Visit Your Dog's Ancestral Home - Boston Terrier

Origin: Boston, Mass.

Story: In the 1800s, workingmen crossbred terriers with English bulldogs to develop a strong, spunky offspring for dogfights. The result — a small, bat-eared canine with a tuxedolike coat — was the Boston terrier. It was the first American purebred dog, according to the Boston Terrier Club of America. Over time, dog shows replaced dogfights as the breed's main stomping grounds.

The trip: If you're in Boston on the first weekend in December, drop by the city's largest annual dog show, Bay Colony (baycolonydogshow.com), where the Boston terrier and about 150 other breeds strut their stuff. During the rest of the year, take your dog to Boston Common, a 50-acre park downtown. (But be aware that it's illegal to let a dog run unleashed in Boston parks.) Dogs are welcome on the Freedom Trail, a two-and-a-half-mile self-guided walking tour of 16 colonial sites, such as the Bunker Hill Monument.

Hot tip: Nine Zero Hotel, a boutique Kimpton property downtown, provides dog beds, bowls, and treats—all complimentary (866/906-9090, ninezero.com ). A few local Sheratons are pet-friendly, too (800/325-3535, sheraton.com).

Credit: msnbc.com; Photo: britannica.com