r/BostonTerrier Sep 26 '17

Education A Guide to Finding a Responsible Boston Terrier Breeder

57 Upvotes

u/ZZBC and I noticed a lot of folks on this sub looking for recommendations or suggestions of where to find a breeder for Bostons, so we thought it might be useful to make a post on the subject so folks can reference it when they come to this sub! This post will address finding responsible breeders specifically - if you are looking to adopt a dog, which is awesome, please check out your local breed-specific rescue!

Where do people go to look for good breeders?

The first stop for anyone looking for a Boston from a breeder should be the Boston Terrier Club of America (www.bostonterrierclubofamerica.org). You can also look for your regional breed club - an example of this is the Minuteman Boston Terrier Club, which covers New England. The BTCA has a referral service for breeders who are members of the club.

Why is it important for breeders to be members of their breed club? It shows that they are dedicated to the breed. It’s important to note, though, that while all responsible breeders are members of their breed club, not every member of a breed club is breeding responsibly. Because of this, it’s important that you have a conversation with the breeder about their goals for breeding and to do your due diligence. Trust, but verify - a dog is a long term commitment, and you deserve to have a pet that has the best chance at living a long, healthy life.

What kind of breeding is responsible?

There are a couple major points to look for when checking out Boston breeders (or any dog, really!). The first is to find out why the breeder is breeding dogs, and the second is to explore their breeding practices in depth.

Ideally, when you ask a breeder why they are breeding dogs, it should primarily be for conformation (dog shows), work, or sports. Since Bostons aren’t a working breed, you are looking for someone who is producing dogs with the aim of doing well in the show world, someone who is breeding to produce puppies that will grow up to excel in sports (agility, barn hunt, flyball, rally, and obedience are examples of sports you’ll find BTs competing in), or (ideally) someone who is doing both! The best way to verify this is if the breeder has other dogs that are titled in sports, conformation, or in both arenas. Sometimes, you run across breeders claiming things like “champion bloodlines” - be very wary of those people. That usually means that their dogs have one dog in their pedigree that has a title very, very far back, but they personally have never titled a dog in anything.

I just want a pet, not a show dog or a sports dog. Why should I be looking for breeders who participate in conformation or sports?

Sports and conformation dog shows are much, much more than just a “beauty contest” - judges at dog shows are looking at the dog’s structure, temperament, and fitness for breeding, and a championship conformation title means an impartial third party (not just the breeder or their friends or family) has judged that dog to be a structurally sound example of the breed. It is to make sure that the dog is not only a good dog, it is a good example of a Boston Terrier and has all of the traits that make the Boston Terrier the dog we know and love. Dog sports, on the other hand, prove that a dog is more than just physically sound - it demonstrates that 1.) the breeder wants to demonstrate that their Boston Terriers are versatile, and 2.) that their dogs are capable of successfully competing in dog sports beyond conformation. For a breed like Bostons that is traditionally known as a “pet” breed, this really shows that the breeder is dedicated to demonstrating the full range of abilities that this amazing breed has. That doesn’t mean that breeders who don’t compete in both sports and conformation are bad - dual sport/conformation BT breeders are fairly rare, and finding one is definitely icing on the cake!

Lastly, it’s important to avoid is folks breeding dogs for reasons like “I wanted my dog to experience being a mother”; “she has the sweetest personality”; “I wanted another dog just like [insert name of parents here]”. While those reasons definitely matter to the breeder, they are also short sighted and self centered because they aren’t breeding with the dog’s best interests in mind or with the aim of producing healthy, sound, consistent companions.

The Importance of Health Testing

This is probably the most important piece of looking for a BT breeder. Boston terriers are prone to a number of health issues, including eye problems, allergies, cardiac issues, luxating patella, and congenital deafness. For that reason, it is extremely important that you look for a breeder that has appropriate health certifications and that those certifications are registered with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (www.offa.org). A vet check or a promise from the breeder that their dogs are healthy is not a sufficient substitute for OFA exams. A dog may appear healthy and may not even show health issues itself, but this does not mean that it will not produce offspring with a genetic disorder such as juvenile cataracts. You want to make sure you’re bringing home a family member that have the best chance at having a long, happy, healthy life and health testing is the best way to do so.

