Beech Creek Boston Terriers
Links and Frequently Asked Questions
Links
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Good News Report About Our Health-Testing
Each of our breeding animals has earned his/her CHIC (health-test) certification, and, through DNA testing, have been found non-carriers of the HSF4-1 gene for Juvenille Hereditary Cataracts (JHC). Results can be seen by the public at www.offa.org. It is our pleasure to health-test and breed responsibly.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ: I've heard that a Boston Terrier pet from AKC health-tested lines are not cheap. What are the advantages of buying a "premium" pet from a Boston Terrier Club of America (BTCA) member who breeds only to the BTCA Standard and heatlh-tests?
Answer: Our pets now go for $3000. We put too much into our litters to ask for less. We only breed, on average, once a year for the joy of our hobby/show program and not for the purpose of selling to the public. However, not every dog has what it takes for the conformation show-ring. A loving hobby breeder is not "in it to try to make money." Instead, he/she gladly incurs significant expenses to better the breed. We think it is beneficial to the future of the breed (and more merciful for the dogs) to breed from health-tested purebred lines that are free from the most common genetic health problems. We hope to produce dogs that are healthier for longer (although no dog is perfect and injuries also happen). Much time and expense is incurred before our dogs are ever bred. We sometimes must pay a stud fee to acquire a top sire. Then, like bulldogs, Boston Terriers dams usually require costly C-Sections due to the size of the puppies' heads and shoulders, occasional uterine inertia, and/or "log-jam." Bostons have, on average, small litters of 3 pups. After our puppies are delivered we provide the best nutrition, care, and training to raise our pups (I use Puppy Culture). We often spend several hundred dollars per pup on health tests (CHIC and more). Finally, we incur expenses exhibiting our best breed-stock before impartial judges, so we can make the best decision about which are the finest to carry on their lines. We strive for wonderful representatives of the breed with soundness of body and temperament. We are very proud of our Bostons, whether show-dogs or pets, and hope each dog will have a loving, happy home. A lot of money goes in to producing such precious pets. (We also find that people who cannot afford to buy a dog, could not afford to take care of such a dog in an emergency either.) Pets are a luxury, and are not cheap to keep, so we want each buyer to know what to expect.
FAQ: I've heard that rare colors, "designer" mixed breeds and tiny teacup sizes are more valuable. Are they worth more?
Answer: No, no, and no.
There are no rare colors, only substandard ones. Bostons have dark round eyes, solid black noses, and are black, brindle or seal--the only coat colors described in the BTCA Standard. (Seal is defined in the Standard as "Seal appears black except it has a red cast when viewed in sun or bright light.") Other disallowed colors (such as gray, red, and blue) may be associated with genetic problems, so we do not breed to them or for them.
"Designer" breeds are also substandard. Their purebred status is lost, and they no longer better any of the specific breeds that have taken so long to "set." Many carelessly mixed breeds come from backyard breeders who do not consider the genetic mix of what they are producing or what impact it will have on health. In contrast, our goal is to preserve and improve our purebred line(s). While we love all dogs, mutts included; we just don't breed them, don't let our dogs end up in shelters (we offer a welcome-home policy), and DO health-test. If all breeders had a welcome-home policy (something puppy mills only pretend to do), in one generation the shelters would be empty. For now, we continue to support rescue for the precious animals that have been abandoned and/or mistreated and always require that our pet puppies are spayed or neutered.
Also be aware that show-quality Bostons are not bred to be "teacup" sized. Bostons are not in the Toy Group, but are in the Non-Sporting Group. In the Open classes, they are shown up to 25 pounds, but in the other classes there is no overall weight restriction, as none is stated in our AKC Standard. Our Bostons have ranged from 12-21 pounds. We strive for healthy and lively.
Don't be tricked into thinking that a substandard or "rare-colored" dog is worth more.