Boston Terriers have a lot of personality. They are intelligent, alert, well-mannered, and gentle. Some, however, can be a little willful. Perhaps their willfulness comes from the fact that Boston Terriers were originally bred for fighting. That is why if you want a Boston Terrier for a pet, it is always an excellent idea to get one while they are still young.

Boston Terrier rescue centers are good organizations in which to volunteer. They look for abandoned Boston Terrier dogs and try to find them proper homes to live out the rest of their lives. Very rarely will you find a Boston Terrier puppy to adopt in one of these organizations unless you are lucky enough to find a rescue center that has discovered a puppy mill. Usually these puppies will adopt out very quickly.

Although not colored red, white and blue, Boston Terriers are the all-American dog. They were developed in the city of Boston, as their name suggests, and then spread out across the nation and the world. They are very much like the American owners who developed them. The Boston Terrier was not in America when the colonists arrived. They were developed from dogs brought over and imported from Europe.

The history of the Boston Terrier parallels the history of the new Americans descended from European colonists. In the 1800's, new America was trying to find their own identity not only in their place in the world, but in their own homes. They wanted to take the best of the European dogs they were familiar with, but change it a bit to make the dog breed more American like they were. They wanted a companion in the home.

Should you buy a Boston Terrier from a pet shop? This decision is entirely up to you. But you have to consider a host of things before taking the plunge. Most pet shops do background checks on a Boston Terrier Breeder before they actually accept a puppy for display. Unfortunately there some unscrupulous people who really do not care about the puppies and their customers, all they want is a quick buck.

Although the breed standard for the Boston Terrier is pretty strict on what they should look like, they are also strict on what the breed should act like. This attention to temperament has sadly been lacking in some other breed standards like the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Even pet quality Boston Terriers who would be laughed out of a show ring will not be offended, as they will be happy for the chance to make anyone smile.