The Boston Terrier Club

ITS HISTORY, THE ORDER OF ITS BUSINESS, CONSTITUTION, BY­LAWS, AND OFFICIAL STANDARD.

In 1890 a club was formed in Boston by a comparatively small body of men who were very much interested in the dog then known as the Round­Headed Bull and Terrier dog. These men were breeders and lovers of the dog, and their main object in coming together was not to have a social good time (although, happily, this generally took place), but to further the interests of the dog in every legitimate way. The dog had been shown at the New England Kennel Club show, held in Boston in April, 1888, being judged by Mr. J. P. Barnard, Jr., ofttimes styled "the father of the breed," practically two years before the formation of the Club. The year following the Club applied for admission in the American Kennel Club, and recognition for their dogs in the Stud Book. The A. K. C. stated that while perfectly willing to take the Club into its fold, they could not place the dog in the Stud Book, as he was not an established breed, and suggesting, that as the dog was not a bull terrier, and as he was then bred exclusively in Boston, the name of the "Boston Terrier Club." The year following the A. K. C., after a great deal of persuasion by the loyal and devoted members of the Club, became convinced of the merits of the breed, and formally acknowledged the same by admitting the Club to membership, and giving their dog a place in the official Stud Book.

The Boston Terrier Club is duly incorporated under the laws of Massachusetts, has a present membership of from seventy­five to a hundred, men and women who are devoted to the dog, and willing to do everything for its advancement. The annual meeting is held on the second Wednesday in December, at which a number of judges are elected, whose names are forwarded to the bench show committees of the principal shows, requesting that one of the number be elected to officiate as judge of the Boston terriers. Monthly meetings are held which are always exceedingly interesting and instructive.

The officers are elected by printed ballots sent to all members of the Club, who mark and return them. They consist of the president, vice­president, secretary, and treasurer. The executive committee consists of the officers (ex officio) and three others.

The Club gives a specialty show yearly in Boston and is the largest and greatest of one breed fixtures; the dog being, in fact, one of the largest supporters of the dog shows in the country. Cups and medals are offered at most of the bench shows for competition among the members, and at the Ladies' Kennel Association shows a cup and medal were offered, open to all exhibitors of Boston terriers.

In view of the fact that so many Boston Terrier Clubs are starting up all over the country, and even beyond, the following Order of Business, Constitution, By­Laws, and Official Standard, can safely be taken as models:

ORDER OF BUSINESS.

    1. Calling meeting to order.

    2. Roll call.

    3. Reading of minutes.

    4. Reports of officers.

    5. Reports of standing committees by seniority.

    6. Reports of special committees.

    7. Communications.

    8. Applications for membership.

    9. Election of members.

   10. Election of officers.

   11. Unfinished business.

   12. New business.

   13. Welfare of the Club.

       Under this heading is included remarks and debates intended to

       promote the interests of the Club and the Boston terrier in

       general.

   14. Adjournment.

CONSTITUTION.

 ARTICLE I.

   NAME.

     This Association shall be known as and called the Boston Terrier

     Club.

 ARTICLE II.

   OBJECT.

     The object of the Club shall be to promote and encourage the

     breeding and improvement of the Boston Terrier Dog, as defined

     by its standard.

 ARTICLE III.

   MEMBERSHIP.

     SECTION 1. Applications for membership must be accompanied by

     the membership fee and endorsed by two members, and made at

     least seven days before action by the Club, to the secretary or

     a member of the membership committee, who shall refer it to said

     committee for investigation.

     SEC. 2. Any member can resign from the Club by sending his

     resignation to the secretary in writing, and upon the acceptance

     of such, all his interest in the property of the Club ceases

     from the date of such resignation.

     SEC. 3. Any member whose dues shall remain unpaid for one month

     after the same becomes due, shall cease to be a member, and

     forfeit to the Club all claims and benefits to which he would

     have been entitled as a member, provided that the executive

     committee may consider his case, and upon sufficient cause

     shown, reinstate him to membership upon payment of his dues.

