The Boston Terrier originated in the late 19th century and was originally bred for fighting but over the years has been bred down to be a gentle companion dog. Boston Terriers are often referred to as the ‘American Gentleman’ of dogs. They are intelligent, enthusiastic, affectionate and playful dogs that get along well with other household pets and children. Boston Terriers are small to medium sized so you won’t need to take them for long exercise walks and grooming them is easy due to their short hair. They are fast learners and respond sensitively to the sound of your voice. This makes training your Boston Terrier very easy.
What Makes a Boston Terrier Tick?
Remember, through modern breeding techniques, these dogs have been bred down to be companion dogs so Boston terriers are happiest with human or other animal contact. They need plenty of love and affection. Although Boston Terriers have a happy-go-lucky and gentle temperament they can be stubborn, destructive and naughty if not trained properly. This breed of dog loves playtime. Typically, a short walk for around twenty minutes, a few times a week would suffice. As with any dog – boundaries are the key.
Your new puppy should not be allowed to roam the house freely until it is properly housetrained. Boston Terriers are easy to socialize; take your puppy with you when you are going out in the car whenever you can. Your puppy should get used to being around people and other dogs. Socialisation is very important for a well adjusted and happy dog. Taking your puppy in the car with you when you pick your children up from school is a great way to make sure your dog gets used to people, traffic and noise. For further information about puppy house training take a look at The Ultimate HouseTraining Guide.
Recommended Boston Terrier Training
You will want to start training your new Boston Terrier pup as soon as it is old enough – usually around eight weeks. Since Bostons have a good reputation for being gentle and loyal you will need to make sure your can take your dog anywhere without worry. Boston Terriers are very keen to please their owners and will respond to training well. They like to know the rules.
Try starting with potty and crate training since these make life easier for everyone. This will mean taking your puppy out at least once during the night. It will be well worth the initial inconvenience and it won’t take very many nights of getting up to have your dog fully potty trained.
From around three to six months you will need to be focussing on some basic training skills such as sit, stay and lie down. Make sure your Boston isn’t developing any bad habits such as barking, chewing or biting.
Once your training is underway, at around six to ten months you could try new things such as rolling over, shaking hands, walking on a leash and heel. Boston Terriers are so keen to please their owners that none of these commands and tricks will take long for them to learn. Remember that the success of obedience training is largely a matter of your ability to be consistant. You need to be diligent and firm when training your dog. Make training sessions short and sweet so your dog doesn’t lose concentration. Remember to reward your dog with treats and a lot of positive praise.
Your Boston should live for around 12-15 years so you have much to look forward to with your well trained Boston Terrier. For more information on training your Boston Terrier, we strongly recommend Secrets To Dog Training.
