; cheeks flat; brow abrupt, stop well defined. Muzzle short, square, wide and deep, and in proportion to skull; free from wrinkles; shorter in length than in width and depth, not exceeding in length approximately one-third of length of skull; width and depth carried out well to end; the muzzle from stop to end of nose on a line parallel to the top of the skull. Nose black and wide, with well-defined line between nostrils. Mouth: The jaws broad and square, with short regular teeth. Bite even or sufficiently undershot to square muzzle. The chops of good depth but not pendulous, completely covering the teeth when mouth is closed. Eyes wide apart, large and round, dark in colour, expression alert, but kind and intelligent. The eyes should be set square in the skull, and the outside corners should be on a line with the cheeks as viewed from the front. Ears carried erect, either cropped to conform the shape of the head, or natural bat, situated as near the corners of skull as possible.
Neck: Of fair length, slightly arched and carrying the head gracefully; setting neatly into shoulders.
Forequarters: Shoulders sloping. Elbows standing neither in nor out. Forelegs set moderately wide apart and on a line with point of the shoulders; straight in bone and well muscled; pasterns short and strong.
Body: Deep with good width of chest; back short; ribs deep and well sprung, carried well back to loins; loins short and muscular; rump curving slightly to set-on of tail; flank very slightly cut up. The body should appear short but not chunky.
Hindquarters: Hind legs set true; bent at stifles; short from hocks to feet; hocks turning neither in nor out; thighs strong and well muscled. Feet round, small, and compact and turned neither in nor out; toes well arched.
Tail: Set-on low; short, fine and tapering; straight or screw; devoid of fringe or coarse hair, and not carried above horizontal.
Note- The preferred tail should not exceed in length approximately half the distance from set-on to hock.
Gait: The gait of the Boston Terrier is that of a sure-footed straight-gaited dog, forelegs and hind legs moving straight ahead in line with perfect rhythm, each step indicating grace with power.
Faults: Long or coarse coat; coat lacking lustre. All white; absence of white marking; preponderance of white on body; without the proper proportion of brindle and white on head; or any variation detracting from the general appearance. There shall be no rolling, paddling, or weaving when gaited, and any crossing movement, either front or rear, is a serious fault. Skull “domed” or inclined; furrowed by a medial line; skull too long for breadth, or vice versa; stop too shallow; brow and skull too slanting. Muzzle wedge-shaped or lacking depth; down-faced; too much cut out below the eyes; pinched or wide nostrils; butterfly nose; protruding teeth; weak lower jaw; showing turn-up, lay back; wrinkled. Eyes small or sunken; too prominent; light colour or walleye; showing too much white or haw. Ears poorly carried or in size out of proportion to head. Ewe-necked; throatiness; short and thick. Loose shoulders or elbows; long or weak pasterns. Flat sides; narrow chest; long or slack loins; roach back; sway back; too much cut-up in flank. Hind legs too straight at stifles; hocks too prominent; splay feet. A long or gaily carried tail; extremely gnarled or curled against body.
Disqualifications: Solid black; black and tan; liver or mouse colours. Dudley nose.
Scale of Points
General appearance- 10
Skull- 10
Eyes- 5
Muzzle- 10
Ears- 2
Neck- 3
Body- 15
Elbows- 4
Forelegs- 5
Hind legs- 5
Gait- 10
Feet- 5
Tail- 5
Colour- 4
Ideal markings- 5
Coat- 2
TOTAL= 100
Size:
Not exceeding 25 lb. (11 kg), divided by classes as follows: lightweight, under 15 lb. (7 kg); middleweight, 15 lb and under 20 lb (7-9 kg); heavyweight, 20 lb. and not exceeding 25 lb. (9-11 kg). Boston Terriers usually stand 15-17 inches at the withers.
Temperament:
Boston Terriers have friendly, very strong, lovable, laid-back, unforgettable personalities. Bostons can range in temperaments from those that are eager to please their master to those that are more stubborn. Both can be easily trained given a patient and assertive owner.
While originally bred for fighting, they were later down bred for companionship. The modern Boston Terrier can be gentle, alert, expressive, and well-mannered.
Some Bostons enjoy having another one for companionship. Both females and males generally bark only when necessary. Having been bred as a companion dog, they enjoy being around people, and, if properly socialized, get along well with children, the elderly, other canines, and non-canine pets. Some Boston Terriers are very cuddly, while others are more independent.
Health:
Several health issues are of concern in the Boston Terrier: cataracts (both juvenile and adult type), cherry eye, luxating patella, deafness, heart murmur, and allergies. Curvature of the back, called roaching, might be caused by patella problems with the rear legs, which in turn causes the dog to lean forward onto the forelegs. This might also just be a structural fault with little consequence to the dog.
Many Bostons cannot tolerate excessive heat and also extremely cold weather, due to the shortened muzzle, so hot or cold weather combined with demanding exercise can bring harm to a Boston Terrier. A sensitive digestive system is also typical of the Boston Terrier. In the absence of proper diet, flatulence is associated with the breed.
Bostons, along with Pug, Pekingese, Shih Tzu and other short-snouted breeds are Brachycephalic breeds. The word comes from Greek roots "Brachy," meaning short and "cephalic," meaning head. This anatomy can cause tiny nostrils, long palates and a narrow trachea. Because of this, Bostons may be prone to snoring and reverse sneeze, a rapid and repeated forced inhalation through the nose, accompanied by snorting or gagging sounds used to clear the palate of mucus, but does not harm the dog in any way.
Average Lifespan:
They can live up to 15 years or more, with an average of around 13 years.
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. Judge's specific lineage is unknown, however, Hooper's Judge is either directly related to the original Bull and Terrier breeds of the 1700s and early 1800s, or Judge is the result of modern English Bulldog's being crossed into terriers created in the 1860s for show purposes, like the White English Terrier.
Judge weighed over 29.7 pounds. Their 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.)
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, but this proposed name for the breed was not well received by the Bull Terrier Fanciers; the breed's nickname, "roundheads", was similarly inappropriate. 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, but by the 1900s 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 Terriers were particularly popular during the 1920s in the US. In 1979, the state legislature recognized the Boston Terrier as the state dog of Massachusetts.
Sources:
CKC
AKC
Wikipedia
Pictures:
Photobucket