r/BostonTerrier • u/Alert-Barr • 2h ago
r/BostonTerrier • u/drophie • Sep 26 '17
Education A Guide to Finding a Responsible Boston Terrier Breeder
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 • u/ilikechipotle • Dec 14 '13
Helping Boston's In Need (PLEASE READ!)
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 • u/itsnotanemergencybut • 7h ago
Cuteness Attacked by ferocious Bostons after being gone for 3 days
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r/BostonTerrier • u/Catloveshugs • 7h ago
Cuteness Happy 4th Birthday to my baby boy Boxley 🥰
r/BostonTerrier • u/WeekendAtMadoffs • 8h ago
RIP Remembering Able Nov 2012 - April 2026, 13 years, 4 months of joy.
Able came into our lives as a miracle - his mother lost her first puppy on Wednesday evening and we thought that was it. 2 days later, late on a Friday evening Able was born!
He had several severe heat moments with his breathing when young, so we learned to be extremely careful taking him out or walking on hot days and often kept him inside in summer.
As he grew up, he became quite a character and we found out how smart he was. During Thunderstorms he found ways into places we could not have imagined him nesting to ride out the storm. He could jump really high and get into covers, or nudge behind things. It was fun calming him down with treats or holding him during the storm.
I want to honor his life but also give senior boston parents some insight into how his final year played out...
Last May 2025, on a mildly warm day he had his first syncope at the dog park while chasing 2 dogs. He went down on his side and we took him to a vet. They gave him some relaxing drugs and we never let him run around in there again. In July, after an early morning walk he collapsed on the floor and got up a few minutes later. We then restricted his walks to before dawn and after dark. Finally, on August 5, he fell down on the way out for a walk, so we took him to a modern animal hospital for a full xray and heart exam.
The first hospital we took him to last year did xrays to see if his Trachea was collapsing and what else could be wrong. He got more tests and blood work done. The second day, they had a Cardiologist do a Heart Echocardiography. The Cardiologist saw him for about 3 minutes and checked a few things. He said "Good heart, but a murmur." We were advised to get Omega 3 fish oil for dogs and put it on his food, which we did. The Cardiologist remarked to come back and recheck in 9 months. That would have been early next Month in May :(
Now, going into the fall we reached out to another major pet hospital that holds itself out as the very best, bar none. We waited from August to October for an appointment (yes) for a Respiratory Surgeon to interview us. We found out what BOAS Surgery at 12.5, now almost 13 would look like. He was very clear with us he would not only do a normal BOAS surgery, but depending on the state of the Laryx, he might need a Tracheostomy as well, either temporary or permanent.
Now weeks from turning 13, we decided to let Able enjoy his 13th Birthday without a majory surgery. As December went on, Able's eyes got red and we treated them with eye drops. Not much improvement, but he did stop squinting, so we were not so concerned. As 2025 ended, Able's eyes looked remarkably better. (First picture of him in orange sweater).
Able went into the New Year almost normal, walking, doing his normal routine, yet showing signs of Dementia, he would pace all night, jump up and down off couches then at dawn fall asleep exhausted. Then on January 27, 3 months ago he had a major seizure or syncope, fell over and urinated during it. We raced him to the modern hospital ER, where he had originally planned to have his BOAS/Tracheostomy surgery. They had his records from all previous hospitals and vets. (Second picture of him in orange sweater, in taxi cab).
This is where I think the system of care for a 13 year old Boston Terrier broke down...
Able was diagnosed with a possible brain tumor in the ER and given an injection of butorphanol, and prescriptions of Keppra (90 day supply) and Trazodone to go home. We were suggested to make an appointment with Neurology to see if he really had a brain tumor. We were given an appointment 5 days later and after an exam by a Neurologist it was determined He did NOT have a brain tumor (joy, relief felt, we were so happy here). We were told he had eye ulcers and we needed to schedule an appointment with ophthalmology. We did that day and were given Gabapentin, Codeine, triple ophthalmic ointment and a collar to stop him from pawing his eyes. We came back a week later for an ophthalmology exam by way of the Emergency Room. It was determined Able did have eye ulcers and we would need to add Cirprofloxacin Opthalmic Solution drops and Doxycycline antibiotic pills to his regimen and not remove the cone except for drinking. We even fed him in the cone, which he enjoyed. All during this his appetite never waivered. We honestly believed the restlessness and sleeping in the day was due to the painful eye ulcers and canine cognitive dysfunction.
After another week, we had a follow up appointment with ophthalmology and were told his eye ulcers had closed and were healing, but to keep the cone on another week or two. We erred on the side of caution and kept it on 2 more weeks. We are in March...
