How big do Boston Terriers get?
A Boston Terrier weighs up to 25 pounds under the AKC breed standard, which splits the breed into three weight classes, and AKC lists it at 10 to 12 inches tall and 12 to 25 pounds. Where breeders have given the parents' adult weights, the mothers weigh 21 pounds and the fathers weigh 21 pounds.
A big Boston, then, is one in the top weight class, and the parents tell you which class a puppy is likely to reach.
What are the Boston Terrier's weight classes?
The AKC standard divides the breed by weight into three classes, which are under 15 pounds, 15 pounds and under 20 pounds, and 20 pounds and not to exceed 25 pounds, and a dog in any of the three is a correct Boston Terrier. The standard asks that the length of leg balance the length of body to give the breed its square look, and that the dog be sturdy without looking either spindly or coarse, at whatever weight it lands.
What counts as a big Boston Terrier?
Under the standard, the largest correct Boston sits in the 20 to 25 pound class. A Boston that grows past 25 pounds is over the standard's top weight, though it is still a Boston Terrier. If a listing describes a big Boston or a large line, ask what the parents weigh as adults, since that is the clearest way to see where the litter is likely to fall among the three classes.
How can you estimate a Boston puppy's adult size?
Ask the breeder for both parents' adult weights and whether either is still maturing. Parents in the under 15 pound class point to a smaller puppy, and parents in the 20 to 25 pound class to a larger one. When the parents sit in different classes, expect the puppies to vary and to land somewhere between them. If the same pair has had a litter before, ask what those dogs weigh now.
When does a Boston Terrier stop growing?
VCA Animal Hospitals says small-breed dogs usually reach their adult size between 6 and 12 months of age, so plan on a Boston being close to adult size within its first year, and your vet can track the puppy's weight and body condition at each visit.
What health checks matter for a Boston?
AKC says a Boston's prominent eyes deserve a daily look for redness or irritation, and lists deafness and slipping kneecaps along with eye problems among the things breeders screen for. Like all flat-faced breeds, Bostons can have difficulty breathing without shelter from heat or humidity. Ask whether both parents have had the national breed club's three recommended exams, which check the knees, the eyes and hearing.
In a UK study of pedigree litters, the Boston Terrier had the highest caesarean rate of any breed in the study, at about 92 percent, so ask the breeder how the litter was delivered.
Does color change a Boston's size?
Brindle, seal and black are all allowed so long as the dog has its white markings, and the standard gives every color the same three weight classes, so a puppy's parents remain the guide to how big it will get.
See Boston Terrier puppies
Each Boston Terrier on Puppy Connection is listed by the breeder who raised it. Pick a puppy to see its litter, then write to the breeder about which weight class the parents fall in.