How to Select a Boston Terrier

The chipper and humorous Boston terrier is a compact and muscular dog that was first bred to fight during the 1800s in Boston. Today, the Boston terrier is happy to be indoors with his human family and loves to play with adults and children alike.

Things You'll Need

• Dog Beds
• Dog Bones
• Dog Brushes
• Dog Collars
• Dog Dishes
• Dog Flea/tick Control Medication
• Dog Leashes
• Dog Shampoo
• Dog Tags
• Dog Treats
• High-quality Dog Food

Instructions

1. Choose a Boston terrier if you're looking for a friendly, intelligent dog that gets along well with others. This breed usually loves children, strangers and other animals. However, Boston terriers may occasionally be aggressive toward other dogs.

2. Note that a Boston terrier may not be the most reliable watchdog because of his or her cheerful personality. However, this depends on the individual dog.

3. Consider a Boston terrier if you live in an apartment because this breed is primarily an indoor dog and doesn't mind a smaller home.

4. Realize that your Boston terrier will expect to be included in all family gatherings.

5. Keep in mind that although a Boston terrier can be trained quickly because of his intelligence the breed is known for stubbornness. Some Boston terriers are difficult to housebreak, although most are housebroken by the age of 8 months.

6. Know that Boston terriers will grow to 15 to 17 inches and weigh between 10 and 25 pounds. Their life expectancy is usually not more than 12 years.

7. Expect to pay between $300 and $1,500 for a purebred Boston terrier or more for a genetically tested dog or a puppy with full registration for breeding and showing.

8. Ask the breeder about any available health guarantees.

9. Look carefully at the Boston terrier's features. He or she should seem alert, intelligent and energetic. His or her body should be dense and solid with a short, flat head that is wrinkle-free. The dog's short coat should be either brindle (red or tan with a black striped pattern), seal (red and black hairs mixed finely), or black and white.

10. Know that Boston terriers occasionally have health conditions such as cataracts, hypothyroidism and skin tumors. Ask the breeder what screening has been done.

11. Check out potential breeders carefully, being sure to ask whether they are members of breed, specialty or obedience clubs. Affiliation with a club means you can check the breeder's references to make sure the breeder is not a puppy mill (a place where puppies are constantly bred for financial gain without consideration of the integrity of the breed) and that the breeder carefully screens for health problems before breeding. The mother of the puppy (and possibly the father) should be available for viewing.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider adopting a Boston terrier from a pet rescue organization. For more information, contact the Boston Terrier Club of America at [phone]. Most dogs are screened by rescue organizations for health and personality problems before they are adopted out.

• This breed is very playful and some Bostons enjoy a game of fetch.

• Boston terriers often do not bark.

• Boston terriers can have breathing problems when exerting themselves in extreme cold or heat. They also can suffer from heat exhaustion. Because they do not deal with cold temperatures well, they should be indoor dogs.

• This breed is prone to snoring.