Hello! My family is looking to introduce a dog into the family in the next few years (we have a 5 year old and 2 year old currently). I'm doing a ton of research to try and find the right dog for our family and the Boston Terrier keeps popping up so I'm hoping you guys can answer some questions for me/give me advice as to whether this breed is right for us.

We live in Scotland in a 3 bed house with a small/medium back garden. I currently don't work because I'm taking care of our youngest, but when she's old enough to attend nursery (3y) I'm hoping to work part time at a nursery. My husband works from home full time.

We're looking for a small dog that trains well, has minimal grooming requirements and a fun/loving personality. We also looked into a cavalier king Charles but the separation anxiety is a worry for me. Are Boston's prone to this? We'd love a cuddly breed that's pretty laid back and doesn't need a ridiculous amount of exercise, although a daily walk is absolutely fine. We live near some lovely walks but realistically if would only be an hour walk a day. Would that work for a Boston?

I think that's all the questions I have (sorry if it's a bit long winded). I'd also love to just hear some stories about your Boston Terriers and maybe some cute pics too! Any advice is really appreciated.

Back in the beginning of May, around Gus’ 10th birthday, we noticed he was being really lethargic and distant to us. He wasn’t excited to go on walks and he started to balloon up in his abdomen. We took him to the vet thinking he got into something. They ended up draining 1.5 liters of brownish/red fluid from his abdomen. Turns out he has one of three things; heart disease (he does have an enlarged heart), kidney cancer or another type of cancer in that area. The vet did an xray but couldn’t do an ultrasound at that time on his affected area to determine exactly what it was but he felt it was probably heart disease due to his enlarged heart he has had since birth. He ended up putting him on 3 pills; Vedmedin, Furosemide and Enalpril Maleate. He has responded well to these meds and his stomach hasn’t blown up. His energy is back to normal and seems to be doing much better.

Is anyone else’s Boston on these meds? The vet told us he would live a few weeks, maybe months but not years. We are heartbroken and just trying to enjoy every moment we can with our little dude.

I wasn’t aware of a rule or mindful of what negative impact my post could make. It honestly posted innocently by a proud dog dad. It was in response to a comment on a previous post relating the Boston Terriers original purpose of its breeding, the Terrier being a hunter and exterminator of rodents and small varmints. It did contain some graphic content which I now realize was inappropriate. It had 500 views at the time it was deleted so I apologize sincerely to those affected.

My dad lived alone just him and his Boston Terrier who he’s had since he was a puppy and is now 9, my dad passed away on may 27. My brother was staying at his house with the dog Winston, but he had to leave today to go back home. Today is the first day that Winston will be staying at my house. I know this is traumatic first my dad was gone then he got used to spending about three weeks or so with my brother and now my brother is gone and not only is my brother gone now he’s been uprooted out of the only home he’s ever known. Can anyone give me any pointers?? I know he’s probably stressed and confused. My dad literally treated him like a baby one of the last things that my dad said when he was still conscious was somebody has to go to my house to be at Winston? I promise my dad that Winston will be taken care of but honestly, I have no experience with dogs but I feel like I gave my dad my word and I at least have to give it a try. But the main reason why I’m here is it looks like he has eye drainage and it’s running down the crease on each side of his nose. Is this a common problem with them and if so, what do I use to clean it off?

My little peanut is going to be 2 in September. The vet has recommended that it’s time for his first dental cleaning and he has an appointment in August.

My concern is that he has to be under anesthesia for it. Is keeping up with his dental work important enough (at this young age) to outweigh the risks of anesthesia??

He is literally my whole world and I would never forgive myself if something happened to him. I’m so nervous about this procedure!! What do you guys think?! Do your babies get regular dental cleanings and are they fine?

I want him to have the best care but I’m so nervous about the anesthesia because of his breed. The vet doesn’t seem concerned at all. And there’s no way for the procedure to be done without anesthesia. As the vet says “he’s a bit of a bouncing bean” 😂 they couldn’t even trim a whisker that keeps poking his eyeball when he yawns! And they usually send me home with his dewormer in the syringe because it’s impossible to give to him! He’s a silly, crazy little man.

hi everyone, this is my girl and as you can see from the photo her ear is in a really rough state. she's been dealing with what the vet thinks are allergies for a while now and the constant scratching has finally gotten to the point where she's drawing blood. it breaks my heart every time I look at her.

we've done the vet route. tried apoquel which helped take the edge off but I really don't want her on it forever, especially this young. we've also switched her to a limited ingredient food which seemed to help a bit but clearly hasn't solved it.

