One of the few breeds with origins in the United States, the Boston Terrier is the quintessential American gentleman. Lively, fun-loving and bright, Boston Terriers flaunt a tuxedo-like coat, big round eyes and an eager-to-please personality that guarantees they're always the center of attention.

Boston Terriers are enthusiastic, gentle and sweet. They have a clever sense of humor and aren't afraid to clown around. Boston Terriers love to cuddle, but never pass up a chance to greet a visitor. Boston Terriers are great at entertaining themselves. They grow very attached to their toys, but always prefer human company.

Boston Terriers are adaptable and well suited to apartment living. Some Boston Terriers are prone to hyper activity, but it's nothing some exercise and socialization can cure. Boston Terriers are easy to care for. Their coat is short, silky and needs little grooming. They love to eat, which makes food a great motivator when training.

Seldom misbehaved, Boston Terriers have great manners and get along with other pets and

A breed standard is a set of guidelines used to ensure dogs produced by breeders always conform to the specifics of the standardized breed. The Boston Terrier was officially recognized as an official breed by the AKC in 1893 and is therefore subject to a strict breed standard.

PuppySpot has a zero-tolerance policy for puppy mills or substandard breeding of any kind - so you can be sure that your puppy will be happy and healthy whether they have a breed standard or not.

Boston Terriers are lively, highly intelligent dogs that possess a number of particularly distinctive features, such as a body that is rather short and well knit; a mischievous expression and a combination of color and white markings that lend it an air of sophistication.

They are also brachycephalic, which means they possess a flat-nose, a short upper jaw and a face that looks "squished". Boston Terriers are small to medium sized dogs who should never carry excess weight nor appear to be spindly or coarse.

Head

As a brachycephalic dog, the Boston Terrier’s head is square, flat on top and entirely free of wrinkles. It has flat cheeks and an abrupt, well-defined brow. Its expression should be alert, kind and indicate a high degree of intelligence.

Eyes are large, round and set wide apart in the skull. Ears are small and carried erect. Its muzzle is short, square, wide, deep and in proportion to the skull. Nose is black and wide, with a well-defined line between the nostrils.

Body

The Boston Terrier’s body is short and well knit. Shoulders are sloping and well laid back, which gives the Boston Terrier a stylish gait. The neck should give balance to the total dog - set neatly into the shoulders and slightly arched to allow graceful carriage of the head. The chest is deep with good width, well sprung ribs and carried well back to the loins.

Legs and Feet

The Boston Terrier’s forelegs are straight in bone with short, strong pasterns. Feet are small, round and compact, with well arched toes and short nails.

Tail and Hindquarters

The Boston Terrier’s tail is set low, short and fine. It either tapers, is straight or slightly corkscrews but is never carried above the horizontal. It’s hindquarters are strong and well-muscled. Thighs are slightly bent at the stifles and hocks are short to the feet.

Coat and Colors

The Boston Terrier’s coat is short, smooth, bright and fine in texture. Permitted colors and markings include brindle, seal, or black with white markings. Brindle is preferred only if all other qualities are equal, though, all Boston Terriers should have a white muzzle band, white blaze between the eyes and white fore chest.

Height and Weight

The Boston Terrier’s weight should never exceed 25 pounds. Healthy adult Boston Terriers should never fall below 10 pounds in weight and 15 inches in height.

The Boston Terriers temperament and personality are an essential facet of the breed's overall image, that of dapper, charming, highly intelligent canine companion. Its disposition is kind, friendly and incredibly sweet, though always alert, curious and just a little mischievous.

Caring for a Boston Terrier puppy starts with familiarizing yourself with the common medical issues that affect brachycephalic dogs. Dogs with such "squished " faces often suffer severe breathing and heat stress problems.

It’s very easy for Boston Terriers to overheat, which is why you should never leave your Boston Terrier out in the hot sun without access to shade and water or in an enclosed car for any period of time.

If you notice that your Boston Terrier is breathing heavily or its tongue is hanging unusually far out of its mouth and/or has a bluish coloring, it is likely overheating. In which case you should immediately soak your Boston Terrier in cold water to cool them down.

