There is a reason the Boston Terrier is a popular dog in the United States. He is a sweet, cute canine that enjoys the attention he derives from his human friends.

General Appearance and Description

The Boston Terrier is an intelligent and mannered dog.

They are gentle dogs that enjoy feeling like they are part of the family.

Boston Terriers are small-size dogs that have small, erect ears, short and wide muzzles and dark, large eyes. They are clean-looking dogs with straight, muscular limbs.

The coat of a Boston Bull Terrier is usually either brindle and white, or black and white. Some Boston Terrier puppies are brown and white.

Basic Temperament

Your Boston Terrier will be sensitive to the tone of your voice, and will feed off the energy in the home. They can be rambunctious and loud, or calm and quiet. Much depends on the mood of the house, the quality of any training the Boston Terrier has had, and whether or not a pack leader exists in the house.

The Boston Bull Terrier is a good watch dog as most will believe their home to be their castle and will seek to protect it.

Care Required

Boston Terrier puppies and dogs are quite easy to groom. Their short, smooth coat requires little attention. You should bathe your Bull Terrier only when necessary and comb or brush only as needed.

The only daily grooming needed is a wipe down with a damp cloth, especially in the eye area.

Not an ideal breed for those with allergies, the Boston Terrier sheds an average amount of hair for its breed.

Exercise Requirements

If your Boston Terriers isn't given adequate physical and mental stimulation, he could become high strung and troublesome.

Instead, Boston Terrier breeders will recommend that you give your dog a long daily walk and regular play sessions.

This breed will generally do well living in a house with a yard or in an apartment as long as his daily activity needs are met.

Training

The intelligent Boston Terrier takes well to being trained. He understands your commands easily and loves to please you. These dogs are very sensitive and response to the human voice.

Be sure that you train the Boston Bull Terrier with firm and consistent effort. If you don't establish yourself as the "top dog," so to speak, he will.

Because these dogs can be dominant if training is not done properly, they will often cause problems during the training process or might become aggressive when training is attempted. If training is begun early, however, and sticks to the concept of firm and consistent, these dogs should pose no problems.

Some Boston Terriers can be hard to housebreak.

Height and Weight

The full-grown Boston Bull Terrier will be about 15 to 17 inches tall and will weigh from 10 to 25 pounds.

Health and Longevity

While these dogs have their share of health challenges, they can live a full and long life.

Some of the health issues include wheezing and snoring, thanks to their short face. They also could have problems in hot weather, and some dogs will overheat with exertion in the heat. Some dogs have a problem with drooling.

Tumors, particularly of the skin and heart, are common in Boston Terriers. Their eyes, which are generally prominent, are prone to injury.

If a Boston Terrier is bred badly, some will have a bone defect in the skull that can stunt brain growth. Though not incredibly common, this can result in a retarded dog.

Most Boston Terrier dogs will live to be older than 15 years.

Suitability

Boston Terriers are very good with children and are excellent when living in a house with elderly people. This dog is also very good with strangers, so having a houseful of people is never a bad idea.

The Boston Terrier likes to live in a house with other non-canine pets, but generally doesn't get along with other dogs, unless both are introduced as puppies.