Boglen Terrier Information & Dog Breed Facts

The Boglen Terrier dog breed may have existed naturally over the years, but designer breeders started intentionally mixing Beagles and Boston Terriers in the late 1990s or early 2000s, likely in North America. Moreover, breeders wanted to mix the two parent breeds to create a silly, adorable, family watchdog. They also wanted to make a healthy mixed breed. This helped extend the short snout of the Boston Terrier to alleviate breathing issues and also to reduce the risk of eye infections they are prone to. The Boglen Terrier has proven to be a hardy mix that is gaining popularity.

Furthermore, to determine the history of the Boglen Terrier, we have to look at the history of the parent's breeds, the Beagle and the Boston Terrier. First of all, there is no reliable documentation about the early ancestry of the Beagle, so there are many stories and theories about it. People say that there are accounts of dogs of similar size and purpose to the modern Beagle which can be traced back to Ancient Greece. However, during medieval times, the word “beagle” meant any dog was a hound dog. The earliest dogs that were referred to as “Beagles” were small dogs called “Pocket Beagles” because they were literally small enough (around 20cm) to fit into the pockets of the hunters. During hunting, they were let loose into places where the larger dogs could not easily get through. Several authors mentioned before that King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth I was both known for their love of this miniature breed. However larger dogs became the preferred train companions which led to the line of miniature beagles being overlooked and becoming extinct in 1901. By the beginning of the 18^th century, two types of breeds developed for hunting hare and rabbits. One was the North Country Beagle (or Northern Hound) and the other the Southern Hound. Eventually, when fox hunting became popular, the two breeds were crossed with the Foxhound to create the perfect hunting dog. In the mid-18^th century, it is believed that Reverend Phillip Honeywood of Great Britain established a breeding program that became the basis for the modern Beagle breed. Honeywood’s Beagles were still different from today’s Beagles, they were smaller and had a pure white coat.

The 1840s brought the development of the standard Beagle type and also the distinction of different Beagle varieties: Medium Beagle, Lapdog Beagle, Fox Beagle, and the rough-coated/terrier Beagle. In 1887, there were only 18 packs documented in England but Beagle lovers were determined not to allow the breed to become extinct. In 1890 the Beagle Club was formed and a year later the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles was also created. Both organizations helped to produce one standard type of Beagle and by 1902 the number of packs increased from 18 to 44. From then on, the popularity of the breed grew and there were even cartoons made about this type of dog (Snoppy from Peanuts). Even President Lyndon Baines Johnson owned several Beagles while being in the White House.

We do not know the exact origin of its name but it has been suggested that the word “Beagle” comes from the French “begueule” or from the German word “begele”. I guess we’ll never know. They became recognized by the AKC in 1885 and they are now the 5^th most popular dog breed in the United States.

On the other hand, as for the other parent breed’s history, the popularity of blood sports in 19^th century England sparked a craze for combining terriers and bull-type breeds to create dogs capable of pit fighting and ratting competitions. In Liverpool, sometime in the late 1860s, a cross between a Bulldog and the now-extinct white English Terrier resulted in a tough, muscular dog named Judge. Judge’s owner sold him to a man named William O’Brien, who brought his new dog home to Boston. In 1870, O’Brien sold Judge to a fellow Bostonian, Robert C. Hooper. Judge, from then on known in breed histories as “Hooper’s Judge”, became the patriarch of the Boston Terrier breed and the common ancestor of almost all true Bostons. According to The Complete Dog Book, Judge was “a well-built, high-stationed dog” weighing about 32 pounds. He was a dark brindle color with a white blaze on his face and a square, blocky head. However, Judge was bred only once. From a union with a 20 pound white dog named Kate who belonged to Edward Burnett, came one puppy, a male named Well’s Eph. Judge and Kate’s don wasn’t particularly an attractive dog, but he possessed other qualities that Hooper and his friends valued, so he was extensively bred. Although they weren’t called Boston Terriers in the beginning, they were called by various other names, including bullet heads, round-headed bull-and-terriers, American terriers, and Boston bulldogs. In 1889, about 30 owners of Boston Bull Terriers formed the American Bull Terrier Club, and they called them Round Heads or Bull Terriers. Bull Terrier and Bulldog fanciers objected to the name. Since the Bulldog contingency had a lot of power with the American Kennel Club at that time, the Boston Bull fanciers changed the name of their club to the Boston Terrier Club, in tribute to the birthplace of the breed. Not much later, the breed was recognized by the AKC in 1893. The Boston Terrier was one of the first Non-Sporting dogs bred in the U.S. and was the first of the 10 made-in-America breeds currently recognized by the AKC. Boston terrier quickly became popular in the U.S. In 1915, the breed was the most popular breed in the U.S., remaining in the 10 most popular breeds until the 1960s.

Overall, the Boglen Terrier as a hybrid mix is perfect as a family pet because of the loveable and spunky personalities of both the Beagle and the Boston Terrier. However, the breed is not recognized by the American Club, as it is considered to be a hybrid breed. Although, it is recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Club, the Designer Breed Registry, and the Dog Registry of America.