Boston Spaniel

Robert C. Hooper of Boston, owned a white English Terrier. He purchased a Bulldog and the pair had a litter of puppies. The offspring of "Judge" and "Gyp" were then interbred with French Bulldogs, which led to the creation of the Boston Terrier around 1870.  The early Boston Terrier was larger than we see today, often weighing up to 44 pounds.   In 1893, the Boston Terrier was admitted to the American Kennel Club.  The Boston Terrier was the first non-sporting dog bred in the United States listed in the roster. Boston University made the Boston Terrier its official mascot in 1922 and the Boston Terrier also became the state dog of Massachusetts in 1979.  Currently, the Boston Terrier is the 23rd most popular breed in America. Dogs resembling the Cocker Spaniel were imported from Spain to England in the 12th century. Selective breeding during the 14th century produced the Water Spaniel and the Land Spaniel.  The smaller Land Spaniels were eventually called Cocker or Cocking Spaniels because they were used in flushing the woodcock bird from its hiding place during a hunt. The first Cocker Spaniel recorded in America was a dog named Captain, who was registered with the American Kennel Club in 1878. The American Spaniel Club was formed in 1881 and is considered the oldest breed club in the United States. Called the smallest member of the AKC's Sporting Group, the Cocker Spaniel is currently listed as America's 29th favorite breed.