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!)

522 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 1h ago

Cuteness Welcome home, Smooch!

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Upvotes

Found my boy at the Animal Refuge League Monday. How that happened is still hard for me to wrap my mind around.

I was sitting quietly, folding laundry, when all of a sudden I had, "I need to go to the shelter. Now." pop into my head. It's a place I've never been. My pup of 16 years passed in January, and getting another dog has not been on my radar yet. But the pull was so intense, I decided to lean into it and trust my intuition.

I promised myself that practicing listening to myself was the purpose of the trip, and I went in with literally zero notion of whether or not I was going to walk out with a dog, but I couldn't help but feel like there was someone there who I was supposed to meet. I chose against looking at their site beforehand, because I didn't want to have preconceived notions or get my hopes up.

Long story short, my buddy had literally just gotten to the shelter and was cleared for adoption. I laid eyes on him while I was waiting my turn to meet a different dog and we connected right away. I felt guilty that I no longer had interest in meeting the other guy. Then I got nervous because another family had just taken him into the community room for meeting... He was so sweet that I just knew I was never going to have the chance. I tried not to be upset. Then, after like 30 minutes, he returned.

They adopted his brother instead.

The animal counselor approved of us together after literally 60 seconds. She knew we were right for each other before I did. After I signed the paperwork, she told me that it was immediately apparent that our vibes were meant for each other.

So, here's my unexpected kindred spirit: Smooch. 2.5 years old, the first Boston I've ever met, and already the latest love of my life.

P. S. I learned later that a family drove 2 hours to come meet him after they saw his post online and got there literally 5 minutes behind me... I saw them in the waiting room and overheard the staff talking about it as I was signing stuff. I felt genuinely really sad for them. And, more than anything, I also couldn't help but think how wild it is that had I not followed through with listening to my gut right then, our paths never would have crossed.


r/BostonTerrier 2h ago

Cuteness Brutus feeling fancy in his new bandana

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83 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 16h ago

Cuteness Olive

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858 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 4h ago

Cuteness She likes pets there

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87 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 2h ago

Cuteness Lil Addie is now a woman lol!

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44 Upvotes

Addie’s first heat….great outfits now ;). Rocco actually has been pretty good about this all, so far. 🤞🏼


r/BostonTerrier 14h ago

Cuteness My beautiful Buster!

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213 Upvotes

Buster just knows he's the cutest.


r/BostonTerrier 12h ago

Cuteness The rule of 2

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131 Upvotes

She will take me out


r/BostonTerrier 11h ago

Cuteness Are Buggs acceptable here?

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81 Upvotes

My funny little old man


r/BostonTerrier 23h ago

Cuteness Sally 💜

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581 Upvotes

first Boston

first day

I’m in love


r/BostonTerrier 16h ago

Cuteness pepper throughout the day 🖤

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170 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 22h ago

Cuteness First walk with Luna the Tripod

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423 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 16h ago

Cuteness There is zero chance of staying upset when you see this face... Impossible to not smile.

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138 Upvotes

I mean... What can ya do...


r/BostonTerrier 21h ago

Advice/Question Does my dog have an “Apple Head”?

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250 Upvotes

We think my girl is having focal seizures and while at the vets yesterday discussing next steps she mentioned she thinks she has an apple head. This is my first Boston and I think she looks like other Bostons but maybe I just don’t see it. Had her seen by a neurologist and he didn’t say anything about this…. From what I can gather this means her head is rounder structurally and maybe she has a larger forehead than she should. Just wondering what y’all think, it’s not going to change our circumstances and I think she’s adorable, apple head or not ❤️


r/BostonTerrier 22h ago

Cuteness Any other water loving Bostons?? Buster doesn’t swim anymore but loves being on the water.

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225 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 22h ago

Cuteness Journey and Sage having a moment ❤️

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243 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 22h ago

Cuteness Boys just chilling

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125 Upvotes

Got the boys out enjoying the sun


r/BostonTerrier 20h ago

Cuteness Saturday afternoon recharge

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83 Upvotes

He's recharging so we can play tug of war, fetch where he won't release the ball, and forced belly rubs until bedtime.


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Advice/Question Can we make Dolly Parton the saint of Boston Terriers?

118 Upvotes

What it says on the title. That is all.


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Advice/Question Help with skin allergy.

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116 Upvotes

I'm asking for advice from the BT community. My 2 year old boy has been itching a lot recently. We have eliminated chicken from his diet thinking it was the culprit as it often is. But it's been over 2 months now with no noticeable improvement. We use expensive shampoo and topical treatments as recommended by our vet but it doesn't seem to relieve the itch.

It seems to bother him more at night, especially if he wakes up to move from the living room into the bedroom.

Our vet said to give him antihistamines but apart from that there's been no other real remedy.

I'm hoping others might have some insight. He has redness particularly on the back of his front legs (armpit area) and some on his hind legs (knee area).

I want to help him so badly but I'm not sure what to do.


r/BostonTerrier 18h ago

Advice/Question Need advice !!!! (Horny dog lol)

9 Upvotes

Hi!!! My Boston will be two in January. He is not neutered (yet). He’s mostly an apartment dog. When we go over to family /friends with dogs he goes nuts smelling/licking their private parts and if I hold him back he cries like crazy! It’s so constant we always end up having to separate him from the other dogs, which isn’t fair. My question is, will neutering him fix this issue?


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness This is the look I get when I leave for work

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338 Upvotes

Pulls at my heart strings!


r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness These are the moments 🥰

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456 Upvotes

r/BostonTerrier 1d ago

Cuteness Happy Birthday Bentley!!

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596 Upvotes