Boston Terriers are a breed of dog whose small stature make it a good choice for families living in small houses that simply don’t have the space to deal with a large breed of dog. A purebred Boston Terrier should weigh no more then twenty-five pounds and have a compact body. The Boston Terrier’s short hair is normally black and white in color but it can also be brindle or seal. The temperament of the Boston Terrier is usually cheerful, intelligent, and gentle. The Boston Terrier breed was created when dog breeders decided to combine English White Terriers with Old English Bulldogs.

People who adopt a Boston Terrier from a Boston Terrier rescue normally feel that by improving the dog’s life they are doing something to make the world a better place. Many of the people who get a dog from a Boston Terrier rescue are pleased to be getting a purebred dog for a relatively small adoption fee.

One of the best things about Boston Terriers is their personality. Although originally bred as a fighting dog, the breed has evolved into a breed of dog the loves to be around people. Boston Terriers don’t usually bark excessively. The average Boston Terrier is an excellent breed of dog to have when there are small children in the house. Because the breed is normally intelligent they are easy to housetrain, making a Boston Terrier an excellent choice for a person who is on the go and doesn’t have a lot of extra time to spend housetraining their dog.

One of the things a person always has to keep in mind when adopting a dog from a Boston Terrier rescue is that they are getting a dog with a history. Although some of the dogs at the rescue once belonged to good people who simply couldn’t keep them anymore, many of the dogs who find their way to a Boston Terrier rescue have led lives that left them physically and mentally scarred. As the dog’s new owner you have to be prepared to deal with any anxiety or health issues you Boston Terrier might have.

If the Boston Terrier you are thinking about adopting has physical injuries the people at the Boston Terrier rescue will be able to tell you what the dog will need to stay comfortable and healthy. If the dog suffers from anxiety or phobias make sure that your house will provide the dog with the type of environment it needs to feel safe and loved.

What it needs now is a forever home, it needs a family that will love it and care for it the rest of its life. The only way you will be able to provide the dog with that kind of security is if you do your homework before choosing a dog.

Take time to gather information about the Boston Terrier breed before you even go to visit the Boston Terrier rescue, this will let you decide if the average Boston Terrier is a dog that would fit into your family’s lifestyle. When you get to the Boston Terrier rescue don’t just look into a pair of sad brown eyes and fall in love.

Before officially adopting the dog bring a copy of the Boston Terrier’s medical records to your veterinarian and find out what whether they think you will be able both the day to day care the dog requires as well as any future medical bills the dog may acquire.

When you decide to do business with a Boston Terrier breeder you are buying a pet that you will be raising in partnership with your breeder and you will be taking on a very important relationship with the breeder. Make sure you do a complete check of every breeder you are considering before you do business with them, as you need to be very sure that they are the right breeder for you. A reputable breeder will not try and hide anything from you and a reputable breeder will insist that you do all of your own homework.

The first thing you can do to weed out the shady breeder is to check and see what national breeder registry they are listed with. The gold standard is the American Kennel Club but there are other registries so find out which one your breeder is associated with so you can see what kind of breeding standards they use when doing their business. Also check to make sure they are really listed with the registry, do not take their word on it. Remember you are checking someone out so do your own work.

Talk to your vet and ask them about the breeders that you are considering and ask them their opinion. Also ask your vet if they have any Boston Terrier breeders they can recommend to you. If you do not have a vet then you will need one when you get the dog so there is no better time to start up a relationship with a vet than when you are first getting your pet. Your vet is just as interested in the health and well being of your pet as you are so talk with your vet about the different breeders you are considering.

Next you may benefit by talking to the local law enforcement officials in your area and ask them if they are familiar with any of the breeders you are considering. Needless to say, if the law is familiar with a breeder then you may want to steer very clear of that breeder and move on to someone that is not on a first name basis with the police in your town.

Another important person you can talk to when you are considering Boston Terrier breeders are the breeders themselves. Find out what their policies are and see if they offer you any detailed care and feeding instructions with your new dog.

Make sure that they will be available for consultation after the sale is over and just see if this is a person that you would be comfortable getting a pet from. We all know that a pet is part of the family so make sure you are making the right choice and ask your prospective Boston Terrier breeders a lot of questions.

