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Animal register · DogIn the app

Boston Terrier

Boston, American Gentleman

The Boston Terrier comes from the United States. The FCI standard describes a lively, highly intelligent, smooth-coated, short-headed, compactly built, short-tailed and well-balanced dog, brindle, seal or black and evenly marked with white: a white muzzle band, a white blaze between the eyes and a white forechest are required, and brindle is preferred. PetPrep draws it in brindle and white, with a moderate muzzle, open nostrils and natural ears and tail.

It is a flat-faced (brachycephalic) breed, and the PDSA warns that it should never be exercised in the heat of the day because it is prone to overheating. The Royal Kennel Club recommends up to an hour of exercise a day and grooming once a week, suits it to a flat or apartment and gives its lifespan as over 10 years. The PDSA calls Boston Terriers perfect family pets that are especially good with children when well socialised as puppies; the AKC says they do well with children who know how to be gentle with animals, do not fare well when left alone for long periods, and strongly recommends early socialisation and puppy training.

Available in the 12-week PetPrep Challenge (paid breed).

Updated:

Boston Terrier — photo (AI)
AI-generated photo

At a glance

Size
small — The Royal Kennel Club S255
Adult weight
males 7–11 kg, females 7–11 kg — PDSA S259
Daily exercise
up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S255
Brushing
once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S255
Lifespan
more than 10 years — The Royal Kennel Club S255

Key facts from the sources at the bottom of the page. Where sources differ, each value is listed.

Who it suits

Good for:

Keep in mind:

  • flat face — breathing and heat problemsS93S255S259S261
  • loves company — best with someone home most of the dayS260

The same tags as in the app. Each tag is backed by the sources listed at the bottom of the page.

What it needs

From breed standards, kennel clubs, veterinary charities and studies. Where sources differ, each one is shown.

Exercise

  • Daily exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S255

Coat and grooming

  • Coat: short — The Royal Kennel Club S255
  • Brushing: once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S255

Meals

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • 8–12 weeks: 4 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 3–6 months: 3 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 6–12 months: 2 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • Adult: at least 2 meals a day — VCA Animal Hospitals S19
  • Senior: 2–3 meals a day, smaller portions — Dogs Trust S14

Lifespan

  • Lifespan: more than 10 years — The Royal Kennel Club S255

Life stages

  • Reaches adult size at: about 9–12 months (guidance for its size class) — PetMD S10

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • Puppy: until about 6–9 months — AAHA S11
  • Young adult: until 3–4 years — AAHA S11
  • Senior: the last 25 % of the expected lifespan — AAHA S11

Size and weight

  • Size: small — The Royal Kennel Club S255
  • Height at the withers: 38–43 cm — PDSA S259
  • Adult weight: males 7–11 kg, females 7–11 kg — PDSA S259

Training

  • No. 54 in Stanley Coren's ranking of working and obedience intelligence. — Wikipedia S35
  • FCI standard no. 140, group 9 (companion and toy dogs); origin: USA. — FCI S254

Questions and answers

Answered only from the sourced facts on this page; every answer names its sources.

How much exercise does a Boston Terrier need?

According to our sources, the Boston Terrier needs this much exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S255.

How long does a Boston Terrier live?

According to our sources, the lifespan of the Boston Terrier is: more than 10 years — The Royal Kennel Club S255.

How big does a Boston Terrier get and how much does it weigh?

Size and adult weight of the Boston Terrier, according to our sources: Size: small — The Royal Kennel Club S255; Adult weight: males 7–11 kg, females 7–11 kg — PDSA S259.

How much grooming does a Boston Terrier need?

Coat and grooming of the Boston Terrier, according to our sources: Brushing: once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S255; Coat: short — The Royal Kennel Club S255.

Who is the Boston Terrier a good fit for?

Our sources describe the Boston Terrier as a good fit for: apartment living — The Royal Kennel Club S255; family life — PDSA S259; families with children — PDSA, American Kennel Club S259S260. Keep in mind: flat face — breathing and heat problems — UK Brachycephalic Working Group, The Royal Kennel Club, PDSA S93S255S259S261; loves company — best with someone home most of the day — American Kennel Club S260.

Game rules, not veterinary advice

How PetPrep simulates it

In PetPrep one real week is one month of the pet's life. These are the rules the game uses for this breed. PetPrep chose them from the sources on this page; they are not care instructions for a real animal.

Life stageStartsMeals a dayDaily step goal
Puppyarrives at 2 months4; from month 3: 3; from month 6: 21,000 steps per month of age (2,000 on arrival), up to 6,000 from month 6
Young dogmonth 926,000 steps
Adultmonth 36 (3 years)26,000 steps
Seniormonth 90 (7.5 years)24,500 steps
  • Step goal = minutes of daily exercise × 100 steps: an adult gets 1 hour, so 6,000 steps a day.
  • Learns commands as fast as the mixed breed of the free plan.
  • Becomes a senior in month 90 (7.5 years) — the last quarter of the breed's expected lifespan.
  • Walks count real steps from Apple Health or Health Connect (with permission, read-only) and the phone's motion sensor — no GPS.
  • Combing once a week.
  • In summer (June–August; December–February in the southern hemisphere) the child and walk screens show a calm reminder between 11:00 and 16:00 family time: no walks in the heat. No weather data, no penalty — steps still count.

