Boston terrier

“ With dogs that approximate perfection, and which only come in the same proportion as giants and dwarfs do in the human race (I believe the proportion is one in five thousand) , and the advent of which would surprise the average kennel man as much as if the President had sent him a special invitation to dine with him at the White House, the price is problematical, and is negotiated solely by the demand for such a wonder by a comparatively few buyers.
I think Boston terriers as a breed occupy the same position amongst dogs as the hunter and carriage horse does amongst horses. ”

“ Every one who has a Boston terrier for sale knows that a handsome seal or mahogany brindle with correct markings, with plenty of luster in the coat, provided all other things are equal, sells more readily at a far higher price than any other. When one considers the number of points given in the standard for this particular feature, and the very important factor it occupies in the sale of the dog, too much attention cannot be given by breeders for the attainment of this desideratum. ”

“ The Boston terrier dog was never intended, in the writer’s estimation, to be a dog to be carried in one’s pocket, but such an one as the standard calls for, and which the oldest breeders have persistently and consistently bred. To my mind the ideal dog is one weighing from 15 pounds for my lady’s parlor, to 20 or 25 pounds for the dog intended as a man’s companion, suitable to tackle any kind of vermin, and to be an ideal watch dog in the house should any knights of the dark lantern make their nocturnal calls. ”

“ This contains an inherent truth that all breeders of choice stock of whatever description it may be, recognize. To be well born is half the battle, and I think this applies with particular force to the Boston terrier, for without a good ancestry of well bred dogs, possessing the best of dispositions, constitutions and conformity to the standard, he is worse than useless. ”

“ If you do the chances are that one of three things will happen: the bitch will not be in whelp (the most likely result) the pups, or some of them will be born dead, and one runs an awful risk of the bitch dying, or, if alive at birth, a very small per cent. only of the pups will live to reach maturity. I think Boston terriers are particularly susceptible to worms or distemper, and it is absolutely imperative that they should not be handicapped at the onset. ”

“ At the same time, if the dog is practically O. K. in all respects, stylish and trappy, do not hesitate to emphasize the fact, and if the dog likewise possesses a charming, delightful personality, make the most of it. Always remember that the perfect Boston terrier dies young! ”

“ Better by far turn one’s energies in attempting to square the circle, or produce a strain of frogs covered with feathers, than attempt to raise Boston terriers without due attention being given to those physiological laws which experience has proven correct. ”

“ One does not have to look very far to discover numbers of men who started in the breeding of the American dog with high hopes and enthusiastic endeavors to success, who have fallen by the wayside, owing largely to the fact that proper attention was not paid to the selection of suitable breeding stock, especially the matrons. Said a man to me last year: “Much as I love the dog, and crazy as I am to raise some good pups, I have given up for all time trying to breed Boston terriers. ”

“ It is not uncommon for Boston terrier pups to be born with hare-lips, in which case it is far better to put them to sleep at once, as they rarely ever live and are a deformity if they do. Be sure that the puppies’ quarters have abundance of sunshine and fresh air, or they will never thrive as they should, but will be prone to disease. They are very much like plants in this respect. When the pups are four weeks old (I used to commence at five, but so many deaths have occurred in my kennels that of late I have commenced a week earlier) , give them a mild vermifuge for worms. ”

“ The demand for the smaller weights seems greatest, but one finds more uniformity in the medium weights—that is, from fifteen to twenty pounds. The Boston terrier may be good for no practical purposes, but he is alert and will prove to be a fair guardian of the home. The appeal with this dog is his absolute trimness, his clean cut appearance, and his short coat. For people living in flats he is one of the most desirable dogs. In purchasing one of this breed it is well to see the dog before paying the money. ”

“ While I personally believe in a happy medium, never lose sight of the fact that a good short screw tail has always been, and, I believe, will always remain a leading characteristic of the American dog.
In selecting a stud dog be certain his tail is O. K. The bitch can very well afford to carry a longer one, and usually whelps better on this account. I know of nothing more discouraging in the Boston terrier game than to have a litter of choice puppies in every other respect, but off in tails. ”

“ The Boston Terrier Club is duly incorporated under the laws of Massachusetts, has a present membership of from seventy-five to a hundred, men and women who are devoted to the dog, and willing to do everything for its advancement. The annual meeting is held on the second Wednesday in December, at which a number of judges are elected, whose names are forwarded to the bench show committees of the principal shows, requesting that one of the number be elected to officiate as judge of the Boston terriers. Monthly meetings are held which are always exceedingly interesting and instructive. ”

“ He has no trouble whatever with pups when ordered, as he simply sends the address of customers and the farmer ships them. This, to me, is a very uninteresting and somewhat mercenary way of doing business, as one misses all the charm of breeding and the bringing up of the little tots, to many of us the most delightful part of the business. To those breeders who have newly started in, do not get discouraged if success does not immediately crown your efforts; remember, if Boston terriers could be raised as easily as other dogs, the prices would immediately drop to the others’ level. ”

“ Who and what is this little dog that has forced his way by leaps and bounds from Boston town to the uttermost parts of this grand country, from the broad Atlantic to the Golden Gate, and from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico? Nay, not content with this, but has overrun the imaginary borders north and south until he is fast becoming as great a favorite on the other side as here, and who promises in the near future, unless all signs fail, to cross all oceans, and extend his conquests wherever man is found that can appreciate beauty and fidelity in man’s best friend. ”

