DISQUALIFIED COLORS
Below is a collection of photos of disqualified colors in the Boston Terrier breed:
Chocolate (Liver), Red (Liver), Fawn, Cream, Blue, Lilac (Isabella), Tri-color, Splash, Merle.
Eye color also not allowed or does not meet standard:
Amber, Green, Hazel, Blue (a disqualification even on a standard Boston).
Accompanying most of these colors are traits also not allowed by the standard and are also faults. Noses that are liver or blue or any other color than black do NOT meet standard.
Click on them to expand and read about them bellow.
Red/Liver - Pigment is liver
Fawn - Pigment is typically black unless diluted
Cream - Pigment is typically black
Blue Boston Terrier - Blue Pigment
Lilac / Isabella - Pigment is Lilac / Isabella. The eyes are light, but not typically blue like in this example. Blue eyes are a separate disqualified trait.
Tri Color / Black And Tan
Splash - Though not specifically mentioned as a disqualification, this pattern fails to possess "the required markings", so is a disqualification. Splash is a pattern, not a color and come in any shade/color.
Merle- Not found in the Boston Terrier breed. The only way to get a merle Boston is to mix another breed in that is Merle. Merle is not a recessive color.
The standard has always stated "The nose is black and wide". Even when some of these colors were allowed in the first few early years, they still could not possibly meet standard with the accompanying pigment.
Expression
As you see from these photos, the correct Boston terrier expression is difficult to achieve with the ligher pigment. A Boston's eyes were never meant to be light, the nose was never meant to be pale.
Be sure to look at the
Correct Expressions page to see the expression that can be achieved by following the standard.
This beautiful expression is of paramount importance to the breed and cannot be neglected in breeding to maintain, much less improve, the over all quality in any Boston Terrier breeding program.
Article from Jani Martin - Breeder, BTCA Member