Courtesy of All Color Boston Terrier Club
https://allcoloredbostonterrierclub.webs.com/colorhistory.htm
History of Colors in the Boston Terrier
The Colored Boston Terrier has been around since the inception of the Boston Terrier in 1891. In that year the Boston Terrier Club of America set their first standard which read “Color: Any color, brindle, evenly marked with white, strongly preferred.” Bostons at that time came in Blue as called mouse color, Red/Chocolate also called liver color, Fawn/Buckskin, white with color patches, Cream, and all differing color patterns of brindle.
It wasn’t until 1910 when the standard was revised that blue (called mouse color due to nose pigment), red (called liver color due to nose pigment), as well as solid black and black and tan were disqualified colors for the breed. This was due to brindle being the preferred pattern and wanting to set a type for the breed. Breeders at the time considered Seal Brindle to be the preferred brindle, but what they found breeding seal brindle to seal brindle was the resulting puppies were getting darker producing black and white and black brindle and white puppies. Today most of the bostons you see in exhibition and advertising are still these darker colors with black nose pigment. The Boston Terrier Club of America only allows black, brindle, and seal (with appropriate white markings) to conformation show with the American Kennel Club. Seal is defined as black that appears to have a red cast when viewed in the sun. Colored breeders today who are uniformed may call their colored dogs’ seal, when they are in fact something else entirely.
The colors have always been present in the breed with these black and brindle bostons producing red, blue, cream, fawn, dilute brown (also called lilac/champagne) at different points throughout the last 100+ years. Bostons with color tracing back 7 or more generations with no colors being produced in those generations when bred to the right dog with similar lineage can produce color.
Colored Boston Terriers are very controversial with traditionalists saying they are mixed with another breed, that colors were never in the breed, and many blanket statements that are untruths. Any research into Boston terriers you will find some of the first champions in conformation were fawn and white, high-white (those that are predominantly white), blue colored, etc. The only color that is unacceptable and has always been unacceptable for Boston Terriers is Merle.
Today there are those that are trying to preserve the future of the Colored Boston Terrier through selective breeding to traditional show stock then breeding back into colors to set type and increase genetic diversity. The ones determined to have the best breeding stock health test their bostons for Juvenile Hereditary Cataracts, BAER hearing testing, CERF eye testing, and Patellar Luxation testing in addition to other health tests if they are available.
For more information on Colored Boston Terriers, please visit the sites below:
http://www.allcoloredbostonterrierclub.com
http://c3dogs.com/boston-terrier/
http://www.internationalcaninekennelclub.com/uploads/Colored_Bostons.pdf
http://www.ucadogs.com/Breed_Info_Colored_Boston_Terrier.htm
The Colored Boston Terrier has been around since the inception of the Boston Terrier in 1891. In that year the Boston Terrier Club of America set their first standard which read “Color: Any color, brindle, evenly marked with white, strongly preferred.” Bostons at that time came in Blue as called mouse color, Red/Chocolate also called liver color, Fawn/Buckskin, white with color patches, Cream, and all differing color patterns of brindle.
It wasn’t until 1910 when the standard was revised that blue (called mouse color due to nose pigment), red (called liver color due to nose pigment), as well as solid black and black and tan were disqualified colors for the breed. This was due to brindle being the preferred pattern and wanting to set a type for the breed. Breeders at the time considered Seal Brindle to be the preferred brindle, but what they found breeding seal brindle to seal brindle was the resulting puppies were getting darker producing black and white and black brindle and white puppies. Today most of the bostons you see in exhibition and advertising are still these darker colors with black nose pigment. The Boston Terrier Club of America only allows black, brindle, and seal (with appropriate white markings) to conformation show with the American Kennel Club. Seal is defined as black that appears to have a red cast when viewed in the sun. Colored breeders today who are uniformed may call their colored dogs’ seal, when they are in fact something else entirely.
The colors have always been present in the breed with these black and brindle bostons producing red, blue, cream, fawn, dilute brown (also called lilac/champagne) at different points throughout the last 100+ years. Bostons with color tracing back 7 or more generations with no colors being produced in those generations when bred to the right dog with similar lineage can produce color.
Colored Boston Terriers are very controversial with traditionalists saying they are mixed with another breed, that colors were never in the breed, and many blanket statements that are untruths. Any research into Boston terriers you will find some of the first champions in conformation were fawn and white, high-white (those that are predominantly white), blue colored, etc. The only color that is unacceptable and has always been unacceptable for Boston Terriers is Merle.
Today there are those that are trying to preserve the future of the Colored Boston Terrier through selective breeding to traditional show stock then breeding back into colors to set type and increase genetic diversity. The ones determined to have the best breeding stock health test their bostons for Juvenile Hereditary Cataracts, BAER hearing testing, CERF eye testing, and Patellar Luxation testing in addition to other health tests if they are available.
For more information on Colored Boston Terriers, please visit the sites below:
http://www.allcoloredbostonterrierclub.com
http://c3dogs.com/boston-terrier/
http://www.internationalcaninekennelclub.com/uploads/Colored_Bostons.pdf
http://www.ucadogs.com/Breed_Info_Colored_Boston_Terrier.htm
Black and White, Brindle and Seal Classic Boston Terriers
Black and white Boston Terrier have black noses, and black/dark brown eyes. Having an even white collar, white front socks and a full white belly are desirable. Brindle is actually a pattern and not a color. Most Bostons have at least some brindling in their coats. In Seal Boston Terriers the base of the hair is black and the tips of the hairs are Mohogany/Red.
Non Standard Colors:
Fawn
Fawn Boston Terriers look like miniature boxers. The body is a shade of yellow to red with a black nose, black/dark brown eyes and black masking,
Lilac/Champagne
Lilac/Champagne Boston Terriers are red based that have a gene that dilutes the coat.
Blue
Blue Boston Terriers are black or black bridle that also possess the gene that dilutes the coat.
Splash
Splash, like brindle is a color pattern. In this pattern they coat looks a lot like a pinto horse. They can come in any color.