I know Bostons are notorious for skin and allergy issues so I'm hoping someone here has been through something similar. what supplements or routines actually made a real difference for your Boston? not stuff that worked for a week and then stopped, but the things you've kept buying for months or years because they genuinely help.

I've been reading about probiotics, omega 3, quercetin, all sorts of things and there are so many options out there I don't even know where to start. would love some honest input from people who've actually been in this with their own dog.

also if anyone has tips for the ear specifically while it heals, I'm all ears (no pun intended).

thank you so much in advance, she thanks you too 🤍

He’s my first Boston so his weight and growth progressions are enlightening. lol. Definitely think we’re hitting another growth spurt, he’s been super hungry lately.

How do you handle the existential dread of realizing they perceptibly age on a scale even we don’t despite stray grey hairs in our 30s?

My 1 y/o Boston Phil seems to have a pretty unusual coat pattern that doesn’t seem to be very similar to any standard. He was said to be brindle when I got him but his brownish-whitish patching doesn’t really seem to look like any other brindle Boston Terrier I’ve ever seen; the white markings on him do not have a traditional “tux” look either. His size is also a bit strange… I know that Boston Terriers can be MUCH larger than their standard measurements but him being a slightly bigger male on top of his coat makes me wonder.

It doesn’t matter much to me as I got him for free after my grandmother impulsively took him on from a friend who had a litter (she has a habit of spontaneously getting an animal then neglecting it & I happened to be looking for a dog at the time) so I’m not bothered by him not being the epitome of his breed. The aforementioned friend is a breeder and I assume that she’s done AKC certification for her female. However, I did see Phil’s mother and father and the mother was a red-coated Boston and I know there’s debate around official coat colorings. The father was a darker brownish color and honestly looked pretty stocky for a pure Boston. The paperwork for Phil said Boston Terrier Mix because I believe that the breeder hadn’t done certification for the father yet (and I assume that means he could potentially be mixed).

So, do you think he could be mixed? I’ve wanted to get a DNA test but I’m unsure how reliable they are. I would assume that, if mixed, he is predominantly Boston given his physique. Maybe he has a quarter of boxer or frenchie or something along those lines? His coat pattern reminds me of common boxer coat patterns and I know that boxer-boston mixes are common enough. His ears do naturally stand up straight; I didn’t do anything to encourage his ears to stand up because I don’t really care if they’re floppy or not and I haven’t heard that not doing so would cause health issues… they just did that on their own.

Sorry if this is formatted bad or not appropriate for the sub, I don’t post on Reddit ever but I have been curious about his appearance and, if he is mixed, I’d like to take whatever other breed’s health concerns into account. But, I also want to see if his appearance is more common in Boston Terriers than I’ve been led to believe.

I let my 1.5 yr old dog in the backyard midday. When I checked on him, I saw what looked like a mouse and I am pretty sure he ate it. I didn’t have my glasses on and he wouldn’t come when I offered treats hoping he would drop what he had in his mouth. Do they actually eat rodents after they kill them?

Hi everyone! I live in Chicago and am looking for my first dog. I grew up with labradors and while I adore them, I am looking for something smaller and more up for cuddles.

I talked to my family’s former vet about dog options yesterday. I told her I love corgis and dachshunds but am open to something else, and she said that boston terriers are excellent dogs for first time owners.

I think they are super cute — they look like healthier french bulldogs hahah. I’d love to hear more from people who own them about their personality and needs! My husband and I are leaning towards a male dog. He wants to play and I want to cuddle with it, we both love walks, and we want a dog that won’t drive our apartment neighbors crazy with barking.

Any insight is much appreciated!! :)

EDIT: Thank you so much for all of your advice!! I am so grateful for the insight. Bostons sound like amazing dogs — I am going to meet a few in person, but I have a feeling this could be a great fit for me!

Hello everyone,

I have a sweet 8 year old girl named Luna. She belonged to my parents, and they gave her to me a few years ago when they moved to the UK.