Each game number is a PetPrep decision recorded with its sources. — PetMD, AAHA, Dogs Trust, ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, The Royal Kennel Club, Purdue University Canine Welfare Science, Wikipedia, British Journal of Sports Medicine, PDSA S10S11S14S18S19S21S24S35S45S255S259

Health

For information only, not vet-reviewed. Ask your vet about your own animal.

  • Flat-faced (brachycephalic) breed: the short muzzle, narrow nostrils and extra soft tissue in the airway can make breathing harder (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, BOAS). — PDSA S259
  • Overheats quickly and is more vulnerable to heatstroke than most dogs, especially in warm weather. — PDSA S259
  • Prominent eyes are more easily injured and can develop ulcers and dryness; dry eye and cherry eye also occur in the breed. — The Royal Kennel Club S255

Before you buy: what to check with the breeder

Questions to settle before you take a puppy home. The points are advice from vets, welfare charities and kennel clubs; each cites its source.

For every breed

  • See the puppy with its mother, where it was born. — PDSA, RSPCA K1K2
  • The puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks of age. — PDSA K1
  • Ask for the pedigree. Under FCI rules a pedigree may be issued for correct parentage only. — FCI K7
  • Ask to see the health-test results of both parents. Which tests matter depends on the breed. — PDSA, British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K1K9K10
  • National kennel clubs can set breeding rules that go beyond the FCI's — ask the breed club which tests the parents need. — FCI K7
  • Ask for a written sale contract that records the puppy's background and health. — British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K9K10

Laws on the minimum age, microchipping and vaccination differ by country — check the rules where you live.

Health tests of the parents for this breed

We have not yet found a reliable source that lists health tests for the parents of this breed. Ask the breed club and the breeder which tests the parents have done.

Similar breeds

Other dogs in the register with similar needs — each with sourced facts.

Sources

Every fact on this page cites one of these sources.

  1. S10PetMD — S. C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP, 2025-05-20 — When Do Dogs Stop Growing?https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/when-do-dogs-stop-growing
  2. S11AAHA — 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines — Canine life stage definitionshttps://www.aaha.org/resources/life-stage-canine-2019/canine-life-stage-definitions/
  3. S14Dogs Trust (UK) — Caring for an older doghttps://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/at-home/looking-after-an-older-dog
  4. S18ASPCA — General Dog Carehttps://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
  5. S19VCA Animal Hospitals (2025-02-21) — Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Doghttps://vcahospitals.com/pets-first/know-your-pet/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-your-dog
  6. S21The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Puppy feeding tipshttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/health-and-dog-care/health-dog-care/health/health-and-care/a-z-of-health-and-care-issues/puppy-feeding-tips
  7. S24Purdue University Canine Welfare Science (content: Pet Leadership Council 2019, bedogsmart.com) — Dog Fitness and Exercise (PDF)https://caninewelfare.centers.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dog-Fitness-and-Exercise.pdf
  8. S35Wikipedia — The Intelligence of Dogshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs
  9. S45British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) — Tudor-Locke C. et al. How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097628https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6029645
  10. S93UK Brachycephalic Working Group — UK BWG home pagehttps://www.ukbwg.org.uk/
  11. S254FCI — FCI-Standard N° 140 — Boston Terrier (EN PDF, valid standard 28.01.2013)https://fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/140g09-en.pdf
  12. S255The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Boston Terrier — breed information page (Breeds A to Z, current address)https://thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/utility/boston-terrier
  13. S259PDSA — Boston Terrier breed informationhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/small-dogs/boston-terrier
  14. S260American Kennel Club — M. Erickson (published 2026-01-23) — Is the Boston Terrier a Good Fit for You?https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/boston-terrier-right-for-you/
  15. S261The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — news (University of Cambridge BOAS Research Group) — New research explores respiratory health of Boston Terriershttps://thekennelclub.org.uk/media-centre/2025/january/new-research-explores-respiratory-health-of-boston-terriers
  16. K1PDSA — Getting a puppyhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/getting-a-puppy
  17. K2RSPCA — Buying a puppyhttps://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy
  18. K7FCI (copy hosted by Norsk Kennel Klub) — International Breeding Rules of the FCIhttps://nkk2023.stage22.coretrek.no/getfile.php/131987377-1520848467/Dokumenter/Registrering/FCIs%20avlsregler%202013.pdf
  19. K9British Veterinary Association — What should you consider when buying a puppy?https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/what-should-you-consider-when-buying-a-puppy/
  20. K10FOUR PAWS UK — Questions to ask when buying a puppyhttps://www.four-paws.org.uk/our-stories/publications-guides/questions-to-ask-when-buying-a-puppy

PetPrep is a simulation for families. This page is not veterinary advice — for a real animal, ask a vet or the breed club.

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