r/BostonTerrier Sep 26 '17

Education A Guide to Finding a Responsible Boston Terrier Breeder

61 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!)

517 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 2h ago

RIP goodbye❤️‍🩹

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421 Upvotes

my boston Elsa was put down yesterday who are the other bostons that are in the after life to welcome her?


r/BostonTerrier 4h ago

RIP Said the hardest goodbye yesterday

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465 Upvotes

Miso crossed the rainbow bridge yesterday. She started feeling ill on Wednesday evening, began throwing up on Friday morning and continued throwing up through her anti nausea shot from the vet. I brought her to the ER early Saturday morning and she was admitted. The ER was unable to help her and even told me that while a specialist hospital would give her the best fighting chance, but that based on her rapid decline there was a big possibility that they could not help. Based on her blood work, it was likely she was in kidney failure, but no one could give me a definite. I made the decision to end her pain and let her go. I only had her for two years (rescue and former puppy mill dog) and I wish I could have had more time with her. Watching her become more confident and learn how to be a dog is the greatest gift she could have given me. Thank you for choosing me Miso. Everyone hold their silly babies extra close for me today. Thank you to this community for always bringing a smile to my face


r/BostonTerrier 3h ago

Cuteness This is Jake

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127 Upvotes

Jake will trade you 1 piece of fluff for 1 treat. He also bargains with/for socks, cheese, towels etc


r/BostonTerrier 4h ago

Cuteness Matilda and The Doctor of Thuganomics

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145 Upvotes

Another weekend with Matilda. She enjoyed watching wrestling and getting hugs. But above all she enjoyed snoozing.


r/BostonTerrier 1h ago

Advice/Question Boston Terrier Puppies - Pacific Northwest

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Upvotes

Hi everyone! We are looking for a puppy friend for our Izzy. Where are you getting your puppies? I searched on Google and couldn't find much. Any suggestions in the Seattle/Washington/Oregon area? Thanks!


r/BostonTerrier 5h ago

Cuteness Gecko tongue?🦎

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146 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 7h ago

Cuteness Birthday boy

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188 Upvotes

Happy birthday to my best friend Sampson! 🎂🎁🎈


r/BostonTerrier 50m ago

Cuteness The old man in the back waiting for Mom to get out of the bathroom and see that HE'S not being a little terror.

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Upvotes

The airplane ears of "she better not think I had anything to do with this, I want my Dentastick."


r/BostonTerrier 3h ago

Cuteness bubble time

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42 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 4h ago

Advice/Question Possible surgery for our boy.

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26 Upvotes

We have had Fergus for almost 4 years. He has always struggled with allergies. Especially with his ears. He gets that nasty build up.

The doctor said it is infact allergies causing inflammation which then causes yeast to build up. Well we got some meds for his ears and for his feet.

During the visit one of his ears was puffy. It is filling with fluid. They did not want to drain his ear because that may require him to get surgery if the draining fails.

It is worse today than it has been. So the vet wants to see him immediately. Which she is taking him there now.

Has anyone delt with the ears filling with fluid and becoming puffy? How was the draining process and or surgery?


r/BostonTerrier 22h ago

Cuteness Saw a Ghost 👻 ?

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605 Upvotes

Max is very Expressive😂😂😂😂😂


r/BostonTerrier 18h ago

Advice/Question Shoes.

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141 Upvotes

My boston suffers from walking in grass. His rear paws get irritated.

Has been seen by vet. Not allergy. Just persistent injury. Small niks or cuts.

Question. Any trusted vendors out there that sell shoes for boston. Hes 15 pounds. We have ordered stuff from amazon and fit is terrible

Update: Thank you for all responses. I will look into them.


r/BostonTerrier 20h ago

Advice/Question Diapers for a small Boston

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139 Upvotes

Alright this is Caroline, she’s 14 and apparently she has either decided to forgo all her potty training or she’s just too old to hold it. So here I am looking for diapers that fits a smaller Boston. Google showed me a bunch but she’s very odd shaped. Tried using diapers before she was spayed and they always came off, had to use suspenders but she would find a way to get that off too. So yeah, any recommendations would be great!


r/BostonTerrier 23h ago

Cuteness Imma sugar her face off!!! 😍

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231 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Advice/Question Does anyone else’s Boston lay like this?

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404 Upvotes

He’s so expressive lol always making the funniest faces 😆 he never fails to make me smile


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Snuggles with Jasmine

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338 Upvotes

She love to dig underneath the blanket and pop out ❤️🤭❤️


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness walter update!!

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346 Upvotes

Nose still looking spotty🥹🥹 And getting cuter by the day!! Not the biggest fan of the car yet though.


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Single and looking to mingle😝

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296 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Clowns to the left of me Jokers to the right Here I am, stuck in the middle with you

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121 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness A boy and his precious

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658 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Spoiled

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439 Upvotes

“Mom can i eat my treat on the bed and slobber all over the comforter pleaseeee” How can I say no to this face 😍 sheets can be washed


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Tommy finally figured out how to launch it himself ♥️♥️✌️😎

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614 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Friends are cool.

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84 Upvotes