Boston Terrier puppies also need lots of attention and supervision, especially when they are young and small. They are very social and thrive on human companionship but shouldn’t be left alone for more than a few hours at a time.

Apartment and family living are no problem for these little charmers who are surprisingly adaptable. They are eager-to-please little people-pleasers who adore their families. They’re never happier than when they are snuggled up next to their favorite person.

Boston Terriers are not a picky breed and seldom turn down a meal. That said, it’s still very important that Boston Terrier owners feed their Boston Terrier puppy a nutritious, high-quality and well-balanced diet. Do your best to avoid large commercial dog food brands that use artificial ingredients, preservatives and fillers like grain, wheat and brewers rice.

We recommend starting your Boston Terrier puppy on moistened dry puppy food 3 to 5 times per day for no longer than 10 minutes per feeding. Remove their food after 10 minutes - even if they haven't finished - so they learn food will not be provided unless you provide it.

It’s also very important that you monitor your puppy’s health and wellness in the early stages - if they appear skinny and eagerly finish every meal, then you may need to increase the amount of food in their diet. However, if they seem to be gaining too much weight, you may need to limit the amount you feed them.

The Boston Terrier has a sleek, fine coat that does shed but not very much. It can easily be managed with weekly brushing, which also promotes new hair growth and distributes skin oils throughout the coat to keep it healthy and shiny.

Boston Terriers also need a bath on occasion, though it’s important not to over bathe your Boston, as it can remove the important skin oils. You’ll also need to ensure you trim your Boston Terrier’s nails, as overly long nails can cause the dog pain when it is walking and running.

As a Non-Sporting breed, Boston Terriers have exercise concerns that other breeds seldom experience, like joint problems, cardiac ailments, and obesity. However, all of these conditions can be avoided by ensuring your Boston Terrier gets the gentle, low-impact exercise it needs to stay happy and healthy.

Because it’s possible to over-exercise a Boston Terrier, it is very important that Boston owners understand their puppy’s physical limits. A Boston Terrier is likely not going to enjoy a six-mile jog like a Border Collie but they will enjoy a casual walk around the block.

It’s best to limit their playtime to 30-45 minutes outside with a long slow-down period. Once they are inside, limit play time to about 20 minutes every couple hours. Try to limit the strenuous and aggressive play to 10 minutes before slowing your dog’s pace for the next 20 minutes.

Boston Terriers are some of the sweetest, most human-friendly dogs you’re likely to ever meet. They are also heavily food-motivated, which makes training a relatively simple process. To get the best results from training, we recommend using positive reinforcement techniques with food and treats as a motivator.

Like with all dogs, the earlier you begin training your Boston Terrier puppy, the easier it will be. Because Boston Terriers tend to suffer from health conditions that affect their breathing, owners must take care to prevent overexerting your puppy during training.

Many owners falsely believe housebreaking begins with potty training but it actually begins the moment you bring your puppy home and introduce it to its new environment. It’s best to introduce your Boston Terrier puppy to its new home slowly.

We recommend confining your puppy to one room of the house for the first couple of days with their bed, water, food and toys. Once they have become used to that room you can begin to introduce your Boston Terrier puppy to the rest of the family.

How to Potty Train a Boston Terrier Puppy?

Potty training a Boston Terrier isn’t difficult but it does call for consistency and patience. Remember to use the same words and phrases to indicate when and where you want your puppy to do its business.

Watch for signs that they need to go - pacing, sniffing, squatting - then calmly and quickly hustle your puppy outside and to the spot you’ve designated. Then say a phrase similar to “go potty” and praise them when they get it right. With practice your puppy will learn when and where to “go potty”.

The next step is to establish a routine, which includes a feeding schedule with frequent trips to the same potty spot. Your puppy will probably have to go potty after they wake up from a nap or bedtime; 20 minutes before bedtime; 20 minutes after any meal and before and after each walk.

How to Crate Train a Boston Terrier Puppy?

Crate training is a crucial step in the housebreaking process, as a crate provides your puppy with a place where it can feel safe and secure when you’re not at home to comfort it. As with all training, it’s best to begin crate training as early as possible in your puppy’s li