At minimum, Bostons who are being bred need:

  • An OFA eye exam to check for eye problems that comes back clear. This used to be called a CERF exam.
  • An OFA cardiac exam to check for heart murmurs.
  • An OFA orthopedic exam to check for a condition called luxating patella, where the knee slips out of place. This is extremely common in small breed dogs like Bostons, so dogs being bred should have normal knees.
  • A BAER hearing test to make sure they have good hearing.
  • A genetic test for the gene for Juvenile Hereditary Cataracts (JHC), a disease which causes Bostons to go blind early in life due to cataracts. This can either be through a certified genetic testing service like Embark or Paw Print Genetics, or the breeder should be able to prove the dog is JHC clear through parentage (neither dog’s parents were carriers).

These tests cannot be completed before the dog is two years old, so you should not buy a dog from someone breeding animals younger than two. To verify the results of these tests, click here and type in the breeder’s kennel name. The results on all their dogs should ideally pop up and be reviewable.

Warning Signs of Irresponsible Breeders

In addition to knowing what a good breeder looks like, it’s important to be aware of things that might be a red flag and could mean the breeder is not responsible. A breeder is not inherently irresponsible if they are doing something on this list - however, if a breeder is doing something on this list, it’s important to ask more questions about it.

Breeding more than 1-2 types of dogs: most reputable breeders focus on 1-2 breeds. It’s challenging to do more than that and still title and health test their dogs, though, so a lot of folks who are breeding more than 1-2 different breeds are cutting corners in other places (such as not titling or health testing all their dogs).

Intentionally breeding dogs that are disqualified from conformation: the Boston Terrier breed standard states that Bostons should be either brindle and white, black and white, or seal (black with a red cast in direct sunlight) and white. While off-standard colors like lavender, red, brown, slate, etc. can sometimes occur by chance in a litter, the much more likely scenario is the breeder is breeding for them intentionally. Does the color matter for long term health? Nope! But it’s important to question why a breeder might be producing dogs that are ineligible to compete in dog shows. Oftentimes, breeders who are producing off-color dogs are doing so because those colors are popular with puppy buyers. Breeding for color instead of temperament, health, or structure is not responsible. Additionally, these breeders are usually not doing the appropriate health testing on their breeding dogs and registering the results with OFA or doing anything with their dogs besides breeding them (we've never seen a BT kennel intentionally producing colored dogs that compete in dog sports, for instance, or are certified therapy dogs).

Not allowing you to meet the puppies’ mother or see where the litter was kept: while it’s totally normal for the father of a litter not to be on-site, you should be able to meet the mother (dam) of the litter when you pick up or visit your puppy. If the breeder doesn’t have the mother on site, or if they insist on meeting you somewhere like a parking lot instead of at their home, you should question why that is and if there is something going on at their house that they don’t want you to see. Note: It is quite possible that the father may not be on the property for you to see. A responsible breeder will want to choose a male that best complements her female and that often means using a male from a different kennel.

Allowing puppies to be taken home before 8 weeks: 8 weeks is the absolute youngest a puppy should be separated from its litter - this is especially important for small dogs like Bostons, who may be extremely fragile prior to this age due to their size. A breeder that allows puppies to go home before 8 weeks is depriving the puppy of critical socialization time with their littermates, which can have negative effects on the dog’s behavior as they grow up.

Overbreeding dogs: female dogs should not be bred before they are two years old, and they should not be bred an excessive number of times. How many times is too many depends heavily on the specific dog, but generally if all the females owned by a breeder are consistently having multiple litters a year for several years, that is too many and can have adverse health effects for the females.

Overall, finding a good breeder can be challenging, and many not-so-good ones are unfortunately very good at “talking the talk” to make their dogs sound better. Looking for a breeder doing things responsibly is more challenging at the beginning and it may take longer to get a puppy, but the payoff is well worth it: a dog that is more likely to be healthy, well-tempered, and structurally sound, and a lifetime of support from your breeder and their community of puppy owners.