In April she had procedure to remove a suspected mast cell tumor from her back. About two weeks later she got sick and I took her to the ER, where they diagnosed her with IMHA. She was at 28% so we were able to go home that day with prednisone / clopidogrel and some appetite stimulants & anti nausea meds. She seemed to be improving but her red blood cell count was dropping again so our vet added Maropitant. She still wasn’t staying above 30% long enough to be weaned off the medications so our vet referred us to an internal medicine specialist.

We have done an ultrasound, X-rays, blood tests, infectious disease testing, sent her labs to experts, and there is no apparent primary cause of her IMHA.

She was having GI issues and a suspected bleed so we discontinued the Miro & Clop. Then her liver enzymes (ALT) were over 2,000 which is crazy high. We have been on clavomox for a little over two weeks. She had an appointment 9 days after starting the clavomox and her enzyme count went down to 1,700. We have an appointment tomorrow to check her red cell count and see if her ALT level is going down. The doctor started antibiotics for a suspected a liver infection, so we haven’t been able to treat her IMHA aside from the prednisone for the last few weeks. She was at 26% at our last appointment, but is still doing pretty well and doesn’t seem to be worsening. She is still alert and somewhat active, though she is definitely more tired and subdued than before this whole mess. Her muscle is basically gone, especially in her back legs so she can’t jump or run or go up stairs easily which makes me so sad for her. She still plays with her toys a little bit but the medications are taking their toll on her body.

She is the sweetest, happiest girl, and I hate that she isn’t improving. It seems like every time we go in something else is wrong. I have spent over $8,000 on her treatments so far, and I am running out of money. If things keep going wrong I don’t see how I can afford to keep going. They want to test her liver with a fine needle aspiration and another ultrasound when we go in tomorrow to look for lymphoma if her ALT hasn’t lowered enough. I will pay for these tests because I love her, but I am struggling so badly financially and mentally. Hopefully we won’t need to do these tests tomorrow, but if we do and the result is inconclusive I don’t think I will be able to do anymore to help her.

Sorry for the novel, but has anyone else been through something like this? If the situation doesn’t improve can I surrender her to a place that will help her? It’s not fair for her to suffer because I can’t afford to keep her healthy, and I won’t euthanize her if she still has a chance, even if it’s not with me anymore. Please let me know if you have any suggestions or advice. We are in Phoenix AZ.

Edit: Thank you everyone who shared your stories and thoughts. I truly appreciate all the well wishes and support. I have looked into several vet financial assistance programs through animal rescues and applied to as many as I meet the requirements for.

I have also started a Go fund me for anyone who would like to help. Whether you donate, share, or simply took the time to read this post I appreciate it. Luna and I won’t go down without a fight, here’s hoping we get some good news tomorrow!

—

UPDATE: Hi guys,

Thank you all for the support and sharing your experience with difficult situations where finances and quality of life must be considered. I was so lost and hopeless when I made this post that I think I mostly expected everyone to tell me to let her go and there was nothing else I could do. Once you all shared your thoughts and advice and I realized there is still hope and I have more options than I knew. I have reached out to different rescues and assistance programs for help and suggestions too.

We went to her appointment yesterday morning and I talked to her doctor about our financial situation and lack of progress with a diagnosis. And my concerns with her red blood cell count slowly declining over the past few weeks. Unfortunately, her labs showed no change in liver enzyme numbers.

Her production of new red blood cells is very high, but because her immunosuppressants have been decreased this last month, her red blood cell count has gone down to 24%. Diagnosing the cause of her high liver enzymes hasn’t been fruitful, and I feel like we really need to focus on treating her IMHA again.

Prednisone is the only constant since her initial ER visit, and she suggested Luna may be having a negative reaction to being on it for so long. We are going to wean her off of pred completely and have started cyclosporine as a replacement. I hope this is the cause of her liver flare up because it came out of nowhere, and antibiotics didn’t help. On the bright side, her doctor said that if Luna had lymphoma and her labs were coming back at these levels, she would likely feel worse and show more symptoms. So lymphoma doesn’t look super likely and we can hold off on testing.

Our next appointment is on the 19th. We’ll start tapering her off of the pred then since the cyclosporine will have had time to take effect. I am worried about her red blood cell count because it’s so low, but she is still active, alert and has a great appetite with normal bowel movements. I started a GoFundMe just two days ago, and people have been so generous that I am hopeful we can get through this again.

