Boston Terrier Breed Standard

Transcription

Insider’s Guide To The Boston Terrier
“The Insider’s Guide To
The Happiest, Healthiest and Most Well
Behaved Boston Terrier On The Block!”
No matter what your lifestyle is, it will soon change and make you more of a homing bird
with the coming of your Boston Terrier. And you’ll be the happier for it when you realize
that your quest for happiness has come a full circle, all due to your amazing new pet—
The Boston Terrier.
© 2004 -2011. www.boston-terrier-world.com
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Copyright © 2004-2011
Sharda Baker
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or by
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publisher. Requests for permission or further information should be addressed to;
Sharda Baker
www.boston-terrier-world.com
Contact us at;
http://www.asksharda.com/support
Legal Notices
While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication,
neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions or
contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.
The publisher and author assume no responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of
any purchaser or reader of the material provided.
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TableOfContents
Topics
PageNo
Foreword
1. The world welcomes a breed: the beginnings of the Boston Terrier
2. Appearance of the Boston Terrier and breed standards
3. Thinking about adding a Boston Terrier to your family?
4. Finding a good breeder
5 How to select a Boston Terrier
6. Keeping your Boston Terrier healthy
7. If your Boston Terrier suffers from heart diseases
8. Do you have a deaf dog?
9. Choosing a veterinarian
10. Vaccinating your Boston Terrier
11. Behavioral problems
12. Nutrition for your Boston Terrier
13. And what if your Boston Terrier has allergies?
14. Pet Insurance
15. Caring for a Boston Terrier
16. Exercising your Boston Terrier
17. Grooming your Boston Terrier
18. Socializing your Boston Terrier
19. Training your Boston
20. Spaying and neutering your Boston Terrier
21. Boston Terriers and children
22. How to train your Boston Terrier: Understanding his mentality
23. Psychology of your Boston Terrier’s mind
24. Teaching your Boston Terrier by forming memory associations
25. How your pet can acquire knowledge
26. Can your Boston Terrier reason?
27. Do Boston Terriers have a personality of their own?
28. Be a leader and coach, not a dictator
Summary
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Foreword
If you’re considering bringing home a Boston Terrier and you’re fascinated by its looks,
obviously that’s just the starting point for you. As a prospective owner of one, you would
be interested in knowing as much as there is about a Boston Terrier before buying one
rather than after. Good, because if that is your objective, you’re reading the right book!
An Insider’s Guide To The Boston Terrier is just the right book for you if you want a
comprehensive knowledge of Boston Terriers. You will have a ringside view of all that
you can expect from your Boston Terrier, right from the its infancy to adulthood. For one,
did you know that though this breed looks tough and intimidating, it is really loving,
intelligent, hygienic and adorable?
Speaking of its intelligence, it would interest you to know that the American Kennel Club
has rated the Boston Terrier full marks for intelligence. This is why it pays to train these
dogs, since the results are quickly apparent and a source of joy and pride to the owner—
you if you choose to take home one.
This breed is not just a typical housedog with all the inherent qualities of one, but one
that can easily adapt to a large and loving family. Equally easily, it could be a great
companion to a single person living in an apartment. So, it doesn’t matter where you live,
but it certainly matters that you share some of your time with this breed, and yes, all your
love too.
According to historical records, Boston Terriers originated in Boston, Massachusetts in
the United Sates. This breed was first recognized by the American Kennel Club over a
century ago, and regards it as “the American gentlemen among information.” Amazing as
this breed may be, a Boston Terrier usually lives to be between 10 years and 14 years,
and is a reliable and loyal housedog. In fact, proud owners of Boston Terriers will advise
you never to keep this breed outside your house.
Another reason why they are so popular among house owners is that they love all the
attention they get, and it’s best you know this because Boston Terriers are known to go
up to their masters and ask for the attention you’re being stingy in giving them. If you
were already an owner of a Boston Terrier, perhaps you too would vouch for this. But if
you are a first time owner, it will please you to know that this breed is indeed an
extremely intelligent one.
No matter what your lifestyle is, it will soon change and make you more of a homing
bird, what with the coming of your Boston Terrier. And you’ll be the happier for it when
you realize that your quest for happiness has come full circle, all due to your new pet—
the Boston Terrier.
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Chapter 1
The world welcomes a breed: the beginnings of
the Boston Terrier
The Boston Terrier is perhaps as true blue an American as Uncle Sam,
Stars and Stripes or apple pie. In fact, it is one of the few dog breeds that is entirely
native to the United States. This breed was first born and bred in Beantown, a seaport of
Boston in the Northeastern United States in the 1870s. It was a cross between an English
Bulldog and a white English Terrier or Hooper’s Judge. This breed was originally bred to
take part in dog fighting pits in the Boston, Massachusetts area.
You would be amazed to know that this cross also produced breeds such as the American
Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier and Bull
Terrier.
Historical records testify that this breed was originally developed to promote the cruel
18th century “sport” of dog fighting. Robert Cooper introduced it in the Colonies. We now
know that the first American ancestor of this breed was actually a mix between a bulldog
and a terrier. When it was further bred with the French bulldog and the English terrier,
the result was the Boston Terrier.
But it will surprise you to know that the name “terrier” is really a misleading since the
Boston Terrier was never developed for rat hunting, unlike the true terriers. But the
Boston Terrier, as we know it, is acknowledged to be a good fighter, due largely to its
muscular build and short snout.
Historically, this breed is known by many names, some of them being the “American
Gentleman” and “Boston Bulls”, though they were originally called the Round Heads or
Bull Terriers. Though the first time the English Bulldog and Terrier were crossed in
England, the breed really achieved the level of refinement as we know it today, in the
United States when some members of this hybrid breed were shipped there. This is why it
is affectionately called the Bull Terrier.
In 1889, 30 Boston owners established the American Bull Terrier Club. They also bred
and exhibited their dogs as Round Heads or Bull Terriers until the owners and fanciers of
this breed took objection to the name being similar for a breed that was so radically
different from both of their breeds. Rather than fight back, the newly formed club decided
to change its name to the Boston Terrier Club of America (BTCA). Later, this was
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shortened to the Boston Terrier, and in 1893 the American Kennel Club recognized the
breed and accepted the club as a member.
This club got down to work and soon developed a standard for the recognized Boston
Terrier as soon as 1891. But if this was the beginning, it was by no means a smooth road
ahead for the newly established club. The major problem lay with their new breed that
had the required standard of conformation but did not have the necessary consistency that
could result only with a deep knowledge of careful breeding and a wise and calculated
method of inbreeding of Boston Terriers in the limited gene pool.
Though the Boston Terrier was denied entrance to the AKC studbooks as a registered
breed, the owners refined the standard and applied once more in 1893 when their efforts
bore fruit. They were successful and the first Boston Terrier was AKC-registered. What
seemed to some like an impossible mission took years to achieve, but they did it. The
result was the Boston Terrier with a clean-cut and debonair personality. According to the
club’s records, this Boston Terrier was named Hector.
By 1915, the Boston Terrier had stabilized into a breed of repute and was extremely
popular in the United States. Amongst the top 20 breeds of the time, this one was the No.
1, of a total of 22,127. They repeated their No. 1 status in 1920 and 1930 and remained
among the top 10 until 1960 when they lost their coveted position—one they have never
been able to regain since. However, this breed’s popularity remains unchanged:
something that can be proved by the AKC registering 17,738 individual Boston Terriers
and managing 10,019 litters by 1999.
Though at first, its color and markings weren’t important, by the early 1900s, the Boston
Terrier’s singular markings had evolved into its fundamental breed characteristic. Come
1935, this was the most popular breed in America, which has continued to retain its
overall breed quality. Originally, the Boston Terrier weighed a little over 20 kg it was
soon bred down to size.
Since then, this breed has carved a special place for itself not just in American canine
history, but also as a representative of the country, and of Boston in particular. It is
recognized as a gutsy, intelligent and spirited little dog.
Today, we also know it for its bullish expression, and compact, muscular physique. It has
a short, wide muzzle leading on to an ample black nose. It has dark, large round eyes set
wide apart. It also has fine, erect ears that give it a very vigilant air. Its broad, flat head is
wrinkle-free. It has a slightly arched neck leading on to a broad chest. If its limbs are
straight and muscular, it also has a short but glistening coat, though very fine textured
that you can often see in brindle and white, or black and white, though rarely you might
also spot some in brown and white.
Not being a typical Terrier, but one in name only, this breed prefers to be with human
beings, though some males of the breed will rise to the challenge if they feel their
territory has been invaded.
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You might have set out to own a Boston Terrier, but to know more, turn to the next
chapter where you can acquaint yourself with the appearance of a typical representative
of this breed. You’ll be happy to find that your pet can be cute and compact, apart from
vigilant and intelligent, but you need to know what to expect from your pet, so read on
please.
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Chapter 2
Appearance of the Boston Terrier and breed standards
When it comes to appearance, you could never mistake a Boston Terrier.
In fact, you would recognize the Boston Terrier very easily by his muscular, dark brindle
with a white coat and a square, blocky head. This breed bears a close resemblance to the
bulldog, particularly in its face and tough physique. A typical Boston Terrier weighs
about 6.2 kg, and if history is right, then it gets its white coat and short height from its
mother—a strain that continues in all generations of the breed.
First bred to popularize the sport of dog fighting, the present-day Boston Terrier does not
have those sharp aggressive tendencies as his sportsmen ancestors. Instead, today’s breed
that has come a long way from being sporting dogs, are gentle, alert, intelligent, sensitive
and well mannered. Enthusiastic and occasionally naughty, your pet Boston Terrier can
also raise a chuckle in you.
And if you lose your temper, he’s bound to sense it. Since he is so sensitive to one’s tone
of voice and can sense what each tone of voice stands for, it is very easy to train him
because he learns so quickly. So, if you are a first time owner of a Boston Terrier, this
fact will go in his favor. At times, however, you may also find him very obstinate.
 Non-Sporting Group: The Boston Terrier falls under the category of non-sporting
dogs. In general, non-sporting dogs are alert and lively.
 Official Standard for the Boston Terrier: The Boston Terrier Standard is divided
into 12 sections. Each section is as important as the whole as without showing
excellence in each part and therefore on the whole, no Boston Terrier can be
considered an outstanding representative of the breed.

General Appearance: Your new pet, the Boston Terrier, is both lively, intelligent
and well-built on the one hand, and smooth-coated, short-headed and short-tailed, on
the other. It is a well-balanced dog, with attractive and trademark brindle which is
usually seal or black in color and evenly marked with white. Its head is proportionate
to the size of the dog and its expression shows that it is indeed an intelligent dog.
Though its body is quite short and well knit, its limbs are strong and neatly turned, while
its tail is short. All its features are so evenly synchronized that this dog appears well
proportioned. When you look at an adult of the breed, you can sense its air of
determination, strength, agility and activity, coupled with a distinctive style, graceful,
purposeful an easy carriage.
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Perhaps one more strain that travels down in every litter and generation of this breed
apart from its markings is the Boston Terrier’s strength and energy. But if he is strong
and energetic, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t a soft side to him—your Boston Terrier is
also gentle (despite his tough exterior!), loving and is right company for your kids and
elderly parents. What’s more, he craves for human company.
 Your Boston Terrier’s size, proportion and substance: A close study of this breed
reveals that ideally the Boston Terrier stands a proud 12-14 inches high but can either
fall under the category of lightweight (under 7 kg); middleweight (8kg); or
heavyweight (rare at 10 kg). What gives this breed a striking square appearance is the
balance between the length of its legs and that of its body. Being just about 7 kg in
weight and of small size, it is also considered a “toy” variety.
You will find that your Boston Terrier is sturdy, so don’t settle for one that is spindly or
coarse. On close inspection, you will also find that his bone and muscle are well
proportioned and serve to improve his weight, structure and general appearance.
However, his fault lies in his blocky or massy appearance.
 Head: Your Boston Terrier is bound to have a square head, which is flat on top, and
free of wrinkles. He will have flat cheeks, abrupt eyebrows and a well-defined stop.
Though his expression speaks of a high degree of intelligence, your Boston Terrier is
also kind-hearted, as you will notice. As you come in close contact with this breed,
you will also realize his intelligence is indeed his best trait.
Your Boston Terrier’s eyes, though wide-set, are large, round and dark in color. His eyes
are set bang in his skull, while his rims or external corners are set on a line with the
cheeks, when viewed from the front. His big fault lies in the color of his blue eyes.
His ears, though small, stand erect and could sometimes be natural or cropped to go with
the shape of the head. They are situated as close to the corners of his skull as possible.
His muzzle is short, wide, deep and square, and in symmetry with his skull. It has no
wrinkles, is shorter in length than depth and generally does not go over one-third the
length of the skull. If you examine the muzzle from the stop end of the nose, you will find
that it is parallel to the top of the skull. While your Boston Terrier’s nose is black and
wide, there is usually a well-defined line between his nostrils. His nose is his major
disqualifier, being a Dudley or a flesh-colored nose.
While your Boston Terrier’s jaw is broad and square with short, and even-sized teeth, his
bite is just right to square the muzzle. His chops are of good depth, but fortunately do not
hang, though they completely cover the teeth when he shuts his mouth. However, his wry
mouth can be seen as a serious fault as much as his eyes that reveal too much white. His
pinched or wide nostrils are also considered faults.
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 Neck, top line and body: The Boston Terrier’s neck, is usually slightly arched and
rests neatly and gracefully on his shoulders. If you find the length of his neck in
proportion to the rest of him, you’re looking at a model Boston Terrier. His back is
just short enough to square the body.
The top line is even and your Boston Terrier’s rump curves slightly to the tail. His chest
is deep and of good width, with well-arched ribs that go right back to his loins. Ideally,
his body should seem short with the tail low set, short, fine and tapering, sometimes
straight and other times twisted slightly.
It should not be carried over the horizontal. Ideally, the Boston Terrier’s tail should not
be longer than a quarter of the distance from the set-on to his hock. What could disqualify
him from adhering to the standard are his docked tail, which is sometimes carried aloft
very happily, and his roach back.
 Forequarters: If you’ve been wondering what makes your Boston Terrier move with
such great style—in fact just like a sophisticate—you can safely put it down to his
sloping shoulders are and wide back. You’ll also see that his elbows are so structured
that they neither stand in nor do they protrude.
On close inspection of his forelegs, you’re sure to see that his forelegs are straight in
length and have short, strong pasterns. His forelegs are also set comfortably wide apart
and are in line with the upper end of his shoulder blades. Some Boston Terrier owners
remove their pet’s dewclaws, but this is not a rule.
His feet are small and round and are complemented by the fact that they’re compact too.
They are jut out nor are they turned in, but end in well-arched toes and short nails.
However, the legs lack substance and are sometimes splayed.
 Hindquarters: The thighs of your Boston Terrier are strong and give the impression
of belonging to someone very muscular, which you will find, your pet Boston is. His
thighs are slightly bent at the stifles and set right. However, his hocks that neither turn
in nor out are short for his feet, but have a well defined hock joint. Just like his
forequarters, his hind feet too are small, compact and have short nails. However,
being straight in the stifle serves as a fault in this breed.
 Gait: Sure-footed and straight gaited, this dog’s forelegs and hind legs move straight
ahead in line in perfect symmetry, each step revealing his innate grace and power.
However, the fact that his walk is not accompanied by rolling, paddling or weaving,
is a disqualifier. What is seen to be a serious fault in his gait is any crossing
movement, whether it comes from the front or rear.
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 Coat: Your Boston Terrier has a short, smooth and bright coat, often fine-textured.
Unlike other breeds, this one can be seen in a few definite colors—black, seal (black
with a reddish overtone) or brindle coat with white markings. To adhere to the
standard, your Boston Terrier should have a white muzzle band, face blaze and white
fore chest. If he also has a white collar and white markings on his legs, that would
bring him closer to the ideal.
 Color and markings: Your Boston Terrier is usually of seal color, or black with
white markings. Only if your Boston Terrier conforms in all other aspects is the
brindle coat preferred. What disqualifies your pet in terms of color are when he has a
solid black, solid brindle or solid seal coat with no white markings. To conform to the
standard, he must have a white muzzle band, white blaze between the eyes and white
fore chest.
 Health problems: Your Boston Terrier could be prone to eye problems, breathing
and whelping difficulties.
 Life expectancy: Boston Terriers usually live to be between 10 and 14 years.
 Home environment: Boston Terriers do equally well in apartments as in homes as
long as you walk them twice a day.
 Your Boston Terrier’s temperament: Your Boston Terrier is popular with families
and singles, all due to his lively and friendly nature. This makes him the world’s best
friend, particularly if you are elderly and live by yourself. He is also a good and
reliable friend if you live in an apartment.
In fact, he’s so adaptable that this characteristic in him endears him to as many people as
he comes across. And if you’re the sporty type, expect to have a very involved sporty
friend in your Boston Terrier because he too loves games. You can even leave him with
kids, as he is kind and sensitive to them.
 A family dog: He may look tough but don’t let his expression or his tough physique
intimidate you. Even if he meets fellow dogs in the neighborhood, he won’t fight with
them as most others do, because by nature he is not quarrelsome, bold or
domineering. But he is intelligent enough to be obedient when the situation demands
it, and is endowed with a lot of physical and mental strength.
Some owners have reported that their Boston Terriers are good watchdogs that bark when
danger approaches, while others say that their female Boston Terriers do not bark at the
front door ever. Still, they can be trusted with kids and aged folk and are friendly with
strangers.
Your Boston Terrier is playful, affectionate and likes to be included in the warmth of a
family. This is one of the most popular breeds in the United States, due to its character
and endearing nature. A rare trait of the Boston Terrier is that it gets along well with non-
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canine pets. Of course, the odd Boston Terrier is dominant and irritable by nature,
making it very difficult to housebreak.
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Chapter 3
Thinking about adding a Boston Terrier to your family?
If you’ve been toying with the idea of bringing home a pet, and a Boston Terrier at that,
let me advise you that it isn’t as easy as it sounds. If you have ever been a parent, you
know how much time and attention it needs. Bringing home a Boston Terrier is like being
parent to a second baby.
Raising a Boston Terrier requires a lot of thought, planning and careful scrutiny. You
need to make an informed decision based on all the information you can lay your hands
on from everyone concerned—the owner of the Boston Terrier or the breeder you are
buying from. If you are a first-time buyer who doesn’t know how the system operates,
you will have to place yourself in the responsible hands of a good breeder for correct
information and guidance.
You should know that Boston Terriers are energetic, placid, hardheaded, even-tempered,
serious, good-natured and introverted. It would be a gamble for you to know just what
your Boston Terrier would grow up to be like since many of them do not adhere to the
standard. But before buying a Boston Terrier, it would be well worth deciding which of
the following is your choice of pet—male or female, adult or pup, among others:
 Pure or crossbred: You need to judge your pet by his parents, before considering
buying him. Though it is true that each dog has his own individual character, yet
some generalizations could still be made and you can then ascertain how your pup
will be in adulthood.
 Natural abilities and tendencies: No pet can be happy if his master does not give
him a lifestyle his temperament demands. So, you will not only have to read all about
his temperament but also keep in constant touch with your breeder for extra tips and
direction on what would suit your Boston Terrier best.
 Male or female: As a rule, the male of the species is larger than the female and a
little extrovertish too. People sometimes believe that the females of the species are
more affectionate, home loving and better with children, but remember they are on
heat every six months as part of their reproductive cycle. So, unless you neuter them,
this could be very inconvenient for her and expensive for you.
 Pup or adult: You perhaps would want a pup so that you can raise him the way you
want and watch him grow into an adult. Still, getting yourself an adult dog is also
worth considering. Not only are there many older dogs in search of a good home, but
also these dogs can be very loyal and affectionate to their master. Plus, being trained
and housebroken, they adjust very well and easily to family life. Lastly, being an
adult, they are well past the destructive stage of puppyhood, and are therefore not a
burden to the family.
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 Common characteristics of a Boston Terrier: Usually, a Boston Terrier is small,
sturdy, round-headed, short-faced with large expressive eyes and a sleek, easy to
maintain coat. He is good-natured with people and other animals, is sporty and is easy
to love.
 Negative traits of a Boston Terrier: On the flip side, your Boston Terrier could be
just a little neurotic when you find him snorting, snuffling, wheezing, snoring and
drooling. He may also suffer from flatulence.

Unstable temperament: You need to put him through a course with an obedience
instructor and a behavioral consultant, because he might display neurotic behaviors
such as mindless yapping, hyperactivity and aggression.

Housebreaking: Your Boston Terrier won’t be easy to housebreak, so expect to crate
train him for four to six months.

Grunts and snuffles: Largely due to his short face, your Boston Terrier will
sometimes snort, snuffle, wheeze, grunt and snore loudly. While some people find
these sounds endearing, many don’t like it at all.

Slobbering: If your Boston Terrier has loose jowls, he will tend to slobber water
when drinking, while yet others may drool after eating and drinking.

Gassiness: Also called flatulence, your Boston Terrier won’t suffer from this if you
feed him a regular diet of real meat and other fresh foods.

Chronic health problems: Thanks to their over breeding, poor breeding practices
and their unnaturally short faces, this breed suffers many health problems.
If you think that you can deal with these problems as and when they come up, how about
considering other and larger issues. Here they are:

Time and space: First things first: are you sure you and your family are ready to take
in a pet? Does your home need a pet? Only if you are convinced that you are ready
for one, should you proceed. Next, your pet is going to need his own space—a room
or basket space at least. Do you have that space just for him where none of your kids
will get in his way? And lastly, your pet will need individual care and a lot of time
from you. Do you have it to spare him?

A backyard for your pup: Do you have a fenced yard where your pet can run
around and burn up all his pent-up energy? By keeping him in a yard, you also keep
him away from larger dogs that end up attacking smaller ones and dognappers. If you
don’t want to have a completely closed in yard, have a small gate from where your
Boston Terrier can go out and eliminate before coming back to play.
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
A lifetime commitment: Your Boston Terrier has a life expectancy of about 10-14
years. This means that for the next 14 years, you will be committed full-time to taking
care of him. He will fall sick, and finally have a number of age-related diseases, each
one proving expensive for you. Will you be able to match his demands? If you’ve
said, “Yes” to all the above-mentioned questions, well then, this is really your big
moment. You ARE going to bring home a Boston Terrier!!
 Benefits of raising a Boston Terrier pup: Owning a pet will certainly teach you to
be sensitive and loving, and your growing children will learn these lessons too. They
will also learn to be kind to animals. But remember that not only do pets mean that
you have one more mouth to feed, but that they need specialized attention. Then
again, your pup cannot be left unsupervised for long since he will turn restless and
destructive.
If you have kids below four years of age, leaving them with your pup could prove
dangerous for both of them. Your kids might take the pup for one of his toys and pinch it
or cuddle it really hard, almost killing the pet until he bites them. So, neither of them can
be left unsupervised. Can you afford that?

Setting up your home for the new arrival: Before setting out to bring home your
pup, take a small carton with you in which to place your precious puppy. If you bring
him home in cold weather, remember to line the carton with a thick folded
newspaper, leaving air holes at the top. Top this up with shredded newspaper. Carry
the pup in this box, whether you drive him home or come home by train or subway.
After all, if he gets nervous or sick while traveling, it will still be easier to clean his
box rather than your clothes.

Your first night together: Make your pup’s bed before you go to fetch him. You
could either use an old wooden chair whose back and legs are sawn off by about three
inches in length. Alternatively, you could use a new dog bed bought at a store. A third
option could be a bed made out of a box or crate with three high sides, an open front,
and raised above the floor with the help of small legs or castors.
For a mattress, use one newly bought from a pet shop or some part of an old rug, folded
several times over, or a whole lot of shredded newspaper. Whatever you choose, be
careful to see that your Boston Terrier doesn’t chew it in nervousness or excitement. To
keep fleas at bay, fill up a burlap sack with cedar shavings. It will also keep your Boston
Terrier smelling fresh.
Whether you use a mattress or blanket for your pet, air it out twice a week. The mattress
will keep him from catching a cold and also keep his hair from being worm off the back
of his legs. If you keep him sleeping on bare wood, this is bound to happen.

Setting up the bed: What’s the best place for your little Boston Terrier? The first
thing you must consider is the draft—you need to place his bed far away from the
draft. So, don’t set up his bed in the basement, or at the top of the stairs or next to a
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radiator. Instead, if you have a large kitchen, a secluded corner of it is good enough.
At the site of his bed, make sure there isn’t any roach or rat poison or anywhere near
where he can reach out and take some. One more thing: make absolutely sure that the
garbage can isn’t near the pup so that he doesn’t climb into it.
Once you’ve got his bed’s specific location right, you need to fence off a small part of it
where you can conveniently place his drinking water bowl. This should continue until
your Boston Terrier is completely housebroken.
With his bed and water bowl laid out correctly, now spread newspapers all over the floor
to serve as his temporary toilet.

Introducing him to the family: You’ve held him in your arms, so you know how
fragile he is. Now that you are about to introduce him to a whole host of strangers,
you must expect him to be frightened and bewildered—first by so many human
beings and in strange surroundings.
Take him out of the box gently, avoiding picking him up by the nape of his neck or by his
two front legs. Instead, place one hand under his chest and front legs, with the other
between his hind legs and under his belly. Now, allow him to rest on his forearm against
your body, so that he stays safe. Hold him down firmly so that he doesn’t wriggle.
Sit him down on his bed. Slowly, watch him get up and wander around his corner,
sniffing at the newspapers. Let him stand on them until he urinates. Now, leave him to
sniff around and explore the rest of the house, but watch that he doesn’t break anything or
get mischievous.
It’s still too early to pick him up or pet him. If your family crowds around him, clicking
their tongues or making loud noises, discourage it immediately. But yes, watch him
carefully; talk to him in a low voice, assuring him everything is fine.
If you like, you could even give him a toy, say an old rag knotted together or a hard
rubber bone, and let him play with it for a while. Once that is done, give him a little water
to drink and some food he is familiar with. If he prefers to go to sleep after that feed, let
him. This means he is adjusting to his new home.
Never mind how comfortable you’ve been trying to make him comfortable. His first night
will be miserable for you and for him. He will whine, cry and howl all through the night,
being homesick. And listening to it, you won’t be able to sleep. If the world seems like a
dull, dark place, wait till the morning. He’s sure to feel better in the morning.
Hold him in your arms and comfort him a few times. But don’t do it so often that he gets
the impression that this is acceptable behavior. Instead of reaching out to him at night, try
these tricks:
16

Fill an old-fashioned earthenware jug with hot water. Cork it absolutely tightly and
wrap it in an old bath towel. Now, place it in a corner, near his bed. He will gravitate
towards it and curl up next to it, remembering his mother’s warm body. If you don’t
have a jug, you could use a warm brick but don’t use a hot-water bottle as he may
chew the rubber and get scalded by the hot water.

If the above method doesn’t appeal to you, take an alarm clock and place it under his
blanket or mattress. The ticking of the clock will sound like his siblings’ hearts
beating, and will soon comfort him.