 ARTICLE IV.

   MANAGEMENT.

     SECTION 1. The officers of the Club shall consist of a

     president, vice­president, secretary, treasurer, and an

     executive committee, of which three shall constitute a quorum;

     said committee to consist of the above named officers and three

     active members chosen by the Club.

     SEC. 2. Any office vacated during the year shall be filled by

     the executive committee.

 ARTICLE V.

     SECTION 1. Nomination for officers and judges for the ensuing

     year shall be made either by mail or from the floor, at a

     meeting to be held in November, at least twenty days prior to

     the annual meeting, the call to contain the purpose of the

     meeting, after which nominations shall be closed. The secretary

     shall mail a ballot containing all regular nominations to each

     member in time to be voted at the annual meeting.

     SEC. 2. The officers of the Club shall be chosen by ballot at

     the annual meeting and shall hold their respective offices for

     one year or until their respective successors are elected.

     SEC. 3. Mail voting shall be allowed on amendments to the

     Constitution, By­Laws, Standard and Scale of Points.

     SEC. 4. Each member shall have the right to vote on the election

     of officers and judges by mailing the official ballot duly

     marked and sealed to the secretary, and enclosed in an envelope,

     which envelope shall also contain the name of the member so

     voting.

 ARTICLE VI.

   MEETINGS.

     SECTION 1. There shall be meetings of the Club, at which seven

     members present and voting shall constitute a quorum, held at

     Boston, Mass., at such time and place as the president may

     direct, but the annual meeting shall be held on the second

     Wednesday in December of each year.

   SPECIAL MEETINGS.

     SEC. 2. A special meeting of the Club shall be called by the

     president on the written application of five members in good

     standing.

BY­LAWS.

 ARTICLE I.

   DUTIES OF OFFICERS.

     SECTION 1. President.­­The president shall discharge the usual

     duties of his office, preside at all meetings of the Club and of

     the executive committee, call special meetings of the Club, or

     of the executive committee, and enforce the provisions of the

     Constitution and By­Laws of the Club. He may vote on amendments

     to the Constitution or alteration of the By­Laws and Standard or

     Scale of Points, on the expulsion or suspension of a member, and

     on election of officers and judges. But on all other matters he

     shall vote only in case of tie and then give the deciding vote.

     SEC. 2. Vice­President.­­The vice­president shall discharge all

     the duties of the president in the latter's absence.

     SEC. 3. Secretary.­­The secretary shall have charge of all

     official correspondence, keep copies of all letters sent by him,

     and file such as he may receive, and correspond at the request

     of the president or executive committee on all matters

     appertaining to the object of the Club. He shall keep a roll of

     the members of the Club with their addresses.

     He shall be exempt from payment of annual dues.

     SEC. 4. Treasurer.­­The treasurer shall collect and receive all

     moneys due the Club and keep a correct account of the same. He

     shall pay all orders drawn on him by the executive committee out

     of the funds of the Club, when countersigned by the president,

     and present a report of the condition of affairs in his

     department at the request of the executive committee or

     president, and at the annual meeting. The treasurer shall

     furnish a bond satisfactory to the executive committee.

     SEC. 5. Committees.­­The executive committee shall make all

     purchases ordered by the Club, audit the accounts of the

     treasurer and report the same at the annual election in

     December, and transact all business not otherwise provided for.

     It shall have the power to appoint sub­committees for any

     special purpose, and to delegate to each sub­committee the

     powers and functions of the committee relating thereto.

     The president shall be the chairman of the executive committee.

     SEC. 6. Sub­Committees.­­The standing sub­committees shall be a

     membership committee of five and a pedigree committee of three.

     The membership committee shall investigate the standing of all

     applicants, and report to the Club for action those names it

     considers as desirable members.

     The pedigree committee shall investigate the pedigrees of those

     dogs offered for registration in the Boston Terrier Stud Book.

