Boston Terrier Complete Profile

Key Facts:

Size: Small - medium
Height: 37- 42cm (15 - 17inches)
Weight: Wide variation. But usually 8 kg (18 lb).
Life Span: 15 years
Grooming: Simple
Exercise: Undemanding
Feeding: Undemanding
Temperament: Determined & even-tempered
Country of Origin: England/United States
AKC Group: Non-Sporting
Other Names: Boston Bull

Temperament:
The Boston Terrier is even-tempered, intelligent, gentle and lively. Boston Terriers are playful and affectionate with their owners. They are good with children who can appreciate their clown-like antics. Boston Terriers are intelligent and quick to learn, making obedience training easy and straighforward. The Boston Terrier is strong-willed and boisterous, but they make a thoroughly good-natured family dog.

Grooming:
Grooming is minimal with the Boston Terrier. Occasionally run a brush or smooth glove over the coat and keep the ears clean and claws trimmed. The facial creases may need some attention from time to time with a special lotion for this area.

Exercise:
Exercise for Boston Terriers is undemanding. They have no desire for long walks, but do like to go with their owner/family everywhere. They enjoy playing.

History:
Boston Terriers evolved from cross-breeding in America between Bulldogs and Bull Terriers. They were once known as the American Bull Terrier. Their name was changed to Boston Terrier in order to seperate them from the already established Bull Terrier. The name 'Boston Terrier' was in honour of the city where their breed type was first developed. The progenitors of this breed weighed as much as 27kg (60lb), while today one sees the Boston Terrier around 6.8kg with a limit of up to 11.4kg.

Physical Characteristics:

General Appearance: Intelligent expression, confident graceful gait and well built.
Colour: Preferably brindle with white on designated parts of the body. Black and white is allowable.
Coat: Short, shiny, fine and smooth in texture.
Tail: Set low, short, tapering and is either straight or screw-shape.
Ears: Small, erect and fine. Can sometimes be cropped.
Body: Sloping shoulders, broad chest, prominent ribs, short back and muscular, short loin.

Additional Comments:

There are associated problems with Boston Terriers including inherited eye conditions and their eyes are more prone to injuries. However these difficulties are now less of a problem than in the past. Boston Terriers also tend to snore loudly and have regular flatulence.
Sometimes natural births of this breed are impossible, due to the large head size of the puppies. Therefore caesarian sections are quite common for delivery Boston Terriers.

Related Information of Interest:

A Funny True Life Dog Story
This is the story of my dog called Shandy. He was my favourite pet and he was very lively, lots of fun and very obedient. His main passion in life was to be taken for a long walk, culminating with a big run out in his favourite park.

I would try to take him on this walk everyday, weather permitting. The park itself was about three miles away from our house. To reach the park we had to cross a number of busy roads, however he would never pull or misbehave. He knew where we were heading and seemingly did not want to rock the boat and risk been taken home before he reached his dream destination.

At the park itself I would throw a ball and he would chase it and fetch it back to me.

At this stage I was living at home with my parents, however aged twenty two, I decided to rent my own bungalow near the coast in Devon. This was nearly two hundred miles away from my parents in home in Birmingham. This obviously meant I was no longer in the position to take Shandy on his walk.

I spoke to my parent, who reassured me that they would continue to take him on the walks.

Two weeks after I had left, I had a phone call from my mother. She was panicking, stating that Shandy had managed to escape from the back garden and that she could not find him. She insisted that she had been looking for hours but that there had been no sign of him.

I was quite worried and thought about where he may have gone to. "Have you been taking him on his walks to the park everyday?" I asked. She replied: "Most days" I asked her to try at the park, telling her that he loves that park etc. "He would not be there, its miles away." She said. I again asked her to try there. Luckily he was there quite happily sniffing around, unaware of the panic he had caused.

About the Author

Stephen Hill has a couple of websites at www.lasik-laser-surgery.co.uk and at www.stutter-stuttering.com.

A Good Tip For Dogs With Itchy Skin
Now that summer is in full swing, many dogs are experiencing dry skin and excessive itchiness. I know that my dog, "Forbes," certainly has been! Of course, the first thing you'll want to rule out is fleas. But barring fleas, I've found that the best way to alleviate itching is to:

Splash approximately 2 Tablespoons of either vegetable oil or canola oil in your dog's food.
The additional fat will give your dog's coat a soft, shiny look and will help alleviate dry skin and itching.
You can also try an over-the-counter product you can get at most pet stores called, "Lipiderm," which works pretty much the same, but costs a bit more.
Something else you might try: One of my newsletter subscribers writes, "Best thing for itchy skin is lemons. Slice a couple of lemons in a litre of water and boil it. Let it cool down for a day then you can spray it on. Works wonders and is cheap."

About the Author

Author, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!“ which you can read more about at:
tinyurl.com/4efaq

Body Language Before Dog Bites
Dear Adam:

After catching up on doggy email, I've noticed your reference to submissive posture. Your book helped more than a professional trainer I hired for my adopted Golden. We went through biting and dominance issues. The problem I am having now is I still do not trust him 100%. When he bit there really wasn't any sign it was coming (that I noticed). Even now, the only sign that he doesn't like something is a lowered head and sometimes a low growl (the groomer told me this). This dog growls sometimes when he is happy. It is almost like someone taught him not to make any other noise in doors. Outside he will bark. I guess the big question is how do you read a dog's face, body, etc.?

Thanks,
Mark.

Dear Mark:

It's a tough situation you've got. You've really got to just pay close attention to the dog at any time you suspect she may display the aggression. The most common indicators that I used when working with clients who had aggressive dogs was to watch:

1. The mouth. A dog will always pull has mouth closed tight just before he bites.

2. Body language. The dog's body language will get stiff and still just before he bites. Especially watch the stillness. It's very subtle, but at the same time very noticeable once you train your eye to look for it.

There are other things that you could look for depending on the dog and the type of aggression. However, you need to recognize that there are ALWAYS cues... it's just a matter of whether we are quick enough (or aware enough) to catch them.

To read more of my dog training ramblings, read about my book (click below): tinyurl.com/4efaq
Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!

About the Author

Author, “Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer!“ which you can read more about at:
tinyurl.com/4efaq