Despite this, if you hear him cry, let him sleep in your room, away from the draft for
a couple of nights. This should accustom him to his own bed and he will soon learn to
sleep there all by himself. But if he howls once more, be firm with him and let him
howl till he tires. If your family complains, assure them this won’t recur.

Your Boston Terrier’s first few months with you: In his first few months with you,
you’re going to go through a whole gamut of experiences as he grows from
puppyhood into a youngster. Right from bedwetting and chewing, this hungry little
animal will be part of your daily routine and will always occupy your mind.
It’s important that you never become frightened or nervous, lest you forget anything. If at
all you forget to feed him once, give him a dose of cod liver oil. Even if he’s hungry, he
won’t be sick. But if you habitually forget such things, it will only result in your pup
growing up into a weakling.

Give him a name: Give him a short name. If you teach him his name correctly, he
will learn it in a couple of days. Let any one person in the family teach him his name.
Reinforce it as many times as you can so that it registers in his mind. When he comes
to you, reward him with a biscuit, fuss over him, call him by name every time you
praise or reward him or each time you scold him.
Don’t shout at him since your pet’s hearing is louder than ours, so he will know at a
lower pitch whether you are praising him or not from the tone of your voice, rather than
its pitch. Besides, remember your pet is still a pup, so even a loud voice can frighten him.
Now, if you find that he comes to you when you call his name, stop giving him the
biscuit as a reward. As you see him grow, you can safely put him through Obedience,
Agility, Flyball, Therapy work and even Weight pulling. See him excel at them.
 Introducing your Boston Terrier into a cat household: When you bring in your
pup into a cat household, there are many individual personalities you have to deal
with. But you can make life smooth and pleasant for all your pets if you follow these
basic guidelines:

Teach your pup some basic commands, even though you might not have the
opportunity to train him before bringing him home. Otherwise, begin obedience
17
training with your new dog on his first day. Teach him to respond to “Sit,” “Down,”
“Stay,” “Come,” “Leave It” and “Say Hello.”
If you change your cat’s living arrangements a few days before the pup arrives, it helps
the cat a lot. Your cat’s food and litter should be out of the way. Keep him in safe places
such as counter tops, shelves, etc. If you have a kitty door to a room in the house where
the cats can go and not be bothered by the dogs that would be great. This door acts as a
safe refuge without your worrying about baby gates.
Give your cat free access to the house as before. Once your dog has explored the house,
limit him to his part of the house. Now, let the cat smell all the places that the pup has
been to in the house, under the door, etc. Then, pet the dog and let him lick your hand,
then let the cat smell your hand.
Don’t organize a meeting of the two, because at times, it takes hours or days before the
dog even sees the cat. But all meetings should be supervised at all times because your cat
could bang the dog on his head or nose or even claw him. Take his mind off this by
playing with him. Your cat’s banging him on the head is not a bad thing—he’s just trying
to establish who’s the boss. Don’t pay any attention to the cat’s behavior, but give the
pup all yours.
By teaching your pup basic commands, it is easier to control a face-off between your two
pets.
 Rearranging your house for the new Boston Terrier:
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Take a blanket your kitty has slept on so that the pup may smell it. Your cat can now
do the same with the pup’s cloth or soft toy. If the cat hisses in response, think twice
about bringing the dog into your house.
Demarcate safe areas for your cat so that he doesn’t clash with the pup.
Now, bring the dog into the house and allow him to explore the house for 30 minutes.
Then tie him up in a room with a supervisor for company. Now, let the cat go around
the house and sniff out the pup. Bring the cat to the closed door where you’ve tied up
the pup and let him sniff under it. If the cat runs away, let him. Acceptance will come
slowly so don’t force it.
Now, let the dog out and let them both be together. Hold the cat tightly so that he’s
looking over your shoulder. Now, let the dog have a quick sniff of the cat’s tail. Call
out the cat’s name and then the dog’s. Now, the dog accepts the cat as family and vice
versa.
Make the pup responsible for the cat. Explain to him that he has to look after kitty.
Use the cat’s name as often as possible so that it registers in his mind.
Feed both at the same time in places near each other. This habit of eating near each
other can lead to a bonding between them.
Don’t punish the cat for his actions unless he’s violent with the pup.
If the pup lunges, pounces or chases the cat, call out the “Leave It” it command, yank
him away from the act and then praise him for “Leaving It.” Give him a food treat.
18
 Introducing pup to adult:
In order that the pup’s stay is risk and stress-free, here’s what you can do:
 Separate them at feed time, while giving out treats and toys.
 Do crate training with him, but don’t give him the run of your house until he’s
absolutely ready for it.
 Don’t leave them alone together until he is about four months old and they seem to be
getting along fine.
 Spend individual time with each dog away from the other and out of the house, every
day. Reduce this after a while but keep it up. Bonding with human beings is important
to all dog pets.
 Reward both dogs together as this builds up team spirit. Occasionally, you will of
course reward the one who is right and good, and not the other. But if the other one is
nearby, reward him too.
 If both dogs are with you, pay attention to both of them. Talk to them equally.
If you take the pup to training class and teach him good manners, you’ll be able to control
him better and your elder one will adapt to him faster and better.
 Introducing your Boston Terrier to your other pets:
Usually, dog lovers are animal lovers. So, if you are an animal lover, you will have to
introduce your pup to your other dogs, cats, birds, and various other animals.
Not all animals can share the same space with others. If you consider the characteristics
of the pup and the pets you have, you can spare all your pets injuries, expenses, and other
often highly unpleasant consequences of putting incompatible animals together.
19
Chapter 4
Finding a good breeder
Before meeting with a good breeder, you have to ask yourself whether you want a show
quality pet or a domestic one, male or female, pup or adult.
Pet or show quality: Boston Terriers are primarily companion dogs but can also be
bred as show pets. But if your breeder has “pet quality” Boston Terriers, it means that
he does not intend breeding them but spaying or neutering them before putting them
up for sale as house pets or companions. This could be because this particular pup
does not meet the Boston Terrier standard, due to a fault or two in its genetic makeup.
If you are looking for a show quality Boston Terrier, you
need to work hard on your basics. Begin by attending conformation shows and back it up
by meeting your breeder and allowing him to scrutinize you as a potential pet quality
owner. To ascertain your commitment to this, he will ask you a wide number of searching
questions before he decides that you do have all the qualities of a committed buyer or
owner.
So much if you intend raising a show quality Boston Terrier. Of course, if you want a
house pet, these conditions don’t apply to you. With all this in place, it’s time to decide
whether you want a pup or an adult. That’s an easy decision, isn’t it? No matter what you
choose, here’s what you would look for:
Healthy pups: You probably don’t know that the hallmark of a good breeder is that
he does not breed more than three to five different breeds. As a result, the pups he
raises are healthy, without any nasal or optic discharges, with pink gums. A good
breeder will also have him take a series of shots before he is sent to his new owner at
age 10-12 weeks.
CERF certificates: A good breeder will have the vision of both parents of your
prospective pup tested with certificates from The Canine Eye Registration Foundation
(CERF). This will tell you if at the time of the examination, your pup’s parents
suffered from any eye disease.
Though these are proof of the fact that both parents had undergone an eye exam, yet its
validity is just for a year. So, when you check the pup’s records, look for a recent date on
these certificates. Having said that, it is equally possible that your pup may develop an
20
eye disease in the future, say juvenile cataracts, which are so common among pups, and
may show up when he is between four and seven years of age.
These are very critical yeas in the life of a pup as at this age, a professional breeder sets
out to breed it. Therefore, the question this raises is of the validity of the CERF
certificate. What is its scope and how far reliable is it?
A CERF exam can prove that a test had been undergone. Second, it can also point to
certain potential disease carriers, which can serve to help the breeder decide whether or
not to breed him or not. In so doing, the breeder maintains quality standards.
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA): If your breeder has had the hips of
your pup’s sire and dam X-rayed to check for possible hip dysplasia, then you’ve got
yourself a good breeder. Once this is done, your pup’s parents will be then sent on to
the OFA to be further evaluated by three vets.
If they are found to have badly formed hip sockets and heads of femurs, they don’t make
the grade. Conformity consists of three grades: Fair, Good and Excellent. If your pup’s
parents make the grade can be bred. Whatever the reading of the OFA, the reports are
held over till the pup is two years old. But your breeder can still show you the certificates
to check for hip dysplasia.
Testing for luxation or loose patellae: Besides all the above-mentioned tests, your
breeder will also have to get the kneecaps or patellae of the sire and dam examined
for luxation or a loose or ill-fitting kneecap.
Your breeder’s vet conducts this test. After this, a breeder sends the medical report by his
vet to the OFA who will issue the breeder a certificate of passing patellae. This is
necessary as a breeder must be able to prove to the prospective buyer that either the pup
is in good health or that he suffers from certain problems with his patellae. If you happen
to be dealing with a breeder who knows nothing of this test, you should not continue to
deal with him.
Although this test gives you an indication of the health of the pup and his ancestors, it is
no guarantee that in later life he will not develop any problems in the patellae. But with
this foreknowledge, at least you can minimize the problems. With DNA tests being
conducted now, this problem of recessive genes and the recurrence of diseases that it
causes can be eliminated from the breeding stock.
Neutering or spaying your pet: By spaying your pet, your breeder ensures the purity
of the breed by preventing it from breeding with lesser pedigreed dogs.
The fine print--registration certificates and other paperwork: At the time of
handing over the pup to you, your breeder should also give you the relevant AKC
registration documents. But be careful, because there are some good breeders who
21
will hand you these papers only after your pet has been spayed. Even if this is so, you
could still examine the documents before taking the pet home.
While vetting the papers, check to see if your breeder’s name is mentioned as Breeder or
Owner. Usually, the AKC recognizes the owner of the dam as its breeder. But if you
haven’t bought your Boston Terrier from an official breeder, then obviously you’ve been
dealing with a broker.
The need for a contract: Your breeder should give you a contract that proves the
need to spay or neuter your prospective pet. On your part, the contract will oblige you
to maintain the pet in the best possible manner. If the breeder finds that you are not
following the dictates of the contract in raising the pet, he has the right to take the pup
back from you. Or you could also return it to him if you find you can’t look after it
due to a genuine difficulty.
If you’ve bought a show quality pup, you and the breeder are its co-owners. This means
that you both mutually agree on questions of its breeding, the choice of his mating partner
and the conditions under which the litter will be placed.
These contracts, though detailed and stringent, are skewed in favor of all of you—the pet,
the breeder and you. Before you put pen to paper, read it thoroughly and discuss with the
breeder wherever you are in doubt.
What registration papers are all about: The American Kennel Club (AKC)
certifies the parentage of pups with proper documents., thus also certifying your
Boston Terrier’s genetic purity. In theory, these registration papers guarantee that the
pup you’re in the process of buying is from the bloodlines noted on them—an
important factor for you, should you decide to get into breeding.
If you know the kind of dogs that has been registered and its pedigree, you can easily
foretell your pup’s future and character as an adult. The AKC, on its part, however does
not require any proof of the parentage reported on the papers. All it requires is the
signature of the owners of the sire and dam, often the same person. Therefore, the
accuracy of these papers from the AKC finally, only points to exactly how ethical the
breeder is. Fortunately, most breeders are honest and well meaning.
The practical use of AKC papers also extends to show dogs that participate in AKCrecognized conformation shows. These AKC-recognized puppies are far more expensive
than non-papered ones, due partly to the quality and show-worthiness of registered pups
and to snob appeal.
See the parents on the Net: If your breeder has raised the parents of your pup, then
you could very easily get their histories and snaps on the Net. But usually, a breeder
will own either parent, not both. But this shouldn’t worry you.
22
After all, you could still ask all the niggling questions that have been bothering you about
the sire or dam that the breeder doesn’t own. Ask to see that parent, though this may be a
little difficult, especially if she’s just delivered a litter.
Waiting to take your pup home: Considerate breeders wait for their pups till about
nine to 12 weeks before they put them up on the market, that should be the age at
which you would bring home your new pup.
Now that you’ve got everything sorted out—right from a spot in your house to the
paperwork, go out and get your pet. And yes, good luck!
 Are you dealing with a good breeder? How are you sure you’re dealing with a good
and responsible breeder? Being a first-timer to this field, you’re probably unaware of
how it functions. So, you need to have an inkling that the breeder you’re with means
business as much as you do. If he is a committed breeder, he will give you only the
healthiest, best socialized and a joy among pets to select from.
Having said that, what are the qualities of a good breeder? Don’t underestimate a breeder
if he tells you that breeding is a passion and he’s in it because he loves it. He’s as
committed as a professional breeder and in fact, you can be sure he knows everything
about the breeds he keeps, their behavior, health problems, individual faults and are
genuinely committed to their breeds of dogs, though they aren’t necessarily into this line
solely for the money. Such breeders are dog lovers, rather than businessmen and I think
that says a lot more about them than merely being professional.
 Who is a good breeder? If your breeder displays any or all of the characteristics
given below, he’s a good breeder:
 Sells dogs solely by contract in which the breeder’s healthy policy in terms of health
guarantee, refund or return policy and the rights and duties of the owner and breeder
are clearly spelt out
 He offers you support with your new pup, and will be happy to take it back if you
cannot look after it or abide by the terms of the contract
 He is knowledgeable about the breed you’ve bought, including its individual faults,
the diseases it could contract and its strengths and weaknesses
 He can present you with the history of your pup’s sire and dam, their photographs and
other details or even the parents in person
 He will go to great lengths to ensure that you are a genuine buyer and pet lover and
that with you, his pup has found a good home
 His kennel, you will find, is extremely clean and hygienically maintained
 At no time in your many interactions will he ever show his impatience to your
questions or doubts, and will answer you patiently and thoroughly even on
fundamental questions pertaining to the breed you are interested in purchasing
 He will be only too happy to show you around his kennels so you can see at close
quarters just how he keeps his pets and the standard that you would have to maintain
 Though he is happy to show you his pups, he will not allow you to touch any of them
lest they fall sick
23
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When he is convinced you are indeed a genuine buyer, he will let you touch his pup
He will be more than just conversant with the history of the pup back to several
generations in order to understand its individual personality and health problems,
besides also conforming to AKC standards
 What a breeder actually does: To be recognized as a good and responsible breeder,
one must work hard to meet the standards laid down for each breed so that they are
considered unique. The breed must therefore be unique in size, body shape, shape of
the ears and tail, and its angle. The breeder’s kennel should be full of healthy dogs,
with as few genetic flaws as possible, and certainly fewer than his parents. He must
also maintain records of each breed he has sold all through the pet’s lifetime. When
the dog dies, he will also need a cause of death report.
 Choosing your breeder: As a buyer, you are sure to choose your pet with a lot of
care. Breeders show the same amount of care when they choose their buyers. By way
of sifting the wheat from the chaff among buyers, a breeder will often start the
process of selecting a buyer by asking you, his potential purchaser, whether you have
any experience with looking after a dog.
He may then ask you if you have any knowledge about the breed you are interested in
buying, the size of your family and your lifestyle. He will also be interested to know if
you have children, and their ages. With these questions and more such, your breeder will
ascertain whether you are capable of taking care of his pup or not.
On a visit to his kennel or dog farm, you will see a number of dogs, each in its own clean,
airy and dry kennel. He certainly won’t over breed because he is not sure who will look
after his pup with as much care and attention as his pups deserve. Besides, being a
responsible breeder, he will breed his pups only when its parents are two years old or
slightly older, and after examining their faults or genetic flaws.
Being a fulltime and dedicated breeder, he will also belong to known and recognized
breed clubs at local, state or national level. These professional affiliations can benefit him
not just by keeping him abreast of newer methods of producing the best strain of pups but
also industry news updates. He will also enter his dogs into various competitions such as
licensed dog shows, obedience trials, herding trials, field trials, tracking events and sled
dog racing competitions.
A breeder’s life is indeed very hard. He must work hard to mate his pups with the best
partners. To do this, he has to ensure that both dogs meet the age criteria, are healthy,
intelligent, socialized and are trained to be what Nature designed them to be—whether
hunters, herders, protectors or companions. Usually, he will also have to travel
extensively in search of the right partner for his dog.
After the dog couple has mated, it is the breeder’s duty to give the female a good
environment during her pregnancy. He stays by her side while she gives birth and for a
few days after it. Then, he takes on the job of socializing each pup of the new litter before
24
a customer can consider each one. Then, as he did with you, be meets purchasers, asks
them in-depth questions about their experiences with raising dogs, the breed that interests
them and lets you know if he wants to sell to you.
Since he knows his breed well, he will also maintain extensive breeding records and
veterinary history. He will offer you a written guarantee of health on every pup he sells to
you. And, if you need his help or advice, you can certainly get in touch with him. Of
course, this attracts a sizeable fee—for all the effort and hard work he puts in at each
stage of the process. It will also depend on how rare your choice of breed is, where you
live and whether you have any special emergency needs. If he overcharges you, you can
put him down to being a greedy breeder.
 Questions for the breeder: Before buying the pup, even you are entitled to ask the
breeder as many questions as you want to. Remember to ask the following questions:
 How old is this one?
 Do you know his parents? Are they with you and can I see both of them?
 Would you have written records of his ancestry?
 Does he come from a family of champions?
 Does he come with any genetic faults or are his parents and grandparents healthy?
 Has he been given all his shots punctually?
 So far, which ones has he been given?
 Can I see a record of the shots given?
 Who is his vet? How often does the vet check on him?
Your breeder will be in a position to answer all your questions and clear your doubts
about your prospective pup, besides also giving you tips on raising him right and giving
him a good diet and training. Of course, be sure not to buy a pet from anyone you meet at
a party or elsewhere but at a kennel, nor should you buy a pup from brokers.
 How to select your own healthy puppy: First, ensure you have picked up a healthy
pup. By the time he is eight months of age, you should have given him at least one of
his shots for distemper, parvo, hepatitis and para-influenza, besides also taking a
minimum of one dose of de-wormer. Now, check if your pup conforms to the
following:
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Is he alert and playful?
Has he been socialized?
Does he come across as being bold and confident?
Do his eyes shine brightly without any discharge streaming down?
Do you find any nasal discharge?
Does he have clean skin and ears?
Does he have pink gums and well-aligned teeth?
Is his body proportionate, on the whole?
Does his coat glisten? If you jingle your keys in front of him, does he respond
immediately and correctly by turning in the direction of the sound?
25
You’ve gone this far with a breeder and not regretted. So here’s a word of advice: don’t
retrace your steps by entering a pet shop and buying that cute pup in the window. That
pup may have come from an animal shelter, and even you know that one can never be
sure of the quality of such pups. Instead, do your homework before buying a pup that
suits your purse, family and temperament.
 Let your pup choose you: When the breeder shows you a few pups, let the one that
is bold and adventurous enough come forward to you. This is the one for you, as
obviously, he likes you. So, take him home. But remember, pups can be timid too, so
just because he doesn’t come forward to you doesn’t mean he’s not right for you. He
may lack initiative but don’t be quick to judge them—sometimes, individuals take a
little longer than others, so play fair. Timidity can also mean that the breeder hasn’t
thoroughly socialized him, either out of crass neglect or plain ignorance.
If he hides in a corner or hides his tail between his legs, he isn’t right for you. Besides,
taking on the job of bringing him out of his shell is an onerous task, as at this stage, you
don’t know anything about his regressive genes. But it is a known fact that a shy pup
grows into a shy adult who is so unpredictable that he can snap at anyone anytime for any
reason, if only out of fear.
If your pup is confident and positive, he will display these traits by wagging his tail at
you, being friendly, trusting and curious. He will sniff your feet; pull at your shoelaces
and even try climbing up your legs. If he is playful with you and his siblings, it speaks a
lot for his confidence.
For best results, choose neither the boss of the gang nor the wallflower but a goodnatured, good-looking, adaptable kind that neither barks nor bites. To check his vigilance
levels, clap your hands, shuffle your feet or click your tongue. Does he move towards
you? If he isn’t nervous but is a cheerful sort, take him home. Because if he’s nervous or
dull, e will always be shy and scared.
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Chapter 5
How to select a Boston Terrier
By now you know that the Boston Terrier was bred way back in the 1800s in Boston to
fight. But today, two centuries later, this breed is “an indoor lover” by nature and likes to
play with adults and children alike.
 Choosing a Boston Terrier: There are several parameters of selecting a Boston
Terrier. Here they are:
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If you’re looking for a friendly and intelligent dog that gets along well with everyone,
look no further than a Boston Terrier because this breed loves children, strangers and
other animals. But be careful as he may sometimes prove to be very aggressive to
other dogs. It could also be that due to your Boston Terrier’s cheerful personality, he
may not be the best of watchdogs, but this may be just an individual problem rather
than a breed characteristic.
He’s right for you if you live in an apartment and he is indoorsy, so a smaller home
would suit his temperament fine.
Expect to include your fun-loving pet to be part of all your family celebrations.
Though your Boston Terrier can be trained quickly due to his intelligence, this breed
is also known for its stubbornness. So this could result in this breed being difficult to
housebreak, though by and large they are housebroken by age eight months.
A purebred Boston Terrier can cost anything between $300 and $1,500 or more if he
is genetically tested or comes with full registration for breeding and showing.
If there are health guarantees attached to the pet of your choice, you need to speak to
the breeder about them.
Now, examine your pet’s features carefully. Does he look alert, energetic and
intelligent? Is his body dense and solid with a short, flat, wrinkle-free head? If his
coat is short, brindle, seal or black and white, he’s worth taking home.
Bear in mind that your Boston Terrier could contract health problems such as
cataracts, hypothyroidism and skin tumors. This will naturally involve expensive
treatment procedures, but before you buy, ask the breeder what screening has been
done.
Is your breeder a member of breed, specialty or obedience clubs? Check out his
credentials very carefully. Also, ask for breeder’s references to make sure he isn’t a
puppy mill (a kennel where pups are bred solely for money rather than without any
consideration for the breed). Check for health problems of the breed and the
individual pup before breeding. Ask also to see the mother of your pup.
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Chapter 6
Keeping your Boston Terrier healthy
Overall, the Boston Terrier is quite a healthy breed, but, this breed too like many others,
is prone to specific health problems. While some of them are congenital, others are the
result of the breed’s anatomy and behavior. With this in mind, we endeavor here to put
before you all the health problems that Boston Terriers are known to suffer from, so you
are prepared for what may happen some time in future to your very own Boston Terrier.
Owing to their short noses and dark, short coat, Boston Terriers are very susceptible to
heat prostration. To prevent this, they must be kept indoor for as long as possible as
indoor pets, and far away from extremes of weather. While your Boston Terrier may
prefer to be bundled up in a warm sweater in very cold weather, others of the breed may
enjoy the nip in the air. Due to their sensitivity to heat and their reputation as escape
artists, you would be wise not to leave him unattended while in the backyard.
Again, due to their short noses, they suffer from chronic health problems such as cardiac
or respiratory difficulties. They could also suffer injuries in the eyes, have occasional
problems such as long soft palates, stenotic nares, luxating patellae or ill-fitting kneecaps,
hemivertibrae and cataracts.
If you haven’t removed your Boston Terrier’s dewclaws, it may result in painful tearing
while playing. Vets should take special care while administering anesthesia while for
surgical procedures; faster-acting isofluorane is recommended for this breed.
Medical problems your pet may face: As with most other breeds and species, the
Boston Terrier too suffers all kinds of medical problems in different parts of its body.
These are:
 Eyes: The large and prominent eyes of a Boston Terrier are his lures. However, they
are prone to injury. Your pet can very easily contract corneal abrasions and ulcers that
may be slow to heal or, at times, require surgery. When a Boston Terrier tries to get
friendly with a cautious feline, it can result in what is commonly called cat scratch. If
your Boston Terrier is injured with this, it can prove very harmful to his eyes as it can
puncture the cornea and bring in bacteria directly into the eye.
Though the puncture is almost invisible, yet the eye is usually very painful and will
eventually turn cloudy. If not treated immediately, the whole eye will develop a swelling
and blister and later, your pet may also lose vision. If a cat scratch accompanies your
dog’s eye injury, have your pet treated with a combination of oral and topical antibiotics
and anti-inflammatories.
Your Boston Terrier’s large and protruding eyes are prone to corneal ulcers and eye
trauma, while its skull size often calls for Cesarian sections in pregnant females.
28
 Cataracts and Juvenile cataracts: Yes, it’s true; your Boston Terrier can get a
cataract. Your pet can contract a cataract due to several reasons, but the commonest
form is the genetic, inherited type. Here, the age of onset and severity vary from
breed to breed.
However, a cataract may also develop due to trauma to the eye, relating to metabolic
diseases such as diabetes, from nutritional disorders during puppy hood, or as a result of
other eye diseases. A cataract may also develop spontaneously in old age, but should not
linked with nuclear or lenticular sclerosis, an aging change that is commonly seen in the
canine lens but does not cause blindness.
A cataract could also result from exposure to certain drugs, toxins, concentrated
microwaves, radiation or due to electrocution. It could also cause degrees of vision
impairment and may eventually cause blindness in your pet.
Among cataracts, the commonest is the Juvenile Cataract that can be detected by a vet
when the pup is just eight weeks old. It can lead to total blindness by the time your
Boston Terrier reaches two years of age. This is an inherited eye disease and is autosomal
recessive, meaning that both sire and dam of your pup must have been carriers of the
gene, and therefore, should not be bred.
Your Boston Terrier could be afflicted by other kinds of cataracts either as a result of
injury, diabetes or little-known hereditary factors.
CERF exams conducted by veterinary ophthalmologists can help screen pups and
breeding animals to ascertain such abnormalities. Cataract surgery can go a long way in
helping your Boston Terrier with a full-blown cataract.

o
o
o
o
o
o
Symptoms:
Bluish, gray or white color change inside the eye
Your Boston Terrier tends to bump into things, his vision being unreliable
Reluctant to climb stairs
Is unsure of himself in unfamiliar environments
Inflammation of the eye accompanied by pain
Squinting
 Diagnosis: Diagnostic tests help to recognize cataracts and exclude the possibility of
other diseases. These tests include:
o A complete physical examination and medical history recorded
o A complete eye examination by a vet ophthalmologist
o Complete blood picture to determine any underlying causes
o An ultrasound examination of the eye to check if the cataract is too opaque to allow
examination of the retina
o Possibly an electro-retinogram to evaluate the function of the retina, especially if the
cataract blocks visualization of the retina
29
o CERF exams conducted by veterinary ophthalmologists can help screen pups and
breeding animals ascertain such abnormalities
o Cataract surgery can go a long way in helping your Boston Terrier with a full-blown
cataract
 Treatment: No medical treatment exists to reverse, prevent or shrink cataracts.
Hereditary cataracts, not due to or accompanied by other eye diseases, may be
surgically removed. But if your Boston Terrier’s cataract is linked with any other eye
disease such as inflammation (uveitis), it can only be removed surgically after the
inflammation has been reduced. Underlying causes of a cataract such as diabetes
should be treated before treating the cataract.
Home care and prevention:
1.
Prevention lies in having your pet examined at the onset of the cataract to determine
whether it is hereditary or a secondary cause to any other condition.
2. Next, the vet will have to see if the cataract affects the eye by causing redness or
glaucoma.
3. Early evaluation and diagnosis by a vet ophthalmologist can lead on to appropriate
therapy for related problems and. From this, the vet can also determine if cataract
surgery is the right solution for your pet. For instance, if your pet’s cataracts are
inoperable, he may need help to adjust to his blindness.
4. In such a case, ensure you don’t shift the position of the furniture. Let him remain
either in your fenced yard or have him walk on a leash.
There isn’t much you can do if your pet is diagnosed with inherited cataract. All you
should do is to notify the breeder so that no more litters are produced from the same sire
and dam
 Cherry Eye: This condition of the eye refers to a prolapse or falling out of place of
the tear gland of the third eyelid. In such a situation, the tear gland in the middle
corner of the eye slips out of its fixed place swells and reddens. Red inflamed tissue
resembling a cherry sticks up from the inside corner of your Boston Terrier’s eye.
Though only a cosmetic abnormality, it can be very painful and irritating to the pet over
time and is also said to spread to the other eye. Though your Boston Terrier is as highly
prone to this problem as the Cocker Spaniel, at this point there is no conclusive evidence
that it is, in fact, a hereditary problem. “Cherry Eye” can be corrected by surgery, which
helps replace and sew the tear gland back where it belongs, or by surgical amputation of
the gland tissue.

