When some thirty owners of Boston Bull Terriers gathered in 1889 to form the American Bull Terrier Club, they called their dogs “Round Heads” or “Bull Terriers,” names that didn’t go over well with Bull Terrier and Bulldog fanciers. Since Bulldog owners had clout with the AKC at the time, the Boston Bull Terrier people decided to do the honorable thing and changed the name of their club to the Boston Terrier Club as homage to the birthplace of their breed.  The AKC recognized the Boston Terrier by that name by the AKC in 1893, and you can read a bit more about the name issue here.

The Boston Terrier was actually known by several other names including Boston Bulldogs, the Toy Bulldog, American Terriers, and round-headed bull terriers, but one more name was bullethead, and we’ve been coming up short in unearthing why the breed had this nickname. We’re hoping one of our readers might know?

More certain is that the first AKC registered Boston Terrier was a male named “Hector,” and the first AKC champion was a bitch named “Topsy.” We’re doing a bit more investigation into a Boston Terrier named “Heilborn’s Raffles and Ringmaster “who is credited with contributing through his offspring to the size, black color, and round expressive eyes that distinguish today’s Boston.

Image: “Flowers” by Tomoyo Pitcher is available as fine art, and in home decor and lifestyle items here.