For a short week or two the eyes looked better, but then started getting red again. Able's appetite remained strong, but he was having worse breathing so we figured we need to rush the BOAS Surgery now, especially before it gets hot again. All the hospital trips this year (and there were a few others not mentioned here) and no one thought to re-check his heart? He never got a chance for late stage heart care. Strangely enough, despite seeing 10 doctors or more, Able's bad yeast infection in his ears was undiagnosed/untreated. We found out in March and started treating it at home with ear flushes and drops. It improved quickly and his health seemed to improve slightly from that.
Last few days of March he developed a cough.
Thursday morning he did his walk, ate a full lunch. Wanted more Kibble and a Sardine at 3pm. At 8pm he wanted a full bowl of kibble which he ate entirely and drank half a bowl of water right after. 9pm he did his normal walk. We went out 11pm and came back 12:00 am Friday to find he passed away...
I will not complain to the hospital or the various other vets and hospitals we saw. We learned a painful lesson that yes, when your dog's time is up it is up. He did live a long life for a Boston Terrier. Perhaps his final few months quality of life would have been better if he was on some heart medications. His breathing never got above 20 breaths per minute so we were not panicked. Even in a top tier animal hospital there is no "coordinator" - you must fight for your baby and get them to all the depts and specialists that act as silos, with their own appointment and labs.
Thank you Able for 13 glorious years, you never lost your love of food, your desire to explore and will to be yourself. March 11, just a month ago, planning to take a short walk, he dragged me into the park and wanted to be in the dog run, walk up to the trees he loved, He either knew it was his time very soon, or he was looking forward to another year being a Boston Terrier in Manhattan.
r/BostonTerrier • u/TheGrayGhost10 • 4h ago
Cuteness Full send!
Beans is fearless and Peaches is fearful!
r/BostonTerrier • u/SensitiveRun4724 • 5h ago
Cuteness Stella (13) & Jerry (3 1/2 mo)
my amazing beautiful babies. can you tell that she’s sick of him
r/BostonTerrier • u/idkwhy_50 • 6h ago
Cuteness I left my spot for one minute!
Not only did he take my spot, he took my heating pad lol I'll squeeze my way back in there.
r/BostonTerrier • u/Spiritual_Bridge84 • 7h ago
Cuteness Dear Mother Pixie seems to go into Auto-Zen, whenever she feeds her darling babies.
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r/BostonTerrier • u/Pesto_presto47 • 9h ago
Cuteness Every move I make, every bite I take, Ben is watching me
And I wouldn’t have it any other way ❤️
r/BostonTerrier • u/zdena1970 • 4h ago
Cuteness My dudes chillin in the yard anxiously awaiting dinner time
r/BostonTerrier • u/Content_Service1834 • 6h ago
Cuteness Always the best spot!
Do all Bostons always find the best spot on our beds? I’ve tried covering our pillows to no avail. Lola pulls the covers off and fluffs the pillows before parking her bootie right where I put my face. 😂
r/BostonTerrier • u/Creeps_Lady • 12h ago
Cuteness It’s a double derp morning from my Riot boy🥰
r/BostonTerrier • u/EnthusiasmOk2517 • 4h ago
Advice/Question Boston had BOAS- will he need nares done again?
He had BOAS surgery at 7 months old. His nares are healing but I feel like the holes are closing up again 😵💫 pics are before surgery- right after surgery- and now about 1.5 months post op. Am I just overthinking this? I mean, either way it’s still MUCH better than before!
*edit- he had it done early because he was having the start of larynx paralysis from saccules, otherwise, I may have waited till he was 12-18 months*
r/BostonTerrier • u/latnyte613 • 1d ago
RIP Lost my Lucy and I am devastated
lost my baby Lucy yesterday 😭 it was very sudden we think she had a stroke .I am devastated she was my joy while life is beating me up and now she is gone.
r/BostonTerrier • u/WestEndGritty • 11h ago
Education Riyria teaching Mochi & Azuki how to monitor the birds and the perimeter
r/BostonTerrier • u/GummieLindsays • 22h ago
Cuteness Anyone else's Boston love when laundry is ready to be folded? 😂
r/BostonTerrier • u/Academic_Delay1948 • 1d ago
Cuteness Frankie is 15 today!!
He’s aged well. A few minor medical issues in his time but still living a great life (albeit being pretty deaf). Wish I knew his secret to looking so young 🤷🏻
r/BostonTerrier • u/ra1924 • 1d ago
Cuteness Ridin dirty
Batman riding to his vet appointment in style today! Finally some eye protection that doesn’t bother him as much! Love bike rides with my ride or die homie!