One of the true American breeds, the Boston Terrier was the result of a cross between an English Bulldog and a white English Terrier, later considerably inbred. Incidental peculiarities of the first dogs used as sires are partly responsible for the present type.

In the year 1889 about thirty fanciers in an around Boston organized what was known as the American Bull Terrier Club, and they exhibited the dogs as Round Heads or Bull Terriers.

As time went on, these fanciers met with consierable opposition from Bull Terrier breeders, who did everything possible to discourage them. The Boston Terrier fanciers, however, refused to be discouraged, and in 1891 formed the Boston Terrier Club of America.

As their dog was bred in Boston, they changed the name to Boston Terrier. After two years of sustained effort to have the Boston recognized as a pure bred, they succeeded in persuading The American Kennel Club to admit the breed to the stud book in 1893 and the club to membership.

Up to this time of course, the Boston Terrier was only in its infancy. There was hard work ahead to standardize the breed and to make the Bostons of that day into a more even lot. Great progress has been made, since 1900 in developing different strains by careful and selective breeding which included a certain amount of inbreeding. The result is a clean cut dog, with a short head, snow white markings, dark, soft eyes and a body approximating the conformation of the terrier rather than the Bulldog.

The Boston, while not a fighter, is well able to take care of himself. He has a characteristically gentle disposition that has won him the name of the "American gentleman among dogs". As a companion and house pet, he is eminently suitable.