Standard

GENERAL APPEARANCE describes a number of points. It gives us an outline of the dog, shows us the character of the breed and artistically requires that the dog not only be in balance, but must be well proportioned. It gives a synopsis of the breed and tells us without actually using these words, that the perfect Boston is a bright, sound, elegant, beautifully moving, typey dog, with prescribed color and markings.

General appearance is especially affected by all parts of the dog. For example, if the dog is faulted in hindquarters, it cannot move with determination and an easy and graceful carriage. Neither can a dog with too much white showing in his eyes look intelligent.

SIZE, PROPORTION, SUBSTANCE: The most important point about the weight classifications is that each size be in proportion in bone and muscle. That does not mean that because a dog is 20 pounds, it should be coarse and bully. Conversely, an under 15 pound dog must also be in proportion to its size. As owners or breeders, we can have a size preference in the dogs we own or breed; judges cannot. The Standard does not state that one size is preferred over another. However, this section does state that the length of leg must balance with the length in body to give the dog its striking square appearance. You will see that when other parts of the dog’s conformation are correct, it will also help to make the dog appear square.

The influence of sex is really self-explanatory. It should not be interpreted to mean that a slight refinement in the bitch’s conformation allows the muzzle to be snipey or the body long.

HEAD: It is difficult to imagine a square head on a dog, but when the skull is square, it will be determined by the set of the ears and eyes. The ears should be as close to the corners of the skull as possible, with the outside corners of the eyes in line with the cheeks. The eye placement and the muzzle should both form the lower square of the head.

INTRODUCTION

One would believe that the correct Boston Terrier expression comes from the eyes. This is only partially true. It also comes from his upright ears and that ex- ceptional bearing that the Boston has that says “I’m something special!” The eyes should be round and large with a very minimum of white showing. The eyes should be as dark as the coat color, otherwise they will appear even lighter by contrast.

Not only should the ears be set properly at the corners of the skull, they must be in proportion to the size of the skull and the muscles that hold the ear erect must be strong so that the ears are held as tightly as possible. Ears like this make the dog appear alert and of course help to square the head. Ears that are set badly, are too large or too small, or without good muscles are still apparent to the ex- perienced eye, even if they are cropped.

While the muzzle should be short, square, wide and deep, it cannot be correct unless the jaw is broad with an even or slightly undershot bite.

THE NECK, TOPLINE AND BODY should blend smoothly together, with the length of neck in balance with the body so that the head is carried gracefully.

The chest should be deep, and as a rule, in line with the elbows. Aside from aesthetics, the main reason for requiring a level back is that the power generated in the hindquarters is delivered forward by thrust, through the spinal column to the forequarters. A straight column of bones delivers thrust to a better advantage than one that is curved.

When the ribs are carried well back, the loins will be short. If you think of the loins as a bridge between the front and rear of the dog, you can understand that a short bridge will be stronger than a long one. It will also help to square the body.

The rump curves slightly to a low tail set. A too flat rump usually gives a dog a higher tail set and consequently, straighter stifles.

THE FOREQUARTERS or front assembly, help to give the Boston Terrier its stylish movement. The shoulders are sloping and well laid back. This kind of shoulder requires an angle of . degrees, which gives the dog the proper reach in front. When the shoulders are well laid back, the neck will be the proper length. A dog with straight shoulders will also have a neck that is too short, with a shorter reach of the front legs. When the front legs are suspended, they will drop perfectly straight without toeing in nor out. While we do not call the feet “cat’s feet”, they are cat-like; small, round, and compact.

THE HINDQUARTERS provide the power that is needed to give a dog the drive or push to propel the front. The stifle must be well angulated, with a long upper and lower thigh and the hocks should be well let down, or short in com- parison, to give the dog endurance. When the hindquarters have the correct INTRODUCTION length of bone and angulation, they will be well muscled.

THE GAIT of the Boston Terrier is that “of a sure footed, straight gaited dog, forelegs and hind legs moving straight ahead in line with perfect rhythm, each step indicating grace and power.” The key words in this description are “grace and power”. From this, one can see that the Boston Terrier was not meant to move with dysplastic hindquarters or like a wind-up toy. If he does not move correctly, he cannot convey an “impression of determination, strength, and ac- tivity, with style of a high order, carriage easy and graceful”.

