The Boston Terrier breed appeared around 1870, when Robert C. Hooper of Boston purchased a cross between an English Bulldog and an English White Terrier.  This dog was known as Hooper’s Judge

Judge weighed over 30 pounds (13.5 kg.).  He was bred with a smaller female, and one of the resulting male pups was bred to yet a smaller female.  Their offspring interbred with one or more French Bulldogs, and this provided the foundation for the Boston Terrier.  Bred down in size from pit-fighting dogs of the Bull and Terrier types, the Boston Terrier originally weighed up to 44 pounds (20 kg.).

The breed was first shown in Boston in 1870.  By 1889, the breed had become popular enough in Boston for supporters to form the American Bull Terrier Club, but this proposed name for the breed was not well received by Bull Terrier fans.  The breed’s nickname, “roundhead,” was similarly inappropriate.  Eventually, the breed was named the Boston Terrier, after its birthplace.

In 1893, the American Kennel Club (AKC) admitted the Boston Terrier breed and gave its club membership status, making it the first American breed to be recognized.  The Boston Terrier was also the first non-sporting dog bred in America.  It is still one of but a small number of breeds to have originated in the United States.

In the early years, the color and markings were not very important to breeders, but by the 1900s the breed’s distinctive markings and color were written into the standard, becoming an essential feature.  Terrier only in name, Boston Terriers have lost most of their ruthless desire for mayhem, preferring the company of humans, although some males will still challenge other dogs if they feel their territory is being invaded.

Boston Terriers enjoyed particular popularity during the 1920’s in America.