Addison’s Disease: Also called hypoadrenocorticism, it refers to adrenal
insufficiency. It gets its name from its inventor Dr. Thomas Addison, who discovered
that this disease was due to tuberculosis. Now that the incidence of tuberculosis has
come down, Addison’s Disease is said to be caused due to an auto-immune reaction
in the body in which the body’s immune system erroneously produces antibodies
30
against the cells of the adrenal cortex and destroys them. This disease has symptoms
common with those of other ailments, making diagnosis difficult and delayed.
Other causes of Addison’s Disease include fungal infections, invasion of the adrenal by
cancer cells from other parts of the body, particularly the breast, CMV virus in
association with AIDS, the surgical removal of both adrenals and sometimes, a
hemorrhage into the adrenals during shock.

o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Symptoms:
Fatigue due to loss of cortisol and aldosterone secretion
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Low blood pressure leading to lightheadedness
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
Tremors or shaking due to weakness in the muscles
Irritability and depression
Craving for salty foods
Darkening of the skin
Pain in hind quarters

o
o
o
o
Diagnosis:
Tests for measuring the amount of cortisol and aldosterone in the blood and urine
An ACTH Stim test is the only definitive test for diagnosing this disease
Skin tests and X-rays
Check electrolyte levels
 Treatment:
o Since lack of cortisol and alsosterone form the basis of Addison’s disease, the basic
treatment is to replace these with similar steroids
o Cortisol is usually replaced orally by cortisone acetate or hydrocortisone tablets while
aldosterone is replaced by an aldosterone-like synthetic steroid, fludrocortisone
(Florinef)
o In emergencies or during surgery, hydrocortisone is given intravenously
o Minor illnesses in patients with Addison’s disease should be treated with extra salt
and fluids, particular if accompanied by fever, vomiting or diarrhea
o If the condition worsens or continues without abating, treatment in an emergency
room with intravenous saline and hydrocortisone is recommended
o Addison’s disease, being a chronic condition, requires daily replacement medication
o Follow-up treatment by regular visits to the physician for examinations, laboratory
tests and discussions about symptoms must continue
o Blood tests, including sodium, potassium, blood counts and plasma renin are very
useful in monitoring the response to adjustments in dosage
As the owner of an Addison’s disease patient, you should know that medication for your
pet is a lifelong measure. As long as you medicate him adequately, he will lead a crisis© 2004 -2011. www.boston-terrier-world.com
31
free life without any specific physical or occupational restrictions. But routine check-ups
by the vet are an absolute must.

Skin: Boston Terriers are susceptible to a few skin problems such as Demodectic
mange, caused by a tiny mite called Demodex that lives in the animal’s hair follicles
and can cause hair loss ranging from a mild bald patch to large tracts of baldness,
besides secondary bacterial skin infections in adolescent puppies or
immunocompromised adults.
Demodex can also show up in small patches of sparse hair growth or total baldness on the
face and legs but in some animals, it can spread so fast that it takes over the whole body.
This infection is common among Boston Terriers and should be viewed seriously if you
spot a thinning coat. If a vet conducts multiple deep skin scrapes of a few affected areas
of the Boston Terrier’s body, it can detect Demodex. Examining them under the
microscope can then follow this up, though it could sometimes be difficult to find.
If the infection is mild, it will heal quickly and will need very little or no treatment. But if
the mange spreads, use medicated baths, dips and antibiotics for a few weeks or months
to resolve the problem. In extreme cases, drugs such as ivermectin or interceptor are tried
out on the pet.
Demodex can be a major problem with older dogs where it is as debilitating as perhaps
cancer, or any dog medicated with cortisone. Not always, however, is Demodex
contagious between dogs. There are times when it may be passed from a carrier female to
her pups early in life or there may be a badly defined genetic predisposition to the
problem.

Mast Cell tumors or Mastocytomas: Yet another skin disease seen often in Bostons
is Mast Cell tumors or Mastocytomas. Recognized as raised, button-like skin growths
with raw pink surfaces, they are sometimes of irregular shape and outline. This is an
inherited skin disease from the breed’s earliest ancestors—the English Terrier and the
Bulldog. As the tumor develops, it can become raw and inflamed, and in time,
malignant and spread internally. As a rule, if you are in doubt about any skin eruption
or mass, it should be removed and biopsied.

Cushings Disease: This skin disease has widespread effects among Boston Terriers.
This results when an over-active tumor of the adrenal gland or of the pituitary gland
releases too much of cortisone-type hormone into the Boston Terrier’s system.
Alternatively, Cushings Disease is also due to an overproduction of a cortisone-type
drug administered in the form of prednisone pills and shots, or even cortisonecontaining eye drops or ear ointments.
The symptoms of this disease include a thin, poor hair coat, potbelly and increased water
intake and urination. Even if your pet suffers from Cushings Disease, you will still find
him cheerful, but if left untreated, this can ultimately cause diabetes mellitus or life
threatening blood clots. If checked in time, Cushings Disease is easily treatable.
32

Digestive tract: Occasionally, Boston Terriers are born with oral deformities such as
a cleft lip or hair lip. This is a cosmetic defect where the lips have not properly fused
in utero, thereby leaving a clear gap. By simple surgery, this problem can be
circumvented. The more difficult to set right is the problem of the cleft palate. Here, a
hole or fissure develops in the palate or roof of the mouth connecting the mouth and
nasal cavities.
This causes a problem of nursing as your Boston Terrier will not be able to take in food
and milk through the mouth but will have to be fed nasally, causing him to sneeze and
give off nasal discharge. You will find that your pup struggles to eat and, over time, grow
into undersized pets. Cleft palate is a difficult but not impossible problem that can be set
right surgically.
They also have a frail digestion if not fed their daily diets of good quality foods. This
gives rise to flatulence and intermittent gagging and vomiting, especially if they eat
unfamiliar food.

Hypothyroidism: This problem, controllable with medicines, can lead on to many
other problems. Before buying, ask the breeder if your prospective pup’s parents and
grandparents have a similar problem.
Luxating patellae: The single most common musculo-skeletal
problem among Boston Terriers is medially luxating patellae. In this condition, the
Boston Terrier’s kneecaps don’t stay in the groove of the patella that has been designated
for them, but tend to slip out of the groove and move towards the middle of the leg.
Mild cases of this are reflected in the Boston Terrier being lame on and off in one or both
rear legs. They might hold up their rear leg now and then, but they are not in any pain.
This is often a lifelong problem but can still smile through it.
In severe cases, the kneecaps or patellae are permanently displaced and skew towards the
inside of the knee and don’t function as they should, resulting in deformed hind legs and
a bowlegged walk in the rear legs. But this problem can be relieved with reconstructive
surgery.
To prevent this problem, the sire and dam of any Boston Terrier pup should have yearly
CERF certificates and should be screened for luxating patella.

Respiratory problems: Being short-faced or brachcycephalic, these pets sometimes
have problems of breathing when out in the heat or cold. They can also overheat if
faced with excessive heat. They may snore or drool, though whelping may be difficult
33
as the pelvis is narrow and a cesarean section brings these large headed pups into the
world
Heart and skin tumors are as common problems in this breed as eye diseases. Also
common, though a sign of bad breeding is a bone defect in the skull that leads to a
stunted brain growth, resulting in retardation in Boston Terriers. Being brachcycephalic,
they need to be fed small bites of food or they may choke on larger food particles. If
your Boston Terrier is in the best of health, he will willy-nilly be a loud breather and may
snore while sleeping.
Your Boston Terrier’s shortened muzzle is reason for this breed experiencing respiratory
problems. This is why trainers would be well advised not to use collar tugs to force him
into position. Instead, he should praise the pet, give him toys and treats and guide him
gently into position. The trainers should also go in for prong collars for even pressure
around the neck and less trouble on the trachea.

Reproduction: Boston Terriers are fertile and uninhibited from displaying their
sexual tendencies in public. But if you want to get into commercial breeding of the
Boston Terrier, let me warn you that you will always have to arrange for them to be
delivered by Caesarian section.
The pups usually have small litters of puppies with large blocky heads. The size of their
heads and the unusually small size of the dam often negate the possibility of having
normal deliveries. It is also difficult to determine if your Boston Terrier dam is
experiencing the discomfort of a normal delivery or whether she is going through
delivery problems. Rather than run the risk of losing pups from a prolonged and difficult
delivery, breeders usually set up Cesarian sections towards the end of the dam’s
pregnancy.

Kennel cough: This is the common name for Canine Infectious Tracheobronchitis,
though it is also known as Bordetellosis or Bordetella. Kennel Cough refers to the
coughing in the trachea (windpipe) and bronchi (within the lungs). It is an upper
respiratory disease brought on by several different viruses and bacteria. All dogs
contract this at some part of their lives. In a majority of cases the disease is not
serious in itself but can often lead to some dogs developing life-threatening
complications.
In fact, the term Kennel Cough is misleading, since this is not a disease contracted by
dogs that live in a kennel or have visited one. But typically, dogs pick up this disease
when they are at dog shows, training classes and vet clinics; with dog groomers, or are in
contact with other dogs when out on walks or while passing by them in the street.
 Causes: It is caused by several different viruses and bacteria, which include:
o Bordetella bronchiseptica (airborne bacteria)
o Canine parainfluenza (virus)
34
o Mycoplasma (an organism between a virus and a bacteria)
 Symptoms: Your pet suffers from kennel cough if he displays any of these
symptoms:
o Dry hacking cough
o Wheezing
o Retching
o Watery nasal and or eye discharge
o Lack of appetite
o Lethargy
o Fever

Treatment: The treatment of the disease depends on the severity of the case but can
include taking cough suppressants, antibiotics, bronchodilators and sprays. Your pet’s
bedding should be washed frequently and if your dog lives in a he dog is in a kennel
strict attention should be paid to the sufficient and regular ventilation ensuring fresh
air.
 Prevention: Vaccinate your Boston Terrier to avoid kennel cough.

Lyme Disease: A spirochete bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi causes your pet to
suffer Lyme disease. The bite of an infected tick helps transmit these bacteria to
animals, which then enters its bloodstream. The tick must lie attached to the pet’s skin
for a day before the bacteria can be transmitted. Once infected, your Boston Terrier
will not be able to transmit the disease to people.
Wingless, small, external parasites, called Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis), transmit Lyme
disease. However, the white-footed mouse is the carrier of this disease. When the Deer
Tick transmits the disease, it is a Hard Shell tick.

o
o
o
o
o
Symptoms: The symptoms of this disease are:
Lack of appetite
Lack of energy
Lameness
Inflamed joints
Swollen lymph nodes
Heart and kidney disease, and disorders of the nervous system may result from he
disease.

Prevention and control: Contrary to public opinion, Lyme Disease affects human
beings more than your Boston Terrier. Therefore, by using the right insecticides, it is
best to eliminate ticks by removing from your pet’s coat and from the environment.
You can then go on to combating the threat of ticks by reading all about it and its
lifecycle.
35
o
o
o
o
Controlling Lyme disease outdoors: This is a double-pronged effort where you will
have to control the growth and spread of ticks both on the dog and in the environment
—the yard and your Boston Terrier’s kennel. Here’s what you can do:
Clear all tall grass from the yard
Rake the ground and clear the brush
Spray insecticide in the area every month
Use insecticide in the Boston Terrier’s kennel

Controlling Lyme Disease indoors:

o Wash the pet’s bedding often
o Use insecticide in likely areas
o Apply insecticides on the edges of the wall and flooring because ticks crawl up walls
and straight surfaces
o Spray insecticides on cracks in windows or doors

Controlling Lyme Disease on your Boston Terrier’s coat:
o
o
o
o
o
Use tick control spray for selected areas
You can safely use dips to the entire animal
Wash him with tick shampoo all over his body
Tie a tick collar round his neck
Have him vaccinated against Lyme Disease

Removing the tick: Take care to remove the tick wholly as sometimes its head gets
left behind if you use too much pressure. Besides, if by using a pair of pincers to pick
up the tick from the body of your pet, you happen to squeeze it carelessly, it could
result in bacteria from the tick entering the Boston Terrier’s bloodstream. To remove
ticks from the coat of your pet effectively, follow the below given guidelines:
o Do not use your fingers to remove a tick, instead use a pair of tweezers or special tick
removal instruments
o Hold the tick as close to the skin of the pet as possible
o Have a steady but firm hand while pulling the tick out—don’t jerk or twist your hand
o Once the tick is out, let it soak in alcohol
o Save the tick for identification
o Swab the bite wound with antibiotic ointment
 Genetic diseases that affect your Boston Terrier: These include Megaesophagus
(an abnormality that gives rise to regurgitation of undigested food) and other
digestive problems, besides tumors, Cushings disease, thyroidism, unilateral or
bilateral deafness, heart problems, dermatitis caused by allergens, skin diseases,
neurological diseases, cataracts, skeletal diseases and urinary tract abnormalities.
36
To keep your Boston Terrier in the best of health, you don’t need to exercise him a lot but
take him on walks and play “Fetch!” with him often. Though pups have a lot of energy,
adults are mellow and love to laze around.
This breed is sensitive to anesthetics and chemicals and should never be casually
medicated or sedated. They don’t welcome any change in their diets as it develops gas,
diarrhea, and upset stomachs in them. As a pup, he needs to be given puppy food since he
won’t be able to process adult food, but once you find a brand type of food, it is better to
stick with it.

Other common ailments your Boston Terrier could suffer:







Brain: Hydrocephalus or water on the brain (congenital)
Ear: Aural haematoma
Mouth: Malocclusion or overshot or undershot jaw
Peripheral nerves: Brachial plexus tumor
Hereditary heart defects and deafness
Walrus puppies and swimmer puppy syndrome
Straight stifles, improper vertebra development and sinus proble
37
Chapter 7
If your Boston Terrier suffers from heart diseases
Heart diseases in animals, particularly your Boston Terrier, is pretty much the same as
what we experience. It may surprise you to find that dogs too suffer from heart disease,
but your Boston Terrier’s heart too is a mechanical-electrical pump of living tissue and is
as prone to biological hazards affecting cells as it is to the mechanical, stretching,
leaking, and electrical mishaps, pressure problems, clogs and disasters that affect non
living tissue.
Pet owners may detect straight off that their Boston Terrier suffers from diarrhea or skin
problems, being obvious, but few ever know that their pet is prone to heart disease. This,
however, comes to light when the vet conducts routine physical exams—and if he detects
it early in the pet’s stage of illness, then it could make a remarkable difference to his
health and long life.
This is why we recommend you visit your vet with your pet at least once a year. Then, in
case your pet coughs, wheezes, has very little energy, or suffers from edema, abdominal
bloat or shows signs of poor circulation, your vet will suspect heart disease.
Heartworm disease: This is the commonest type of heart disease and is frequently
detected long before obvious symptoms show up in routine testing.
 Taking your Boston Terrier to the vet: If you detect your Boston Terrier suffers
from heart disease, and you know that this has a lot of parallels with the way we
experience the same problem, then obviously you’d be looking for the same clues that
cardiologists would. These are being just a little tired or coughing after a spot of
exercise.
Just like your cardiologist, the vet too will put your Boston Terrier through a thorough
medical examination and carefully feel his heart and lungs, his pulse and the color and
nature of the mucus membranes. He will also check the tiny vessels in his eyes, palpating
the abdomen and perhaps recheck after exercise.

Symptoms: Although in the early stages of heart failure in dogs, they display no
visible signs, yet heart failure can be diagnosed through a clinical evaluation by a vet.
If your Boston Terrier experiences heart failure, his symptoms of this would be a
heart enlargement, coughing, lethargy and difficulty in breathing. Severe heart failure
is characterized by difficult breathing, even while at rest, fainting, profound
intolerance to exercise, loss of appetite and weight loss.
You would be interested to know that the Boston Terrier is known to suffer a heart base
tumor, while other dog breeds suffer other kinds of heart disease. Once your pet’s heart
disease is suspected, your vet will discuss with you and ask for some of the below given
laboratory and imaging alternatives to be taken. They are:
38
Elisa test: To eliminate the possibility of heartworm disease
CBC and Chemistry: To find out if the kind of heart disease suffered by your pet
is linked with other diseases such as kidney and liver diseases
Radiographs: To check if your Boston Terrier has developed an enlarged heart or
if it has tumors, or if his lungs are congested or whether he has developed fluid
around the heart
Urinalysis: Though this test doesn’t directly tell the vet anything specific about
the condition of the animal’s heart disease, it is necessary when the patient is
suspected of having heart disease. This is so because serious diseases such as
heart disease don’t occur in isolation but affects or is affected by other organs too.
So, a complete urine picture tells the vet whether the patient’s kidneys and
bladder are functioning well. It also tells the vet if the related organs such as the
pancreas, liver and gall bladder are in good health, besides also helping with the
vet’s assessment of tissue hydration
EKG: With the help of the reports of this test, the vet can rule out the presence of
cardiac blocks and arrthymias, problems of electrical conduction of the heart,
besides also indicating cardiac enlargement
Echo, Ultra Sound, Angiograms, MRIs, Cat Scans and other types of
Imaging: All this is now available in veterinary medicine, although usually a trip
to a specialist facility is necessary.

Treatment options: Take your pet to a heart specialist for heart disease, after your
vet assesses your pet’s case honestly. Apart from medication, he will also suggest
some of the following:
 Nutritional support: Give your Boston Terrier a nutritionally superior diet to
minimize cardiac problems.
 Lose weight: As all heart patients are advised to, so also your Boston Terrier will be
advised to lose any surplus weight.
 Control coughing and congestion: To control coughing and congestion, give your
pet Furosimide tablets. A diuretic, it will make him urinate and drink more water but
on the whole it will help him relieve the fluid content in his lungs.
 Improve cardiac functioning: Digoxin tablets are advised to improve the
functioning of his heart.
 Blood Pressure tablets: Ace Inhibitors such as Enalapril or Captopril help to dilate
the blood vessels and therefore greatly reduce the pressure on the heart. It would be
dangerous for him if he has a renal problem, so check for a blood report and an
urinalysis.
 Potassium or Multivitamins: This is necessary to replenish the level of potassium in
the body.
 Aspirin: Small doses of aspirin help clots from developing.
 Betablockers: These tablets help reduce the outflow obstruction common in heart
disease.
 CoEnzyme Q10: This neutriceutical helps improving your Boston Terrier’s cardiac
and vascular health.
39
 Frequent rechecks: You need to take your pet for routine checkups to see if the
medication is helping him or whether you need to readjust the doses prescribed
earlier.

How you can help your pet: To keep your pet alive and healthy, you will have to
first keep him well and then happy. To do these, ensure that he gets a certain amount
of exercise regularly and a balanced diet. Take proper care and vet advice to help
your pet grow and live well and healthy for the full span of his life.
40
Chapter 8
Do you have a deaf dog?
If you ever entertain the idea of adopting a dog, you should have at the back of your mind
the thought that you will adopt one with a lot of baggage. This baggage could be in the
form of a history of your Boston Terrier being abused in puppyhood, or has had difficulty
in being socialized or housebroken, has displayed aggressive tendencies or is perhaps shy
or fearful. He could also have mild or severe health issues that will persist with him all
through his life.
But what you adopt a deaf dog—how will you cope with that?
 Congenital Deafness: Congenital Deafness is a common breed-specific problem
among Boston Terriers. This is only because the so-called professional breeders are
not concerned about the genetic makeup and do not believe in making an investment
in their health. They look to making a quick buck while they can.
Among this breed, a defective gene causes this. Two pigmentation genes are often seen in
deaf dogs—one, the merle gene and the other, the piebald gene. This latter gene is often
seen in congenitally deaf Boston Terriers. Also examined among Boston Terriers is a
vascular degeneration in the ear canal, which seems to be linked with the absence of
pigment-producing cells in the blood vessels. Usually, within the first few weeks of birth,
deafness sets in.
If you notice blueness in either or both of your Boston Terrier’s eyes, this is pigmentassociated deafness. It means that the iris lacks the necessary pigmentation, thereby
causing deafness. However, blue eyes could also mean full or partial deafness in your
Boston Terrier if he is half “white-faced” or have large tracts of whiteness on his face.
 Myths associated with deaf dogs:




That congenitally deaf dogs are brain damaged: Nothing could be further from the
truth than that.
That your deaf Boston Terrier will be more aggressive than hearing dogs:
Unfortunately, there are no statistics to prove this but it is true that a combination of
fear and anxiety among deaf dogs does cause them to be aggressive, much more if
they are deaf. Of course, to be kind to your deaf pet, you should take care not to
startle him or to come up from behind him to pat him.
That your deaf pet will be especially good with kids: Whether deaf or not, Boston
Terriers are known to be good friends of kids, being caring, gentle and adventurous.
That your deaf Boston Terrier may or may not be able to compete in obedience
trials: Actually, there are several venues which allow deaf pets to participate, one
among them being the Agility Competition. Your deaf pet can also come under the
title of Therapy Dogs and, on this basis, can obtain a Canine Good Citizen Certificate.
41
That deaf dogs don’t lead full lives: They do, but need to learn to communicate using
your body language and hand signals or sign language. There are ways of looking after
him and you need to learn them, but remember to keep him on a leash always, preferably
a non-retractable one.
42
Chapter 9
Choosing a veterinarian
If you’re in the process of bringing home a pup, it’s also time you explored the market for
a good vet. Of course, you’d go about selecting a good vet in much the same way as you
would select a church: just go in and pay them a visit.
To begin with, ask your friends if they can recommend a good vet. If
they can’t come up with any names, check around with a few local kennels and catteries.
You’d be wise to ask around in your locality, as vets too don’t go beyond a five-mile
radius for clients. While asking around for a vet, be sure to make enquiries about their
fees.
Once you’ve finalized a few names, begin by ringing up the vet’s office and introducing
yourself on the phone. Instead of descending on him, call and mention that you would
like to go over and meet the vet and his staff. If you’re told that the doctor is in his
surgery and can’t be disturbed, have him call you when he is free.
You will soon find that vets, as a rule, are outgoing and sympathetic, and like to please
their patients and customers. If your vet is compassionate, he will stand within three feet
of you, give you the maximum amount of eye contact, and call you and your pet by name.
He will smile at you both, joke and stroke your pet. If you find your vet unhurried, don’t
try to rush him to finish examining your pet.
Next, you need to take a look around at the condition of the office. While you wait in the
reception room, take a look at the items on display. Do they prove that your vet takes an
active part in social and community organizations? Has he ever judged a science fair
competition? The signs and association membership boards signify how busy and
committed a vet he is.
Now, check if his rooms are clean and odor-free. See if his instruments have been
arranged methodically or whether they lie around haphazardly. You should also try to
interact with his staff. If you like your vet, you will also like his staff as usually vets try
to select staff of similar temperament. For instance, when you entered the vet’s office, did
the receptionist give you a welcoming smile and ask how she can help you?
While she attends to other people and phone calls, do you notice her telephone skills and
manner? If he has a lean staff, it means he doesn’t crowd up his rooms with patients—he
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gives his patients and himself space, he is, therefore, not money-minded. This also means
that he can spend enough time with you whenever your pet runs into a problem.
 See the vet when your pet is fine: Rather than using your vet hospital as an
emergency room, it is well worth going in there a few times with your pet if only to
acquaint yourselves with the staff there. You can back this up by setting an
appointment with the vet of your choice for a routine physical examination, though
nothing is apparently wrong with your pet.
Get your vet talking until you are able to see his working style and his manner with you
and your Boston Terrier. And when you do come in, bring in just one pet—not the whole
lot you might have at home. This is for two reasons—not only are all the pets difficult to
manage being in a new environment and all together; and secondly, it is equally difficult
for the vet to concentrate on any one pet.
When you are considering buying a pet, part of your recce should include the fact that the
seller allows you to have your vet do a pre-purchase examination to see if he is fit and
healthy. Often, since this test is not conducted, many pet owners are dismayed to find that
it is beset with health problems, leaving the former feel very cheated out of a good
bargain.
 If you’ve contacted the vet, you take your pet to him: What frustrates vets about
clients is that one member of the family calls to narrate a medical problem pertaining
their Boston Terrier, but when the vet calls him to his rooms with the pet, another
member of the family takes him there.
This leads to a whole vast series of miscommunication and veterinary frustration. for
instance, if you tell the vet your Boston Terrier’s been limping, and your sister takes him
to the vet. When the vet asks her which foot is injured, she looks blankly at him and
mutters, “I don’t know.” This upsets the vet a lot as they rely a lot on the symptoms that
we give them after observing our pets for some time.
 Ask to see the vet in the morning: To get the best out of your vet, always ask for a
morning appointment. As the day progresses, everyone tires, including your vet. If
you want a thorough medical examination for your pet, again a morning appointment
would be best. You should never come in for this as a late afternoon appointment nor
should you set a Saturday appointment, as Saturdays are very busy at an animal
hospital. Monday isn’t the best day of the week for you because the spillover of the
weekend is usually seen first thing on Monday mornings.
 List out questions to ask your vet: You can maximize the time spent with your vet
by going prepared with a battery of questions to ask him. Things get better when both
husband and wife discuss what needs to be asked and then one of them goes with the
pet to the vet. It helps the vet for one person to go to whom he explains the problem
and the treatment, rather than repeat himself to the one absent at the appointment
when she calls later to find out just what transpired.
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 Cut out all extraneous problems—stick to the main problem: Don’t make the
most out of your once-in-a-bluemoon visits to the vet by asking him a range of
questions about your vet. Instead, go often enough (say, once a month) to keep him
abreast of your Boston Terrier’s progress and so that he can spot and arrest any
problem just manifesting itself at the time. This works better both in your pet’s and
your vet’s favor as the former need not go through any unnecessary problems since
they were contained by the vet well in time, and the vet sees each problem that you
present him as a short bullet and sorts it out then and there, thereby pre-empting
major medical illnesses.
 Speak up, don’t feel intimidated by your vet: If you have a doubt, express it to
your vet. He’s bound to explain to you the problem as it really is. But if at the end of
his explanation, you find you have no questions, that could be either because you
haven’t understood him completely or you are extremely well versed with veterinary
medicine
Questions concerning your pet’s problem could force you to ask the vet whether this is a
common or uncommon condition. What could have brought it on? What is the worst that
could happen to your pet in this condition? If the problem was unchecked, what might
have happened? Ask if there are any articles on the subject that you could read.
 And what about costs? The cost of vet care in the United States is so high because
we have no third-party payers here. You should be prepared for vet bills in the region
of $300. Ask your vet or his assistant to chalk out a rough estimate of all costs that
you should be prepared to bear. Don’t forget to ask the vet what it costs to have him
come over for follow-up visits and who pays for extra medicines or treatment that
might be needed later.
There are less successful vets who offer “package deals”. Check with a number of vets or
vet hospitals on rates if your Boston Terrier is suffering from something small and easily
treatable. Prices are usually arbitrary with large differences due to facilities offered.
 It pays to be courteous: No matter how anxious you may be over your pet’s
sickness, you are still obliged to be polite with your vet and his staff. They are there
to help and serve you, so it would be a good gesture on your part if after your pet is
well again, you sent them a note of thanks, or a bouquet of flowers or a box of
chocolates. This always goes down well with those whose services you appreciate,
and ensures better service next time round.
 Spread the good word: If you are happy with your vet, it would help if you spread
the word around. Competition out there is fierce and ugly; so a few kind words could
go a long way to help your vet do even better in life.
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Chapter10
Vaccinating your Boston Terrier
To reduce the risk of disease in your Boston Terrier, it is best you have him vaccinated,
since so many diseases pets contract can be fatal. These diseases are usually transmitted
by contact with a virus or bacteria. As a pet owner, you have the choice of deciding
which canine vaccinations you would want your pet to be given.
Besides, it is mandatory in the United States for dogs to be vaccinated for rabies. Your
choice of vaccination will depend on the health of your pet, his lifestyle and environment.
Once you have this in place, you can go on to formulate a Vaccination Schedule.
In order to make a Vaccination Schedule, find answers to the following questions:
 At what age are the dogs most at risk from the disease?
 Are certain breeds of dogs more at risk from contracting disease than others?
 How easy is it to transmit the disease to other dogs?
 Can the disease be transmitted to people?
 Is there a high mortality rate associated with the disease?
 Will your pup’s lifestyle increase the risk of contracting the disease?
 What is the current health status of your dog? Does he require any medicines?
 Does your pup or dog have a history of being vaccinated?
 Puppy and dog vaccinations—core and non-core vaccinations: Since the time it
was decided to have individual immunization programs for dog and puppies,
vaccinations have been divided into two groups—Canine Core Vaccinations, which
are recommended for all dogs, and Canine Non-Core Vaccinations, recommended for
only those dogs who are at risk due to anticipated health problems or whose lifestyle
or environment causes it to fall sick.


