Dog care - Walk your Boston terrier daily

Walk your Boston terrier daily if you don't have a fenced yard. This breed is happy to go on short walks and doesn't need a vigorous workout.

Boston Terrier - Dog Lover

Dog care - Brush your Boston terrier weekly

Brush your Boston terrier weekly with a firm-bristle brush. This breed sheds seasonally. Clean her face daily with a wet cloth, making sure you clean around the eyes.

Boston Terrier - Dog Lover

Dog care - Feed your Boston terrier high-grade dog food

Feed your Boston terrier high-grade dog food from a major dog food company. Make sure the food is appropriate for the dog's age. The first ingredient should be meat if you want a quality product. Crude protein should be no less than 30 percent, and crude fat no less than 20 percent. Fiber content should be 4 percent or less.

Boston Terrier - Dog Lover

Dog care - Follow your veterinarian's recommendations

Follow your veterinarian's recommendations for vaccinating your Boston terrier when you first get her, then get booster vaccinations for her as needed. Consult your veterinarian about flea and tick control products, heartworm medications and worming your dog.

Boston Terrier - Dog Lover

Selection guide - Boston terrier should be indoor dog

Boston terriers can have breathing problems when exerting themselves in extreme cold or heat. They also can suffer from heat exhaustion. Because they do not deal with cold temperatures well, they should be indoor dogs.

Boston Terrier - Dog Lover

Selection guide - Boston terrier is difficult to housebreak

Consider adopting a Boston terrier from a pet rescue organization. For more information, contact the Boston Terrier Club of America at (724) 883-4732. Most dogs are screened by rescue organizations for health and personality problems before they are adopted out.

Boston Terrier - Dog Lover

Selection guide - Check out potential breeders carefully

Check out potential breeders carefully, being sure to ask whether they are members of breed, specialty or obedience clubs. Affiliation with a club means you can check the breeder's references to make sure the breeder is not a puppy mill (a place where puppies are constantly bred for financial gain without consideration of the integrity of the breed) and that the breeder carefully screens for health problems before breeding. The mother of the puppy (and possibly the father) should be available for viewing.

Boston Terrier - Dog Lover

Selection guide - Know that Boston terriers occasionally have health conditions

Know that Boston terriers occasionally have health conditions such as cataracts, hypothyroidism and skin tumors. Ask the breeder what screening has been done.

Boston Terrier - Dog Lover

Selection guide - Look carefully at the Boston terrier's features

Look carefully at the Boston terrier's features. He or she should seem alert, intelligent and energetic. His or her body should be dense and solid with a short, flat head that is wrinkle-free. The dog's short coat should be either brindle (red or tan with a black striped pattern), seal (red and black hairs mixed finely), or black and white.

Boston terrier - Dog Lover

Selection guide - Boston terrier is difficult to housebreak

Keep in mind that although a Boston terrier can be trained quickly because of his intelligence the breed is known for stubbornness. Some Boston terriers are difficult to housebreak, although most are housebroken by the age of 8 months.

Boston Terrier - Dog Lover