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60 free Boston Terrier trivia questions with answers — nature quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
This Boston Terrier trivia quiz covers America's own gentleman from the 1870 purchase of Hooper's Judge onward: the bull and terrier lineage, Gyp of Southboro, the 44-pound Old Boston Bulldogs, the 1891 club and 1893 AKC recognition into the non-sporting group. Questions run through the standard (25-pound limit, three weight classes, seal versus black, required and desired white markings, the two-inch tail and those famous eyes) and the temperament that suits apartment life. Health gets an honest look: brachycephaly, caesarean rates, roaching, cataracts and the surprisingly low hip dysplasia figure. Then the famous Bostons: Sergeant Stubby's 17 battles, gas mask, captured spy and Smithsonian afterlife; Rhett of Boston University and the drowned mascot Danny; Blitz of Wofford; Bruschi's Guinness eyes; and Lennu, Finland's viral first dog. Questions run from easy to expert with the difficulty shown on each one, and every answer was checked against a reference page and carries its citation. If you enjoy it, try our Dogs and Boston quizzes next.
30 of 60 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01The Boston Terrier is one of a small number of breeds to originate in which country?
The USA
The American Kennel Club accepted it in 1893, two years after the Boston Terrier Club was formed.
Q 02The AKC accepted the Boston Terrier in 1893 under which classification?
Non-sporting group
Despite the name, it is not shown among the terriers.
Q 03The breed traces to a dog bought around 1870 by Robert C. Hooper of Boston. What was the dog called?
Judge
The AKC cites 'Hooper's Judge' as the ancestor of nearly all true modern Boston Terriers.
Q 04Hooper's Judge, the breed's founding sire, was of what type of lineage?
Bull and terrier
The same crossbred fighting stock gave rise to the Bull Terrier and the Staffordshire breeds.
Q 05About how much did Hooper's Judge weigh?
32 pounds
That is well above today's 25-pound limit; the breed was steadily bred down in size.
Q 06Judge was bred to a white bulldog-type female owned by Edward Burnett of Southboro. What was she called?
Gyp
Also recorded as Kate, she weighed about 20 pounds and had the blocky head still seen in Bostons.
Q 07The Old Boston Bulldogs, direct ancestors of the breed, originally weighed up to how much?
44 pounds
They were bred down from fighting dogs of bull and terrier type.
Q 08In which year was the Boston Terrier Club formed?
1891
The club was admitted to AKC membership two years later.
Q 09Which US state made the Boston Terrier its official state dog in 1979?
Massachusetts
It is one of the few state dogs actually indigenous to its state, alongside the Alaskan Malamute.
Q 10Rhett, a costumed terrier mascot whose breed was picked by student vote in 1922, represents which school?
Boston University
Students chose the breed in a vote in November 1922.
Q 11BU's costumed mascot Rhett is named after Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind. Why?
Because the school colour is scarlet
Rhett loved Scarlett O'Hara, and BU's primary colour is scarlet; the costume debuted at a football game in 1983.
Q 12In the 1922 student vote that made the Boston Terrier BU's mascot, which two animals did it beat?
A bull moose and an elephant
The breed was first bred in the US in 1869, the same year the school was chartered.
Q 13What happened to Danny, the BU mascot dog bought by students in 1933?
Q 21The Boston Terrier's most distinguishing facial feature is described as what?
Large, prominent, wide-set eyes
The round eyes sit squarely in the skull, and a Boston named Bruschi holds the Guinness record for the largest eyes on a dog.
Q 22How large were the eyes of Bruschi, the Boston Terrier with the Guinness record for largest eyes?
1.1 inches across
Owner Victoria Reed submitted the photo in 2012 on her vet's advice.
Q 23Why are Boston Terriers considered excellent dogs for apartment dwellers?
They bark only when necessary
He drowned in the Charles River
Danny II was bought in 1935 and promptly ran away; later mascots included Gulliver, Fumbles and Touchdown.
Q 14Under international breed standards, a Boston Terrier should weigh no more than what?
25 pounds
The AKC divides the breed into three classes: under 15, 15 to 20 and 20 to 25 pounds.
Q 15How many weight classes does the American Kennel Club divide Boston Terriers into?
Three
The lightest class is under 15 pounds and the heaviest 20 to 25 pounds.
Q 16How tall does a Boston Terrier usually stand at the withers?
15 to 17 inches
It is a compact, square-headed dog with a broad chest and short tail.
Q 17Besides black and brindle, which colour is accepted with white markings in the Boston Terrier standard?
Seal
Seal looks black but shows a red cast in the light; solid colours are not accepted at all.
Q 18Which three markings are 'required' by the AKC on a Boston Terrier?
White chest, muzzle band and band between the eyes
'Desired' markings add a white collar, white forelegs and white up to the hocks on the hind legs.
Q 19Because its markings resemble formal wear, the Boston Terrier is nicknamed what?
The American Gentleman
The refined, pleasant personality is the other half of the nickname.
Q 20A Boston Terrier's tail generally does not exceed what length?
2 inches
The short tail is genetic, not docked, and may be straight, curled or corkscrew.
Both sexes are generally quiet, and they get on with children, the elderly and other pets when socialised.
Q 24A 2024 UK study found what life expectancy for the Boston Terrier?
11.8 years
That is a little below the purebred average of 12.7 years.
Q 25The Boston Terrier's pushed-in face makes it what kind of breed?
Brachycephalic
The shortened muzzle can obstruct breathing and makes panting an inefficient way to cool down.
Q 26In a UK Kennel Club survey, what share of Boston Terrier litters were delivered by caesarean section?
Over 80%
A UK study found Boston bitches 12.9 times more likely than average to suffer obstructed labour.
Q 27A study of almost 10,000 Boston Terriers found what rate of hip dysplasia, against 3.52% overall?
0.36%
The breed's real weaknesses are its airways, eyes and skin, not its hips.
Q 28The curved back sometimes seen in Boston Terriers is called what?
Roaching
It may result from patella problems in the rear legs making the dog lean forward onto its forelegs.
Q 29The Boston Terrier is one of the most commonly affected breeds for which hereditary eye problem?
Cataracts
Its prominent eyes are also vulnerable to injury and to bulging (exophthalmos).
Q 30Where did the Boston Terrier rank among AKC-registered breeds in 2024?
23rd
It has stayed comfortably inside the top 25 for years.