Kinds of puppy and dog core vaccinations: These include vaccinations to guard
against Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), Hepatitis, Canine Parvovirus and Rabies.
There are combination vaccines such as the Four in One vaccine which includes
protection from the viral diseases of Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza and
Parvovirus.
Kinds of puppy and dog non-core vaccinations: These comprise vaccines against
Bordetella (Kennel Cough), Parainfluenza, Lyme Disease and Leptospirosis.
 How vaccinations work: Vaccinations work in a way that apes the process and
spread of the disease. When your pet is vaccinated, a weakened form of the virus is
injected into its body. This sets off the immune system into producing antibodies
whose duty lies in protecting the body against disease. The body can now rise to the
challenge of fighting the disease because it remembers the virus and so will protect it
from contracting this disease in future too. It will also produce the appropriate
antibodies too.
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
Vaccinations for your pup: Puppy hood is a very vulnerable stage when your pup is
prone to contracting various diseases, since their immunity is very low. At this stage,
pups absorb antibodies from their mother's milk intestinally, while still in the first few
days after birth. Fortunately, pups receive immunity from some diseases from their
mother before weaning, if she has been vaccinated.
Once weaned, pups need to be vaccinated, the moment they begin to eat on their own. If
the dam has recently been vaccinated, she will have enough and more antibodies in her
milk, which she feeds to her young. Over time, these antibodies dissipate, with higher
concentrations resulting in longer lengths of immunity. When the pup reaches a point
when there is no concentration of the dam’s antibodies present in the pup’s system, a
vaccination schedule is set up to protect the pup against various diseases.
If your pup has been vaccinated early in life, it means that his mother did not have many
antibodies in her milk; hence an early protection to the pup against disease was sought.
The pup is then vaccinated against Distemper, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, Hepatitis,
Leptospirosis Lyme and Rabies.
The rabies vaccination is repeated a year after the first vaccination and then every three
years. In case, your pup has been given rabies shots back to back about nine to 12 months
apart once, then subsequently, each time he is vaccinated, it will legally be once every
three years.
The vaccinations for the other viruses and bacteria, combined in one injection, are
repeated periodically. Your Boston Terrier pup must be vaccinated against Leptospirosis,
a spirochetal bacterium which is present in raccoon and skunk urine only in
Massachusetts and Connecticut, every year due to the duration of immunity from
bacterial vaccine is limited to a year.
But if your dog steers clear of getting into brackish, late summer alkaline pond water, you
need not vaccinate him against this organism. Yet again, to guard against another
spirochete, Lyme, it will be necessary to vaccinate your pup, as this will prevent him
from contracting this bacterium from small ticks. Lyme, being a disease of inflammation,
can be treated, but if left untreated can result in the death of the pet.

Which diseases to vaccinate for: You and your vet should discuss the vaccinations
to be given to your pup and its frequency. If talk of a Booster shot comes up, don’t be
alarmed. All it means is that you give a particular vaccine more than once. Since the
follow-up vaccines “boost” the immunity level of the pup, it stands to be better
protected from the disease and therefore the vaccine is called a “Booster shot.”
Often, most pups are given a combination vaccine, called a Multivalent vaccine, which
protects your pup against multiple diseases. This saves the pup from being injected over
and over again by giving him just one injection. A multivalent vaccine, DHLPPCv
combines the following into one injection:
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DHLPPCv: This stands for:
D: Distemper Virus: This is a dangerous viral infection.
H: Hepatitis: This viral infection is caused by two related viruses that affect the liver.
L: Leptospirosis: This bacterial infection severely affects the kidneys.
P: Parainfluenza: This virus, along with the Hepatitis virus, causes upper respiratory
infections.
P: Parvovirus: This severe and sometimes fatal virus damages the lining of the intestinal
tract.
Cv: Coronavirus: Similar to the Parvovirus, this can be very severe, but has a different
effect on the intestinal tract and is not fatal.

When to vaccinate: Before you go to the kennel to pick up your new friend, call
your vet and ask him to examine the pup once the deal is struck. While returning
home from the breeder, drop by at your vet’s rooms and have him see your pup. If
you can, take along your pup’s stool sample to check for worms. This will help rid
your pup of intestinal parasites, which, in turn, will increase his nutritional levels.
During the examination, the vet will examine your Boston Terrier pup’s medical or
vaccination history. If your breeder has already had him vaccinated and to your vet’s
satisfaction, then your vet will recommend when to come in for that “booster” shot. But if
he is yet to be vaccinated, your vet will suggest it be done right away. He may suggest
one or more of the vaccines to be given and suggest another visit.

Vaccination Schedule: Given below is a sample of a vet’s schedule of vaccinations
for pups. However, this may vary from vet to vet.
AGE
12 weeks
12-16 wks
16 wks
WHAT TO GIVE
Give the 3rd combination injection and possibly a
Lyme Vaccine inoculation. Repeat Lyme vaccine
two weeks later, then annually
6-7 weeks
Rabies vaccine
Give the last combination vaccine
Give 1st combination vaccine—Distemper,
Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, Coronavirus)
9 weeks
Give 2nd combination vaccine
The reason you must give your pup all these vaccinations is that he develops a good
antibody response to the disease. If you take his age and the level of immunity he has
received from his mother that will only complicate the “probability of protection.”
Instead, allow him to receive as much immunity as possible before the immunity his
mother has given him.
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Usually, pups are about six to 12 weeks old when they begin to respond to a vaccine. So,
this is a good age for your pup to be vaccinated at.


If your pup reacts to a vaccination: It’s possible that your pet has a reaction to a
vaccination. If your pup seems just a little tired or is slightly uncomfortable at the
spot where it was vaccinated, that’s a mild response to the vaccination. But he could
also feel some amount of hypersensitivity. If you’re not sure what to do in such a
situation, call your vet for advice.
Puppy skin complaints: The first sign of insurance against skin disorders is to be
sure that your pup’s dam is in good health and is parasite-free. To check if your pup is
ready to be part of the real world, see if he has been born with a good immune status,
if he takes in colostrums rich in passive antibodies from his mother and lives in a
clean, stress-free environment. Unfortunately, most pups suffer from a skin problem
no matter how clean their environment. Let’s take a look at these skin disorders:
 Juvenile Cellulitis or Puppy Strangles: Pups suffering from this have an
uncomfortable time with skin trouble at age five weeks. This may affect one or more
pups of a litter. Your pup, if affected by this skin disorder, will have large lymph
nodes, with swollen skin and wet, oozing sores.
The swelling is most prominent around the head, neck and ears Marked swelling is
usually most pronounced around the head and neck, while the ears are thickened, scabs
form and a thin fluid oozes out from the pathologic tissues. You could also see the skin
cracking open, the swelling being very severe.
Open sores testify the presence of bacteria and this takes us to the point where an immune
dysfunction is imminent. Instead of treating this with antibiotics, Prednisone, a cortisonelike drug, is good if given in larger than usual doses for a fortnight, tapering it off, as the
patient gets better.
Routine cleaning of the skin and hydrotherapy are also advised. Fluid therapy and
Vitamin administration are good if your pet is dehydrated or not eating well. Also helpful
is a high quality, meat-based diet. All pups will recover but permanent scarring; no hair
growth and changes in pigmentation are all signs of puppy skin disease.
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Chapter11
Behavioral problems
Don’t underestimate your Boston Terrier. If he has curiosity writ large all over his face,
and he wears a fierce, tough look, the combination could spell some fun for you, if you’re
game for it. Your Boston Terrier, you’ll find, is usually very happy to play a game of
fetch and can be just as happy nestling right next to you and enjoying a lazy time. They
make lively and loving friends, besides also being communicative in their own way and
protective of you too. No wonder they make for loyal companions and excellent
watchdogs.
If you socialize your Boston Terrier really well, you’ll find him gravitating towards your
kids very naturally. Of course, as with most pets, you shouldn’t really leave your Boston
Terrier unattended with babies or toddlers as an accident could easily occur.
If you use positive reinforcement, you can train your Boston Terrier very easily. Besides,
your pet also makes for a wonderful obedience competitor or companion for people with
a hearing problem.
 Typical Boston Terrier behavior:

Breathing and snoring: This breed resembles both its ancestor the bulldog and the
pug, and are known to be a brachycephalic breed. This refers to its wide, round head
with a very short muzzle, and an expression that says it “ran into a brick wall.” With
such an anatomy, it’s not surprising that your Boston Terrier suffers with having tiny
nostrils, long palates and a narrow trachea.
Due to this, your Boston Terrier causes noise while sleeping or snores. His snores can
annoy his master if he is a light or difficult sleeper, but on the other hand, if you are a true
Boston Terrier lover, you’ll love him especially just for this quality.

Reverse sneeze: This is one more Boston Terrier-specific problem that you, as an
owner, will have to contend with. Reverse-sneeze may sound like an asthma attack
but is the action of the dog sucking air back through its nose in order to clear his nasal
passages. As mentioned earlier, your Boston Terrier has an extremely short muzzle,
which results in him having breathing difficulty and wheezing. During anesthetic
procedures, he may be at greater risk and will perhaps be unable to bear the heat.

Digging: Did you know that the word terrier comes from the French word terre,
which means earth? The connection between this breed and the earth dates back to its
love to dig the earth. Your Boston Terrier, as you perhaps know, loves to dig under
fences, your lawn, Iris bed...you name it, he’ll dig there. Much as you might like to
put an end to this habit, I don’t think you can, because it’s really in his blood.
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Well, the good news is that if you can’t completely eliminate the problem from his
character, you could redirect it. That is, if your Boston Terrier can’t be bothered with
respecting all the effort you took to grow a beautiful garden, then give him his own yard
space to keep the way he wants to. If you like, you could even train your Boston Terrier
to dig the earth only in certain spots, e.g., an obscure corner of your yard where he could
soften the earth there with a shovel.
You could follow this up by planting chew bones and treats in this corner and point them
out to your pet. As your Boston Terrier finds his tasty chews sitting in the earth just for
him, he will soon learn to dig for tasty treasures only where he finds such yummy stuff.

Chewing: Literally, Boston Terriers need to “chew on” something while their minds
race on and on thinking of a whole range of things. So, it’s no wonder that they chew
just whatever comes their way. To avoid this, however, you could distract their
attention by giving them toys to chew instead of picking on your shoes, drip pipe or
socks.
Keep anything made of foam away from him as it is bound to disintegrate very soon.
Rolls of toilet paper can soon turn into miles of ribbons or even confetti if you’re not
careful. To keep them away from destruction, keep a large supply of rawhides, balls, tug
ropes around him. Not only will he love to play with these things but will enjoy himself
too!
If you have stuffed animal toys, they too will go the way of your toilet paper. To avoid
your home looking like it’s been struck by a hurricane, buy sturdy toys such as rubber
Kongs and stuff them with dog cookies or a little peanut butter to keep him licking them
and out of mischief. If you give your Boston Terrier crate training, you could avoid him
getting into a whole lot of mischief.

Aggression: You needn’t worry about the peaceful nature of your Boston Terrier—
he’s non-aggressive. In fact, his USP is his outgoing and genial manner. It is,
however, very rare that you find a hostile Boston Terrier who hates meeting people
and proves that by biting you.
In fact, when a Boston Terrier is ill-tempered and atypical, he develops an overbearing
attitude and behaves bossily to everyone around him, including his owners. If you want
him to get off your chair, why, this is enough to get him angry and snarling at you. So
watch that pup you buy.
True, there are occasional bad eggs everywhere and in every breed, but when you come
across a badly behaved Boston Terrier, you can, in all honesty, put it down to bad
breeding. Early in a pup’s life, he should be socialized and taught manners.
For instance, if not socialized completely or at all, your Boston Terrier would never
know how wrong it is for him to snap at you or growl when you try to take his food bowl
51
away from him. Occasionally you might see this as cute or a sign of his growing up, but
when this behavior escalates, you end up being just a little scared of him.
When he is badly behaved, all you have to do is to counter it with a very loud and
determined “No” while taking the pup by the scruff and pinning him down to the ground
until it stops throwing all those tantrums that you’ve been subjected to and admits that
you’re the boss. You don’t need to be abusive with him, just do it effectively and quickly
and you’ll be in a better position.
 If he turns vicious: If vicious, he needs obedience training because then he can meet
other dogs and people and work out his aggression. The give-and-take between you
and him in an obedience training class will give you the necessary skill to
communicate to him that he must behave the same elsewhere as in class.

Excellent watchdog: Though not very aggressive, the typical Boston Terrier is an
excellent watchdog. He is excellent at letting you know there’s someone at the door
with his loud barking and loads of excitement. So don’t be fooled by his diminutive
size and serious demeanor.
 Your Boston Terrier and other pets: You’ll find that your Boston Terrier is an
extremely social animal and loves the company of other four-legged friends. He gets
along with other dog breeds, though his expression can be a turn-off to older, grumpy
dogs. For instance, he is fascinated by cats and usually is a great friend of
neighborhood cats. Though he may love playing with cats, if he does come across a
cat that doesn’t care to be friends with him, he will give chase. Sometimes, this can
land your Boston Terrier in a soup as the cat may scratch him in the eye—a
dangerous situation for your pet. He has a typical “little big man” syndrome and
usually finds it tough to back off when challenged or stay away, often leading to a
face-off.
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Chapter12
Nutrition for your Boston Terrier
As you know, dogs as a species have evolved from carnivorous meat eaters into
omnivores, who eat and digest animal and plant nutrients very easily. They’ve come such
a long way from their earliest ancestors, the wolves, that they no longer resemble them.
Today, the pet dog, as we know it, must be fed particular foods in certain quantities and
at set stages of his life. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of research into dog food and
its various aspects have made raising dogs more enjoyable for some and lucrative for
others. So, let’s look into all the things you should consider while feeding your Boston
Terrier.
 What should you feed your Boston Terrier: What you feed your pet early in life
and when you do this color your pet’s preferences, tastes, likes and dislikes in food
later in life. Other parameters that influence him include the time of day that you feed
him, the aroma of food, texture, taste and meal temperature.
Since all dogs were not created equal, their food choices and needs will also vary. As a
conscientious dog owner, you will have to match your Boston Terrier’s food choices with
his needs.
Let’s set aside what you should be feeding your pet for a bit and turn
our attention to the other foods you feed your Boston Terrier. While
some homes (and I hope yours too!) have strict rules against feeding
their pet people food, many of us continue to feed our pets treats and
human foods as a token of our love.
If you can’t stop yourself from doing that, try adding up all the calories and fat you’ve
been feeding him by way of love and compare that with the calorific content of her
regular meals. If your daily generosity exceeds 10% of what’s in her food, you sure are
overdoing it.
And if you give your pet good nutrition by giving him good quality dog food, you
needn’t be rigid about adding vitamins and mineral supplements to his diet. Of course, it
may not hurt to let him take in the supplements too, but it isn’t necessary.
In some dogs, however, this addition of supplements results in a glossy and thick coat.
Don’t make the mistake of over supplementing your Boston Terrier’s diet with
unbalanced products, and in the process, creating an imbalance in his diet. If your dog is
healthy, he certainly doesn’t need any supplements.
And, if you choose to give your Boston Terrier home cooked food, you’d be wise to use a
tried and trusted recipe, specifically designed for nutritional balance.
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 How much should you feed your Boston Terrier: The quantity of food that a dog
eats varies from breed to breed, his level of exercise or activity, and their individual
need for optimal weight and health. But a ballpark figure for an adult would be 1 oz
of food per 1 kg bodyweight per day.
In fact, pups, when compared with adults, have higher caloric needs and should therefore
be fed foods higher in fat than older animals. This is why you sometimes come across an
obese puppy. In fact, adult dog do well on one or two meals a day, but your pup may
need oftener than that. But watch out, as your pet could equally becoome overweight too.
To see if he is really so, see if he is flattened with fat in the loin or lumbar region, though
not on his legs. Your vet can confirm his obesity by conducting a stool examination to
rule out problems of the intestinal tract that cause a ravenous appetite.
 Nutritional needs of your pet: It is a lesser known fact that there are in fact 10
essential amino acids—the building blocks of protein—that your dog’s system cannot
manufacture on his own. Studies have also demonstrated that often dogs can tell when
their diet lacks a single amino acid and will avoid that meal.
Though it is true that a high fiber diet is not your pet’s natural food, some dietary fiber is
necessary for him for his gastrointestinal motility, besides also being responsible for
weight loss. However, care should be taken to see that your pet does not exceed his intake
of fiber as this can only prevent the absorption of vitamins and minerals and lead to
diarrhea.


Water: This is by far the most important of nutrients for your Boston Terrier.
Since water plays a crucial role in transporting all other nutrients to different parts
of the body, no living creature—and that includes your Boston Terrier—can live
without it.
Protein: In your quest to provide the most nutritionally high diet to your family
dog, you will find that all dog foods differ in their source of protein. Generic dog
foods, however, use less expensive sources of protein. As a result, the ensuing
quality of protein is very poor.
While reading the contents of dog food on the back of the pack, don’t be led astray
by the amount of percent protein contained in the dog food pack because percent
protein says nothing of the quality and digestibility of the product.
Remember that proteins are as essential as the growth and repair of your Boston
Terrier’s healthy tissues, apart from also being an important source of calories in his
diet.
 Vitamins: Vitamins are important to a dog’s diet as these organic compounds
form part of a wide range of metabolic activities. However, your pet will require
vitamins in his daily diet at low concentrations. About 75 years ago, it first came
to light that vitamin deficiencies could lead to a wide range of clinical
abnormalities reflecting the diversity of their metabolic roles.
54
Be careful when you include Vitamin A in his diet, because although essential you need
to give your Boston Terrier small doses of it as otherwise it can prove toxic for him. In
the correct proportions, Vitamin A is important for your pet’s good vision, skin and
mucous membrane structure. Insufficient Vitamin A in his diet can lead to eye and skin
problems and an increased susceptibility to infection.
Insufficient Vitamin D leads to rickets while he could also suffer from a poor coat
condition if his body does not have the desired amounts of Vitamin E, which is so
effective in protecting him from damage due to oxidation and free radials. To be in the
show ring, you need to feed your Boston Terrier a very high level of protein. You will
have to give him a diet of 30% protein and 20% fat. Of course using premium foods.
If an insufficient amount of vitamins can lead to a range of diseases, then so too can an
overdose. Vitamin A, when taken in excess, causes anorexia, weight loss, bone
decalcification and hyperesthesia, whereas an excess of Vitamin E causes anorexia.
These vitamins also play an important role in regulating the body’s processes, being
soluble in fat and water.
While vitamins A, D, E and K are stored in the fat tissue, vitamin B is water-soluble but
is not stored for indefinite periods, and so must be included in your pet’s daily diet. These
days, vitamins C and E are being added to dog food to serve as natural preservatives,
thereby replacing traditional chemical preservatives like BHT and exothylin.

Fiber: This occupies a very important place in the overall gastrointestinal health of
your Boston Terrier and may even help in preventing him from being overweight.
The diet of an adult Boston Terrier should ideally contain about 2.5% to 4.5% fiber,
though the fiber content in diet dog foods ranges between nine and 10%, leading your pet
to feel full despite not consuming too many calories for effective weight control. High
fiber diets also help in managing blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and preventing disorders
such as intestinal diverticulosis and diabetes.
If your pet overdoes his fiber diet, this can interfere with his digestion of other important
nutrients, causing loose stools, frequent defecation and reduced palatability of his food.
For your pet, you can find high fiber content in wheat, oat bran and barley products.

Fat: These nutrients contain fatty acids and glycerol, so necessary as providers of the
most concentrated source of calories. In addition, they also add flavor and texture to
food. While Omega 3 and 6 are fatty acids that add luster to your Boston Terrier’s
coat and skin, you will be happy to know that fats also contain vitamins A, D, E and
K.

Carbohydrates: Many dog researchers and others usually argue that carbohydrates
are not that important to your pet’s diet, since these nutrients do nothing for them,
particularly since they are “true carnivores.” But, it is well known that carbohydrates
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are a source of calories and some of them even provide fiber and so play a healthy
role in your Boston Terrier’s digestion and bowel health.

Minerals: Your pet needs 12 minerals to be healthy. Chief among them is calcium, so
necessary for your Boston Terrier’s bone and teeth formation, besides also being a
signal chemical between nerve cells. You can be sure your pup has had an insufficient
amount of calcium if you find he has pinkish, translucent teeth, a bow-legged stance
and knobby painful joints. He may also suffer partial bone fractures.
If you traced back your pup’s history, you will find that your pup is the son of a
nutritionally deprived mother who had been fed a diet of meat and bread. Unfortunately,
though tasty, this meal comprises meat that is low in calcium and high in phosphorus.
High phosphorus does not allow the body to absorb the little calcium contained in meat.
As a result, your pup suffers from tooth and bone problems, a problem that may continue
in old age too with him suffering from rickets.
On the other hand, an excess of iodine could cause your pet to suffer from
hypothyroidism, goiter, alopecia, fetal reabsorption, cretinism, drowsiness, shyness,
myxedema and lethargy.
Similarly, an excess of calcium results in the slow growth of your pet, bloat and
decreases thyroid function. This can also lead to deficiencies in phosphorus, iron, copper,
and zinc deficiencies, as well as bone growth problems. Excessive phosphorus usually
results in renal damage, calcium deficiency and bone growth problems.
Other equally important minerals for your Boston Terrier’s good health are calcium and
phosphorous. In the right proportion, these minerals contribute to your pet’s dental and
bone health. Magnesium, potassium and sodium also play their own part in your pet’s
diet and metabolism.

Magnesium: Magnesium plays a vital role in muscle and nerve cell activity as well
as a portion of the mineral structure of bone and teeth. If your Boston Terrier has a
deficiency of magnesium, he will have reduced weight gain and have problems of
motility in later life.
Having said that, you too will find that your pet can adapt to a wide range of ingredients,
texture and form in terms of what they eat. Though your pet may thrive on an animalbased protein, he could also very easily thrive on a supplemented vegetarian diet. But it
doesn’t matter if your pet gets his protein content from plant or animal sources, but care
should be taken to see that he gets about 10% of his total calories from protein. As he
grows older, this figure could well rise to 50% more protein in order to maintain his
protein reserves.
As we mentioned earlier, each dog has his own unique set of nutritional requirements that
have been passed down from earlier generations, for instance, the breed’s unique coat,
body size and temperament. Though we cannot change the genetic makeup of our pets by
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changing their diets every now and then, we can certainly feed them with foods that
contain the breed’s requirements.
These foods should necessarily contain nutrient sources similar to those found in the
environment of your Boston Terrier’s ancestors. Therefore, these sources should be
familiar with his digestive and glandular systems of today’s Boston Terrier, besides also
being easy for him to assimilate, Second, care should be taken to balance the content of
protein, carbohydrates, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals so that it matches the Boston
Terrier’s specific nutritional requirements that have come down the generations.
To give your pet the right diet, you need to be knowledgeable about your pet’s specific
nutritional needs. First, find out what your pet needs and then choose a diet that answers
his needs. Not only is your pet healthy, but it also saves you money that would otherwise
be spent on visits to the vet to cure him of a variety of diseases such as dry, itchy or flaky
skin, hot spots, yeast infections in the ear, thyroid, liver or kidney problems, to name a
few.
If you give your pet a carefully planned diet, and team it up with regular exercise, he will
lead a long and healthy life. Right from the time he is a pup, you should ensure he gets
the right nutrition to develop strong bones, well-conditioned muscles and a natural
immunity to disease and infection. If you give him food that is inappropriate to his bodily
needs, he will develop gastrointestinal problems that create excessive gas—one that can
easily be controlled with the right diet.
Some argue that the best diet for a Boston Terrier is one that you make for him fresh,
using quality ingredients, without preservatives. Cooking for your Boston Terrier barely
takes about an hour or two every week, besides being less expensive than buying
commercial pet food. But of course cooking your pet a meal each day is not possible for
everyone and there are many good premium brand dog foods available that are very
suitable. Have a chat with your vet.
Pups need double the amount of calories per pound of body weight as adult dogs of the
same breed. Feed your pup when he is about four weeks old. Older and lazy dogs will
need just about 20 percent lesser calories.
 Food formats for your Boston Terrier: You have several choices of dog food
formats. You probably know what they look like and how much they cost, so let's just
jump to the relative merits and drawbacks of each format, then wander into other
things we feed our pets that also make up part of their diet.
FOOD TYPES
Moist (canned)
Dry
Semi-Moist
MERITS
DRAWBACKS
Tastes good, digestible, Most expensive
with a long shelf life
Affordable, reduces tartar Storage problem—food can
build-up on teeth
get stale and lose nutritional
value
Easy to store, tastes good Cost is quite a bit higher
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and digestible

than dry food.
Canned, dry or homemade food: Commercial dog foods can be seen in three forms:
canned, dry and semi-moist. Of them, semi-moist is least recommended because of
the large amount of additives in it.
This is perhaps why dry food is more in demand than any other kind. Dry foods contain
about 90% dry matter and 10% water. It is a good blend of grains, meat and meat byproducts, fats, mineral and vitamins. Usually, dogs fed on dry diets have less of a buildup of tartar and less gum disease too, besides also displaying fewer obesity problems.
A consistent diet of canned food, however, may end up in inflaming your pet’s gums and
the tissues surrounding the teeth also begin to recede, loosening the teeth eventually. In
addition, bacteria in the blood stream from infected gums cause renal damage. Canned
dog food, however, contains 68%-78% water and 22%-32% dry matter. It also contains
meats, meat by-products, cereals and veggies in textures ranging from stew to meatloaf.
Specialized products containing 45% to 55% moisture are usually meat-based.
But if you choose to feed your pet a homemade diet, it is very likely to contain an excess
of protein and phosphorus but will be deficient in calories, calcium, vitamins and micro
minerals. No matter which one you buy, make sure that the pack meets the guidelines of
the National Research Council on canine nutrition and is certified by the Association of
American Feed Control Officials.