“ At the last Boston Terrier Club specialty show a beautiful little dog, almost perfect in every other respect, was given the gate on account of being practically black.
In my former chapter on Color Breeding, I urged the necessity of using a red or light mahogany brindle on black stock. If either sex come black, never use any other color than these to mix in. Enough said!
One is constantly hearing from all parts of the country of the prevalence of bitches missing. Where they are bred to over-worked stud dogs no surprise need be manifested. ”

“ If the disposition of the dog is not all that can be desired, of what avail is superb constitution, an ideal conformation and beautiful color and markings? Better by far obtain the most pronounced mongrel that roams the street that shows a loving, generous nature if he cost his weight in gold, than take as a gift the most royally bred Boston that could not be depended upon at all times and under all circumstances to manifest a perfect disposition. ”

“ Do not consider this as suggesting that the tail is a matter of secondary importance, by no means, it is of primal import, and too much attention can never be given to the production of this distinguishing mark of the dog. A Boston without a good tail is almost as worthless as a check without a signature.
Be sure at the time of breeding the bitch is free from worms. A great many are troubled whose owners are totally ignorant of the fact, and this frequently accounts for non-success. ”

“ There is a Boston terrier up in our neighborhood that is a fighter. I don't like fighting dogs myself,--and this one is a terror. He is always pitching on to some poor little fellow that isn't big enough to stand up to him, and doesn't have a chance to run. I broke my cane over him."
"Indeed?" murmured Lyon, with polite indifference. Then the echo of the words rang through the silence of his mind,--louder and louder, until he pulled up with a start, as though some one had been calling to him for a long time and he had just become conscious of it. "You broke your cane over him?" ”

“ I think that all people will agree, from all parts of the country, that New York sets the style for practically everything, from my lady’s headgear to the pattern of her equipages, and the edict from that city has decreed that the correct color in Boston terriers is a rich seal brindle, with white markings, with plenty of luster to it, and all sections of the continent promptly say amen! ”

“ THE United States is a great country, full of many beautiful and wonderful things, but strangely enough it has grown few dogs of its own, the native varieties being singularly limited in number. Although the Boston Terrier is also an exotic, being composed of materials imported in the first instance from Great Britain, we would not be so churlish as to rob our American cousins of one of their most cherished possessions. ”

“ I have seen numbers of litters where the utmost attention has been paid to every detail with the expectancy of getting crackerjacks, to find that one will have to wait for the “next time,” as the litter in question showed the bull type, and the terrier also, and very little Boston; but fortunately, with the mating intelligently attended to, and the putting aside of all dogs that do not comport to the standard as non-breeders, a type of a dog will be bred true to our highest ideals. ”

“ When a young man, while studying animal physiology under the direction of the eminent scientist, Professor Huxley, whose diploma I value most highly, I made a number of extended scientific experiments in color breeding in poultry and rabbits, so that when I took up breeding Boston terriers later in life this feature particularly attracted me. ”

“ They are looking for first class watch dogs that can be kept in the house or stable, that are thoroughly reliable, that do not bring too much mud in on their coats, that do not cover the furniture with long hairs, that are vigorous enough to follow on a horseback ride, and which will not wander from home. I was in the company of a party of gentlemen the other day who had bought a number of estates in a town twenty miles from Boston, and the subject of a suitable breed of dogs for their residences was under discussion. ”

“ Borden for over six thousand dollars, the highest price ever obtained for a Boston.
While writing on the subject of sales, I think it will be in order to speak of a matter that is a source of anxiety to a great many breeders, and that is the getting rid of the small bitches that are too small to breed. We have always found a ready sale for these when properly spayed for ladies’ pets, largely in New York city. They make ideal house dogs, perhaps more winning and affectionate in their manner than others, never wandering off, and I believe the license fee is the same as for a male. ”

“ Every person who has bred Bostons for any length of time knows that a good dog sells himself. I do not imagine there is practically any part of this great country where a typical dog, of proper color and markings and all right in every respect, fails to meet a prospective buyer, and yet, of course, there are certain places where an A 1 dog, like an ideal saddle or carriage horse meets with a readier sale, at a far greater price than others. ”

“ He was a large, dust-coloured bull-terrier whom Hammond had raised from puppyhood, and in whose muscular carcass the man had by rigid training developed many of his own physical characteristics—that is to say, though Boston was of large ungainly build and always appeared to flounder rather than to walk, he was really as speedy as a greyhound, brave as a lion, and silent in his movements as Fate herself. ”

“ A bitch that is in good health, properly fed, that has free access to good wholesome drinking water, can safely be left without a cathartic. Another important fact to be observed in breeding Bostons, is the suitability of certain stud dogs for particular bitches. It used to be my belief for a number of years, and I suppose many dog men today entertain the same idea, that a first class dog in every respect mated with a number of equally well bred typical bitches would produce on an average a comparatively uniform type of pups. ”

“ It goes without saying that what a public taste demands, every effort will be made to attain the same, and breeders will strive their utmost to produce this shade. Many who do not understand scientific matings to obtain these desirable colors have fallen into a very natural mistake in so doing. In regard to the mahogany brindles they say, why not breed continuously together rich mahogany sires and dams, and then we shall always have the brindles we desire. “Like produces like” is a truism often quoted, but there are exceptions, and Boston terrier breeding furnishes an important one. ”

“ How to breed the dogs so that the brindle will not become too dark, with the bright reddish sheen that sparkles in the sun, is the important question, and I am surprised at the ignorance displayed by kennel men that one would naturally suppose would have made the necessary scientific experiments to obtain this desirable shading. Only a short time ago a doctor, a friend of mine, told me he had just started a kennel of Bostons, buying several bitches at a bargain on account of their being black in color, and that he proposed breeding them to a white dog to get puppies of a desirable brindle. ”