     The chairman of the pedigree committee shall have the custody of

     the Club stud book, and shall enter in the same the

     registrations allowed by the B. T. C.

 ARTICLE II.

   DISCIPLINE.

     The executive committee shall have the power to discipline by

     suspension a member found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the

     best interests of the Club. All charges against a member must be

     made in writing and filed with the executive committee, and no

     member shall be suspended without an opportunity to be heard in

     his own defense. When the expulsion of a member is considered

     advisable, the report of the committee shall be presented to the

     Club, whose action shall be final.

 ARTICLE III.

   DUES.

     SECTION 1. The entrance fee shall be five dollars, which must

     accompany the application for membership.

     SEC. 2. The annual dues shall be ten dollars, payable upon

     notice of election and at each annual meeting thereafter.

 ARTICLE IV.

   JUDGES.

     SECTION 1. There shall be elected by ballot each year at the

     annual meeting a corps of not more than fifteen judges, a list

     of whose names shall be sent to bench show committees with a

     request that the judge of Boston terriers at their approaching

     shows be selected from said list.

     SEC. 2. The Club judges may exhibit, but shall not compete at or

     be interested directly or indirectly in the show at which they

     officiate.

 ARTICLE V.

   AMENDMENTS.

     This Constitution and these By­Laws, and the Standard and Scale

     of Points may be amended or altered by a two­thirds vote at any

     regular meeting or special meeting called for that purpose.

     Notice of proposed change having been given to all members at

     least ten days previous to said meeting.

THE REVISED BOSTON TERRIER STANDARD

The present Boston terrier standard was adopted by the Boston Terrier Club on October 7, 1914, as a result of a revision recommended by a committee appointed by the Boston Terrier Club.

It was felt, in view of the fact that the dog had become established all over the continent among breeders and fanciers not as familiar with the ideal of the breed as were the original breeders and friends of the dog around Boston, that a more explicit, definite standard, one that could be more easily understood by the great body of the dog's admirers of today, should be adopted.

It will be readily observed by a comparison of the old standard, which has practically been in existence since the formation of the club in 1891, that no vital point has been really changed.

     REVISED STANDARD                     OLD STANDARD.

 Point Values                    Scale of Points.

 10  GENERAL APPEARANCE: The     10  GENERAL APPEARANCE AND

     general appearance of           STYLE: The general

     the Boston terrier              appearance of the Boston

     should be that of a             Terrier is that of a

     lively, highly                  smooth, short­coated,

     intelligent, smooth             compactly­built dog of

     coated, short headed,           medium station. The head

     compactly built, short          should indicate a high

     tailed, well balanced           degree of intelligence and

     dog of medium station,          should be in proportion to

     of brindle color and            the dog's size; the body

     evenly marked with              rather short and

     white. The head should          well­knit, the limbs

     indicate a high degree          strong and finely turned,

     of intelligence and             no feature being so

     should be in proportion         prominent that the dog

     to the size of the dog;         appears badly

     the body rather short           proportioned. The dog

     and well knit, the limbs        conveys an impression of

     strong and neatly               determination, strength

     turned; tail short and          and activity. Style of a

     no feature being so             high order, and carriage

     prominent that the dog          easy and graceful.

     appears badly

     proportioned. The dog

     should convey an

     impression of

     determination, strength

     and activity, with style

     of a high order;

     carriage easy and

     graceful. A

     proportionate

     combination of "Color"

     and "Ideal Markings" is

     a particularly

     distinctive feature of a

     representative specimen,

     and dogs with a

     preponderance of white

     on body, or without the

     proper proportion of

     brindle and white on

     head, should possess

     sufficient merit

     otherwise to counteract

     their deficiencies in

     these respects.

     The ideal "Boston

     Terrier Expression" as

     indicating "a high

     degree of intelligence,"

     is also an important

     characteristic of the

     breed.

     "Color and Markings" and

     "Expression" should be

     given particular

     consideration in

     determining the relative

     value of "General

     Appearance" to other

     points.