Natural dog food supplements: Natural supplements are available for every ailment,
dietary requirement, skin condition or mental condition for your Boston Terrier.
Some of these could be included within a natural dog or cat food or sold separately
are. These are: vitamins and minerals, calcium, kelp, barley grass and flax seed.
You can also choose from natural supplement packages, which you can add to homemade
food or raw meat to enhance the mix of nutrients. Herbal supplements are also available.
Some of herbs commonly used in dog food and as natural pet supplements are:


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
Alfalfa: Stimulates appetite and helps digestion by assimilating other nutrients
Burdock: Cleanses the blood and helps with detoxification, and is particularly good
with curing skin problems
Garlic: This promotes intestinal health
Oats: This helps cleanse the body and nourish new tissue growth
Parsley: Vitamin-rich, it also has a high content of calcium and iron
Catnip: This is a mild tranquilizer that also helps stimulate his appetite
Besides, you can also give your Boston Terrier garlic and fenugreek tablets for general
good health, to increase his resistance to infection and to maintain a healthy immune
system. During the winter, give him a dose of cod liver oil capsules for Vitamins A and
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D, while in the summer, wheat germ oil capsules for his skin and improved coat
condition are absolute musts.
 What goes into pet food:
 Meats and “meal”: A pack of pet food usually comprises meat and poultry meals,
by-product meals and meat-and-bone meal. “Meal” means that these are processed
meats, not fresh. Vets believe that if you feed your pet with slaughterhouse wastes, it
increases their risk of getting cancer and other degenerative diseases.

Animal and poultry fat: when you open a pack of pet food, are you not greeted by a
strong distinctive odor? Well, that’s the smell of rendered or processed animal fat,
restaurant grease or other oils that are far too rancid to be used by humans. Restaurant
grease is usually mixed with different types of fat, stabilized with powerful
antioxidants so that it doesn’t spoil and then sold to pet food companies. These fats
are then sprayed onto extruded kibbles and pellets to improve the taste of the pet
food, a taste dogs love now.

Wheat, soy, corn, peanut hulls and other vegetable protein: Your Boston Terrier
can absorb carbohydrates from some grains, such as white rice. Ingredients such as
peanut hulls, are used for fiber, but have no significant nutritional value.
Another common ingredient used as a source of protein and energy in pet food is soy. It
is also used to add bulk so that your pet feels full quickly into his meal, though it may
cause your pet to suffer from gas. If your pet is vegetarian, his food too will comprise soy
as a protein source.

Additives and preservatives: Manufacturers of pet food usually add a range of
chemicals to pet foods as taste enhancers, or to improve the food’s stability,
characteristics or appearance. However, they do not do anything for the food’s
nutritional value but they include emulsifiers that help prevent water and fat from
separating, antioxidants that prevent fat from turning rancid, and artificial colors and
flavors that serve to make the food more appealing and palatable to your pet.
 One pet food with all the nutrition? The idea of one pet food being so wholesome
that it provides your Boston Terrier with all the necessary nutrition is more a myth
than a fact. In all your scouting for the best meal for your Boston Terrier, you have
perhaps found that cereal grains are the primary ingredients in most commercial pet
foods.
People usually select one pet food type and feed it to their dogs for a long period without
a break. As a result, your pet lives on a diet of carbohydrates alone, with barely any
variety.
But fortunately, the pet foods of today comprise a lot of variety. Despite that, the health
problems they cause are many: For instance, they may cause chronic digestive problems,
such as vomiting, diarrhea and inflammatory bowel, caused due to an allergy or
59
intolerance to pet food ingredients. These problems are now countered by “limited
antigen” or “novel protein” diets.
But the latest in the market is the “hypoallergenic” diet where the proteins in the food are
all artificially chopped into unrecognizably small pieces and reacted to by the immune
system.
However, pet foods and the feeding methods suggested by manufacturers have only
served to increase digestive problems in pets. It has been found that by feeding your pet
just once a day, irritation in the esophagus by stomach acid can result. To counter this,
feed your Boston Terrier two smaller meals a day.
Urinary tract disease, and kidney stones are also commonly experienced. Commercial pet
foods also can cause fatal heart disease due to a deficiency of the amino acid taurine. In
addition, lack of taurine may also causes blindness; while rapid growth in large breed
puppies causes bone and joint disease due to an excess of calories and calcium in some
manufactured puppy foods. Excess iodine in commercial pet foods also results in
hyperthyroidism, which can sometimes be terminal and expensive to cure.
 Your guide to good dog food: To give your pet a good diet, it has been suggested
you would have to feed him fresh raw meat. Add to this whole meal biscuits or flaked
cereal mix for his daily dose of carbohydrates. Add some good quality nutritional
supplements to this for a truly nutritious diet. Not only is a raw food diet is simple
and easy to prepare, inexpensive and without preservatives, flavorings or unnatural
colorings, but it also provides all the necessary protein, minerals and vitamins so
necessary for your dog’s healthy life.
Vets have found that if you give your pet a good basic diet, herbal treatments work faster,
your pet has fewer health problems and his immunity to infection is maintained.

BARF diet: This acronym stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones
and Raw Food. It is based on the philosophy that since dogs and cats are originally
from the wilds, they should be fed on a similar diet. Dogs, being omnivores, flesh
hunters and scavengers, should be fed whole raw animals, plants and bones for teeth
cleaning and nutritional benefits.
BARF supporters found these health improvements within the first fortnight of being on
the prescribed diet for dogs: cleaner teeth and gums, fresher breath, shinier coat, brighter
eyes, increased muscle tone, reduced allergies and increased energy.
But some vets discourage BARF diets since they can cause an increase in pancreas,
stomach and intestinal injuries; kidney, heart and brain illnesses and bacterial parasites.
Many successful pet owners use a BARF diet though and seem to do very well.

Puppy foods or not: Whether to feed your pet with puppy foods or not is bound to
put you in a dilemma. Several questions crop up—what brand should you feed your
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pet on? Is it right and best for your pup? If vets and dog food manufacturers say you
must feed your pet puppy food, why don’t breeders agree?
The latter do not advise you to use puppy food because they notice over their years of
experience that feeding a caloric dense diet gives rise to uneven growth patterns and bone
diseases. Being high in calories, these foods cause your pet to shoot straight up due to
accelerated long bone growth, though he may not have muscle mass to support the joints.
No wonder breeders call these foods “hot food.”
Caloric dense foods can result in uneven growth patterns; lameness and can even alter the
genetic structure of an animal, which changes their formation. If caloric dense foods
affect your pet, here’s what you will notice in him: narrowing of the chest width, shallow
chests rising well above the elbow, elbowing turning in, toe pointing out, inward turn of
the hocks (cowhocks), roached toplines and rear end assembly being 2-4 inches taller
than the front end assembly at the withers.
Often, breeders speak of “protein levels” in dog foods, but they don’t realize that this is
but a small part of the whole picture. Dogs do require proteins, but they also need a
combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The cumulative effect of these calories
on growth patterns, and how these calories of protein, fats and carbohydrates relate to
each other finally determine the growth rate of an animal.
In addition, the number of calories and their availability to your pet’s system will also
vary from brand to brand. What also tends to provide a slow and even growth pattern is
the quality of the mineral composition of a particular food type and its availability to the
animal.
If you feed your pet based on the guidelines given below, you can surely avoid any
developmental diseases:

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


Feed your pet a high quality “super premium” food
Feed should contain multiple proteins (i.e. meat, poultry, fish or eggs), but no straight
lamb and rice diets
Feed your pet a pork, poultry or fish-based diet
Give him moderate protein of about 22%-23%, about 12-15% fat and a moderate
calorie count of about 320-350
Provide for chelated or sequestered minerals
See that his food is naturally preserved, has human grade or organic ingredients
Control portions of his daily consumption
This level of care should be taken in the first few weeks of growth, right from the time he
is about eight weeks old till six months of age. During this period, he is said to be in a
fragile developmental stage and prone to growth diseases such as HOD (Hypertrophic
Osteodystrophy) and OCD (Osteochronditis Dessicans).
 Feeding your pup:
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
At eight to 12 weeks: Give him four meals a day. For breakfast, give him a bowl of
warm goat’s milk, or natural live yogurt with a teaspoonful of honey, coupled with a
good cereal or porridge for bulk and energy. At noon, give him raw meat, either
minced or scraped. Add a raw egg occasionally for the benefit of extra protein and a
source of iron.
In the evening, give him a large bowl of mashed vegetables and supplements according to
his size and weight. He may need extra calcium, considering his size and breed, but for
proper assimilation and a correct balance, he can also be given a natural source of
calcium. For supper, repeat his breakfast menu.

At 12 weeks to six months: Give him three meals a day, slowly omitting supper and
increasing his other feeds through the day, according to his weight and breed needs.

At six months to age one year: Give him two meals a day, cutting out breakfast and
replacing it with lunch, while simultaneously decreasing the amount of milk in his
cereal so that this is his main meal. His evening meal is now his main meat meal,
whose quantities should be increased as he grows into an adult. Give him biscuits to
exercise his teeth and gums. Introduce a weekly half-day fast.

At age one year to adulthood: Adult dogs benefit from having two daily meals,
preferably feeding the cereals separately from the meat to help prevent digestive
problems. In the morning, feed him a whole meal biscuit or flaked cereal feed, equal
to one-third of his daily food requirement. Feed this to him either in dry form so he
can exercise his teeth and gums or mix it with yogurt, cottage cheese or soaked in a
little stock.
For the rest of the day, feed him raw meat in small pieces. They should ideally be
unwashed tripe, beef, mutton or lamb. Chicken, rabbit and white fish can also be given
lightly cooked and de-boned. If you choose to also feed him liver, hearts and other offal,
remember they are very rich and should therefore be given only occasionally.
Raw vegetables, however, are a good source of chlorophyll, vitamins and minerals and
are beneficial in the diet. Since dogs can only break down the cellulose in plant material
if it is reduced to a pulp, you will need to chop them very finely or mash it to a pulp
before adding it to his feed.
 Feeding your adult Boston Terrier: As an adult, your Boston Terrier is bound to
enjoy all the dog bones you give him to chew, as well as the large variety of treats
available these days.

Dog bones: Your Boston Terrier is going to enjoy every moment of chewing on the
bone you give him, but little does he know that bone chewing does him a power of
good: not only does it help scrape off harmful tartar from his teeth, it also prevents
the spread of bad breath and serves as a great reward. By chewing on a bone, your
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Boston Terrier will give up chewing your furniture and other objects around the
house, while also serving as an important part of your dog’s dental care regimen.
Play safe by choosing bones that are neither too small nor too brittle. So, don’t go in for
chicken bones as they splinter easily and get stuck in your pet’s throat or digestive
system. Instead, the femur or leg of cows is a safe bet. Popular bones you can choose for
your Boston Terriers are:
 Cow hooves: because they are very long-lasting
 Rawhide: tightly rolled, they’re great for your pet’s teeth
 Pig ears: This 100% pork chew is very popular among dogs
 Puppy chews: being small, they’re right for your pup
 Smoked bones: hickory smoked and slow roasted
 Natural bones: made from100% natural protein, without any preservatives
 Dental/fresh breath bones: herb flavored bones that prevent the spread of bad
breath

Dog Treats: Actually, this is a blanket term for the range of snacks and treats you
could and perhaps do give your Boston Terrier. Not only will he find them delicious,
they also serve to satisfy his different needs and desires, besides also aiding in
behavior training, dental care and physical development.

Chewy treats: These are the treats pups love to chew on; in fact, they cut their teeth
on these treats, besides also developing their jaws. Chewy treats include:
 Rawhide: This is made from an inner layer of cowhide. It satisfies your pet’s natural
urge to chew and gives him adequate dental care for his age. These treats can be seen
in a large variety, ranging from differences in hardness, density and chewing time.
 Pigs’ ears: High in fat content, pets find them delicious but vets usually discourage
them eating pigs’ ears because the high fat content can lead to obesity, pancreatic
problems, salmonella and other bacterial infections.
Crunchy treats: Vets usually insist that dry food and treats help keep your pet’s teeth
clean. If they’re bite-sized, they are good for training as they fit snugly into your
pocket and don’t distract your Boston Terrier from performing the task at hand.
Crunchy treats your pet will enjoy are:
 Biscuits and cookies: These wheat-based cookies are baked, hard and crunchy, and
come in a range of comfortable sizes and shapes.
 Animal bones: These genuine animal bones are frowned upon by vets because the
bones are too thin and small, causing them to splinter in the animal’s neck and cause
him pain and discomfort and ultimately lodge in his throat and intestines.

 Which food is best if your pet’s dieting: First, decide how you’re going to feed your
pet rather than what you’re going to feed him. Next decide how much and how often
you’re going to feed him. Overfeeding him is the first mistake pet owners make: often
pets are overfed with pet snack foods, human snack foods that are loaded with fat,
sugar, food dyes and other unhealthy ingredients.
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Ideally, what suits your pet best is to be free fed—leave his food out and leave him to eat
it when he wants it. If you do this in puppy hood, he will eat only when he is hungry.
Next, feed him small meals through the day, preferably twice. If you feed him lesser than
that, he will suffer gastrointestinal problems, such as bile vomiting and bloat. To exercise
him, wait 30 minutes before and after a meal.
If you want him to snack on health food, give him low-calorie snacks such as raw carrots
and unbuttered, unsalted, air-popped popcorn or homemade low-calorie biscuits. Now,
consider what pet food he can eat. Choose raw foods or BARF (Bones And Raw Foods or
Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods). Discuss your choices with your vet. Meanwhile,
you can get to know a little more about BARF.
 Changing your Boston Terrier’s diet: Your Boston Terrier could well behave as if
it could anything from anywhere and in huge quantities! But the truth is that your pet
doesn’t have the “cast-iron” stomach it would like to believe. Try changing his diet
and you will find it’s extremely hard on his stomach and eating habits. If you wish to
change
the main ingredient of your dog’s diet, do it gradually and over a four day period or
longer.
For instance, on the first day of change, give him plenty of the old dog food that you
might still have left over. Take three portions of old food and add one portion of the new
food. Continue this over the next couple of days. Now, add in another portion, making
the portions of half and new food equal. Keep at this for the next couple of days. Now,
add one more portion of new food and feed your pet this for the next couple of days or so.
Now, phase out the old food completely.
If you don’t phase out the old food in this way, your pet will suffer from stomach cramps,
heartburn, indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting and will refuse to eat. On the other hand, if you
continue to change your Boston Terrier’s menu or give him a platter of choices, it will
only end up hurting your dog because he is likely to suffer from chronic indigestion,
finicky eating habits and chronic diarrhea.
 Tips on feeding your Boston Terrier: Now that you’ve read so much on what and
how much to feed your pup, I hope you’re not more bewildered now than when you
first began reading. However, if you want to do the right thing by your pup, follow
the tips given below and then you can’t go too far wrong with his diet:

Don’t let him order his food: You may have a very smart and intelligent dog, but
don’t let him decide what he’s going to eat, at which part of the day and where he’s
going to get it from. All dogs, no matter how intelligent, have very little sense about
what good food is all about. If you allow it, your smart dog might just pick up his
dinner from your garbage can, and if it contains small bones, coffee grounds, or food
that’s gone off, it could make him sick. So, be careful.
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
Feed him according to his size and age: How much you feed him depends on his
size, breed and the amount he exercises.

Don’t overfeed him: Don’t overfeed him, even if he begs for food. If he is always
just a little hungry, you can be sure he’s in the pink of health. Remember not to feed
him between meals, except perhaps a small biscuit as a reward, while training him.

Does he gulp down his food? If he does, you needn’t worry, because that’s how all
dogs eat. In fact, they usually gulp their food down whole, without chewing the meat.
But he’ll chew a large bone or biscuit or toy and exercise his teeth and jaw on it.

Feed him judiciously: True, meat is the most important part of your Boston Terrier’s
diet, but it need not be the most expensive. Choose from canned or dry dog food, but
certainly give him his daily quota of meat, in order that he remains healthy.
Whichever form of meat you feed your pet—raw, cooked or canned—will not make
him vicious, as some people say.

Pick the right bones for him: Throw away all the small bones—whether of chicken,
fish, chop or rabbit—since they will splinter and nestle in his throat or intestines and
injure him there. Instead, choose a very large marrow or knucklebone for him to chew
on. Check he doesn’t bite off a small piece and then choke on it.

No fast food for your Boston Terrier: Don’t let him snack on the stuff you like—
this means no candy, pork, potatoes, cake, nuts, spaghetti, sausages, frankfurters,
fresh bread, alcoholic drinks or spicy gravies. These foods just aren’t nutritious and
may make him sick or he may fine them so delicious that he may refuse to eat
anything else. This will cause him to become obese, grow short of breath, have
difficulty in running or playing, and eventually die much earlier than he should if he
had been on a sensible diet.

Don’t force him to eat: If he can’t finish his meal, don’t force him to overeat. Just
take his bowl away and feed him the next meal at the regular time. And yes, don’t
worry if he skips a meal or two. Feed him at regular times, in his own bowl or pan,
and let him rest. Don’t take him out to play or exercise directly after a meal. Give him
plenty of fresh water everyday.
 Feeding your Boston Terrier dam during her pregnancy: Like females of every
species, your pregnant Boston Terrier too needs special consideration and treatment,
but that doesn’t mean you overfeed her. You won’t have to increase her food intake
until her sixth week of pregnancy.
But don’t be stingy on giving her good quality food, besides also giving her enough
goats’ milk so that her body maintains a high level of calcium. To the milk, you could
add honey or natural live yogurt. Provide her with clean, fresh water, as during this
period, she will drink water oftener since her kidneys will take on the role of being the
body’s eliminator. So, water will keep her healthy.
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You could also add the following to her diet during her pregnancy:

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
Wheat germ oil capsules: Give her these capsules at regular periods during the day
from one week before mating to the end of the third week of her pregnancy. Wheat
germ oil is not just a good source of Vitamin E but is also important for fertility and
to prevent absorption and abortion.
Raspberry Leaf Tablets: From the third week of pregnancy, these tablets should be
given to your pet in a daily dose and continued until one week after delivery. Not
only are these tablets effective birth aids as they tone the reproductive organs but they
also help in ensuring the complete removal of the placentas.
Calcium supplements: From the sixth week of pregnancy, you can safely start your
pet onto calcium supplements. Calcium helps ensure proper assimilation and
maintaining a correct balance.
 As your Boston Terrier ages: Old age takes its toll as much on animals as on human
beings, so don’t be surprised to see your Boston Terrier changing as age creeps up on
him. You’ll find that his food needs begin to change, that he exercises much lesser
now and perhaps develops problems of mobility that senior pets face.
Sometimes, dogs put on excess weight and so, as he begins to age, this amount should be
gently reduced, according to his needs. If you find his digestive system is just a little
more delicate now, give him smaller meals oftener and replace red meat with white meat
or fish, which is easier to digest. If your pet is on a fast even now, reduce it to a half-day
every week. Put him on a course of herbal medicines and supplements that can make his
last few years comfortable and healthy.
Don’t give up on him because he’s old and lacks the verve he used to have. Instead, be
compassionate towards him by observing him more carefully now to spot any new
problems early on. Change his diet as and when you feel the need to, depending on his
needs and moods. If you understand that your pet’s requirements change throughout life
and this is reflected in his food, exercise and treatment, then your senior dog can enjoy
living till the end of his life.
 Weekly cleansing ritual: Though your Boston Terrier may have a very strong
constitution that can easily cope with digesting huge chunks of raw meat and bones,
still it benefits him to rest his system at intervals. Although most carnivores eat large
amounts of high protein food whenever available, and not for the next few days,
thereby resting their digestive system, our house pets don’t get this advantage since
their food routines are different.
Yet, you will sometimes see your house pet refusing to eat or eating grass. This is his
way of fasting and in fact, you could introduce a weekly fast for your adult dog. Give him
his dinner the night before the fasting period, and follow it up with a herbal laxative,
which will give him the much needed benefit the next day.
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 If your pet is too finicky to eat: Eating behavior in your Boston Terrier can be due
to certain problems—it could be because the food is too much and therefore results in
your pet being obese. Or it could be because as an owner, you perhaps feel your dog
does not eat enough and are finicky about food. A finicky dog, though, is something
of a rarity, since dogs, by nature, are not voracious eaters. Why would this be?
First, dogs will not starve themselves to death only because they are fastidious about
food. If your pet is lean, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s something wrong with him.
So, it could be that since your pet has a physiologically determined “set point” of body
weight (either overweight or too thin), you can’t really change that over time.
Sometimes, dogs balk at the food you give him, because by now, he realizes that he can
get a lot of your attention or a little hand feeding by doing this. Or, he could even get
tastier food if he did this long enough. But you could change his finicky behavior, by first
identifying ways of reinforcing it.
First, if you are petting or hand-feeding him, coax him to eat for a while, stop this for a
while. You can make his food more palatable by adding a good quality canned food to
the dry kibble. Set this down on the floor for him to eat for just about 15 minutes—if he
does not eat it, take it away and give him a fresh bowl of food after 12 hours.
Ensure that you feed him twice a day and you will be sure that he does not starve. While
you have your meal with your family, feed him too so he is socially facilitated to eat. At
other times, ignore him while he eats, and in time he will eat without being fussy.
 If he begs at the table: This is one kind of behavior that you could never have taught
your pup—he must have come with it from his previous home. You can stop your pet
from nudging you with his wet nose or staring up at you with hunger writ large in his
eyes.
First, stop him from entering the kitchen or dining area while you cook or sit down to a
meal. In order to do this, set up a baby gate in the kitchen doorway, unless your dog has
now taken to whining or barking at the dinner table. You could also feed him before you
have your meal, so that he is not hungry when you eat and stops begging for food.
A long-term solution, “extinction” refers to your removing every trace of reinforcment or
reward in order to completely eliminate a particular habit or behavior. For this to take
effect, you will have to stop giving your Boston Terrier dinner table scraps or even
dropping bits of food on the floor as a surprise. This may take longer to take effect but it
has the desired effect.
Next, if you stop him from begging by asking him to “down-stay” a little away from the
table or in another room, he can be discouraged from begging. After you finish your
meal, give him a few treats in his food bowl so that he does not associate treats with the
dining table
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Ideally, what suits your pet best is to be free fed—leave his food out and leave him to eat
it when he wants it. If you do this in puppy hood, he will eat only when he is hungry.
Next, feed him small meals through the day, preferably twice. If you feed him lesser than
that, he will suffer gastrointestinal problems, such as bile vomiting and bloat. To exercise
him, wait 30 minutes before and after a meal.
If you want him to snack on health food, give him low-calorie snacks such as raw carrots
and unbuttered, unsalted, air-popped popcorn or homemade low-calorie biscuits. Now,
consider what pet food he can eat. Choose raw foods or BARF (Bones And Raw Foods or
Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods). Discuss your choices with your vet. Meanwhile,
you can get to know a little more about BARF.
 If your Boston Terrier is obese: If your Boston Terrier is diagnosed as obese, he
falls in the 25 percent of the U.S. canine population that has obesity-related problems
such as diabetes mellitus, orthopedic problems, cardiovascular disease and other
metabolic and physical problems. These conditions require medical and surgical
intervention that often comes too late or lacks the efficacy to arrest the problem or
attack it so it does not grow. Once diagnosed as obese, these canine patients never
enjoy the quality of life they did earlier.
Obesity is said to be due to physical, emotional, environmental, endocrine and/or
neurological components. Your pet’s sedentary lifestyle, combined with high rates of
surgical contraception play a role in the environmental and endocrine mechanisms of
your pet. Musculo-skeletal problems and/or developmental abnormalities deter him from
exercising and contribute to weight gain. You contribute to his lethargy by giving him
table scraps, poor diet and getting him used to poor eating rituals.
Your pet’s anatomy is also a contributory factor. Orthopedic conditions that are acquired,
developmental, or present at birth may also reduce the ambulatory capacity of the animal
and predispose him to pain. As a result, hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis, cruciate ligament
and meniscal injury, osteochondrosis dessicans, etc, are common among pets and make
him prone to obesity.
Canines also see a weight gain due to metabolism-related problems such as diabetes
mellitus, hypothyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism or Cushing’s disease,
hypoadrenocorticism or Addison’s disease, and other endocrine abnormalities such as fat
deposition or neuromuscular integrity.
To counter this problem, your vet may prescribe a high fiber diet or one of reduced
calories or suggest some dietary changes that help decrease the overall intake of calories.
He could also suggest exercising your Boston Terrier.
To check his body condition and weight, here’s what you can do:



Feel his ribs for some gentle palpation of the sides
Look for an indentation between where his ribs end and his hips begin
Palpate his hip ones with gentle pressure
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


Check to see if your pet has trouble rising from a seated position or while moving
about
See if he is reluctant to exercise
Check if he tires easily
 If your pet’s dieting: First, decide how you’re going to feed your pet rather than
what you’re going to feed him. Next decide how much and how often you’re going to
feed him. Overfeeding him is the first mistake pet owners make: often pets are
overfed with pet snack foods, human snack foods that are loaded with fat, sugar, food
dyes and other unhealthy ingredients.
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Chapter13
And what if your Boston Terrier has allergies?
Just like us, dogs and your pet Boston Terrier too, can suffer from allergies. The
commonest kind of dog allergy he can suffer from is, of course, itching of the skin.
Besides, his respiratory tract can be affected too leading to coughing, sneezing, and/or
wheezing. He may also develop a nose or eyes discharge, while his digestive system may
be affected, giving rise to vomiting or diarrhea.
Research proves that at least 20% of dogs in the United States suffer from one type of
allergy or another. These could be atopic dermatitis, flea allergy, food allergy, inhalant
allergy, contact allergy or bacterial allergy. Let’s discuss each of them so you can
recognize the symptoms, if your Boston Terrier should ever be a victim of it:

Atopic dermatitis: This allergic skin disease among dogs, is also known as canine
atopic dermatitis. It is caused by your pet’s immune system hypersensitivity to
common substances in the environment, such as dust mites or molds.
Symptoms: The signs of this allergy appear within his first two years of life. If your
Boston Terrier begins to groom excessively, licks or chews his paws, abdomen and hind
quarters, then he suffers from atopic dermatitis. His ears too could be red and hot to
touch. His armpits, groin or space between the toes of the paws could be stained with
saliva. In chronic cases, the skin around the abdomen may change color from a pink hue
to a fiery red to black mottling.
The vet may find it difficult to diagnose atopic dermatitis because this condition largely
resembles flea allergy, food allergy and parasitic infestations. Once these fleas, foods and
parasitic infestations are eliminated from the vet’s diagnosis, an allergy skin testing for
dust mites, pollens, and molds is conducted to determine the true cause of the pet’s
condition.