COAT texture is often determined by the color of the coat. Brindle coats are usually finer than darker colors. Fortunately, even though some coats are not as fine as others, the quality of the coat is usually determined by the condition of the dog.

COLOR AND MARKINGS are very important. They make a Boston look like a Boston. Desired markings are like icing on the cake. It gives that extra bit of flashiness that sometimes is needed. However, it will not compensate for other things that they may be lacking.

THE TEMPERAMENT of the Boston Terrier is a most important requirement of the breed and one we must take care not to lose. Without their friendly dis- position and intelligence, they wouldn’t. be Boston Terriers.

THE SUMMARY is an abridged version of the Standard … “The Boston Terrier in a Nutshell”.

THE SCALE OF POINTS is a guide that can be used to determine the relative importance of parts of the whole dog. If it is used to critique a dog, remember that if the value of one area is lowered, it often affects another. There is also one area that has not been assigned a point value, without which a Boston would be without value and that is excellent temperament. Let us not forget it.

Boston Terrier breeder Joseph Balmer said it beautifully for us, many years ago ….

“WE ARE THE HEIRS OF THE PAST AND THE TRUSTEES OF THE FUTURE.”

The Standard helps us to safeguard and improve the breed; it is our responsibility to protect the Standard.

THE BOSTON TERRIER

GENERAL APPEARANCE

The Boston Terrier is a lively, highly intelligent, smooth coated, short headed, com- pactly built, short-tailed, well balanced dog, brindle, seal or black in color and evenly marked with white. The head is in proportion to the size of the dog and the expression indicates a high degree of intelligence.

The body is rather short and well knit, the limbs strong and neatly turned, the tail is short and no feature is so prominent that the dog appears badly proportioned. The dog conveys an impression of determination, strength and activity, with style of a high order; carriage easy and graceful. A proportionate combination of “Color and White Markings” is a particularly distinctive feature of a representative speciman.

“Balance, Expression, Color and White Markings” should be given particular con- sideration in determining the relative value of GENERAL APPEARANCE to other points.

STRUCTURE

HEAD

The skull is square, flat on top, free from wrinkles, cheeks flat, brow abrupt and the stop well defined. The ideal Boston Terrier expression is alert and kind, indicating a high degree of intelligence. This is a most important characteristic of the breed. The eyes are wide apart, large and round and dark in color. The eyes are set square in the skull and the outside corners are on a line with the cheeks as viewed from the front. Disqualify: Eyes blue in color or any trace of blue. The ears are small, carried erect, either natural or cropped to conform to the shape of the head and situated as near to the corners of the skull as possible.

The muzzle is short, square, wide and deep and in proportion to the skull. It is free from wrinkles, shorter in length than in depth; not exceeding in length approximately one-third of the length of the skull. The muzzle from stop to end of the nose is parallel to the top of the skull. The nose is black and wide, with a well defined line between the nostrils. Disqualify: Dudley nose.

The jaw is broad and square with short, regular teeth. The bite is even or sufficiently undershot to square the muzzle. The chops are of good depth, but not pendulous, completely covering the teeth when the mouth is closed. Serious Fault: Wry mouth. Head Faults: Eyes showing too much white or haw. Pinched or wide nostrils. Size of ears out of proportion to the size of the head. Serious Head Faults: Any showing of the tongue or teeth when the mouth is closed.

NECK, TOPLINE and BODY

The length of neck must display an image of balance to the total dog. It is slightly ar- ched, carrying the head gracefully and setting neatly into the shoulders. The back is just short enough to square the body. The topline is level and the rump curves slightly to the set-on of the tail. The chest is deep with good width, ribs well sprung and car- ried well back to the loins. The body should appear short. The tail is set on low, short, fine and tapering, straight or screw and must not be carried above the horizon- tal. (Note: The preferred tail does not exceed in length more than one-quarter the dis- tance from set-on to hock.) Disqualify: Docked tail. Body Faults: Gaily carried tail. Serious Body Faults: Roach back, sway back, slab-sided.

FOREQUARTERS

The shoulders are sloping and well laid back, which allows for the Boston Terrier’s stylish movement. The elbows stand neither in nor out. The forelegs are set moderate- ly wide apart and on a line with the upper tip of the shoulder blades. The forelegs are straight in bone with short, strong pasterns. The dewclaws may be removed. The feet are small, round and compact, turned neither in nor out, with well arched toes and short nails. Faults: Legs lacking in substance; splay feet.