 12  SKULL: Square, flat on      12  SKULL: Broad and flat,

     top, free from wrinkles;        without prominent cheeks,

     cheeks flat; brow abrupt,       and forehead free from

     stop well defined.              wrinkles.

                                  2  STOP: Well defined, but

                                     indenture not too deep.

  5  EYES: Wide apart, large      5  EYES: Wide apart, large and

     and round, dark in              round, neither sunken nor too

     color, expression alert,        prominent, and in color dark

     but kind and                    and soft. The outside corner

     intelligent; the eyes           should be on a line with the

     should set square across        cheeks as viewed from the

     brow and the outside            front.

     corners should be on a

     line with the cheeks as

     viewed from the front.

 12  MUZZLE: Short, square,      12  MUZZLE: Short, square,

     wide and deep; free from        wide and deep, without

     wrinkles; shorter in            wrinkles. Nose black and

     length than in width and        wide, with a well defined

     depth, and in proportion        straight line between

     to skull; width and             nostrils. The jaws broad

     depth carried out well          and square, with short,

     to end. Nose black and          regular teeth. The chops

     wide, with well defined         wide and deep, not

     line between nostrils.          pendulous, completely

     The jaws broad and              covering the teeth when

     square, with short              mouth is closed.

     regular teeth. The chops

     of good depth, but not

     pendulous, completely

     covering the teeth when

     mouth is closed. The

     muzzle should not exceed

     in approximate length

     one­third of length of

     skull.

  2  EARS: Small and thin,        2  EARS: Small and thin,

     situated as near corners        situated as near corners

     of skull as possible.           of skull as possible.

     HEAD FAULTS: Skull

     "domed" or inclined;

     furrowed by a medial

     line; skull too long for

     breadth, or vice versa;

     stop too shallow; brow

     and skull too slanting.

     Eyes small or sunken;

     too prominent; light

     color; showing too much

     white or haw. Muzzle

     wedge shaped or lacking

     depth; down faced; too

     much cut out below the

     eyes; pinched nostrils;

     protruding teeth; weak

     lower jaw; showing "turn

     up." Poorly carried ears

     or out of proportion.

  3  NECK: Of fair length,        5  NECK: Of fair length,

     slightly arched and             without throatiness and

     carrying the head               slightly arched.

     gracefully;  setting

     neatly into shoulders.

     NECK FAULTS: Ewe­necked;

     throatiness; short and

     thick.

 15  BODY: Deep with good        15  BODY: Deep and broad of

     width of chest;                 chest, well ribbed up.

     shoulders sloping; back         Back short, not roached.

     short; ribs deep and            Loins and quarters strong.

     well sprung, carried

     well back of loins;

     loins short and

     muscular; rump curving

     slightly to set­on of

     tail. Flank slightly cut

     up. The body should

     appear short, but not

     chunky.

     BODY FAULTS: Flat sides;

     narrow chest; long or

     slack loins; roach back;

     sway back; too much cut

     up in flank.

  4  ELBOWS: Standing             2  ELBOWS: Standing neither

     neither in nor out.             in nor out.

  5  FORELEGS: Set moderately     4  FORELEGS:  Wide  apart,

     wide apart and on a line        straight and well

     with the points of the          muscled.

     shoulders; straight in

     bone and well muscled;

     pasterns short and

     strong.

  5  HINDLEGS: Set true; bent     4  HINDLEGS: Straight,

     at stifles; short from          quite long from stifle

     hocks to feet; hocks            to hock (which should

     turning neither in nor          turn neither in nor

     out; thighs strong and          out), short and straight

     well muscled.                   from hock to pasterns.

                                     Thighs well muscled.

                                     Hocks not too prominent.

  5  FEET: Round, small and       2  FEET: Small, nearly

     compact, and turned             round, and turned

     neither in nor out; toes        neither in nor out. Toes

     well arched.                    compact and arched.

     LEG AND FEET FAULTS:

     Loose shoulders or

     elbows; hind legs too

     straight at stifles;

     hocks too prominent;

     long or weak pasterns;

     splay feet.

