Boston Terrier breed guide

Boston Terriers are friendly, bright and amusing, ever alert to their surroundings and given to a jaunty, rhythmic step. The large round eyes shine with kindness, curiosity or mischief.

Treats make a great training incentive, AKC says.

Boston Terriers live 11 to 13 years. Protecting the prominent eyes is of special importance, so check them daily for redness or irritation and some owners carry saline drops to flush out dust or debris.

Breeders screen for cataracts, corneal ulcers, glaucoma, deafness and patellar luxation. Like all flat-faced breeds, Boston Terriers may have difficulty breathing in extreme heat.

The sleek fine coat sheds somewhat, though not a lot. Weekly brushing with a soft-bristle brush, rubber mitt or hound glove removes loose hair and spreads skin oils.

A Boston Terrier's need for exercise varies from dog to dog. A brisk walk once or twice a day is enough for some, others need more time to run and play and simply opening the back door does not count since the dog may just sit waiting to come back in.

The popularity of blood sports in 19th-century England led to a mania for crossing terriers and bull-type breeds. In Liverpool in the late 1860s a cross between a Bulldog and the now-extinct white English Terrier produced a tough, muscular dog named Judge.

An American named William O'Brien brought Judge to Boston and in 1870 he sold the dog to fellow Bostonian Robert C. Hooper. Hooper's Judge became the patriarch of the breed.