The boston terrier is believed to originate from british fighting dogs that came to Boston via british ships. Around the 1860-70's, a breeding project was started in an attempt to create a smaller and faster dog, which lead to the breed that was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1893 as 'boston terrier'.
The overall impression of the breed should be a compact and proportionate dog, with a short muzzle and tail. The head should be square-shaed with a marked stop. The muzzle short be short and square, with deep lips. The eyes should have an alert expression, the ears are erect and set as close as possible to the outer corners of the head. The neck is quite long, slightly arched and very elegant. The body is compact without being clumsy, with a deep chest and rounded topline. The tail is set low, straight or curled. The coat is short, thick and fine in texture.