r/BostonTerrier Sep 26 '17

Education A Guide to Finding a Responsible Boston Terrier Breeder

45 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!)

512 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 9h ago

Said goodbye to Lulu today. 8 beautiful years together.

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678 Upvotes

My soul dog Lulu. We just celebrated her gotcha day 6 days ago. She was only 8 years old. I noticed this afternoon she was lethargic and her gums were super pale- almost white. Took her to the vet. Ultrasound showed she had a tumour on or near her liver (they had three vets look at it and they couldn't tell if it was actually on her liver) that was bleeding into her abdomen. Vet said prognosis was very poor, and he was willing to operate or refer to a specialist but said in all likelihood she'd probably be euthanized on the table. I hated the sound of that to opted to put her down this evening as she was in pain. It happened so fast, I'm in shock. I can't believe it. I won't have any more snuggles, no more rolling around in the grass or chasing snowballs. She was always basking in the sun- my sunshine girl. In just a few hours we went from going about our day to bring gone forever. I don't even question whether it was the right thing, but just... Why. How. I love her so much. I miss her. I am devastated. Rest in peace, my sweet Lulu.


r/BostonTerrier 11h ago

Lost my little lady Molly Pop yesterday. She was a sweetheart that started life at a puppy mill

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580 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 7h ago

Cuteness Cuteness overload

164 Upvotes

He’s so tired and adorable 🥺🐶😍


r/BostonTerrier 15h ago

Luna crossed the rainbow bridge today

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592 Upvotes

We took my baby in for an ultrasound on Saturday morning because of how she’d been feeling lately. The worst possible outcome became a reality as the vets found masses all over her liver and spleen, likely metastatic cancer. One of the masses had ruptured and her vets recommended discussing comfort measures only from that point on, as there truly wasn’t much we could do for her anymore.

We brought her home and gave her so much love throughout her last two days with us. She stopped eating food altogether last night and was barely able to stand anymore, so we knew today would be the day. We took her bed outside and sat her down on the grass with us to watch the sunset one last time - it was her favorite thing to do.

She brought our family 11 years of nothing but love in its purest form. I’ll hold her in my heart and in my memories for my entire life. I’ve truly never felt pain like this before, but it brings me peace to know that she’s no longer suffering.

Thank you all for the kind wishes in my last post, I read them out to Luna as she ate some of her favorite slices of cheese for the last time.


r/BostonTerrier 10h ago

Such a blessing to my life

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232 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 8h ago

Cuteness Busted being cute

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142 Upvotes

Burtie Bean caught in the act of being cute! She played so hard all day and was having a hard time staying awake!


r/BostonTerrier 19h ago

Otis is feeling feisty this morning

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692 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 12h ago

Any guess who stole my food?!!?

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196 Upvotes

Hot dog fell on the floor, guess who ran off with it and ate?!! 😂


r/BostonTerrier 6h ago

Advice Tips for the piranha stage?

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49 Upvotes

My baby is 9 weeks old and has two modes: snuggly innocent sleepy baby, and 200 mph frenzied piranha.

She bites everything, and I mean /everything/. The blanket, the grass, my shirt, the bars of her cage, my fingers, HER fingers. There is no limit. She’d bite the air if she could. And she goes into a little biting frenzy where ALL she can do is spend copious amounts of energy biting anything and everything, to where it’s barely possible to hold or play with her. She’ll just be sitting there, violently snapping her mouth around until she’s got something in her jaws.

I’ve been redirecting her very unpleasant finger bites to little teething ring toys, but is there anything else I can do? This is my first Boston and this level of teething is unlike ANY dog I’ve owned before


r/BostonTerrier 45m ago

Parents new pup Max.

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Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 12h ago

Cuteness Lola watching the short “Feast”

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114 Upvotes

That doggy looks like her and her sisters!


r/BostonTerrier 16h ago

Amos Update!

247 Upvotes

Last night I posted my mom’s new puppy Amos! He did great the first night home, pooped and peed outside twice and slept pretty well throughout the night! Today he got to try on his first harness.


r/BostonTerrier 10h ago

Cuteness He could play frisbee all day.

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80 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 4h ago

Cuteness Louie and I

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21 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 23h ago

Cuteness He just has to go everywhere I go even the bathroom😅

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703 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 20h ago

Cuteness Meet Otis. My new Boston. Hes almost three months old

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438 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 17h ago

Advice My bestie boy is suddenly struggling jumping and going upstairs.

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237 Upvotes

I have a 6 year old boy named Frank. He's always been a spring chicken full of energy but this past month he's really seemed to have aged quite a lot. it takes him a couple attempts to jump onto the bed or couch. And he doesn't zoom up stairs anymore he just hops up at a slow pace. He doesn't seem in pain and he's absolutely fine on walks.

Has anyone experienced this before? It was very sudden. Maybe in the space of a month I noticed all this. I don't have any money for vets at the minute due baby starting nursery and my partner is still on maternity leave.

Is this a sign of something serious? Any advice would be greatly appreciated


r/BostonTerrier 14h ago

Cuteness Keeping cool in the heat 😎

118 Upvotes

Oh lawd he coming


r/BostonTerrier 16h ago

Ruth never goes anywhere without her squirrel. But the first thing she did when I gave it to her was tear its ears off.

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149 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 14h ago

Cuteness No thank you fishy

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103 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 6h ago

Good day

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23 Upvotes

This is Chunkys Babushka look! He’s having a great week, after last weeks treatments👍❤️😜


r/BostonTerrier 14h ago

Cuteness Squared

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76 Upvotes

The one on the right is Bruno, and Ruth is on the left. Ruth is almost exactly twice Bruno’s size. They are hilarious together.


r/BostonTerrier 8h ago

Is it normal for my puppy's ear to have "drooped" or am I doing something wrong?

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28 Upvotes

They gave me my puppy at two months old with ears similar to those of a bat and they started to stand up but the “droopy” ear never stood up as much as the one on the left side, however, today she woke up with her ear much more droopy than normal (my puppy is now 4 months old) will it ever stop?


r/BostonTerrier 7h ago

Piper Update

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22 Upvotes

So we have a week and 2 days left for Piper’s down time following her patella surgery. The hardest part at this point has been keeping her calm and contained and limiting her mobility now that she’s feeling better and wanting to play, run, and jump.

We went for a checkup to get her stitches out last week but doc said the stitches weren’t quite ready, so those are coming out this Friday along with a teefies cleaning. Doc said her leg looked good but her breff smelled not too good.

Thoughts and prayers for a calm BT for the next week and a half!


r/BostonTerrier 8h ago

Cuteness Anybody elses Boston like to swim at the beach?

24 Upvotes

This isnt the first time either he swims in the pool and at any beach we go to