COLORED BOSTON TERRIER TRUTHS

tHE TRUTH ABOUT COLOR HISTORY, THE STANDARD, AND HOW COLOR FADS AFFECT THE BOSTON TERRIER

DAMAGE TO THE BREED

Let's discuss some facts about damage done to the Boston Terrier breed by perpetuating these colors
WHAT DAMAGE CAN COLOR POSSIBLY DO? AREN'T THEY THE SAME BREED? Colored Bostons , at the start of the fad, had been obtained through mixing breeds or happened unexpectedly on occasion likely through an "oops" breeding. This is not to say that all or even most colored Boston Terrier breeders were even aware of this fact. Once the genetics were introduced and began to be passed from breeder to breeder, more colored litters occurred, and most breeders were likely convinced they had a colored purebred Boston Terrier with no knowledge of where the colors originated from. With this breed mixing, comes additional breed characteristics not natural to the Boston Terrier. Adding a breed such as the Pit Bull into modern bloodlines can often increase reactivity and dog aggressiveness. Though the Boston came from pit type dogs in the early years, before the breed was officially created, the breed has been developed for over a century for a companion, with a temperament that matches. One breeder judge has observed that in adding another breed to an established purebred breed, character is one of the first things to break down. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER WAYS THE BREED CAN BE DAMAGED? As is the case with any poor breeding practices, there is overall damage to the breed through fad focused behavior. MOST (not all, but MOST) breeders focusing on fad colors, do not fully health test. They often only do DNA swab testing (which tests for a lot of things that do not affect this breed in any meaningful way) but fail to do responsible OFA testing for the diseases that are most common in the breed. Responsible breeders test all breeding stock for the following : CAER, BAER, JHC, Patellas and often Cardiac and Spine and BOAS if available. When a breeder skips these tests and breeds in favor of profitability (usually the motivation behind breeding for any fad), those dogs as well as their offspring are more likely to be less healthy than litters produced by responsible preservation breeders. This results in pedigrees full of colored Bostons with very little health screening, bred in large numbers (for increased puppy sales and profitability), affecting the gene pool overall. Since colored Boston Terrier breeders breed usually breed a larger number of litters every year than preservation breeders as a whole, then the overall gene pool is influenced in a very big way. Not only does this introduce characteristics that are considered severe faults in the breed, and introduces the characteristics of other breeds, it introduces a large number of Bostons bred for profit and not health, with very little health testing. This all results in a breakdown of breed type, breed characteristics, sound structure and sound health . These things can be influenced by any breeder with poor breeding practices, however you will find a large percentage of color breeders have poor practices simply due to the motivation driven by fad, market and profit. ARE THERE ANY HEALTH ISSUES SPECIFIC TO COLORED BOSTON TERRIERS? Sadly the answer is yes. Though the overall breeding practices would have a negative affect, there is also Color Dilution Alopecia (CDA) which is found specifically in dilute dogs (blue and lilac). How badly affected the Boston Terrier is by this condition is uncertain. It affects different breeds differently. Some volunteers involved in rescue have reported severe skin issues seen more commonly in colored Bostons, however this is anecdotal and cannot be proven. There has been a recent discovery of a health condition that affected chocolate colored Bostons, and researchers feel strongly that there is a connection between the two. "The second case of MPS I was in a dilute Boston Terrier with a similar clinical presentation and was also homozygous for the same IDUA mutation. This mutation was not found in 150 Boston Terrier samples in either the heterozygous or homozygous state indicating that its allele frequency is not very high in the general population of the breed. The two cases shared distinctive coat colors that are not due to their MPS disease. The AKC breed standard for the Boston Terrier disqualifies these coat colors. These two puppies both came from the southeastern United States and were purchased from breeders specializing in the disqualifying coat colors. The coat colors are recessive so in order to produce many puppies with these coat colors recent inbreeding likely occurred. While the allele frequency is low in the general population of Boston Terriers it is likely higher within the off color dogs." https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-63451-4?fbclid=IwZnRzaAPWLzlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeAk8-igELQSBIUkweVGSa2tFw3INU7DJB3roNm8fQMxVFh32K-CpoqK4_9ws_aem_jFznxZrAXUCC8WDNruylZw The unknown affects of fad breeding may not be fully discovered or felt for years to come.

CHARACTERISTICS OFTEN SEEN IN COLORED BOSTON TERRIERS THAT ARE NOT TYPICAL BREED CHARACTERISTICS

Colored Bostons , at the start of the fad, often resembled the other breeds that were known to carry the "rare colors". Reds and blues often resembled Pit Bulls, while fawns and creams often resembled French Bulldogs or Chihuahuas. This brought with it other breed characteristics.
  • Dispositions with increased reactivity, dog aggression
  • Excessive size (35, 40, 50 lb "Bostons")
  • Overall body shape, such as the roached loin or heaviness of the French Bulldog
  • Floppy ears that will not stand, or ears set very wide with rounded tips
  • Increased prevalence of long tails
  • Difference in coat type
  • Long narrow muzzles, small heads
These can happen often in poorly bred standard colored Bostons, but can often be a sign of breed mixing, or breed mixing in the pedigree of a standard Boston.
NOTE: Though colored Bostons are likely the result of mixed or profit motivated breeding, this isn't to say that they do not deserve the same love and wonderful homes as any top AKC show dog of a standard color. If they are already here, they deserve the best. But they should not be bred, nor should the colors be bred for. This goes against the desires of the founders of this breed and against over a century of preservation of the Boston Terrier. Please do not support or encourage fad breeding. Please support the Boston Terrier breed and its history.
THE BOSTON TERRIER STANDARD
This is the complete Boston Terrier Standard as put forth by the parent club The Boston Terrier Club Of America and supported by The American Kennel Club.
BOSTON TERRIER HISTORY
Explore some interesting facts about the Boston, their start as the first American made breed, some common misconceptions, and the history of color in the breed.

ALLOWED COLORS

The Boston Terrier Standard is very clear about colors for the breed. There is some variation between the shades and amount of brindle but all require black pigment and this page shows you examples of those subtle variations.
DISQUALIFIED COLORS
Learn the facts about what coat colors are and are not accepted for the Boston Terrier, and how breeding these dogs affects the breed overall. Learn the difference between naturally occurring color and introduced color.

CORRECT EXPRESSION

Breed type and expression separates the Boston from many other breeds. Described as the "God Love It" expression by Vincent Perry, the deep dark eyes of the Boston are a hallmark of the breed.

DAMAGE TO THE BREED

This page discusses the long term effects of fad breeding and why breeders should not be ignoring the qualities required by the Boston Terrier Standard.
Additional Facts About The Boston Terrier and Its History

  • Can Boston Terriers Have Long Hair?

  • Are Merle Bostons Purebred?

  • Can Boston Terriers Have Long Tails?

  • Are Boston Terriers With Longer Noses Healthier?

  • Did Bostons Used To Be 40-50 Pounds?

  • Is There Anything Wrong With White Headed or Blue Eyed Bostons?

  • Were Boston Terriers Fighting dogs?

were the first bostons larger?
Were Bostons Fighting Dogs?
are longer noses healthier?
can bostons have long tails?
Can Bostons Have Long HAir?
can merle bostons be purebred?
what's wrong with white heads and blue eyes?

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