Some of us are familiar with the American adult animated science fiction sitcom, Futurama.  In the episode, “Raging Bender” from Season 2, a character named Bender participates in a robot wrestling match and during the fight, Bender rips off his opponent’s arm and uses it to smack him around.  It’s a classic example of cartoon slapstick involving detachable limbs. But for literal detachable limbs animation, look no further than Arm-Fall-Off-Boy from DC Comics. This character has the ability to detach his own limbs and use them as blunt weapons.

If you can picture these scenarios, you have a head start in understanding the Boston Terrier build.  In this breed, the length of leg equals the length of body, and all you have to do is mentally imagine “borrowing” the dog’s leg and laying it on his back. We did it for you in the image below. The pink lines are of equal length.

Photo of Boston Terrier © F8grapher | Dreamstime

The primary reason the breed standard calls for the length of leg to balance with the length of body is to achieve the breed’s distinctive “striking square appearance,” and this is essential for correct breed type.  Too long a leg makes a Boston look leggy, if not gangly, while legs that are too short make the dog look squat or coarse. As it happens, balanced proportions also help ensure that the dog is sturdy and balanced.

With this in mind, you might not ever see a Boston Terrier again without a chuckle, but when you see perfectly square silhouette, you’ll know it’s not just cartoon logic, but the result of purposeful, balanced design.

Top image by Richard Horne