A good breeder is in your life for years offering advice and helping to make sure your pet stays healthy.

In the end it is up to you and you should only make that determination after you have done more than sufficient research.

Locating a Boston Terrier rescue can be a difficult task, but there are some simple tips that can make it painless and easy. The first step is to know what kind of animal rescues are in your area. Many specialize in certain breeds and are very familiar with those. If you can find a Boston Terrier specialist nearby, call them and talk to them about what kind of dog you want to get.

The rescue group works to ensure that all terriers find a good home and that Boston Terriers are well taken care of. Getting a dog from a shelter may seem tough for many people because they do not want a dog that has been neglected, but in many cases the dogs at rescue have absolutely nothing wrong with them and can be great life long companions.

Once you have completed your research to find the Boston Terrier rescue nearest to your location, do a bit more work and see if you can locate a couple more. Use whatever means you have at your disposal to try to track these down and compare the differences between several before choosing one.

You may also want to find out information on what vets they work with and whether or not they have any veterinarian facilities on site.

You want to have confidence to know that the animal that you are getting is disease free, or if does have health problems that you are aware of them up front. Thinking that you have a pet that is healthy and then finding out that it is not can be a very depressing and expensive experience. That is why it is of the utmost importance that you do your due diligence in finding a shelter you can rely on.

Once you have found the Boston Terrier rescue that you want to use, and then you can begin trying to determine which animal is best for you and your family. Some people love to take in pets that have been abandoned and mistreated, others prefer animals that were surrendered because of a situation beyond the previous owners control. It is really up to you as to what you feel will work best. The shelter of your choice should have a wide selection of animals to choose from, so go ahead and plan a day to go out there to interact with as many as you can.

The right shelters take care of their animals and ensure that they are in top health before letting someone adopt them. A shelter that you do not have confidence in could lead to problems down the road, expensive and emotional problems.

If you’ve done what I suggested and researched your decision, it should be an easy one to make when the time comes.

The history of the Boston Terrier parallels the history of the new Americans descended from European colonists. In the 1800′s, new America was trying to find their own identity not only in their place in the world, but in their own homes. They wanted to take the best of the European dogs they were familiar with, but change it a bit to make the dog breed more American like they were. They wanted a companion in the home.

The Boston Terrier was bred first and foremost to be a companion to man, woman and child. This has resulted in a breed more renowned for its good temperament than its cute looks. The Boston Terrier has gone through a lot of changes over the hundred and fifty years or so of it’s existence. Both his size and color have gone through a lot of changes. But through it all, it has kept a sunny disposition. He truly earns his nickname of The American Gentleman.

The founding sire of the Boston Terrier breed is thought to have been a jaunty little dog called Hooper’s Judge, owned by Robert C. Hooper of Boston, who bought him in 1870. This pivotal dog was imported from England and made a big impression on not just the female dogs of Boston, but their owners as well. He was thirty-two pounds, which is a lot heavier than the Boston Terriers of today. He also is described in old America Kennel Club records as having a well built, high-stationed body, being a dark brindle with a white blaze down the nose.

Hooper’s Judge looked a lot different from today’s Boston Terriers. The only Boston Terrier information we have of him is written descriptions. He was thought to be over thirty pounds, a solid dark brindle color except for a white blaze down the nose. His head was more round like an English Bulldog. He established a breed called the Old English Bulldogge (which has gone through several spellings). The breed still exists today, but it is very rare.

The Boston dog breeders first developed the Old English Bulldogge, which is a far larger dog of solid colors and a round head. The founding father of the Boston Terrier is considered to be the English import Hooper’s Judge, which was bought by Richard C. Hooper of Boston in 1870.

Various name permutations have included the Bull Terrier (which ticked off the emerging breed of the same name), the Boston Bull and the Boston Bull Terrier.

The breed was considered highly desirable by anyone with a bit of money by 1889. By 1893, the Boston Terrier was a recognized breed in the American Kennel Club. In 1870, the first Boston Terrier was allowed to show. The first breed standard to be passed that made the Boston Terrier as we know him today was drafted in 1900.

Despite all of the generations of fighting dogs in him, a Boston Terrier is more inclined to run away than pick a fight.