  5  TAIL: Set­on low; short,    10  TAIL: Set­on low, short,

     fine and tapering;              fine and tapering,

     straight or screw;              devoid of fringe or

     devoid of fringe or             coarse hair, and not

     coarse hair, and not            carried above the

     carried above                   horizontal.

     horizontal.

     TAIL FAULTS: A long or

     gaily carried tail;

     extremely gnarled or

     curled against body.

     (Note: The preferred

     tail should not exceed

     in length approximately

     half the distance from

     set­on to hock.)

  4  COLOR: Brindle  with         8  COLOR: Any color,

     white markings.                 brindle, evenly marked

                                     with  white, strongly

                                     preferred.

 10  IDEAL MARKINGS: White        4  MARKINGS:  White

     muzzle, even white blaze        muzzle, blaze on face,

     over head, collar,              collar, chest and feet.

     breast, part or whole of

     forelegs and hindlegs

     below hocks.

     COLOR AND MARKINGS

     FAULTS: All white;

     absence of white

     markings; preponderance

     of white on body;

     without the proper

     proportion of brindle

     and white on head; or

     any variations

     detracting from the

     general appearance.

  3  COAT: Short, smooth,         3  COAT: Fine in texture,

     bright and fine in              short, bright and not

     texture.                        too hard.

     COAT FAULTS: Long or

     coarse; lacking lustre.

­­­                             ­­­

100                             100

     WEIGHTS: Not exceeding          WEIGHT: Lightweight class,

     27 pounds, divided as           12 and not to exceed 17

     follows:                        pounds; middleweight

     Lightweight: Under 17           class, 17 and not to

     pounds.                         exceed 22 pounds;

     Middleweight: 17 and not        heavyweight class, 22 and

     exceeding 22 pounds.            not to exceed 28 pounds.

     Heavyweight: 22 and not

     exceeding 27 pounds.

     DISQUALIFICATIONS:              DISQUALIFICATIONS: Docked

     Solid black, black and          tail and any artificial

     tan, liver and mouse            means used to deceive the

     colors. Docked tail and         judge.

     any artificial means

     used to deceive the

     judge.

[Illustration: J. P. Barnard

The Father of the Boston Terrier]

[Illustration: Champion Sonnie Punch]

[Illustration: Rockydale Junior]

AN EARLY STANDARD

The following standard adopted when the dog was known as the Round­Headed Bull and Terrier Dog, will be of interest here.

   Skull­­Large, broad and flat.

   Stop­­Well defined.

   Ears­­Preferably cut, if left on should be small and thin,

   situated as near corners of skull as possible; rose ears

   preferable.

   Eyes­­Wide apart, large, round, dark and soft and not "goggle"

   eyed.

   Muzzle­­Short, round and deep, without wrinkles, nose should be

   black and wide.

   Mouth­­Preferably even, teeth should be covered when mouth is

   closed.

   Neck­­Thick, clean and strong.

   Body­­Deep at chest and well ribbed up, making a short backed,

   cobby built dog; loins and buttocks strong.

   Legs­­Straight and well muscled.

   Feet­­Strong, small and moderately round.

   Tail­­Short and fine, straight or screw, carried low.

   Color­­Any color, except black, mouse or liver; brindle and white,

   brindle or whole white are the colors most preferred.

   Coat­­Short, fine, bright and hard.

   Symmetry­­Of a high order.

   Disqualifications­­Hair lip, docked tail and any artificial means

   used to deceive the judge.

   Weight­­It was voted to divide the different weights into three

   classes, as follows: 15 pounds and under, 25 pounds and under, 36

   pounds and under.

       Scale of points:

       Skull               15

       Muzzle              15

       Nose                 5

       Eyes                 5

       Ears                 5

       Neck                 5

       Body                10

       Legs and Feet       10

       Tail                10

       Color and Coat      10

       Symmetry            10

                          ­­­

       Total              100