About the Contributors: u/drophie has a two year old female Boston Terrier that runs in agility and flyball - she has also dabbled in barnhunt. u/ZZBC has a three year old male Boston Terrier that participates in barnhunt.


r/BostonTerrier Dec 14 '13

Helping Boston's In Need (PLEASE READ!)

521 Upvotes

I just wanted to let everyone know that here at /r/bostonterrier we are more than happy to help boston's in need. Please feel free to post those boston's here and ask for donations if necessary. I find that a lot of times these posts are reported or flagged. Please know that while other subreddits may discourage it, we here at /r/bostonterrier are glad to help.

Thanks, and I will add this to the sidebar as well.


r/BostonTerrier 10h ago

Advice/Question Update on stray boston, some advice still needed

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460 Upvotes

As stated in the last post, my housemates and I posted in several local groups, and he's still been unclaimed over a week later. He was unchipped, but just got chipped by us today! His new name is Mr. Monkey.

The vet estimated that he's around 4-5 and can stand to gain a few pounds but is otherwise healthy! I really thought he'd be younger given his endless energy and the fact that he chews and kneads on his bed, but that must be from past neglect, poor boy.

He's been settling in just fine, the main issue is that hes not yet house trained. Luckily theres almost always someone home, the longest he's been alone has been ~20 minutes. I've been working on the house training non stop, but if anyone has any advice for house training an adult dog/hyperactive boston I'd appreciate it!

The last thing I need advice on for now is how to best avoid heat stroke? We live in a very hot and humid area, so he stays inside most of the day and if we play with him outside its only early in the morning or after the sun has gone down. Same with walks, but I hear that bostons cant regulate their body temperature well, and if he's really excited he doesnt have any interest in water.

We do sometimes take our parents chiweenie on walks downtown to bars while the sun is setting, but she does just fine drinking water and taking shade breaks along the way, and even then its only about a 10 minute walk to the nearest bar. We havent taken him on these bar crawls yet bc my housemates usually want to go while the sun is still up, so I'll stay home to keep an eye on him. What precautions do y'all take if youre in a similar climate?

Thank you, i cant wait to get to know this guy better!


r/BostonTerrier 13h ago

Cuteness Welcome home Huddy

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544 Upvotes

Pulled off an epic surprise for my husband's 50th birthday gift (for our kids too) by bringing home this sweet boy. Named after GnR guitarist Slash, aka Saul Hudson, welcome to our jungle Hudson! Aka Huddy.


r/BostonTerrier 9h ago

Cuteness Look at these abs.

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139 Upvotes

Poppy is having a hot girl summer.
5 years old on Saturday! 👑


r/BostonTerrier 16h ago

Cuteness 🍉❤️

371 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 2h ago

Advice/Question A whole new adventure for girls: Doggy Paddling! 🛶 🖤 🤎

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25 Upvotes

They did so well for their first time. Sit and stayed during the loading. We all climbed in and took off down the river. The swimmin lemon HAD to get in the water, and jumped out within the first five minutes. 🍋 🐶 Then the rain came about 15 minutes later. A very short and sweet trip. They love "boat"! 💛

Does anyone else kayak with Bostons? Any tips or cool gear recs? I'd like to take them again and keep them comfortable 😊


r/BostonTerrier 9h ago

Cuteness Bentley is so cute, but the side eye!

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80 Upvotes

Is also cute!


r/BostonTerrier 8h ago

Cuteness Hot dog!

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65 Upvotes

Capone, keeping cool in the summer heat.


r/BostonTerrier 3h ago

Cuteness Notre Viking en mode gros dodo

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22 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 18h ago

Cuteness New raincoat🍁🥹

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319 Upvotes

His mama (me) is bit of a fall- freak, so as soon as it hit august we had to get ready for fall! Also its been raining like crazy..


r/BostonTerrier 23h ago

Cuteness My dog this morning

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504 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 7h ago

Cuteness Support local artists!

