How much does a Boston Terrier cost?
Boston Terrier puppies are priced by their breeders, and comparing two of them means looking at the parents' health tests, the puppy's markings and what comes home with it as well as the number. Boston Terrier puppies listed on Puppy Connection right now are priced from $1,000 to $2,500.
What goes into the cost of a Boston litter?
Delivery is one part of it in this breed, and a UK study of pedigree litters reported by breed club members found that about 92 percent of Boston Terrier litters were born by caesarean section, the highest rate the study recorded. The surgery is a cost the breeder carries before any puppy is listed, so ask how the litter was born and how the mother is doing.
Health testing is another, and for Bostons used in breeding the national breed club's list is knees, eyes and hearing, meaning a patella evaluation, an ophthalmologist's eye exam and a BAER test. AKC says responsible breeders screen for eye problems such as cataracts, corneal ulcers and glaucoma, as well as deafness and patellar luxation.
Does color change what a Boston costs?
The AKC standard accepts brindle, seal or black, each with white markings, and says brindle is preferred only when all other qualities are equal. It defines seal as a color that looks black but shows a red cast in sunlight or bright light. A Boston must have a white muzzle band, a white blaze between the eyes and a white forechest, and the standard disqualifies a solid black, solid brindle or solid seal dog without those markings, along with any color it does not describe.
So a Boston listed in a color outside brindle, seal and black is outside the breed standard, and a higher price for it is for the color alone. The standard also disqualifies eyes that are blue or show any trace of blue. If a listing names a color you do not recognize from the list above, ask the breeder what it is and what colors the parents are.
What does size have to do with price?
The standard divides the breed into three weight classes, under 15 pounds, 15 to under 20, and 20 to 25, and all three are correct. A listing that charges more for a smaller or larger Boston is pricing on preference, so ask what the parents weigh as adults and judge the likely size from that.
What does registration add?
AKC registers a litter only when both parents are AKC registered and of the same breed. A puppy sold on limited registration is registered, but any litter it has later is not eligible, and only the breeder can lift that.
What comes home with the puppy?
All 11 listings here come with a vet exam, a health record and a written health guarantee, and 6 come with a microchip and 5 come with AKC registration. Each listing says what that puppy goes home with.
Check each listing for vet exams, vaccinations, a microchip and a written guarantee, and ask what the guarantee covers.
How do deposits work?
Breeders who take a deposit ask $500 to $600 to hold a puppy. Before you put down a Boston deposit, ask the breeder whether you can get it back if plans change, and what it reserves.
The FTC warns that only scammers insist on gift cards, payment apps, cryptocurrency or wire transfers, and recommends a credit card where you have one. It also says to move on from a seller who will not let you visit, video chat or talk by phone.
What should you ask a Boston Terrier breeder?
Ask for both parents' patella, eye and BAER results. Ask how the litter was born. Ask what the parents weigh, what color and markings they have, and what the puppy goes home with.
See Boston Terrier puppies
Boston Terrier puppies listed on Puppy Connection show the price each breeder has set. Open a listing to see the puppy and contact the breeder directly.