The American Gentleman – Genealogy of the Boston Terrier

Known as the “American Gentleman” for its tuxedo markings and its gentle disposition, the Boston Terrier’s acceptance into the American Kennel Club as a non-sporting breed in 1893 made it one of the first non-sporting breeds originating from the United States. The Boston Terrier breed originated around 1875 when Robert C. Hooper of Boston purchased a White English Terrier (now extinct) from Edward Burnett and named him Judge. Hooper bred his dog Judge with a white Bulldog named Gyp to produce the first American Bull Terrier breed litter later renamed to Boston Terrier in 1893. The first Boston Terriers were larger than those bred today, weighing in at 44 lbs. (then) compared to the Boston Terriers of today at 25 lbs., a testament to the influence of the larger now extinct White English Terrier and stockier Bulldogs of the day.

The Boston Terrier’s lineage can be traced to a White English Terrier (now extinct) named Judge (who weighed about 30 lbs. and had a dark brindle coat with white blaze and throat), and a Bulldog named Burnett’s Gyp (nearly completely white in color with a stocky build). With generations of breeding, the Boston Terrier has lost the aggressive nature of its forefathers the White English Terrier and English Bulldog and have become smaller in stature and weight. Hooper’s Judge and Burnett’s Gyp had a male dog named Well’s Eph (weighed about 28 lbs., with a dark brindle color and white face) which was bred with Tobin’s Kate (weighed about 20 lbs., and had a golden brindle color), they produced Barnard’s Tom (weighing 22 lbs., red brindle with a white blaze on his face, white collar and feet and a screw tail). Barnard’s Tom is often referred to as the first genuine Boston Terrier. Barnard’s Tom was crossed with Kelley’s Nell (20 lbs., short headed and dark brindle evenly marked) and they produced Barnard’s Mike who is the first true Boston Terrier type similar to the modern day breed.

Once known as “Round Heads”, the Boston Terriers have a large head proportioned to their short but muscular bodies. They have a prominent pair of bulging eyes that are set squarely in the skull. Boston Terriers have short tails and short hair which makes them easy to groom, but, also susceptible to extreme environments and are therefore, in-door dogs which make great travel companions or lap dogs. The Boston Terrier has a friendly happy-go-lucky personality, and a playful and whimsical sense of humor. They are very intelligent, sensitive and easy to train and protective of their owners and get along with other pets, children and love to be around people.

Boston Terriers are susceptible to health issues associated with brachycephalic breeds, meaning short-headed in Greek. Common issues affecting this breed include: snoring and reverse sneezing, and their bulging eyes can be prone to injury from environmental factors (branches, sand, debris) and corneal ulcers. Their short muzzles also make them intolerable to excessively cold and hot climates. And then there’s their flatulence, of which I have already experienced first-hand.

• The Boston Terrier and All About It, by Edward Axtell (1910)
• Wikipedia: The Boston Terrier