While the Boston terrier’s friendly and energetic appearance is a common sight on campus, many may not be familiar with the unique characteristics that define the breed. You may be unaware of the Boston terrier’s origin story, the distinctive traits that set this breed apart, and how it captures the essence of Boston University. We\u2019re here to fill those gaps: <\/p>\n
The Boston terrier breed originated in the United States during the 19th century<\/a>, and its birthplace can be traced back to the Joseph Burnett House\u2014a historic landmark located in Southborough, MA. A crossbreed of a bulldog and white English terrier, the Boston terrier was initially bred for the purpose of dog fighting, but as the sport decreased in popularity, Boston terriers found themselves out of jobs. Quickly pivoting from their dog-fighting pasts, Boston terriers went on to become high-society companions instead, and were popular among women because of their smaller size and gentle expression. <\/p>\n Appearance-wise, Boston terriers are known to sport a tuxedo coat that can range in color from black to dark brown, and they typically weigh no more than 25 pounds. Highly intelligent and people oriented, Boston terriers are known for their playful and energetic nature and quick learning ability. However, like many terrier breeds, they can be a bit stubborn at times. Nonetheless, their endearing personalities make them a favorite among many. According to the American Kennel Club, the Boston terrier was the first or second most popular dog in the country between 1905 and 1935<\/a>. <\/p>\n In addition to being a historically beloved breed, the Boston terrier is also BU\u2019s mascot. But how did this come to be? In November of 1922<\/a>, students were enthralled in a debate over whether the University’s mascot should be a bull moose or a Boston terrier. Despite initial reservations about their size, one student newspaper writer praised the Boston terrier by saying, \u201cthe Boston terrier has the characteristics we greatly desire in our athletic teams: loyalty, courage, determination, speed, enterprise, \u2018PEP.\u2019\u201d These characteristics are certainly representative of Boston University, and also the city it is home to. <\/p>\n Though the BU mascot has no official name, he is known among the community as \u201cRhett.\u201d Rhett serves as a unifying force for BU\u2019s student body. He brings spirit and joy to athletic events and is a revered figure on campus. For the pride he brings to the community, Rhett\u2019s bench sculpture<\/a> can be found by the BU Beach. Rhett is a constant reminder of the special bond that exists between dogs and humans, in addition to BU\u2019s core values. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You may know BU’s mascot, but do you know these facts about Boston terriers?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20583,"featured_media":19080,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13,5],"tags":[1220,868,1222,1221],"featured_img":"\/alumni\/files\/2023\/05\/Boston-terrier-on-grass-800x550.png","agg_excerpt":"You may know BU's mascot, but do you know these facts about Boston terriers?","agg_title":"BU and the Boston terrier","media_icon":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19076"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20583"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19076"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19076\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19088,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19076\/revisions\/19088"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/alumni\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Unique traits<\/h3>\n
BU\u2019s beloved mascot<\/h3>\n