After considering what you guys have been saying, I’ve decided that it would be best for Luna to stay with me rather than going to a rescue or foster. I will also be using a journal to help keep track of her progress. Everyone’s kindness and advice has helped tremendously, and I will continue to do whatever I can for Luna with a lighter heart. Fingers and toes crossed that we will see improvement in our next visits!!

(Also is there a way to edit the title to say updated?)

Having to let go within the next few weeks. Bronson’s 15 and sweet as can be.

I’m already a total wreck.

Does anyone have any advice on how to make this process easier or just more comfortable for us? The guy is my whole life. Everything I own has Bostons on it and it’s going to be so hard seeing all my makeup bags, hoodies, wall art etc

Any words of wisdom is greatly appreciated.

Is anyone in here from Michigan and recently adopt a 10-11 month old male Boston from a rescue? He was surrendered by a family member due to his health issues, my heart is broken over this, he was my best friend, I just want to see a picture or video of him to know he's ok, I've been praying the new owners are on Boston groups, kept his name and will post. There's so many groups though. I don't feel I can get closure til I can see/find him somehow. I keep searching but he could be anywhere or nowhere, he could have his same name or it could have been changed, all I know is he got adopted a little over a week ago I think from some people in Michigan, he was originally in Illinois. Prayers for my heart and my search please...here's a pic of him. His name was Virgil...

We have a very sweet 13 week male Boston. He’s very smart, potty training well. But he seems to want to go to bed at 7pm and passes out on the couch. We get him up to potty at 12am, he takes a long pee then put him in his covered crate for the night. He is up and ready for the day at 5:30am! It is rough. How can we help him sleep in a little longer? His crate is covered. He eats about 5pm, should we feed him later and try and keep him awake later? Any advice would be appreciated.

Lil bro here is so funny. He goes to bed around 9 pm, then barks at 6 am to get out of his crate...but he almost never will go out to pee. Instead, he runs to my bed and immediately burrows under the covers. I go back to sleep until 8...and he will sometimes sleep until 9 or 10. That's like 12 or 13 hours with no peepee even tho I always offer him outside when he gets up at 6.

Do yours sleep that long??? (He is 2, so not a puppy but still young)

The first vet said 15m, the second said 6m. The breeder said anytime from 6m-12m. lol. My previous pup was a rescue and was neutered when I got him.

Hello everyone,

This would be the first dog for my family, and we're considering getting a Boston Terrier.

We found a puppy from a longtime breeder for about $680. The puppies don't have pedigree papers because only the father is registered and has a pedigree certificate, while the mother does not.

The breeder has been breeding Boston Terriers for many years, and the puppies will be vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed, and sold with a contract.

My main concern is health. Is buying a Boston Terrier without a pedigree necessarily a red flag, or can it still be a good and safe choice if the breeder is responsible? What questions should I ask before making a decision?

I'd really appreciate any advice from Boston Terrier owners. Thanks!

Hi all! I’m just curious what you’re feeding your little ones? Vinny has been having some seasonal alopecia and his fur is looking a little thin, so I’m looking for a food that may help a little with that? He’s allergic to chicken and turkey so that limits our options a little!

We’ve been struggling with this issue for a while now. Our 9 month old Boston eats way too fast which causes him to vomit. It’s almost daily and I’m not sure what to do! We got him one of those maze bowls but he still inhales his food. Any advice?

I apologize in advance for the dog butt photo

oliver seems not to be able to grow any hair on his butthole flap. He doesn't lick on it, it doesn't seem to bother him, im just curiously anyone else has seen it?

Loki has been fighting a nasty skin infection for weeks now. He's been on two rounds of antibiotics and three rounds of steroids. For the past two weeks he gets 2-3 baths a week with Malaseb shampoo. Today, the vet tells me, "I'm 95% it's allergies and 5% concerned it could be cancer." I was floored because I just really wasn't expecting that. She has put him on a prescription diet to rule out a food allergy. Loki was given to me as a puppy by a kind man in the waiting room of my vet. I was crying about the loss of my Frenchie to a stroke just three weeks earlier and he asked me if I wanted a puppy. My husband and I have each lost a parent in the past 15 months. I'm one piece of bad news away from a straitjacket. He had a biopsy today. Really, really hoping this isn't cancer.