Boston Terriers are not that hard to find in India if you are looking at a good and reputable breeder’s place, but they can be sometimes rare in smaller cities. These dogs are very well adapted to apartment living and are also considered a good breed for someone who has less experience in dog raising. The cost of bringing them home is in the mediocre range, it is not as low as the cost of a Labrador Retriever and its cost is certainly not as high as a Siberian Husky. Hence, this breed is fairly popular in India (mostly in metropolitan cities), but the owners should be aware of their subpar tolerance to heat and humidity. And, thus, these dogs do require special attention during the summer months in India.
The Boston Terrier is a fairly high-spirited, short-tailed and compactly built dog who is highly popular all over the world and especially in the country where it originated, the United States. Official standards of the Boston Terrier are given as follows:
The Boston Terrier may be a small sized dog, but it is also quite well-balanced. The average weight of a Boston Bull is around 6-11 kg and its height is between 15-17 inches. There is not a very substantial difference between the body dimensions of a male and a female Boston Terrier.
|
GENDER |
WEIGHT |
HEIGHT |
|
MALE |
06-11 kg |
15-17 inch |
|
FEMALE |
06-11 kg |
15-17 inch |
The Boston Terriers have a bright, smoothly-lying and a fine textured coat which is quite short in length. The distribution of their coat is quite even all over the body. They are mostly found in a combination of two colors in which one of the colors is usually white.
They have a closely-packed body with a slightly arched neck that sets into the shoulders quite neatly. Their back is fairly short and the chest region is deep with good width. The tail is short in length and is slightly tapering towards the end. The forequarters are sloping and well laid back and the hindquarters are quite strong and finely muscled.
The head is a little square and flat on top and it is free from any folds of skin or wrinkles. Their eyes are relatively large, round and quite dark in color and the ears are carried erect, quite small in size and are located in the corner of the skull.
The jaw region is square and broad with short regular teeth placed firmly inside the mouth. The muzzle is a bit wide and deep and is on the shorter side.
The Boston Terriers are very lively and enthusiastic dogs and are always in a playful mood. They are fairly kind and gentle with almost everyone but especially with their loved ones. They are also quite careful with small children and do not get easily annoyed and irritated. They are very happy when having fun with their family members or with anyone who they trust and love. They are usually quite warm to other canines and strangers, but early socialization is very important for that as there are some cases of Boston Terriers being a little aggressive with strangers and unknown dogs. General Character traits of the Boston Terrier are listed below:
The Boston Terriers are fun-loving and cheerful canines who are also known as the American Gentlemen because of their tender and gentle nature and also because of the uncanny resemblance that their coats share with a tuxedo.
These American dogs are extremely popular as companions and as house pets because of their highly adaptable nature, love and affection for their family, tremendously kid-friendly attitude, decent watchdog abilities and their outgoing demeanor.
They are also not that hard to handle with very little maintenance and grooming requirements and they like to listen to their owner’s commands most of the times which make them a very good choice for novice dog owners. Anyone would be lucky to raise this bundle of joy as it knows how to fill its family members’ life with fun, joy, and happiness.
Boston Terriers are divided into different types because of their various coat colors which are listed below:
|
Adaptability |
***** |
Sensitivity Level |
***** |
|
Affection Level |
***** |
Potential for mouthiness |
** |
|
Apartment-Friendly |
***** |
Drooling Potential |
* |
|
Barking Tendencies |
** |
Energy Level |
**** |
|
Friendly towards dogs |
**** |
Health Issues |
*** |
|
Friendly towards other animals |
***** |
Intelligence |
**** |
|
Child Friendly |
***** |
Playfulness |
**** |
|
Exercise Needs |
*** |
Shedding Level |
** |
|
Grooming Needs |
** |
Social Needs |
**** |
|
Good for novice owners |
**** |
Stranger Friendly |
**** |
|
Trainability |
**** |
Watchdog Ability |
*** |
|
Tolerates Heat |
** |
Tolerates Cold |
*** |
The Boston Terriers can be fed home cooked meal or dry/canned food purchased from a pet shop as long as the feeding material is beneficial for their health and is also consumed by them happily. The amount of food should be increased gradually as with the dog’s age, but overfeeding must be avoided as they are prone to get overweight.
These dogs love to play various games with their family members. And, regular playing sessions for a good amount of time whether in a park or inside the house are highly advantageous for them. And, with those playing sessions, brisk-paced walks on a daily basis are also recommended to keep these Boston Bull Terriers happy and fit. Just letting these dogs run in the backyard or a park all by themselves will not suffice their exercise needs as they do not enjoy doing stuff alone and will just sit idly. They require the involvement of their loved ones to be happy and to fully enjoy their outside time. Hence, it is recommended to the owners to invest some time in playing with these small and cute pooches.
As mentioned, Boston Terriers like to listen to their owner’s command and thus training them is not that hard. Also, they are fairly intelligent which makes the whole process faster and easier. But, it is also important that their obedience training should begin early which will make them more compliant and agreeable afterward.
Weekly Brushing with a soft- bristled brush will help in avoiding mat formation during the shedding season and also will promote new hair growth. These dogs do occasionally shed but in small amounts. Also, their bathing needs are sporadic and can be done on a monthly basis. Trimming of their nails can be done as deemed necessary by the owner, but they should never be allowed to become too long as that can cause pain to the dog and also can be a hindrance in their running and walking.
Boston Terriers mainly suffers from quite a lot of eye problems like corneal ulcers, cataracts, glaucoma et cetera and hence their eyes must be regularly checked for any signs of irritation or redness. Other common health-related problems found in them are as follows:
The Boston Terriers do not require the assistance of a veterinarian on a frequent basis.
The Boston Terriers are believed to be originated in the 1800s in Massachusetts, United States. The city (Boston) in which they first came into existence was the inspiration behind their name.
These small sized terriers are a result of cross-breeding between various breeds like the English Bull Terriers, the English Bulldogs, the French Bulldogs, the Boxers and the American Pit Bull Terriers. They were bred for dog fighting competitions and later were used for hunting rats in the garment factories.
But, gradually, the aggressive gene disappeared from their body and they became gentler and tender in nature. And, because of this, they started to be seen as companions by most people and as time passed by, they became one of the favorite pets in the United States. And, after some years, when they began to move out to other countries, they were equally appreciated and accepted.
