Anytime you take on a pet, you have to accept responsibility for their care. Boston Terriers are no different. They are ideal dogs for most people. They work well with children and elderly households, but this does not mean that they are not without obstacles. The challenges of owning Boston Terriers are mostly in regard to their overall health and body type.
Physical Issues
These dogs are small, even when fully grown. They have a mouth that allows their upper jaw line to be longer than their bottom jaw. This often leads to them having some respiratory issues. They may snore loudly and grunt or snort when they get to playing. You should never tighten their collar when leash training. It often means that they have a lot of excess air inside of their body which will come out in the form of flatulence. Their small body size also makes it complicated for them to breed sometimes. Many need to have a cesarean birth to ensure that there are no complications. They need to be kept comfortable and this can be challenging in areas where it stays cold or gets very hot. They do not have a lot of hair covering them, so they feel the heat and cold like you would, which is why many owners “dress” their dog. Their eyes, although appealing, often develop issues as well. They are large and slightly bulged out, so you have to put some effort into protecting their eyes.
Mental Issues
Most every Boston Terrier is a great family dog. However, when they were first being bred, they were designed to be fighters. This is no longer the case. Most are well mannered and well behaved, but there are a few who can be very stubborn. This stubbornness can make it hard to housebreak them, even though they may pick up on other things you teach them quickly. The key to success to overcome their stubbornness is to establish that you are the leader of their pack, and then be persistent in what you want for them to learn. They generally “bond” with one owner and feel separation anxiety when that person is not around. This can make them behave badly unless you have them trained to know that you will return soon. If someone in your family speaks harshly to them, they may shy away from that person. This means that you have to take it easy when training them and you should also socialize them as often as possible with people and pets inside and outside of your home.