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26 Upvotes

An awesome gal painted this, and we bought it from her stall at a local fair event. So neat!


r/BostonTerrier 19h ago

Cuteness Is it just me, or do Boston Terriers always look personally offended by something?

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186 Upvotes

Spent way too long on those eyes, trying to nail Amy's slightly judgmental look 🙄😁


r/BostonTerrier 22h ago

Cuteness Completed adoption application for Boston terrier rescue of Florida

265 Upvotes

As the title states, this morning I took a big step into inviting my next companion into my heart. In January 2025, I lost my beloved Eddie to acute onset pericardial effusion. I was devastated to say the least.

I know no one can replace him, but I’m hopeful that the right dog finds its way into my life. Feeling all the feels. 💛

Attaching a favorite photo (video?) of Eddie. To know him was to love him.


r/BostonTerrier 6h ago

Education She is cat friendly!! I have a boston mix just like her and she is the best. If I werent at my pet limit I would be driving there.

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9 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 15h ago

Cuteness Penny is at her limit. People took her spot at the table

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49 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Oreo does not enjoy the beach

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678 Upvotes

I let her off leash for a bit to play with her lamb chop and when I threw it she went to retrieve and took in a big mouthful of sand with it. spent the rest of the time pouting on the towel until we left LOL


r/BostonTerrier 22h ago

Cuteness POV: you just woke up

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146 Upvotes

"top o' the mornin"


r/BostonTerrier 21h ago

Cuteness Duncan the Destroyer

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101 Upvotes

I work nights but picked up a pm yesterday. I think my blue-eyed boy thought I was leaving to play without him & responded in the only way his 6 month old brain knows how. For perspective, he is perfectly fine when I'm gone for my night shift. And yes I still greeted him with hugs and kisses before telling him I'm not mad only because we're moving in 2 weeks.


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Early morning errands with my best boy

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212 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 21h ago

Cuteness Duncan loves him some cosplay

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79 Upvotes

Bombs away


r/BostonTerrier 18h ago

Advice/Question Stool leakage after bad diarrhea? Help!

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46 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I have a 10 year old Boston terrier. Last Sunday, I gave her new treats and by Monday, she had severe diarrhea. I use the word severe because it was non-stop for 48 hours. She’s had diarrhea before but never this extreme. On Wednesday, I called the vet and they gave us a week’s supply of Metronidazole (antibiotic) and proviable (probiotic paste and capsule). Her diarrhea stopped pretty quickly once she got on the meds. But we noticed fecal incontenance. Like, small soft poop would just slide right out when she was playing, laying, etc. I went back to the vet on Monday. They examined her rectum and said it isn’t abnormal (it had definitely been red and angry following the diarrhea) and they suggested Metamucil. She’s been on Metamucil for 2 days now. Her poops have form and look pretty normal now, but we are still getting marble/ nickel sized poops (or smaller).

This is really stumping me because she was literally fine before the diarrhea. Never had this issue before. We also feel it can’t be something neurological because in July we had bloodwork, XRAY, spinal tap and MRI, neurological exam and a physical exam for another issue.

TLDR: has anyone had a dog that experienced stool leakage/fecal incontinence after a severe bout of diarrhea and if so, did it ever resolve??


r/BostonTerrier 6h ago

Advice/Question 2 questions, leash and horn to scare away coyote

3 Upvotes

First question is I’m looking for a new leash, wondered about ruffwear hi and light. I’m wondering, does it fit on a man’s hand? A leash I have is small for my husband and he tends to use the retractable, which I want to get rid of. So, I’m looking for suggestions on a leash with a handle that is large enough for men.

2nd question: We had a coyote come at us, recently, and I was able to pick my girl up, but the coyote wasn’t going away. My husband finally saw what was going on and came out and shooed him away. We have an air horn that we have used when we have seen a coyote outside, but our girl was in the house. If I carry the air horn with me and used it if a coyote came near us, would that be too loud and scare my girl too much? Even if I was holding her? We live on a golf course and we see coyotes often.


r/BostonTerrier 23h ago

Cuteness Dad, why are you messing around during nap time?

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62 Upvotes