Flea allergy: This is the commonest form of canine allergy. The flea is not the cause
of the allergy but its saliva is. If the skin allergy test confirms your pet is suffering
from flea allergy, then he is put on a strict flea control program. But you need to take
care to see that the chemicals in the flea preparations do not harm the dog.

Inhalant allergy: This is cause by pollens such as trees, grass and weeds, dust mites,
molds and chemicals. The symptoms include scratching, biting, chewing at feet and
constant licking. The itching is usually severest on his feet, flanks, in the groin and
armpits. This is usually why your pet suffers from recurrent ear infections.

Food allergy: You might be surprised to know that the very food your pet has been
eating for so many years without a break is the root cause for an allergy in him.
Canine food allergies make up just 10 percent of allergy problems in dogs. Usually,
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dogs are intolerant of soy products, wheat, corn, beef, pork, chicken, milk, whey,
eggs, fish, chemical preservatives or artificial sugars in their food.
To determine the food allergen may be time consuming, but here’s the process. First, give
your pet a homemade diet comprising protein and a starch that he hasn’t eaten before.
This will eliminate all the possible allergens from his diet. Now, go one by one, gradually
adding back each ingredient of dog food, one at a time every week. Now, if your pet
reacts to the food, you can catch it when the symptoms return.
 Symptoms: The symptoms for this are itchy skin, scratching at ears, shaking of the
head, licking and biting at the hind quarters or feet, rubbing his face on the carpet, ear
inflammations, coughing, and rarely vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, sneezing, asthma
like symptoms, behavioral changes, seizures, gagging, and vomiting.

Contact allergy: The least common of all dog allergies, its allergens include flea
collars, wood bedding, grass, plants and sometimes chemicals.

Bacterial allergy: It is common for several species of Staphylococcus bacteria to live
on your pet’s skin. But dogs do develop an allergy to it, resulting in hair loss that
looks like ringworm. They should be treated with antibiotics.
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Chapter14
Pet Insurance
Pet insurance is medical insurance for your pet. It offers coverage for accidents and
serious illnesses and treatments such as cancer biopsies and radiation. Already, it is very
popular in Europe, but it is yet to catch up in the United States.
Pet owners like you must first consider how much they are willing to insure their pet for.
If you hear of a pet owner taking out a loan or re-mortgaging his home to save his pet,
don’t be surprised because this is a common occurrence. It is equally common, on the
other hand, to hear of a pet owner euthanizing his pet at the first sign of illness.
If you are passionate about your pet, then pet medical insurance can save you money,
while also giving him the best vet care and attention. Since each pet insurance company
has its own pros and cons, you will have to scrutinize their health policies before going in
for insurance. Here’s what you need to check out:








If pet care is based on annual premiums and deductibles.
If health care insurance policies are based on specifics of what the pet owner
chooses.
If the pet insurance policy covers annual checkups, vaccinations,
spaying/neutering operations, etc.
If it covers accidents and illness coverage.
If they offer reduced rates for additional pets.
At what age insurance begins.
What any other parameters of insurance are—e.g., differing rates depending on
species, age, breed and pre-existing condition and lifestyle of the pet.
Whether the policy also covers exams and routine shots.
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Chapter15
Caring for a Boston Terrier
Bringing home a Boston Terrier has a whole gamut of advantages to it. First, this breed is
easy to live with, and can very easily adjust to living in a city apartment or a country
house. They’re also very easy to train, since they are so eager to please their masters.
And, most of all, your Boston Terrier is a very active dog who enjoys walks and exercise.
Playing with you or your kids, running and just being out in the open are enough to cheer
him up.
Your Boston Terrier, however, is also a house dog, who prefers to be indoors, since he
cannot take extremes of weather. So, remember not to leave him in a hot car with the
heating on or he will overheat very soon.
And, whether you live in a country house or not, an added advantage for you is your pet
requires to be groomed just once a week. A light brushing of his coat is good enough, but
do remember to cut his nails and clean his ears too. See how simple it is!
 Tips on caring for your pet:









Have your pet vaccinated periodically on your vet’s recommendation. Consult your
vet on controlling fleas and ticks, worming your dog and using heartworm
medications.
Give him high quality food, appropriate for his age.
Brush his coat with a firm-bristle brush. Since he sheds only seasonally, he is easy to
look after.
Clean his face and eyes with a wet cloth.
Check his ears for ticks.
Walk him everyday even if you don’t have a yard.
Socialize him early in life or he might develop aggressive tendencies towards other
dogs.
Be patient with him while you housebreak him, as this breed takes long to be trained.
As a breed, Boston Terriers are prone to cataracts, hypothyroidism and skin tumors.
 Ear cropping: Boston Terriers’ ears stand up on their own without being cropped. In
fact, if they have large ears or heavy ear leather, their ears tend to flop forward at the
natural break in the ear. Don’t worry, this is normal in pups, but not desirable for
show quality adults.
If your pup’s ears don’t stand on their own by four months of age, you will have to tape
them across the horizontal break which will strengthen the ear so that it stands up on its
own, in time. Keep the tape on without ever taking it off even for brief periods till the ear
is strong enough to stand on its own. This could take anything between a few weeks or a
few months. If you start early to tape your pup’s ears, you can have a measure of success,
73
but if he is about four or five months old, when you start, that’s too late to expect any
change in the strength of the ear.
If his ear tips forward at the top but does not break at the horizontal break when he is
about four or five months of age, this ear will stand on its own eventually without
requiring to be taped. If one of his ears is up while the other is down, don’t worry, things
will even out in just a little time.
When your show ring Boston Terrier’s ears have been cropped, the pup had in babyhood
been anesthetized and about one-third of its ears had been chopped off to make them
stand and point perfectly. This is a cosmetic procedure and not always recommended by
vets and breeders.
 Keeping your Boston Terrier parasite-free: Your pet is bound to be visited by a
range of parasites, from puppy hood to adulthood. Here are some of the commonest
pests that will come visiting that you must guard against:

Parasites: Since these pests proliferate in the summer, you can plan so that he is
parasite free. Ticks, fleas, heartworms and intestinal worms are the main culprits.

Ticks: Ticks can be removed with the help of a pair of tweezers.

Fleas: Fleas cause the most common skin disease of dogs, Flea Allergy Dermatitis.
Though prevention of fleas is ideal, these can be removed with topical and oral
medications. The itch can be treated with antihistamines or even corticosteriods, but
the best way is to kill the flea and prevent its recurrence. You can also go in for overthe-counter powders, sprays and collars. In addition, you will also have to treat your
pet’s environment—your home, yard and his corner.

Heartworms: If your Boston Terrier is bitten once by a mosquito carrying the
heartworms larva, when larva grows into a worm, it will lodge itself in the arteries of
your pet’s lungs.
Left untreated, your dog will become lethargic, lose his appetite and have difficulty
breathing or even suffer a heart failure. However, these are preventable parasites, so if
your dog has them, a monthly oral preventative is recommended. Since mosquitoes
transmit them, the risk of contracting heartworms would be more in the summer.

Intestinal worms: Your pet could very easily fall prey to internal parasites such as
roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, coccidia and giardia that can cause nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea and anemia. In fact, roundworms infest nearly every puppy at
some time in his life. To prevent your Boston Terrier from being affected by them,
have his fecal sample microscopically tested for these parasites annually.
When flea infestation is high, tapeworms can cause a lot of trouble. When dogs lick
microscopic eggs, they take in worms that are contained in contaminated soil or grass, or
74
the swallow a flea. Adult dogs however develop a resistance to parasites but the
whipworm usually leads to colitis and weight loss.
To prevent intestinal parasites from harming your pet, deworm him for roundworms and
hookworms when you have them vaccinated. Have a stool sample collected before each
vaccination visit and another after the last deworming medication has been given.
Since worms can affect your pet at any age, it would be best to have a fecal examination
for him every year, unless you give him a heartworm preventative that also controls
intestinal parasites. These days, heartworm combinations fight heartworms, intestinal
parasites and fleas.
 Looking after your Boston Terrier from season to season: When spring comes,
you’re sure to spend a lot of time out in the open with your pet. This is a good time to
get him ready for the outdoors—so this is a good time for both of you to enjoy the
spring season.
In extreme hot or cold weather when you would exercise your pet, be careful, as he may
develop breathing problems, or he may be exhausted in the heat. So, don’t leave him in
the car for long. If in the summer, you take your kids and Boston Terrier to the fun park,
make sure he has been vaccinated. Having said that, caring for your pet is a year round
responsibility. You will have to keep a detailed medical file on him, which tells you when
his next vaccine shot is due, or when the last fecal sample was checked, or when his next
appointment with the groomer is scheduled for. Also, watch out for the following:

In the winter: If your pet has a thick coat of hair and feels warm in the cold, he
won’t need woolies. If he spends most of his time indoors, he will easily catch a cold
when he goes from a warm room into a cold street or yard, if he is without a coat. If
you dress him up in woolies, make sure it covers his chest and belly. You can let him
play in the snow, but don’t let him eat it or it will upset his stomach.
To warm him up quickly, it is a good idea to take him out running when you leave home
as this will set his blood circulating. Also, you could have his bath towel just by the front
door so he can wipe his wet feet the moment he enters. Not only will this keep the snow
and mud off your floor, but it will also prevent him from catching a cold.
Even if your Boston Terrier is now an adult, it would do him a lot of good if you added a
teaspoon of cod liver oil to his dinner during the winter. Vitamins will make up for the
lack of sunshine at this time of the year, while also building up his resistance to colds and
other illnesses.

In the summer: Dogs are as sensitive to the heat as to the cold, so whether you spend
this season at home or by the sea, you need to do a few things for your Boston
Terrier’s good health and safety. These are:
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 Don’t shear his coat, no matter how thick it is and how hot you can imagine he feels.
After all, the very coat that keeps him warm in the winter keeps him cool in the
summer. So, his coat acts as an insulator much as the walls of your home do.
 Feed him the same food through the year, but don’t feed him too much of it in teh
summer. If he doesn’t eat it all or skips a meal, don’t let that worry you. Be warned
that he may not eat for several days, but that’s normal.
 Keep plenty of fresh water in his dish and position it away from the light.
 Give him a shady place to lie in, whether in or out of the house. If he digs a bit of the
earth and lies in it, let him, because this will keep him cool and comfortable, and
perhaps just a little dirty too.
 At the hottest part of the day, don’t play with him. If you do want to play with him,
either do it in the early part of the day or after sunset.
 If he pants and slobbers while playing, think nothing of it. It’s just his way of
perspiring.
 If you go through a heat wave, keep him at home except very early in the morning
and late at night, but don’t play with him. But do give him a sponge bath several
times a day by dipping a cloth in cool water and washing his whole body.
 If he does begin to claw wildly at anything he lays his paws on, this is nothing but
heat hysteria. He may faint too, and if he does, this is heat prostration. Don’t let either
situation bother you, instead be calm, call in a vet and do as he says.

Is there a storm blowing? If your Boston Terrier has never experienced a storm, he
is going to be terrified when one blows. Your pet may also be able to sense one
coming, though it may strike a few hours later. Thunder or firecrackers on the Fourth
of July can also give your pet a bad scare. On these days, keep calm and try keeping
your Boston Terrier calm by keeping him near you and quiet.

On the beach: When you are at the beach, you need to take certain precautions if
you’re with your Boston Terrier. He may be so taken in with the massiveness of all
that water in the sea that he may swallow salt water and some sand too. This will
cause him to vomit, but once he brings it all out, he’ll be fine again.
But if he’s sick or vomits or has the runs, give him a tablespoonful of mineral oil. Follow
this up with a fasting period of about 24 hours, but be sure you give him plenty of fresh
drinking water. Once this passes, he’ll learn not to eat any of that sand or drink the salt
water.
Take care to see he doesn’t get any sand in his eyes. Should it get into his eyes and he
paws at it and whines, part his eyelids with one hand, and then, with a piece of cotton or
Kleenex and a dab of boric acid solution or water, squeeze it over his eyes and gently
flush out the bits of sand. Then, wipe around the eyes to remove any sand particles.
If, after a swim, you find him scratching, that’s due to the salt drying on his skin. Till he
adjusts to the sea, wash him dry with fresh water once he’s back from his swim. But
remember that though your pet may swim, he could drown too. So, keep him away from
heavy waves, and when the surf is rough, keep him by your side on the sand.
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
Attack! If you have your pet on a leash, he’s hardly likely to fight with other dogs in
the street. If he’s on a leash, you can pull him away from an antagonistic stranger, but
in the country where you may leave him to run loose, he is likelier to end up in a fight
with another dog that trespasses on his property. Don’t stop the fight as you may get
caught in the crossfire between them and be severely bitten too!
If you don’t know how to resolve the fight, call in some adults from nearby and pour a
bucket of cold water on him or squirt water from a garden hose over both of them. If this
doesn’t stop them from fighting, grab each dog by his collar, his ears, or his tail and
separate them.
However, if this is too much for you, you would perhaps do what many other pet owners
do: relinquish their pets. Often, owners find that looking after a pet is not what they
thought it would be, so end up being unprepared for the rigors of looking after their pets.
As a result, they return the pet to the breeder, pleading that when they’re out all day, they
can’t provide it the attention it requires. Nor can they give enough time, attention or the
level of activity necessary for this lovely breed. Job pressures or changes in one’s life and
lifestyle also make it impossible for one to be a committed and caring pet owner.
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Chapter16
Exercising your Boston Terrier
After nutrition, exercise plays a very important part in the health of your dog. This is
easier on you if you live in the country and can take your pet out on long walks or for
runs or perhaps even play with him outdoors. But left to himself, he will never exercise
so if you aren’t around to play with him, he won’t go out alone. So, even if you live in the
country, make exercise a part of your dog’s day.
You could make him chase and retrieve a stick or a ball. When he is one
year old, encourage him to jump over low obstacles while you talk to him. Play hide-andseek with him or run a race with him.
Swimming is a best for both city and country pets as most dogs love water. In fact, they
can swim without being taught, though you should introduce your Boston Terrier to the
water very carefully. Instead of throwing him into the water, let him wade in by throwing
a stick at him near the shore or at the shallow end of the pool.
As you throw the stick farther out, he will go into the water confidently and swim in
water that’s over his head. And he will do this without fear.

Is yours a city dog? If you live in the city, your pet won’t get much exercise every
day nor can he be let off his leash safely or legally.

So, his chief outdoor exercise will be restricted to walking. Take him on a long walk
every day. Allow him to lead you and stop as he likes, after all, this is his walk, not
yours.
Carry a long stick with you and encourage him to jump over it as he walks along
happily. Make this time a happy outing for both of you.
If your Boston Terrier lives in the city, teach him to retrieve a hard rubber ball or play
tug-of-war with an old leather belt. Once he’s an adult, encourage him to jump. Get
him to jump over a box or old table. Now, teach him to jump on the box or table.
When he gets there, hold a biscuit there and you’ll soon find him jumping up and
taking the biscuit from your hand. This will strengthen his hind legs.


Once you see the benefits of exercising your pup and think it’s fun, you’ll find a lot of
things he can do by way of exercising around the house. That should be fun!
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Chapter17
Grooming your Boston Terrier
By now, we’ve told you that your Boston Terrier is very easy to live with and very easy
to train too. Of course, this also means that he is equally easy to groom. You will find
living with him and doing things for him extremely easy as by nature, this breed is eager
to please his master.
So, what do we mean when we say that your pet Boston Terrier is easy to train? Let’s run
through all that you will have to do for him, however easily. First, to groom him, you
won’t just brush his teeth or coat, but take care of his overall appearance, which includes
his nails, ears and general cleanliness.
Care of this level can neither be complicated nor simple, because it largely depends on
just how smart, clean and handsome you want him to look. But yes, there are some easy
grooming duties you could perform every day. If you follow this regimen regularly, not
only will your Boston Terrier feel better, but he will also be free of fleas.

Your pet’s coat: Since your Boston Terrier has a short, smooth and flat coat, he
really needs just about five minutes of good brushing with a fairly stiff brush, perhaps
the kind your mother uses to scrub vegetables would be good enough and certainly
inexpensive.
Besides, as a breed, your Boston Terrier is a short haired dog that sheds minimally. For
his coat, the best brushes are the rubber palm brush and grooming mit. While the palm
brush, when used in a circular motion, helps lift out dead hair and brings the oil to the
surface, the grooming mit helps trap any loose hair. If you groom him once a week, you’d
be doing your best for your pet.

How to groom him: When you want to groom your pet, first stand him on a table.
Now not only will he stand still but you can work better too. Begin with his head and
brush around his neck and work you way down his back. Next, move on to his sides,
brushing gently but in long strokes. Now, turn him over on his back and brush his
stomach. Take care not to brush too hard or it may hurt his skin.
Now, get him back on his feet and start brushing from the tail up all the way to his head,
against the direction of hair growth. Now that you’ve gone all the way over his top and
sides, begin at the head and work your way back to the tail again, till his coat appears flat
smooth and shining.
Has your pet been scratching a bit too hard and often? If this is so, perhaps you should
suspect he has fleas. To counter this, you will have to comb his coat from top to toe with
a fine-toothed comb. In time, you will find that if you brush his coat regularly, he will not
79
have fleas anymore, unless he catches it from being in contact with other dogs or from
lying in the grass where other dogs have lain.
To get rid of fleas in your pet’s coat, take a piece of flannel or an old woolen mitten and
place it on your right hand. Now, pour a few drops of castor oil or coconut oil on this
cloth or mitt and run your hand down your Boston Terrier’s coat, as if you were stroking
him. This is all the care that your Boston Terrier’s coat requires. This is one reason why
this breed is popular in cities where the size of rooms in an apartment prohibits more
strenuous grooming.

Your Boston Terrier’s nails: If you exercise your pet enough, this is a good way of
wearing down his toenails to being really short, so you won’t have to worry about
clipping them. But if they grow so long that they curl under his foot or into his pad,
then it’s time you took him to the vet and have them trimmed.
Alternatively, if you have nail clippers, cut his nails carefully so that you cut only the
white part that curls, and not the pink portion as it may hurt him. From time to time, you
could check his nails to see if they require to be cut. In case, he comes home with
chewing gum or tar on his feet or nails, you can remove it with a piece of cloth dipped in
nail polish remover, benzine or cleaning fluid.

Your Boston Terrier’s ears: Don’t wash your pet’s ears with soap or water. Leave
them alone as they are very delicate. Don’t put anything in his ear canals either but if
your dog seems to be in pain or you see him pawing at his ear, see your vet.

Your Boston Terrier’s teeth: When your Boston Terrier pup is about four to five
months of age, he will lose his first baby teeth, even as his large permanent teeth
begin to grow. His gums may be swollen now and he may want to chew on hard
things.
Give him large bones to chew on constantly. Once you’ve cut off the fat or gristle on
them, allow your pet to chew on it as much as he likes. This chewing is helpful to him as
it helps his second teeth cut through the gums. By now, his baby teeth may have fallen
off or he may have swallowed them.
Once he has got his full set of permanent teeth, you won’t have much to do by way of
looking after them. You won’t have to brush your pet’s teeth twice a day, as he doesn’t
need it, due to the high content of hard substance in his food.
Check his mouth for leftover food or bone splinters that might lie stuck between his teeth.
If you do see either of these, remove it. To keep his teeth clean and his breath sweet,
wrap a piece of cloth around your finger. Wet it with a little water, dip it in plain salt and
rub his toothbrush and powder gently over his teeth and gums.
In addition, if you give your pet the occasional dog biscuits and bones to chew, he
shouldn’t have any dental problems until he’s old. But if you find he has foul breath,
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refuses to chew hard food, and hangs his head and whines, take him to a vet for he might
have a cavity or needs a tooth pulled.

Bathing your pet: You’re sure to come across people who advise you not to bathe
your pet, while others may tell you to bathe him as often as possible. The right thing
for your pet, however, is to steer a middle course between no bathing and lots of it by
bathing him once a month. Here are some essential tips:


Don’t bathe your pup until he’s six months old.
Don’t bathe him more than once a month and certainly soon after a meal or if he’s
had a cold or skin disease.

How to bathe him: You will have to decide whether you are going to bathe him
indoors where it’s warmer or outdoors if in summer. If you bathe him indoors, choose
to do it in a kitchen laundry tub or in a tin tub, if outdoors.
Now, place all the necessary objects you need to give him a bath
such as mild toilet soap or soap flakes, soft cloth, a brush, a large
bath towel and a can for warm water or spray attached to the faucet.
Get into a pair of old clothes and run a few inches of lukewarm
water in the tub. Put soap flakes in the water now, and block the
water out of your pet’s ears with a wad of cotton.
Pick him up gently, talking to him all the time and gently place him in the water. Hold
him there as he tries to scramble out. Wipe his face with the soft cloth, now pour water all
over his body. Lather soap around his neck to keep fleas from jumping from his body to
his head. Now soap him all over his body using both your hands.
When he’s covered with thick suds, scrub his coat with the brush gently, up and down
and sideways. Keep soap water away from his eyes. Rinse with lukewarm water, either
spraying him or pouring mugs of water all over him.
Repeat the procedure to ensure he’s clean. Remove all traces of soap from his coat or his
skin will become dry and itchy. Squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands,
then wrap him up in a large towel and lift him out of the tub. He will try to shake himself
and run around the place, so hang on to him and rub him dry with the towel.
Now that he’s completely dry, watch him run. This is typical behavior of pets that’ve just
had a bath. This keeps them from catching cold. You can join him in his fun but keep him
indoors unless it’s a very hot day. Ideally, if he is a city dog, keep him indoors for the
first three hours after a bath. He may want a nap now but don’t allow that. Instead, keep
him moving till he’s perfectly dry.

Keep him cornmeal clean: If you want to keep him clean between baths, dry-clean
him by setting him up on a table covered with newspapers. Rub cornmeal into his
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coat until he is covered with it and then brush it all out. Now, wipe his coat with a
damp cloth to remove all traces of cornmeal.
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Chapter18
Socializing your Boston Terrier
With your Boston Terrier, house training is a special concern. Yes, it’s easier than with
other pets, but still perhaps you would be irritated to find that instead of going out in
chilly weather to eliminate, your pet prefers to sneak a pee in a corner of your house.
House training your Boston Terrier can be much easier if you use some insights into dog
biology. First, it will be necessary for your pup to eliminate at set timings every day,
perhaps when they wake up every morning, after a meal, or out of excitement, when you
notice them squatting or when they sniff around.
The moment you see him in any of these positions, don’t hesitate to whisk him outdoors
to the spot where he is supposed to eliminate everyday and give the command he is
familiar with such as, “Potty now,” or “Hurry up”. Now, wait till he finishes. This could
also mean that you hang out near him while he gets the idea that this is a signal for him to
do his business or that he eliminates out of necessity. Once he’s done, praise him
generously and give him a special treat.
These techniques need your constant attention, but since there’s more to your life than
housebreaking your pup, crate training is the solution. Next, teach your pup to stay clean
while at home.
Housebreaking can be a problem if you live in a city apartment but if you live in the
country where you have a garden, your pet can urinate and move his bowels out of doors.
Some of the easiest ways of housebreaking your Boston Terrier are:




When he is three to five months of age: If you live in the country or have a city
garden, you can train your pup to go outdoors if:
It’s warm outside
The grounds you take him to are completely empty of dogs
The grounds are fenced from roads or streets
 If you live in the city:
 Keep him in his pen till he is about five months old. You needn’t exercise him now,
because he will get all the exercise he needs by running around his pen or by playing
with you.
 If he does go out, he will catch disease such as distemper very easily, until he builds
up immunity.
 If you take him out on a leash and collar, he will pull against them and end up ruining
the shape of his young growing bones.
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 Wait till he is five months old to housebreak him, because if you did it earlier than
that, he wouldn’t be housetrained and you would still be taking him out in the yard to
urinate. In that case, you paper-train him.

