5 Challenges of Raising A Boston Terrier
Raising a Boston Terrier puppy is fun, they say! Of course, who would not want to take care of small and sturdy lapdogs with large expressive eyes?
They’re even polite little creatures who also love to play games and chase balls. In short, these fur babies are completely charming.
Well, it is actually fun raising a Boston Terrier puppy, but that doesn’t mean that it comes with no challenges.
They are often a good choice for first-time dog owners for they are seldom aggressive, but you will mostly have to deal with issues regarding their healthdue to their unnaturally short face.
It doesn’t stop there. There are more difficulties that will come as time flies by. You should get ready to face them all, but you must know first about them.
Brace yourself now because the list of challenges in raising your pup is coming right up.
5 Challenges of Raising A Boston Terrier
1. KEEPING THEM HEALTHY
Your Boston Terrier’s short face and domed head may lead them to suffer more than their fair share of health problems. Your puppy has the tendency to have some degree of Brachycephalic Syndrome.
They will pant inefficiently and because it requires them much effort their airways may get inflamed or swollen and it can lead to respiratory distress.
Other things that you should watch out for regarding your Boston Terrier’s Brachycephalic Syndrome:
· Everted laryngeal saccules- the increased effort of your dog in breathing may cause their saccules (two small pockets feature of the larynx) to turn inside out. Surgery will be needed to be done when it happens.
· Elongated soft palate- the soft palate of your puppy may hang loosely down into its throat because of the difficulty to fit all the soft tissues of the mouth and throat into a brachycephalic breed’s short face. This will lead your dog to create snorting sounds.
· Hypoplastic trachea- this may put your pet at risk during anesthesia because this means narrowed windpipe. This should be ruled out first before any surgical procedures.
This may lead you to worry too much about your pet but take heart because the symptoms of the syndrome can be easily managed. Just recognize the severe symptoms and have them corrected as soon as possible. It’s better to let them have surgical intervention while still young to prevent the progression of health problems.
2. DEALING WITH STUBBORNNESS
Though these fur babies want to please you, there are just times that they will be stubborn. It’s their nature. They need to be trained for some time before you will have them obey your command.
You should constantly show them that you mean what you say. Some food and treats may help you in that, but sometimes it’s not good that they’ll only obey you when you’re waving a cookie at them. It may even get them fat!
It is important that you use to train your Boston Terrier puppy on the right foot.
Reward the good and correct the bad. Add a reward if your pup has done something that you wanted it to do and add a correction if it has done something wrong so that it’ll refrain from doing it again.
3. BEARING WITH SOUNDS AND SLOBBERING
It’s a quiet and peaceful experience when raising a Boston Terrier when it’s on the barking sense.
They are not that reactive to certain things and they will simply bark when there is a stranger at your front door. However, that quietness does not apply to them overall.
Because they are Brachycephalic, they will snort, wheeze, snuffle, and worse, snore loudly!
It may be adorable to some, but it’s also disturbing for others so you may not want to be near them when you want a peaceful long-lasting sleep/nap.
You will also need to deal with their slobbering because their loose lips may cause that when they drink. That also happens when they get overheated and pant heavily.
If they are drooling because of exercise, teething, or because they are hungry, that is completely normal. But if you think that it’s excessive and you’re worried you better have your peace of mind by visiting your veterinarian.
4. TOLERATING THE FLATULENCE
You must understand that when you buy a Boston terrier, you are also accepting the fact that they fart. A lot.
It is also one of the results of them being brachycephalic dogs because it affects the way that they digest food. Their shorter nose leads them to swallow more air when they eat, and it causes excess flatulence.
It doesn’t mean that they are sick though. They are simply born that way and even the healthiest Boston Terriers are prone to gas issues.
There are also other reasons for their gassiness such as indigestible carbohydrates, irritable bowel syndrome, eating human food, and not pooping enough.
If you really want to lessen their “farting frequency”, ensure that they get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily and change their diet to one that has fewer carbohydrates and human food.
It’s important that you know more about your pet’s body in order to help them overcome their “stinking” issue because even though you love them, you could do without that inherited trait of theirs.
Here's a quick guide on regulating your Boston Terrier's flatulence!
5. HOUSEBREAKING PROBLEMS
Having a baby Boston Terrier in the house means that there will be doggy poo everywhere and you would need to train them to find a proper place to eliminate. '
That will be really challenging at first because if the environment is new for them, you will find them a little bit stubborn.
In order to do that, take them out 15 minutes after their meals and lead them to the place where you want them to do their thing. If you’ll do this for several days, hopefully, they will figure it out and it will be a habit and your dog will then go by themselves.
Make sure that you shower them with praises when they did it in the proper place.
They would like to keep you happy and seeing your reaction, they’ll surely do it again in order to please you.
Maybe after reading these challenges, you will have second thoughts about getting the Boston Terrier puppy that you have been planning to have. But then, wouldn’t the experience of raising a pet be more satisfying when you put in some effort?