THE BOSTON TERRIER
An All American Breed
by Lee Weston
The Boston Terrier can trace its history back
to 1865, in Boston, Massachusetts. At this time pit fighting between
dogs was still a popular form of entertainment. There were a number
of breeds of dogs that had their start in the fighting pit, and the Boston
Terrier is no exception. The Boston Terrier of 1865 is not the dog
we know today.
The history that has been passed down is that
Robert C. Hooper, of Boston, Massachusetts, purchased a dog that was part
English Bulldog, and part English Terrier (the English Terrier being an
all white dog). This dog's name was Judge. He was rather tall
in stature, was colored a dark brindle with a white stripe on his face.
He possessed a square and blocky head, with a nearly even mouth.
Judge weighed approximately 32 pounds. A cross breeding was arranged
with a Bulldog-type female by the name of Gyp, who was owned by Edward
Burnett, of Southboro, Massachusetts. Gyp was rather short statured,
possessed a short, blocky head, and weighed around 20 pounds. What
was interesting was that some of the offspring from this mating weighed
in excess of 60 pounds. These were not wimpy dogs.
As time passed, these dogs were referred to
as stableman's or the barber's dog. The reason being that the employees
of the very wealthy (most centered around Breed's Hill of Boston), would
get together to gossip, drink, and pass the time at the local tavern.
Some of these employees had access to their employer's purebred dogs. These
employees would borrow their employer's dogs and breed them to other dogs,
and arrange for the puppies to "find new homes". The offspring would
end up in the fighting pits, either as young pups to demonstrate their
"courage", or as older dogs, to actually fight other dogs, rats, bulls,
etc. What is interesting is that these breedings were not foolish,
nor frivolous. These people were actually looking for certain qualities
in the dogs that they were breeding. They did not know the science
of genetics, but they did know that certain strengths could be passed from
one generation to another. The dogs that were used in the fighting pits
were also used as family dogs. Their devotion to their masters was
notable even by the people who found pit fighting repugnant.
By 1891, the Boston Terrier was an established
breed of dog. By this we mean that the Boston Terrier was reproducing
true to its form. Offspring were consistently looking like their
sire and dam. Forty breeders decided to form the American Bullterrier
Club in Boston, and applied to the American Kennel Club for membership
status. There were many objections raised due to the Boston Terrier
not looking anything like a Bullterrier. Finally, a noted writer
and authority, James Watson, suggested that since this new breed did not
resemble the Bullterrier, that the dog should have its own identity.
He felt that this dog having been bred in and around Boston, it should
be named the Boston Terrier. So the club changed its name to the
Boston Terrier Club and in 1893 it was admitted to membership in the A.K.C.
If we advance the years to the early 1900's,
we still can find Boston Terriers being shown in the Conformation Ring
weighing around 30 pounds. However, in the 1920's breeders started
to pay more attention to the markings on the body, and the body proportions.
Pit fighting, for the most part, was illegal in most states, and its popularity
was dwindling. So the breeders started looking at the dog as a companion.
Remember that these dogs already had a reputation for having a notable
devotion to their masters and family. By the 1950's the Boston Terrier
was very much like the dog we know today. For show purposes, there
are three weight classes that pertain to the Boston - they are light (under
15 lbs.), middle (under 20 lbs.), and heavy-weight (under 25 lbs.).
The Boston Terrier Club has as a guideline for
its member breeders - "We are the heirs of the past, and the Trustees of
the future." If only all breeders felt that way about their charges.
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