Paper-training: To paper-train your pet, fence off a corner of a room and spread
newspapers on the floor between his bed and the gate, door or fence of his pen. Even
at the age of three months, your pet will have learnt to go to the paper when he needs
to urinate or move his bowels.
After his meal, put him back in his pen and on the newspapers. Keep him here till he
urinates and defecates. Now say “Good boy” and pat him gently and give him a treat.
Throw away the used papers and lay out fresh ones. Once he understands the link
between defecating and the papers, stop rewarding him. Just pat and praise him.
Now you will find that he uses just one particular spot on the papers. Take away the
papers he doesn’t use and leave that part of the floor bare. Do this the following day too
and continue to do so till only the spot he prefers to use is still covered with newspapers.
Continue to praise him and pet him whenever he goes to this special spot, and he will
soon see that this particular newspaper is the only proper toilet for him to use. There will
be times when he uses the bare floor. If this happens take him to the spot and say harshly,
“Bad boy” over and over again and place him on the newspapers. Wipe the spot on the
floor with vinegar mixed in water to remove the odor. Now, cover it with a fresh
newspaper.
Don’t rub his nose in his urine or feces—it doesn’t teach him anything and it’s very cruel.
Don’t whip him or beat him when he makes a mistake. Let your cross voice indicate to
him that he has made a mistake. If he continues in this vein, take a rolled newspaper and
slap it on the floor directly behind him, saying “Bad boy.” Or slap his hind legs with the
roll of paper. Though this won’t hurt him, the noise will stun him. Don’t hit him with
your hand or on his head.
Finally, there will only be one place in his kennel that’s covered by newspaper. when he
uses that place to go to the toilet you know he’s learnt that vital lesson you’ve been
teaching him.
 Tips for effective housebreaking:


Don’t limit your Boston Terrier’s water supply only so that he doesn’t urinate often.
This is certainly not good for him. Instead, take him out 20 minutes after a meal.
Getting him to go outside the house to eliminate first thing in the morning is a good
habit for your pet to follow.
Take him on a leash right to the spot you want him to use as his toilet. Choose a
grassy spot for him to urinate on and make this the same spot everyday.
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
Once he has finished his business, you must make a big deal of it so he understands
that this is important. Speak to him warmly and encouragingly, saying the same
words everyday such as “Good boy.” Smile at him, pet and praise him.
 If your pup has an “accident” in the house:


Don’t be angry with him, after all he’s still learning.
Take him to the spot and say “Bad Dog, Bad Dog” sternly. Then take him to the
corner of the kitchen and walk away from him. As you set him down, repeat the
words “Bad Dog, Bad Dog”. Use the same corner of the room each time this happens
because dogs learn best by repetition and positive reinforcement.

Collar and leash: The next step in housebreaking is to train him to go outdoors. But
first teach him to wear a collar and walk on a leash. Don’t let him out alone, unless he
is in your fenced yard and trained to stay off the road. When you take him out on a
walk whether in town or the country and in the street, keep him on a leash or he may
chase dogs and die in a road accident.
Before you can put him on a leash, let him wear a collar. At first, the collar may puzzle
him but soon he will adjust to it. Both the collar and the leash should be made of leather
and narrow and light enough for the size of your dog. When you bring home a collar for
him, let him smell it. Then, tie it round him and take it off after a while. Do this a few
times and finally you can keep it on. By now, he will be used to it.

Keeping your dog on a leash: As a dog owner, are you aware that if your dog eats
rotting garbage, he could go into shock and die? Or if you leave him to wander in the
woods all by himself, he might play or take in small prey carrying parasites and
become infected with those parasites. So, a leash is a great protection for your pet.
If you leash him, you are being a good neighbor, after all your neighbors aren’t going to
like your pet digging holes in their lawn or eliminating on their property. If you leave him
free to roam around, he may just meet with an accident. A car on a lawn that’s been
sprayed with pesticides could also hit him. What happens then? If he bites someone, you
could be fined for it or you may be asked to put him down.
So, a leash is your best defense and your own fenced yard is the safest for him to run free.
But if you prefer, you could always take him to a dog park where he can run around
without a leash. But before you go there, ensure he isn’t aggressive when he sees other
dogs.

Your Boston Terrier first steps out of home: Once he has been inoculated, you can
safely take him out in good weather. If you live in the country, take the leash firmly
in your hand and let him sniff the yard. But if you live in the city, lead him right to
the curb. At this point, he will not know he mustn’t have a bowel movement in the
middle of the sidewalk. You need to tell him this by putting him in the street near the
curb. This is called “Curbing your dog,” and a law for all city dog owners to obey.
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Though he may stunned by the sights and sounds of the city, he will also be nervous. Or
he may pull in all directions, trying to explore the newness around him. Be gentle with
him, don’t drag him on the leash, but keep talking to him and quickly take him indoors
again.
To make him understand he’s being taken out somewhere special is to do it after a meal.
This is the time he goes to the toilet and on a newspaper, so if you are taking him out,
carry his newspaper with you. Spread it on the ground and crow over him as he does his
job. This is a special moment in your lives as this means that your pet is truly
housebroken.
Once he gets used to going out, take him to a variety of places. Let him familiarize
himself with them. This will encourage him to do his business in the street or the ground,
instead of the paper. Once he understands the outdoor idea, he will stop making mistakes
indoors. His timings to move his bowels will be set and he will not deviate from them.
 All about crate training: Crate training is not cruel neither should it be done as
punishment for your pup. Rather, a crate is a safe sleeping place for your Boston
Terrier pup, particularly when you’re not around to look after him. It’s also where he
can eat in privacy or just a corner to get away from it all. Even your pet would like his
own space where he can curl up and sleep or cut himself off from the rest of the
world.

Why use a crate? When you leave your pup alone at home in comfort and not in a
destructive mood, he will be in a stable frame of mind when you return in the
evening. Considering dogs don’t have human reasoning, they don’t understand why
they are punished and beaten for turning your drawing room into a garbage can.
Besides, crates lend neatness to the house and make house training easier.
You should know that pups will not soil their sleeping and eating areas. If you use this
regularly, the crate becomes your pet’s best friend and your ally in house training. If you
are traveling with your pet, a crate offers safety because if your pup is in it, he is not
likely to be injured in an accident, besides also preventing him from bouncing around,
getting on your lap or blocking your view. If crating him is difficult while you drive, train
him to lie in the back seat or use a doggy seat belt.

Choosing a crate: If your Boston Terrier is an adult, buy him a crate large enough to
fit in from the tip of his nose to the base of his tail, or just a little more. Inside the
crate, he should he able to stand up, sit, turn and lie down on his side stretched out
comfortably. If your pet is still a pup, buy him an adult-sized crate, or go in for a crate
with dividers that you can expand as he grows older.

Where to put the crate: Put the crate in a people-centric part of the house such as
the family room, kitchen or bedroom. If you do, your pet won’t feel banished in the
crate, so don’t consider the cellar or garage.
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
Where to get a crate from: You can choose the crate you want at pet supply and
feed stores or you can mail order them. And if you find them expensive, realize that
they are far less expensive than replacing a shredded couch or having your carpet
cleaned by a professional company. If you’re lucky, you can even pick up a good
crate at a yard sale! Local dog shows are also good places to find a good crate.

Setting up the crate: First, take off your Boston Terrier’s collar so that he doesn’t
get caught. You don’t crate a dog with a choke collar on. In any case, a choke collar
is to be worn only while walking or training your pet, after which it should be
removed.
Decide where in your house you want to set up the crate and position it there. Entice your
pet with bits of food so that he enters the crate willingly; say cooked chicken or hot dog
slices. Praise him as he enters. Now, let him walk in and out for a few minutes, as he
adjusts to his new environment. Now, coax him to lie down quietly and relax. Settle him
down with a few safe toys and close the door. Sit beside him and talk to him softly. Now,
let him out of the crate, and leave him alone for a short period. He may whine or cry, but
be firm. This will continue until he adjusts to being in the crate. Ensure you make his
time in the crate a positive experience.

Duration of crate training: You have to determine how long your pet needs to be
crated, depending on how much you can trust him with the run of the house
unattended. The moment you think he can be left uncrated, test him by leaving him
loose for five minutes while you walk outside. If this works, increase your time away
from him by five minutes each time. But if he misbehaves, get back to using the crate.
You can’t expect your pup to hold an eight-hour day. Instead, get him a dog walker for a
midday potty break. As he grows older, he will experience bladder control problems so
you may find your house soiled either due to old age, bladder infection or because he is
unspayed. If unspayed, males usually want to mark their territory and so eliminate or
urinate inside the house.
Ultimately, your Boston Terrier will be suitably crate trained and housebroken. This
breed, being adaptable and smart, your pet will learn very soon and be a joy to your
family.
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Chapter19
Training your Boston
We’ve already noted that your Boston Terrier is both easy to train and intelligent. And, he
is eager to please you. If you take these strengths into consideration, you’ll find that these
are indeed good qualities for training.
Some Boston Terriers require exercises to be repeated, though too much repetition will
disturb him. But if you continue to repeat the exercise even after he’s got it, his
performance will deteriorate.
He will work for a food treat such as cookies or he may be motivated by a toy, ball or tug
toy. Reward him with whatever he likes, while also praising him. Once he has learnt the
exercise, you may need to correct him occasionally. Use the least correction to get your
point across; as he will not take to it easily. Also, remember to use a lot of praise and
encouragement while correcting him.
Obedience training: This is an important foundation for agility training. Your dog
will learn to pay attention, and obey commands such as “sit” and “down.” Agility
training often improves obedience performance.

Tips to effective obedience training: Obedience provides a working relationship
needed for agility. Here are some basic tips to effective obedience training:
Teach your pet a command to turn off that dare-you-to-stare-at-me expression:
For instance, “at ease” means that he is off-duty. He can relax or lie down but is not
completely free to do as he likes. Don’t give him unintentional training which forces
his attention away from you, because you are preoccupied. When you’re not working,
shout the command “Okay”, which means he’s free to be himself.
To focus forward, teach him to back-chain: If, for instance, you want him to go
into the tunnel in front of him say, “Go tunnel.” Alternatively, you could say “Go
table,” “Go wall,” etc. Soon, the word “go” should be dropped, as he understands the
basic command by itself and not in connection with this word. “Go” should be
reinforcement or an indicator that the obvious obstacle is correct.
Use different cues: For different lessons you want to teach your pet, use different
cues. If your pet has already picked up some cues and make a regular ritual of it.
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Concentration spans: If your Boston Terrier has great attention, obviously he also
has long concentration spans. Now, shift that power of concentration to the obstacles
at hand.
Generalization skills: You will now need to develop your Boston Terrier’s skills of
generalization—the ability to understand that even if the situation is seemingly
different from a known one, still the basic skills for both of them remain the same.
Fortunately for him, obedience training does not use much of this skill.
The inherent ability to generalize varies from breed to breed. If you are an active field
trainer, you know that one way of encouraging this skill in your pet is to run retrieving
drills in different locations once the animal has picked up the basic concept.
Giving obedience training: First, your Boston Terrier will have to walk on your left
side (heel), allow for a brief touching examination, come when he is called and
remain in a “stay,” “sit” and “down” positions for about three minutes respectively.
At the next level, your pet will learn to bring back a dumbbell, both on a flat surface and
over a jump, drop to the ground and jump over a broad jump, perhaps simulating a jump
either over a small lake or quicksand. Now, your pet will be tested on if he can stay in the
“sit” position for three minutes and the “down” position for five minutes, while you are
preoccupied.
When he is at the highest obedience level, your dog will have to heel by your side
without any verbal command, “stop” and “stay” in a standing position until you give him
a sign to “down” and “sit”, followed by the “come” command. He now learns to find and
retrieve any article that bears your scent; to stand while you continue to move and wait
for an examination, and then come to your side.
Then, he must also retrieve a soft object from among three as you command him to and
finally to leave you, go straight out and return to you over two types of jumps, as per your
instructions.
These are called signal exercises, comprising scent discrimination, directed retrieve,
moving stand and examination and directed jumping. They do take a while to learn, but
don’t forget you’ve got a smart dog in your Boston. So, he will learn fast enough is if he
is taught motivationally and positively.
Problems of transferring from obedience to agility training: Getting the dog to
work on his handler’s right remains the foremost problem. Secondly, if your pet has
been well trained to heel with great attention, they will do it all the time.
To counter this, start utility work, specifically go-outs and directed jumping. For the dog
that wants to heel on the agility course:
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






If you are the handler, lead out before the jumps.
Make your Boston Terrier stand on one side of the dog walk, you, the handler should
stand on the other side and call the dog over. Ensure your Boston Terrier has a spotter.
Tell someone to lay a treat out on the table. Allow the dog to see it and let him go
over to the table from your right side. If you start with him doing short distances, you
can slowly work your way out. Then, put one jump in between as you go along.
Don’t let the Boston Terrier stand on your left. Let him stand at a stand so he knows
the difference between agility and obedience.
Do all you can to make the whole picture look less like an obedience exercise to the
dog.
So that he focuses on a contact treat, stand in front of him at the end of the dog walk
while looking and pointing at the treat. If you are looking at him, he will be forced to
look back, but if you focus on the contact treat, your pet will do the same.
If the above technique fails, you could also hold out a treat in front of his snout and
then move it down to the contact. Should he need just a little more help, use your
hand on the top of his head to push his head down gently.
To help him work off the right:



Seat your Boston Terrier down in a front position. Now, move to the animal’s left and
throw a toy far ahead of him to encourage him to race ahead of you.
Give the right side of his body a name just as the left is called the “heel.” Accustom
him to using this name and encourage him to move around to the right with a toy or
food.
Start on your right side with a toy that he likes. This prevents him suffering from
“new obstacle” stress while you try to deal with “wrong side” stress. Once he gets the
hang of the right side, shift sides.
Agility training for your Boston Terrier: Your pup must be a minimum of about
six months (UKC), 12 months (AKC) or 18 months (NADAC) of age to take part in
trials held under domestic rules and a minimum of 18 months of age to compete in
international agility contests under international rules (USDAA and AAC).
Most agility training starts with a young adult dog, but some amount of this can be given
to pups too. This could be tunnel work, jumps lower than elbow height and basic control
training. Contact equipment work such as. A-frames, dog walks and seesaws should be
delayed till he has developed the necessary physical coordination to jump over a plank
suspended above the ground.
Since growing bones cannot take the impact caused by jumping and flexing, owners
should research their breed thoroughly and only after this, begin intensive agility training
when the pet is past the age when the growth plates close for his breed. A rough guideline
for growth plate closure in mixed breed dogs would be about nine months to a year if
your pet weighs under 23 kg and 10-14 months if over this weight.
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Your pet, like other dogs, will do well in agility training till he turns about 8-10 years of
age. Once your Boston Terrier reaches this age, you should scale back his training and
give him training suited to veterans. But before you begin agility training, you need to
give him some basic obedience training.
Does he know how to obey commands such as “sit,” or “down” or to come when called
off-leash? Would he allow strangers to handle him without getting aggressive or being
withdrawn? Though off-leash heelwork is a big asset, it is not a necessity.
Agility training really takes off when your Boston Terrier begins to do low and smaller
versions of the obstacles. As he gains in confidence and competence, the height and/or
length of the equipment is slowly extended to their full competition forms. At this stage,
your pet will require physical ‘spotting’ similar to gymnastics training, while he develops
the necessary skill and confidence on the obstacles.
Remember to take off his leash now as this might get entangled on the dog and/or
equipment. Any form of physical correction methods should not be applied now as they
might interfere with the balance and physical coordination of your dog. This may lead to
injury and will also retard his progress in becoming physically and mentally confident to
negotiate the equipment safely. Usually, trainers give food, praise and fetch or tug objects
are given to dogs undergoing physical handling and spotting techniques as rewards and
lures to improve the performance.
If your Boston Terrier has learnt the basic obstacle work, he can go on to the next stage of
learning where he will learn to jump higher and over higher obstacles. He will also
develop a working ‘command vocabulary’ of both verbal and body signals that will help
direct him off-leash during the training sessions.
Once he is well-trained, he will be able to respond to commands to perform certain
obstacles as well as commands to run him to run faster or slower, turn left or right and
veer away from or get closer to his handler. At the highest level of agility competition,
your Boston Terrier will be able to perform all these commands and exercises instantly
and accurately, while working at full speed and independent of his handler.
As a pet owner, you should initiate your Boston Terrier into agility training only after you
have performed some pre-screening or he could become injured or aggravate a preexisting condition. This pre-screening should definitely constitute testing the hip, elbow
and eyes. In addition, you should inform your vet of your plans for your pet and have
your Boston Terrier radiographed for both hip and elbow dysplasia. If he scores Fair or
under, you should think again about having him trained for agility.
Due to the newness of agility training, perhaps your vet may not be aware of the
requirements for this dog competition. If this is so, provide him with a video that gives an
insight into dogs performing the feats that they are taught to. This will give your vet an
idea of the physical requirements that this sport demands.
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Both your vet and you should take into consideration your pet’s weight when you take
crucial decisions about his training. If your pet performs badly or has muscular strains
and other soft tissue injuries, it could be due to what is known as “weekend athlete
syndrome.” In this condition, your pet is overweight and not conditioned properly for the
sport.
Your Boston Terrier will have to be conditioned on a continuous basis apart from the
equipment training to keep his agility performance high and injury-free. Of these, weightbearing exercise is the most appropriate. Here, he will be expected to walk for a while
and then intersperse it with short sprint. He could also play low to the ground games over
a long distance, and Frisbee—both developmental in building his cardiovascular and
muscular capacity. Swimming also gives the same benefits and can also be incorporated
in his daily schedule.
Jumps are those agility obstacles that require the most conditioning. To do this
effectively, your pet needs to possess the right cardiovascular, muscular and skeletal
structure. Over time, he will also do skeletal conditioning wherein he will spend about
nine months of training at low jump heights. This helps to limit the impact to the bones
while also inducing his growing bones to thicken faster and develop the necessary
strength at the correct points to withstand the impact of landing after jumping. This
period is a good time for the trainer or handler to work on developing your pet’s
command vocabulary. At the end of this conditioning period, let the trainer raise the
height of his jumps till the dog reaches his full jump height. At this point, you can
consider him taking part in actual competition.
 Maintenance for your Boston Terrier: Your pet needs continuous physical
maintenance in order that he stays injury-free, whether in training or competition. For
one, his nails will have to be trimmed back so that they don’t get embedded into any
of the equipment or obstruct his traction. Trim the hair around his eyes so that his
vision is not obstructed.
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Chapter20
Spaying and neutering your Boston Terrier
Today, tens of thousands of unwanted and abandoned pets of all ages and species are
killed mercilessly each year in shelters or given over to poor homes. If they are lucky,
they die earlier than that while others return to a wild existence in Nature. They damage
property, kill people and livestock and spread diseases such as rabies.
Considering these problems, it is better that all pets, whether dogs, cats or any other, are
spayed and neutered. There are many benefits of this which are explained below:
 Benefits of spaying and neutering:

You will live with a healthier pet: Spay and neuter your pet and you will save it
from ever getting testicular tumors, while it will also greatly negate the chance of
contracting prostate problems. By neutering your pup, he will drastically reduce the
chance of having perianal tumors and hernias, seen often in older, unaltered males.
And there’s one major benefit: Come mating season, your neutered male pup is hardly
likely to escape from your yard in search of a female companion. Being in a fenced yard,
away from heavy traffic, your Boston Terrier will be safe from being hit by moving cars
or getting into street fights with dog gangsters or even getting lost in the maze of the
streets.
If your pet is a female Boston Terrier and you have very wisely had her spayed before her
first reproductive cycle (estrous cycle), commonly called “heat,” then this will greatly
reduce her chance of mammary tumors, ovarian cancer and uterine infection, which are
not just fatal but very expensive to treat.
Being spayed, your Boston Terrier female takes away the chance of stray males ever
camping out on your lawn A spayed female eliminates the neighborhood stray males
from lying in wait on your lawn for your female pet. Besides, giving birth to a litter can
be dangerous to your female, as if it is done under Cesarean section, it will not only be
risky for her but expensive for you too.
Other dangers include the fact that, if unspayed, your female pet’s reproductive system
will make her prone to serious health problems that could eventually shorten her
lifespan? Your male pet’s reproductive system could also cause hormonal ups and downs
that can result in him ignoring your commands, eliminating on your belongings and
furniture, escaping from your yard, picking fights with other male dogs, and either
attacking other male dogs or being attacked by them.
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
Your Boston Terrier will be less aggressive and moody: By spaying and neutering
your pet before he reaches sexual maturity, your Boston Terrier stands to gain a
temperament benefit. While male Boston Terriers that are neutered early in life end
up being less aggressive and distracted, they are equally likely not to scent mark. In
the case of females, she will not have any mood swings any more and will devote all
her time and attention to you, her master. If she had not been neutered and had had a
litter, she would have become very aggressive, both within the family and with
outsiders too. Spaying her makes her a calmer individual and a better companion.

Too many litters, too many to send to homes: By calculation, in a space of six
years, a male and female and their offspring can together give birth to thousands of
pups. This is eminently possible if you think that a female can have her first litter at
age six months, and then one every six months after this.
On an average, each litter contains an average of six pups and each female will next be
able to have another litter in another six months. If you sit down to calculate, the figures
could well be mind-boggling, especially if you consider that a dog can get as many
females pregnant as he can in a day alone!
But just because pups are born and look cute and cuddly doesn’t mean there’s a decent
home waiting for them to walk into. It’s heartbreaking to note that more pups and dogs
die in the streets as victims of accidents and due to lives curtailed due to neglect, abuse
and torture than you can ever imagine.
 The risks of breeding your Boston Terrier: There are, in fact, serious risks related
to breeding. For instance, the dam might just develop serious complications, which
necessitates immediate medical attention. Or she may abandon her puppies, leaving
you to play mother to them. As you perhaps don’t know, this includes the entire
gamut of operations right from giving the little ones a feed every couple of hours
right round the clock, encouraging them to eliminate, checking their weights
everyday, maintaining proper temperatures and humidity, among other duties.
If the mother remains with her litter, then she requires regular and substantial
supplemental feedings. Then, it could also be that puppies are stillborn or badly
deformed. Who takes care of them—you? Can you deal with such a situation where your
new born pup has a cleft palate or hydrocephaly or other such breed-specific problems?
Can you allow the pups to be euthanized? Are you so committed to these pups and their
mother that you would have them all inoculated before sending them on to their
respective homes? The risks and duties are too many for most people to bother with
breeding their pet. Therefore, it is a better idea not to breed your pet.
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 Spaying or neutering doesn’t cost the earth: This is one more reason you should
consider spaying or neutering your Boston Terrier, apart from all the medical and
health benefits. In fact, if you consider the fact that spaying costs far less than getting
your pups all the required shots, I’m sure you’d jump to it. It is also far lesser than
paying for surgery to treat your Boston Terrier’s testicular tumors or uterine infection.
And if your adventurous Boston Terrier crosses a busy street trying to reach out to an
unspayed female and gets hurt in an accident, those ensuing costs of medical attention
would be far more expensive than neutering him. If you think practically of how much
extra you would have to fork out and how much that would affect your monthly
expenses, you would have your pet spayed or neutered, as most of the world does.
 As a breeder, you don’t break even: As a responsible breeder, you should consider
yourself lucky if you break even after the sale of a few puppies. After all, you are
more concerned about improving the breed of your Boston Terrier rather than make
money. Your costs begin right from the time when you carry out tests to see if the
dog in question is healthy enough to breed. Then, you find that these costs are much
more than what you make after selling him, therefore not making it a profitable deal
for you.
It would be your endeavor to constantly improve the breed’s looks, temperament,
working ability and other traits. If a breeder sells a pup who does not conform to his
needs, or is an improvement on their blood lines or is a typical representative of the breed
can be sold on an agreement that the puppy will be spayed or neutered so that undesirable
traits in his genetic make-up are not passed on to the next generation.
 Myths about spaying:

My Boston Terrier will grow lazy and fat: If your Boston Terrier gets fat and lazy
after being spayed, that’s because spaying and neutering reduces his desire to roam. If
he shows a weight gain, it is due to his inactivity and poor eating habits. To counter
this, give him a good quality feed, exercise and adjust his food level according to his
level of activity.

His personality will undergo a change: If it does, it will be only for the better.

Breeding pets is all about making big bucks: Add to the cost of raising a litter well
all the headache it brings with it, and calculate your net profit. You’ll find it too small
and insignificant, for all your efforts and money invested. Instead, realize that there
are already too many puppies in this world that are abandoned and homeless. If you
must have a pup, bring home one of these rather than add to the list of unwanted
births of pups. Besides, if you do get into commercial breeding and some of your
pups don’t sell, can you afford to keep these animals till they go or if they never sell?
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
You want your pet to lead a normal life: It’s just that your pet won’t be able to give
birth to pups, but that apart, he or she will be able to lead as normal and active a life
as others. In fact, your pet will be able to participate in all canine sports even after he
is spayed or neutered—obedience, agility, herding, tracking, field trials and terrier
trials. He will also be able to live longer, happier and healthier than most other
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Chapter21
Boston Terriers and children
The short answer to your question, “Are Boston Terriers good with children?” is a
resounding “Yes.” In fact, they aren’t good with children; they are absolutely great with
kids. So, I would recommend you going out right this minute and buying yourself a
Boston Terrier. Of course, just as you won’t raise your kids without teaching them the
rules of your home and dining table, so also your pet Boston Terrier too, needs that
specialized care, commonly called socializing.
In fact, if you are taking in a pet for your kids to grow up with, that’s a great idea,
because they’d be so right for each other. But if your Boston Terrier needs a bit of
training, then, so do your kids, only so that they can understand the needs and moods of
your pet. You should really take care to se that you bring home a Boston Terrier from a
good breeder who rears pets with good temperaments.
 How to raise your Boston Terrier in a house filled with kids:

Teach your kids to be kind: You need to teach your kids to show just a little
kindness to animals, particularly house pets. Besides, if you took care to do the below
given, your kids could grow up into better balanced, caring, compassionate and
understanding human beings.

Don’t feed your dogs or let them be treated aggressively: Your Boston Terrier
should not get into the habit of “begging” for food whenever he sees you eating or
when he gets the scent of food. In fact, it is a good idea of sometimes take food away
from while he is eating it—either at the beginning or in the middle of his meal.
Initially, he will resent this and growl at you. Don’t let that deter you—all you have to
do is to say “No” very clearly and make it clear to him that his growling just won’t
do.
It is commonly noted that when you feed your pet or while you give him a special food
treat accidents to pets occur, especially associated with kids. Oh, you can certainly let
your kids feed your Boston Terrier and give him the occasional treat sometimes, but only
under your supervision. Once you do this for some time and find nothing disastrous
happening, you could let your kids give him the occasional treat after obtaining your
permission.

Don’t let your kids disturb your pet while he eats: Your kids should certainly take
on the responsibility of feeding your Boston Terrier, but they should learn not to
disturb him while he eats or your pet might just bite his face off. This happens when
the animal is food-aggressive.
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
Socialize your family dog: To get your pup accustomed to kids, one way is to take
your pup in the car to drive carpools when he is about 10 weeks old. Your Boston
Terrier learns to be with kids just as kids learn to be kind and considerate to him.

