Boston Terrier: Size, Lifespan and Care Basics

The American Kennel Club (AKC) gives the Boston Terrier a life expectancy of 11 to 13 years. The Royal Kennel Club (RKC) in the UK puts the breed in its “over 10 years” band.

Both figures describe the breed as a whole. They are ranges for typical dogs of the breed, not a forecast for any one dog.

Of the 30 breeds profiled on Pettify, 17 have a longer upper estimate than the Boston Terrier and 9 a shorter one.

The RKC suggests grooming a Boston Terrier once a week and describes the coat as short; it lists the breed as one that sheds. On the AKC’s scales the breed rates 2 out of 5 for shedding and 2 out of 5 for how often the coat needs care.

Upkeep is a weekly job that matches the RKC’s line. Loose hair is modest, since the AKC describes the sleek, fine coat as shedding some but not much, and a hound glove, a rubber mitt or a soft-bristle brush will collect it. Baths can wait for the occasional mess.

The pattern is the famous part: white set against black, brindle or seal, laid out like a tuxedo jacket. The RKC notes that the term “Boston marked” is sometimes used for other breeds with a similar pattern of white on legs, chest, collar and head, such as mantle Great Danes.

The RKC puts the exercise a Boston Terrier needs at up to 1 hour a day. The AKC rates the breed 4 out of 5 for energy and 3 out of 5 for mental stimulation needs.

Exercise for a Boston means exercise with its people. The AKC doubts that a turn alone in the backyard counts, since the dog is likely to wait at the door to be let back in, while a ball or toy thrown by you is another matter. How much is enough differs between dogs: one or two brisk walks a day for some, more running and play for others.

For a more structured outlet, the AKC suggests rally, flyball, obedience and agility.

The AKC gives the adult weight of the Boston Terrier as “12–25 pounds”, which is 5.4–11.3 kg. The height at the shoulder is 10–12 inches.

Nearly every Boston Terrier goes back to one dog. Judge, bred in Liverpool in the late 1860s from a Bulldog and the now-extinct white English Terrier, was taken to Boston and bought by Robert C. Hooper in 1870. Breeders there turned his heavy fighting type into a smaller, gentler companion, first called the Round Head. A club formed in 1889 as the American Bull Terrier Club ran into objections from Bulldog and Bull Terrier fanciers and renamed itself after the city in 1891, and the AKC registered its first Boston in 1893.

The AKC’s ratings describe a thoroughly sociable dog. Strangers rate 5 out of 5, young children 5 out of 5, affection for family 5 out of 5 and other dogs 4 out of 5. The AKC’s words for the breed are friendly, bright and amusing, and it describes a born entertainer. Barking is low, at 2 out of 5.

Company matters more than space. The AKC warns that a Boston left alone for long stretches tends to get frustrated and pick up unwanted habits. The RKC’s lines suit city living, a flat with a small or medium garden in town or country, and the AKC’s puppy notes describe a dog content in an apartment. Adaptability rates 3 out of 5, a middle score.

Trainability is 4 out of 5, and the same puppy notes call the breed easily trained. Pettify’s care plan sees a Boston as a puppy until 9 months. In Massachusetts the breed is still a source of pride: it has been Boston University’s mascot for close to a century, and Massachusetts made it the state dog in 1979.