Averaging only 16 inches in height, the Boston Terrier may be small in stature, but the breed holds a large place in the heart of anyone fortunate enough to be a pet parent to dogs nicknamed “the American Gentleman.” The Boston Terrier is so popular that these cute canines have their very own pet holiday. National Boston Terrier Day takes place on February 19!
In celebration of National Boston Terrier Day, we’ve fetched a few facts:
Boston Terrier Trivia
- Named after the city of their origin, if you are looking for an American breed, you need look no further than the Boston Terrier!
- As a pup who’s done Beantown proud, the Boston Terrier was dubbed the state dog of Massachusetts in 1979.
- A Boston Terrier named Bruschi holds the Guinness Book of World Records title of “dog with the largest eyes.” Each of the pooch’s peepers measures 28mm in diameter.
- Since 1922, a Boston Terrier has been an unofficial mascot for Boston University. Following in the footsteps (or rather, pawprints) of Kappa, Danny, Danny II, Gulliver, Fumbles, Terrier III and several dogs dubbed Rhett, R2 took on the role in the summer of 2020.
- Slowly rising in the ranks on the American Kennel Club’s annual list of most popular dog breeds, in 2020 the Boston Terrier came close to cracking the top 20, landing at number 21.
Boston Terriers in Movies
- The Back Up Plan — A trio of talented tailwaggers named Nubbin, Nip and Tuck portrayed Jennifer Lopez’s specially-abled dog in this romantic comedy. Tying in to the silver screen tale of a single woman who runs a humane pet store that finds forever homes for dogs in need, CBS Films and The American Humane Society celebrated the movie’s release with a nationwide pet adoption event.
- Hotel for Dogs — Nip, Tuck and Nubbin once again showed off their skills on the silver screen, portraying Georgia in this 2009 family comedy.
- Feast — This animated tale of a stray Boston pup won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film at the 87th annual Academy Awards!
- Hector and The Search for Happiness — Luna the Boston Terrier, who showed off her acting chops alongside British stars Simon Pegg and Rosamund Pike in this 2014 dramedy, had the chance to meet an American canine icon when she helped to raise funds with Lassie at a Best Friends Animal Society Strut Your Mutt event.
- Valentine’s Day — Audiences fell in love with the Boston Terrier who portrayed Pushkin in this star-studded 2010 Gary Marshall-directed romantic comedy.
Boston Terriers in Comic Strips
- Zack Hill — Drawing attention to the cuteness of Boston Terriers, Cagney is the barking buddy of a 10-year-old boy who lives with his mother in a boarding house populated with quirky characters in the comic strip Zack Hill.
Famous Pet Parents of Boston Terriers
- Louis Armstrong — Satchmo’s pal with paws was named General.
- Gerald Ford — Although he would go on to live in The White House with a Golden Retriever named Liberty, when the 38th President of the United States was a boy his childhood home included two Boston Terriers: Fleck and Spot.
- Warren G. Harding — Before he became the 29th President of the United States, Harding held the title of proud pet parent to a Boston Terrier named Hub.
- Famke Janssen — Licorice joined the star of The X-Men for an ad reminding animal lovers to have their four-legged friends spayed or neutered.
- Helen Keller — In an essay she titled ‘Three Days To See,’ Helen Keller wrote her wish: “I should like to look into the loyal, trusting eyes of my dogs…whose warm, tender and playful friendships are so comforting to me.” One of Keller’s faithful four-legged friends was Phiz who, according to the American Kennel Club, was “an early specimen of today’s Boston Terrier.”
- Yasmin Le Bon — Boston Terrier Cecil struck a pose for a paws cause when he joined his human–model, fashion designer and wife of Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon– and his fur siblings in front of the camera for a photo which appeared in The Company of Dogs exhibition, which raised funds for the largest dog welfare charity in the United Kingdom, Dogs Trust.
- Denise Richards — Actress/animal advocate Denise Richards has cast a number of rescue dogs in the coveted role of her real life fur baby, among them a Boston Terrier named Nana. Nana found her famous mother thanks to the Southern California Boston Terrier rescue, Boston Buddies.
- Christy Turlington — Known for slinking down the catwalk in couture creations, during quarantine supermodel Christy Turlington focused on her own skills with a needle and thread, creating needlepoint pillows featuring the faces of her Boston Terriers!