Take your pet everywhere you go: Wherever you go as a family or your kids go—
whether to the neighborhood park or for a walk or to the store—take your Boston
Terrier with you. But yes, take him to a park or public place only after you’ve had
him fully vaccinated (about four to six months old). Before that, you can safely take
him out in your car, just so long as his feet don’t touch the ground.
Once he is vaccinated, there’s no stopping just where you can take him—to the games,
parks, on trips, carpools, dog shows and any other places where they are allowed. As you
familiarize yourself with the temperament of your pet, you will realize that you’ve got
yourself a companion dog who loves to be with people all the time. They demand human
interaction, so be nice to them—let them be with as many people as possible, for as long
as possible.
 What your kids can learn from growing up with a pet:



Kids learn to be responsible for pet-related tasks: For instance, if your Boston
Terrier has to be fed at a particular time everyday and be given a particular feed, your
kids learn to be disciplined about feeding him on time and just the right quantity.
Patience: While your pup goes outside the house to eliminate before staying in for
the night, your kids will have to wait patiently. So, they learn patience from being on
call while the pup goes about his business.
Gentility: By patting the pet gently, they learn the positive experience of touching the
pet after he has completed each successful task taught to him.
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Chapter22
How to train your Boston Terrier: Understanding his
mentality
By now, it is well known that animals of one particular kind usually do communicate
with each other in their own way. But it is not easy to assume that a horse, for instance,
communicates his thoughts and feelings to a dog or an elephant. As far as we know,
intelligent communication takes place best between a dog, here a Boston Terrier, and his
master.
Whereas we human beings communicate our thoughts and feelings by first understanding
ideas and then sending a message to fellow human beings, who in turn understand it and
then reply to us, communication takes a different shape among all dog breeds.
For instance, your Boston Terrier would use his eyes, mouth, voice, body and tail to
communicate. Particularly expressive among Boston Terriers is their tails that can speak
the proverbial “thousand words.” Therefore, it is rightly said that the Boston Terrier can
speak at both ends of his body.
From studies conducted on dog breeds, it has been found that inflections in their voices
can go up to 12. From the tone of his Boston Terrier’s voice, a sensitive master can tell if
his pet is in pain or if he is whining out of loneliness. Is he happy or is he pleading for
release or attention? Is he barking out of fear or to alert you that someone undesirable to
the family is walking up your driveway?
Dogs are the only animals with as many variations in inflections or tones of voice, nor
does any other animal show as much urgency to communicate with its master than a dog.
Though your Boston Terrier is blessed with all the speech requisites such as a larynx,
vocal chord and tongue, yet it does not have modulation of sounds into words.
Speaking, however, suits the personality of your pet: your Boston Terrier, being an
affectionate, people-friendly and lively dog likes to be with people, including his master
and the master’s family and friends. This basic desire is the impetus that drives him to
communicate his thoughts.
As the breed of Boston Terriers advanced and evolved, its ability to communicate also
improved. Just as human speech developed over time from throat noises to fully formed
words, so also, it wouldn’t be surprising if one day, your Boston Terrier also spoke its
own language by beginning from barks and tongue-licking and progressing further.
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You might shake your head in disbelief as you read this but it could well be true that
dogs, and your Boston Terrier included, could be trained while their pups learn from
them by imitation to utter sounds that signify a particular thing, e. g. food, water, pain,
etc. Gradually, certain inflections could be developed, and many generations later, dogs
could speak using human speech. Once the dog learns to speak, like humans, he might
even develop the faculty of reasoning. Dogs, in general, can be trained to speak only by
appealing to their physical senses—hearing and seeing, unlike in human beings who learn
by reading and speaking.
Quick tips to train your Boston Terrier:
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You need to educate your Boston Terrier—draw him out of his shell and develop
his natural traits and skills.
When you shout a command to your pet, always do using the same tone of voice,
with the same words and speed of speech.
While training your dog, stay calm. If you do, your pet loses just a little respect
for you as his lord and master.
Don’t punish your pet for not obeying your command unless you’re sure he fully
understood you but chose not to perform it.
Every act done successfully should be amply rewarded while every act of
disobedience should result in punishment.
If you don’t reward or punish your Boston Terrier immediately after the act is
performed loses its significance as the pet cannot make the connection, and it can
also be seen as an act of cruelty.
Never believe that pride and humiliation are traits of human beings alone. Your
pet too has large reserves of them. So, after teaching him to do a particular act,
continue to be serious about it. If you make the mistake of trifling with him at this
stage without giving him the appropriate command, he may make mistakes when
he shouldn’t. This is the stage when he needs supervision and guidance. Besides,
he needs to be reassured that when you say one thing, you mean that he should
perform a particular set of actions. If you break his learning with contrary
commands, his method of cause and effect learning will be severely damaged.
Also, lessons should be short, as your pet will tend to tire easily. Two half hour
sessions a day should be sufficient.
You must announce his success only at the end of one lesson of training.
Think ahead of your pet so that you know which way he’s going, and it’s clear to
him that he takes orders from you.
If in the course of a session, he makes a mistake in the middle by taking a wrong
step. Don’t correct him for that individual mistake, but to teach him the correct
sequence of steps, start from the beginning.
Your Boston Terrier, for all his intelligence, has a one-track mind. So, don’t think
he can multi-task just because you can.
Do all your teaching in roughly the same area. For instance, if you want to teach
him about objects related to grooming him, do this in the place where you groom
him regularly. This is closely linked to the law of association of ideas, which is
his mode of learning.
Don’t take your Boston Terrier for a machine. So, once you have given a
command, don’t expect him to rush to do your bidding immediately. Give him a
moment or two to understand your command or else he will end up confused.
Be patient with him, because remember we are two kinds of animals interacting
together—man and animals. So, it does take time and sweat to understand each
other. So, hang in there.
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Chapter23
Psychology of your Boston Terrier’s mind
The entire science of training your Boston Terrier is based upon the trainer’s ability to
completely eliminate the barrier that exists against communication between man and dog
so that they understand each other completely.
Your Boston Terrier understands you, his master better than you understand him. This is
because you comprehend your pet only by using just one of your senses—sight, but he
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comprehends you with two of his senses—sight and smell. So, while training your
Boston Terrier, it is of greater importance that while training him, you learn how he
regards you than vice versa.
 Your Boston Terrier’s mental qualities: If you are close to your pet Boston Terrier,
you will see that your pet experiences and displays the following emotions: jealousy,
memory, identification, possessiveness, imagination, curiosity, humiliation and a
desire to please.
Of these, the desire to please occupies top slot, because he always wants to do whatever
pleases you, his master. From his experiences with his master, he can draw two broad
conclusions—that he has pleased his master or that he has displeased him. His own self is
destroyed; he will display painful behavior, while also putting himself through great
suffering. To please his master, a Boston Terrier is also known to exhaust himself
completely so that he can obey his master to the letter.
 How to train your dog: While it is true that your Boston Terrier doesn’t understand
our speech in words, but he can learn to obey simple, everyday commands such as
“Sit” or “Stand up.” Your Boston Terrier, being sensitive by nature, can spot the
differences between his master’s tone of voice when he is happy or sad, angry or
anxious. From this, he knows which action to perform to be in his master’s good
books.
The psychology behind training a dog—in this case, a Boston Terrier—rests on the
premise that a cause and effect pattern guides the actions that begin with the master’s
command and which must be immediately followed up by his own appropriate action.
Therefore, to learn a particular action or command, your pet will use the method of
association, based upon his memory of previous similar instances.
This very association or memory is taken a step further when your Boston Terrier
imitates or repeats the same action in similar situations as and when they appear. These
methods form the dog’s mental background. Besides, your Boston Terrier’s mind cannot
function abstractly but must be presented in concrete form.
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Chapter 24
Teaching your Boston Terrier by forming memory
associations
It is surprising, you will agree, that though your Boston Terrier is capable of so much, no
one has ever tried to teach his pet dog all those myriad acts that dogs perform.
Researchers prove that though dogs in general and Boston Terriers in particular are
capable of doing much, much more than we have witnessed so far. But the good thing is
that the moment your Boston Terrier learns these things from you, he will be able to do
them as and when he is required to.
 How your Boston Terrier can learn to perform acts: For your Boston Terrier to
associate object with learning, you need to link up sound (a verbal command such as
“Sit” or “Fetch”) with an object. This combination should then be associated with the
eye and ear of the Boston Terrier early, exactly and regularly. By doing this,
repetition will cause him to make the association required early on in the training
lesson. This will help in him not confusing this object with any other. Another fall out
of repetition is that your pet does not ever forget the lesson you taught him.
You may want him to pick up as large a vocabulary as you wish—your Boston Terrier is
bound to oblige you. For instance, if you want him to know that a particular number of
objects are pens or keys, show him the whole lot. As you dangle the keys in front of him,
say the word, “keys” or if you show him pens, repeat the word, “pens.” Then, throw the
objects at him, repeating the word that describes it. Repeat the word as often as possible,
each time linking it with the object you are trying to mentally reinforce with him. The
next time you want your keys, you can be sure your little pal will fetch them for you.
Your Boston Terrier must also know that if his action does not immediately follow your
command or call out of the word, then he will be punished. But if he is quick and correct,
then he will be praised and rewarded.
Dog vocabulary: If your Boston Terrier learns to respond to a certain number of words,
it does not say as much about its intelligence as about your enthusiasm to teach him.
What may surprise you, perhaps, is that your Boston Terrier is capable of learning as
many words as a staggering 300!
Some of the words most pets, including your Boston Terrier, respond to are: hush, eat,
no, get away, here, come, down, stop, that’s a good boy, nice doggie, sit, stay, or out you
go.
In case you are off on a holiday without your Boston Terrier and you want to leave him
with friends or at a boarding place, it would certainly help if you wrote out a list of all the
words or commands your pet is familiar with. Then, in case your pet falls sick, your
friend or new keeper will know which commands to use while tending to him.
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
Confidence building: You might think that you’ve got yourself a smart dog—a
Boston Terrier who has full faith in his master. Your pet knows that his every action
must be successful, and believes that his master’s command causes him to be
obedient. Therefore, if your Boston Terrier does not achieve his goal, his confidence
is bound to take a beating.
Just as with human beings, the degree of intelligence among pet dogs varies: while some
are unintelligent and defy learning, there are those who learn very quickly, while yet
others learn quickly in their particular fields of interest. Due to this, each dog reacts
differently to the same situation.
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Chapter25
How your pet can acquire knowledge
Amongst animals, acquiring knowledge is of two kinds—primary and secondary. Just as
spiders weave their webs artistically and precisely without formal learning, so also pet
dogs too, including your Boston Terrier, have a certain amount of knowledge which can
safely be termed primary or instinctive knowledge.
 Primary knowledge: However, it is widely accepted now that most primary
knowledge is acquired by imitating one of the animal’s parents or other dogs it comes
into contact with. Take for instance, the conditions under which your Boston Terrier
pup barks. His first lesson in barking comes from figuring out just when he must do
this. And he learns that he must bark in response to the barking of other dogs.
 Secondary knowledge: Primary knowledge may be instinctive but an animal’s
ability to acquire secondary knowledge or knowledge by experience is vast. By
imitating other dogs and the human beings they live with, your Boston Terrier and the
rest of the dog kingdom is today known to be the leaders in acquiring secondary
knowledge. This could well be due to their innate ability to imitate new things and
adapt to any environment. One more factor that aids your Boston Terrier in learning
as quickly as possible is his sense of hearing—research has proved that dogs in
general have superior hearing of up to 40% more than human beings.
Again, word association plays a key role in building the memory of your Boston Terrier,
and in turn adding to its secondary knowledge. It could be that secondary knowledge,
picked up by imitating one’s parents, is carried on from generation to generation till the
time it becomes instinctive.
 The role of pain: When your pet Boston Terrier is in pain, it is an indication to him
that here is something he should avoid. Pain teaches him just what to avoid doing just
as hunger tells him what to eat.
When you housebreak your Boston Terrier, you will obviously use the negative method
of teaching, i.e. through pain and punishment. When you punish your pet, you cause him
pain only so that he remembers never to repeat that action. So, when he is fully
housebroken, he learns what to do or not to do not because he knows that eliminating in
the house is not right or polite behavior, but because he has the experience of being
painfully punished when he performed the same actions earlier.
But if pain is one medium of learning a lesson and remembering it, equally effective
methods are humiliation, pride and your Boston Terrier’s desire to please his master. In
fact these methods also induce your pet to change his behavior or adopt new practices.
 Your Boston Terrier is a creature of his environment: As you know, all species
act according to their environment. In the context of primary and secondary
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knowledge this means that different kinds of animals may enjoy the same
environment, but respond differently to the same conditions. This is so because each
one’s behavior either corresponds to his learning gleaned either through primary or
secondary knowledge, or through instinctive or learnt experience.
This happens because your Boston Terrier sees the world though his own eyes—as a dog
dog. So, my advice to you is that when you train your Boston Terrier, develop his doglike abilities. For this, you will have to think in the interests of your pet. Through all your
training, let the dog in your Boston Terrier remain so—don’t try to make a human being
of your four-legged friend.
To do this effectively, you could focus on giving him dog problems to solve, but don’t be
so harsh on him as to expect him to solve human problems.
 Teaching your Boston Terrier by the senses route: Often, one finds that there is
indeed a fine dividing line between those acts that arise out of your Boston Terrier’s
native intelligence and those that he has learnt from you. For instance, if your Boston
Terrier has picked up a trick or two, it means that he has learnt it—it hasn’t been born
of his native intelligence.
His chief source of information, as stated earlier, is his environment that he has
duplicated in his memory, which he translates into actions you want him to perform. His
senses play an active role in guiding him to act correctly. In order of importance, they are
smell, hearing, sight, touch and taste.

Your Boston Terrier’s sense of sight: Dogs, including your Boston Terrier, are said
to be color blind, so it is highly likely that they see the world in shades of gray and
black. Being unsure of colors, they also lack the opportunity of seeing life in color
first, due to their height. Secondly, if they had the power of speech as we do, they
could have been able to distinguish between colors by giving each one a name.
Third, your Boston Terrier’s range of vision is not as wide or far as that of human beings.
But, having said that, he will see moving objects far quickly than you, more because he is
always watchful and alert, hoping something will happen rather than because he has
keener eyesight. Fourth, your Boston Terrier’s body lies in a horizontal plane—a fact that
causes him to see less and at closer range. Man, however, is a vertical animal, which
affords him a larger and more panoramic view of things.
For the same reason, your Boston Terrier will also not be particularly object minded. That
is, if he sees you standing perfectly still before him, making no sound at all, he will not
be able to recognize you but will bark at you, believing you are an intruder. But the
moment you begin to walk, or speak, or if he scents you, he will recognize you
immediately.

Your Boston Terrier’s sense of smell: The sense of smell, in your Boston Terrierm
is perhaps his most developed sense—far more developed than in human beings.
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Among the dog breed and that includes your pet, this sense is not based on a
knowledge of different flavors or odors, but on a general classification of smells that
are either useful or useless, friendly or dangerous. Your Boston Terrier’s memory of
smell will also serve him well and he will be able to recall an object quicker by
sniffing it out rather than by seeing it.
Besides, your Boston Terrier develops a sense of smell largely through experience and
education. So, the smell of rotting meat is one that he is bound to know and enjoy, but
make him sniff perfume and you will find him shaking his head distastefully. Similarly,
the aroma of food will attract your Boston Terrier and he will quickly sniff it out.
Recognizing the aroma of food is also very necessary for him, as when he is hungry he
knows in which direction to head to satisfy his hunger.
At birth, this is the first sense he comes to experience and develop. For the first nine days
after birth, his eyes remain closed. At this time, his sense of smell becomes his guiding
sense: it teaches him to smell keenly, to be guided by this sense, to learn to differentiate
between scents and smells. Therefore, this sense proves to be not just the first but his best
developed—much more than his sense of sight or hearing.
If your Boston Terrier has a strong sense of smell, you can be sure he will be extremely
affectionate and loyal to you. Not only that, he will also be in a better position to
determine different people and quickly grow attached to the scent of their master and his
family.

Your Boston Terrier’s sense of taste: When it comes to taste, your Boston Terrier,
you will notice does not have a repertoire. In fact, he can be taught to adapt and
accept any taste, no matter how bitter or sour. It will be good to remember this so that
you neither overfeed him nor feed him wrongly.

Your Boston Terrier’s sense of hearing: Your Boston Terrier’s sense of hearing can
be developed considerably, since he is dependent on it to a large extent. Usually, all
dogs hear through vibrations entering the body. This is why even your deaf dog can
be an alert watchdog. For the same reason, he can detect danger through his ear, so
needn’t depend on his sense of vision for that.

Your Boston Terrier’s sense of touch: This sense is barely developed because it is
barely needed. This is due to his entire body being covered with hair, except his nose,
rendering his sense of smell almost useless. In addition, when your Boston Terrier is
under attack, he will keep a safe distance from his aggressor, once more rendering
less than minimal use of this sense.
108
Chapter26
Can your Boston Terrier reason?
Much as you might like to think that your Boston Terrier is capable of reasoning and use
that ability like their human counterparts, the truth is that your pet does not reason. By
definition, to reason is to compare with another individual or object, to see similarities
between two things or animals or people, or to progress from the known to the unknown.
This last aspect of reasoning typifies your Boston Terrier’s mind.
If, for instance, you tie your Boston Terrier to a pole in your backyard and set a bowl of
food for him in front of him, but at some distance away. He can easily walk up to it and
eat the food in the bowl. If you do this every day, he will develop a habit of going
forward to the bowl and eating from it. But if you change the position of the bowl, and
place it behind him, he may try to reach out for it. But if he can’t, he won’t try any
innovative method of going out and getting the food in the bowl. So, creativity is not one
of his traits. But memory and imitation are.
Or, if you wear your coat and hat and reach out for the doorknob, your pet soon realizes
that you’re leaving home and won’t be back till the evening. He wants to walk you to the
gate, so leaps up in joy. Every day that you perform the same set of actions at the same
time, your Boston Terrier will also react in the same way. From this you can see that he
has not reasoned, but responds to your action from memory, as if saying, “When I first
did this, I went out of the house till the gate for an early morning stroll.”
On the other hand, when you see certain dogs performing circus tricks, you find that they
perform certain acts that defy explanation, but are certainly the result of some smart
reasoning. Indeed, they are acts of smart reasoning, but not of such dogs but of their
trainers.
On the whole, you, as a pet owner, needn’t feel too bad that your Boston Terrier lacks the
ability to reason. Particularly heartening is the fact that there are so many people in this
world who choose not to reason, despite having that special faculty that distinguishes
man from beast. As a result, not all human beings use their brain to its full extent. But
dogs, and your Boston Terrier included, use their mental faculties at least 90 per cent of
the time, whereas their human counterparts use theirs for about 40% of the time, at the
most.
109
Chapter27
Do Boston Terriers have a personality of their own?
Though your Boston Terrier belongs to a particular litter where he and his siblings look
and behave alike, yet each pup grows up to be an individual by itself with a distinct
personality. They may also belong to the same breed, yet each one is different in
temperament, intelligence and personality.
But what is his personality? He could belong to anyone of the personality types given
below. Check them all out:

The moody Boston Terrier: If you are upset that your Boston Terrier is
unpredictable in behavior, selfish, stubborn, or ill-tempered, fearful and unconcerned,
you’re right, he’s the moody type of dog. It’s not difficult to see why this bothers you,
and once you get down to finding out the cause for his short temper and irascible
nature, you can set about calming him down, endowing him with love, confidence
and respect, besides also making him more obedient and responsive.

The sensitive Boston Terrier: We have already mentioned in the early pages of this
book that the Boston Terrier is, by nature, a very sensitive and intelligent pet. Really,
he is so sensitive that he can quickly understand and gauge your moods and adjust to
them. Often, you may far too busy to give him your attention, but if you do pat him
on the head, or drop a kind word in his ear, he will understand that he too matters to
you. But remember not to mistake his timidity or shyness or nervousness for his
weakness, because he is not unsure of himself.

The timid Boston Terrier: Your Boston Terrier may come across as a shy pet, but
he is not hereditarily so. He’s just plain timid, and that means that he is neither
cowardly nor selfish, just a bit withdrawn. To bring out the best in him, fill his
personality and mind with confidence, play straight with him, don’t scare him off and
respect him. Then watch him being a strong, tough guy with nerves of steel.

The stubborn Boston Terrier: You could have taken home a Boston Terrier who’s
either stubborn by nature or by desire. Often, he is so spoiled silly by his master that
he takes advantage of his loving master. Instead of creating such a situation, give him
sufficient time to obey. Don’t give him all your attention, but lead him to do all the
things you want him to, instead of letting him know that you want him to do them. Do
not punish him too severely, but be firm and clear with him, whenever you do punish
him. To play fair, reward him when he does something well, and remember that
rewards go a longer way with him than punishing him.

The sulky Boston Terrier: Does your pet sulk often? You must understand that if he
sulks, it means he has been hurt in the past. To help him come out of his shell, say a
110
kind word to him but don’t go all out to be friendly with him. He needs to understand
that you will not deceive him. If you’ve punished him for bad behavior, leave him
alone for some time. Certainly don’t make up with him, nor should you cuddle him,
because this will take away the effect of your punishment.

The spoiled Boston Terrier: You’ve spoiled him silly and now you don’t know how
to remedy the situation. Well, you need to be punished, not him. Ideally, however, the
way to wean him away from being spoiled is to humor him a little till he no longer
behaves as a spoiled brat. To do this, let him go hungry for a while, or let him beg for
his food, or let him know that he can’t have everything he wants. Unfortunately, it is
as easy to spoil him but equally difficult to wean him away from it. Happily, the good
news is that he can be brought out of it without lowering his respect of you.

The nervous Boston Terrier: Are you in the habit of pampering your Boston Terrier
more than you should? If yes, this could be a big reason why he is nervous. Other
reasons include your pet being coddled, disobedient, growing up in an environment
unsuited to him and the fact that he has never been scolded or shown right from
wrong.
Your nervy pet can be cured with kindness and firmness, constant supervision and by
instilling in him a firm assurance that he can trust you. The rule of thumb is that if your
pet is nervous, he is spoiled too; and if he barks, he is unfettered. If your pet is nervous, it
is a throwback to his mentality, to wrong training given to him rather than something
congenitally wrong with him or a fault in his genes.

The actor Boston Terrier: This great pretender should not be punished but loved.
He may pretend not to hear you, probably he even looks the other way when you call,
but put down to his mischievous nature, nothing more. In fact, you should praise him
for his vim and astuteness that he pours into the right acts rather than sit nervous and
quiet in a corner.

The perfect Boston Terrier: So, you’re one of those people who can’t bear
imperfections in anyone, not even your pet. Reason why your Boston Terrier is so
very obedient, keeps out of mischief and is watchful, faithful, and lays all his trust in
you. He is so sensitive to your moods that he knows when to bark with joy and when
to lay off. He is in fact the perfect pet. You’ve got yourself a treasure—I hope you
know it.
111
Chapter28
Be a leader and coach, not a dictator
To get the most out of your pet’s personality type, you need to observe and study him.
Each individual Boston Terrier comes with his own individual characteristics, and it is for
you to treat him individually, taking his personality type and peculiarities into
consideration. For instance, if your Boston Terrier walks upright on his hind legs, you
can use this ability to teach him how to stand up or how to waltz.
Once you know just what your Boston Terrier’s idiosyncrasies are, you will have to get
down to work on humoring him in these matters to get the best out of him. Besides, all
dogs do not have the ability to be well trained, though if your pet falls under the 80 per
cent that does, he’s doing fine.
One way of knowing your pet is a ready pupil is to see if he barks early in your first
interaction. If, therefore, he sulks, obviously he’s a slow learner or a quiet rebel, making
teaching more difficult since he is reluctant to co-operate with you.
 To train your pet: To get the most out of your pet’s personality type, you need to
observe and study him. Each individual Boston Terrier comes with his own individual
characteristics, and it is for you to treat him individually, taking his personality type
and peculiarities into consideration. For instance, if your Boston Terrier walks upright
on his hind legs, you can use this ability to teach him how to stand up or how to
waltz.
Once you know just what your Boston Terrier’s idiosyncrasies are, you will have to get
down to work on humoring him in these matters to get the best out of him.
Besides, all dogs do not have the ability to be well trained, though if your pet falls under
the 80 per cent that does, he’s doing fine. One way of knowing your pet is a ready pupil
is to see if he barks early in your first interaction. He could just as easily lift his ears or
roll his eyes rather than turn his head when something catches his attention, once again
proving how easy he is to train.
If, on the other hand he sulks, obviously he’s a slow learner or a quiet rebel, making
teaching more difficult since he is reluctant to co-operate with you. If your pet is
vivacious, he will be open to suggestion.
If your Boston Terrier is a little reluctant to be introduced to a new situation, don’t force
him to perform straight off. Give him the time he needs, besides if you plead with him to
do your bidding, not just will he put his back up but he will also grow suspicious. If
instead, you pay just a little attention to him, he will accept the situation in his own time,
at least out of curiosity.
112
In order to train your Boston Terrier, don’t fill his mind with something new. Instead,
draw out from his mind all the possibilities that lie within it. As a result, what is drawn
out of his mind happens voluntarily rather than by force or the fear of punishment.
 Don’t push him to perform: Many a time, trainers have made the mistake of
pushing their pets to perform rather than gently leading them on. As a result, the pet
at the end of the training session is a nervous wreck. If you are a persistent trainer,
you can easily make your pet perform the acts you’ve taught him, though once he has
mastered them, he goes through it like a dream.
Once your Boston Terrier returns trained from the professional trainer, ask for a list of
commands the pet has learnt so you can use them too. You should also ask how to give
commands to your Boston Terrier—whether by voice, whistle or motion and the
equipment to use.
You can, as you know, teach your dog tricks without being cruel to him. In fact, some
dogs, including yours, may even enjoy learning to perform tricks, such as retrieving,
jumping or barking on command. Often, these tricks are taught by the educative method
of encouraging the animal to do something with as much energy as he can spend on it. In
time, he usually does this same act with natural ease.
For instance, he may bark and this is a natural act, but if you ask him to “speak”, this
becomes an adaptation of the natural act of barking.
This is also the time for your pet’s natural talents to be observed and developed. If your
trainer is alert to hints that the pet may throw at him, he will draw out those talents and
make your Boston Terrier practice them until he is perfect at it. If he begins to show just
a little inclination to do a certain thing, it’s amazing just how far he will go to prove his
natural flair for it.
For this to happen as a rule, the dog’s mind should be led into the act, rather than forced
to do it, and can be only possible if he respects his trainer. On his part, the trainer must be
fearless, feign indifference and be a combination of kindness and understanding on the
one hand, and a slave driver, on the other. If he softens his stand at any point of the
learning period, it will result in the pet being disobedient to him.
113
SUMMARY
Thank you for purchasing “The Insider’s Guide To The Boston Terrier”.
I hope that you enjoyed he information provided and learned much of what you needed
to know about choosing a Boston Terrier to become a member of your household and
also how to get the best from and for Your Boston Terrier.
Boston Terriers truly are amazing dogs. Their intelligence, humor, sturdiness yet
gentleness make them a unique breed of dog unlike any other. However, what you will
get with a Boston Terrier is a loving friend and companion, a dog that will stand by you
through thick and thin, 100% dedicated to its master.
Although there are other books and resources available with additional information, I feel
confident that the information provided is well-balanced and covers the most important
aspects you need to know about this particular breed of dog.
Although I cannot guarantee that any product, apparatus, technique, or strategy
mentioned in this book will work for you as I have described, I am confident that you
have been provided with the best information available. However, if you have any
concerns whatsoever, especially about illness, training, or medication, you should always
consult your veterinarian.
I wish you much success with your Boston Terrier and I know you will have many
wonderful years together.
Sharda Baker
114

Boston Terrier Breed Standard

Transcription

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