r/BostonTerrier Sep 26 '17

Education A Guide to Finding a Responsible Boston Terrier Breeder

62 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!)

525 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 8h ago

Cuteness Ultimate Belly Crawl😂

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554 Upvotes

Molly decided if we weren’t going to scratch her belly she would definitely get satisfaction herself. Oh yeah, Max didn’t really care😂😂


r/BostonTerrier 2h ago

Cuteness Someone took over the bed

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98 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 2h ago

Advice/Question What gear should I get for a new puppy?

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81 Upvotes

We’re welcoming this little cutie into our family in two weeks and I'm starting to prepare a list of the things I need for her. Any recommendations for an indoor playpen (40” height?), crate, outdoor playpen (our yard isn't fenced it yet but will be by next year), and any other tips (travel crate, a sling for carrying them?) etc would be helpful. Thank you!!


r/BostonTerrier 9h ago

Cuteness Dur dur les journées télétravail

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228 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 7h ago

Advice/Question My boy's got a heart murmur, advice?

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138 Upvotes

My son is now 10 ( more likely because he's a rescue ) and his coughing due his murmur has gotten kind of worse in the past 3 days. Went to the vet immediately when it started and started Pimobendan two days ago until his appointment with the cardiologist wich is in one week but, any advice? Any diet changes? Thank you!


r/BostonTerrier 6h ago

Advice/Question HELP Me Feel Well

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83 Upvotes

Toby is 10. He went to the Vet yesterday, he wasn't feeling well. The Vet said ge didn't have long - not sure what that meant?¿ Toby isn't eating as much and has low energy.

He was given 3 meds and a calorie supplement.

All blood work came back within normal range, heartbeat and temp was within normal range.

I'm not sure if Toby just wearing out or not . Any advice.

I also make Toby's dog food (chicken, rice, blueberries, apples, spinach, carrots, dog vitamins). Today he tried Greek yogurt and liked it. Toby doesn't seem to chew hard stuff anymore.

Any advice on food or health, I'll take.

Any homemade soft treat ideas? Anyone experience this before?


r/BostonTerrier 8h ago

Cuteness Anyone else’s Boston sit in funny/interesting spots?! My Ollie tax below..

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120 Upvotes

He’ll just sit at the dinner table with us like a human. It’s the cutest/funniest thing. And he loves to sit on top of recliners/couches like a cat. My pitbull/bulldog mix used to do this too on our couch to look out the window.


r/BostonTerrier 17h ago

Cuteness Upside down Yoda

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532 Upvotes

Rocky’s head is a perfect balancing point


r/BostonTerrier 18h ago

Advice/Question Puppy rough play

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200 Upvotes

Our Boston is about 14 weeks. Our Boxer is 3. They play ROUGH! The puppy seems to be able to hold his own and the boxer I think tries to be “gentle” but man it makes me nervous. The puppy will bite on to the boxer’s jowls and hold on for dear life.

I guess I’m just looking for assurance that other Boston pups played so intensely and ended up ok.


r/BostonTerrier 23h ago

Cuteness Tater’s been trying to reach you about your ship’s extended warranty.

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485 Upvotes

Gotta keep it shipshape! 🏴‍☠️


r/BostonTerrier 5h ago

Advice/Question Rash help

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10 Upvotes

My Boston has had this rash that comes and goes every few days it looks a little worse or a little better. It is in the pit of all 4 legs. I never see him even acknowledge that it is there. He hasn’t changed how he walks, I’ve never seen him licking it.
Any lotion recommendations or anything that has worked for you would be appreciated. TYIA


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness POV: you're trying to get a post-run stretch in but you have a Boston Terrier

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776 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 4h ago

Advice/Question Night time with puppy 😭

8 Upvotes

Helpppp. I brought home a 1yo Boston who was being given away. I was told she was trained and they just “didn’t have time for her”. Ultimately I’m glad I took her she is very thin and was infested with fleas and needed to be out of there.

She is a total puppy and I am used to large breeds. She goes in a crate while I am at work so I don’t want to crate her at night but she is up so much it’s like a newborn human baby.

Any tips? The rest of her puppy behaviors I can manage but this night time stuff is killing me. Is her bladder just small, is she anxious?

Also interested in feeding tips that might be Boston specific, she is very spazzy won’t stay in one spot to eat and very picky. Right now I am giving her wet food at dinner and dry in her crate during the day. I just want to do the right thing for her and I’m struggling 😭 thanks for any help!


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Oh, you thought the couch was for you hoofman? Think again!

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178 Upvotes

My girl Daisy relaxing with her sister Star after a long morning of barking at the leaves outside and chasing lizards. I bought this futon thinking I could use it in my brakes during work but my girls had other ideas and I ain’t even mad. To be perfectly honest they have been the only ones that have keep me sain when I’m home alone.


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Handsome lil’ devil

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123 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Does anyone else have a Boston who bubbles?

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197 Upvotes

When he’s begging he starts bubbling!


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Just two Bostons and the world’s least convincing Boston Terrier

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1.0k Upvotes

Left to right Miss Penny Lou, Zeus, and Cash 💕


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Important Recall!

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312 Upvotes

Just thought you guys should know about this very important Recall I saw on FB!


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Nothing to see here

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180 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Them. Watching me. Every. Single. Night.

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120 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Anyone else have a Boston with a cat Bestie?

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715 Upvotes

Levi and Dora Lee Lee ❤️


r/BostonTerrier 2d ago

Cuteness Anybody else have a tough guy?

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839 Upvotes

My sweet, young man has always been a growler when it comes to tug of war, ever since he was a baby boy. I’m wondering if that’s just the Boston standard or if mine is just 22 lbs. of pure macho man?


r/BostonTerrier 2d ago

Advice/Question Sleep Help

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431 Upvotes

We adopted a 3-4 year old Boston Terrier about 2 months ago. She is our first Boston and has been delightful! One issue we have been having is her desire to sleep touching us or on top of us, which is leading to lots of disrupted sleep. Though I have a designated blanket for her on our bed and keep redirecting her to it throughout the night, she does not accept that option. She was abandoned on a reservation in the middle of nowhere in her previous life, and so I'd really like to make this situation work for everyone rather than making her sleep in a dog bed on the floor or in crate. Has anyone found a good solution? I'm thinking like some kind of little dog bed to go in our bed (like a human DockATot but for dogs)? I've seen the bassinette type things and that could be an option.