All about what a purebred Boston Terrier looks like
A breed standard is a breed organization’s model of how the ideal dog should look and act. This is what a show dog is judged against as a purebred Boston Terrier. Rather than being compared to the other dogs in the ring, the dog is compared to how well he conforms to the breed standard. Usually this is what breeders strive to achieve in their breeding programs. One breed standard is the Holy Scripture of the canine world.
Consequently, not many Boston Terriers come close to matching the breed standard and are removed from breeding programs or abandoned because of their blemishes. If you find a cute black and white puppy at your local shelter and wonder what breed it could be, a look at the Boston Terrier breed standard can help. Identifying the breed of a shelter dog can help you know what you’re getting into.
The breed standard also reveals another reason why the Boston Terrier is so popular. They are small, but not so small as to endanger your health. They are robust and portable goal. Although you can find some Boston Terriers outside of the lines, they generally weigh between fifteen and twenty-five pounds and are only about fifteen inches tall at the shoulders. They are most famous in black and white, but they also come in seal and white and brindle and white. The breed standard is quite strict in the distribution of white around the body, which disqualifies many Boston Terriers from the ring.
The breed standard also emphasizes robustness. They should not have physical weaknesses such as a sloping back, spayed legs, walking very slowly, or appearing overly muscular. Their bodies should look robust but everything should be in proportion. And the tails are naturally very short, although occasionally a purebred with a long tail is born. The ears are cheerful and most of the time they are pointed (occasionally a lop-eared one appears).
Boston Terriers look and act like a toy dog, but are shown in the non-sporting group. Their appearance is as charming as their personalities, colors, and lack of a tail. They are straight haired, strong build without being overly muscular like an English Bulldog. They have large, expressive eyes and a cheerful gait. They have a blunt nose, but generally not as flat as a Pekingese nose. The most similar breed is the French Bulldog.
Boston Terriers often have pointed ears that are proportional to the size of the head. Sometimes you will see a purebred Boston with huge bat ears, which is not a show dog. They bounce when they walk, but they shouldn’t have a high gait like a Hackney horse or the incredibly slow gait of a Pekingese. Boston Terriers are big dogs in small packages. They should radiate strength and spirit, but also give an aura of friendship.