Pet The World

The Boston Terrier has been called the ultimate family dog. Many owners say that your family is not complete until you have a Boston Terrier or two. And it’s easy to see why owners give glowing reports of the interactions between their Boston Terriers and their children. Not only will your children benefit from this playful and cuddly furry playmate - they will have a loyal friend for life.

Boston Terriers are intelligent, friendly and outgoing. They love to be around people and will benefit from a loving family “pack”. Typically eager to please these dogs are so lovable you won’t want to consider another breed. If you have young children and intend on buying or already own a Boston Terrier, here are some rules about making the relationship between the children and the dog as trouble free as possible.

1. Good socialization means a good family dog.

Boston Terriers are easy to socialize. Take your puppy with you in the car or out on errands whenever you can. The puppy should get used to being around people and other dogs. Although it is not recommended that you take your puppy into public places before they have received all their vaccines - you can take your puppy in the car with you when you fetch the children from school.

2. The dogs may not be treated aggressively

Children need to be taught not to tease or bother the dog while eating. Any dog gets aggressive if disturbed while eating and this has resulted in many tragic bites. Letting your children feed the dog is a great way to get them involved in caring for your dog. If your dog does growl you should discourage him by saying “No” and making it clear that growling is unacceptable behavior.

3. A few sessions with a dog trainer are a good idea

Even if your Boston Terrier is well behaved; a dog trainer can reassure you all that your dog is aware of the boundaries in your family.

4. The puppy may not bite the children - even playfully.

Teething puppies are no problem; their gentle little bites don’t hurt now - but they will when your dog gets teeth! Rather encourage a policy of “no bite”. Offer toys and other appropriate outlets for the play bites.

5. Make the boundaries clear

As with any dog - boundaries are the key. Your puppy should not be allowed to roam the house freely until he is properly housetrained. This is a fun process in which you can involve the children. The puppy will need to be taken out every time he needs to go and the children will benefit from taking them outside and waiting until they have done their business.
Following these tips should assure you of a family friendly Boston Terrier.

Having a dog in the house, particularly a Boston Terrier - can be a wonderful positive experience for your children too. Your children will learn many valuable life skills from their dog. They benefit by learning the value of respect. They learn responsibility (children should be encouraged to take part in caring for the dog too). In addition they will learn patience, kindness and compassion. Your dog will develop a special relationship with your children. Boston Terriers are generally content to be played with. If socialized correctly they are tolerant and will even allow the kids to play dress up with them.

The positive effect a dog can have on your family is amazing. Boston Terriers are intelligent and child friendly. Proper training and teaching children to respect and love the dog will ensure your Boston Terrier becomes a valued part of your family.

Steve Allison is a third generation of professional dog breeders along with his brother Gary. It all started with his grandparents in 1970 with the Boston Terriers and has expanded to Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Pugs, Shih Tzu’s and Pomeranians. He is also actively involved with dog rescue and has a website that showcases the puppies they occasionally has for sale at All My Puppies Online Steve is also the co-author of two consumer guides, Carpet Secrets and Moving Secrets Guide

Share This

If the thought of clipping your dog’s nails is frightening to you aren’t alone. Most people prefer to ask their veterinarian to do this fiddly task. There’s no reason why clipping your dogs nails should be a frightening task at all. There’s no need to regard it as any different to giving your dog a bath.

Ideally you should start when your dog is young to get the dog used to having his feet handled regularly. Desensitizing your dog to having his paws handled will have a few other benefits too: it will make it easier for groomers or your vet to handle your dogs feet and will also mean if your dog is injured you will be able to examine his paws easier.

If it’s your first time clipping a dogs nails it might be a good idea to watch someone else do it first. Ask your vet or the groomer if you can watch while they clip your dogs nails.

You will need a special pair of clippers for the purpose. Human clippers of scissors could tear the nail and cause painful torn edges. Make sure you get the right size and type of clippers for your dog. You might find a nail file useful too.

You will also want to have some special clotting powder on hand just in case you accidentally cut the nails too short and it starts bleeding. You can find all these products at your local pet supply store.

You will want to clip the nails in a quiet place with minimal distractions. If your dog has never had his nails clipped or is particularly resistant you might want to ask someone to help you. You are after all poking at your dog with a sharp object and it could be dangerous !

To avoid mishaps its best to slowly desensitize your dog to having his paws handled. this part should be easy. Take your dogs paws and massage them a bit.

It makes the process easier if the dogs nails are softer. You can do this by bathing the dog beforehand, massaging some baby oil into the paws or even just dipping the paw into warm water. This has the dual effect of both softening the paws and cleaning the dirt out from under the nails.

Examine the nails closely and try to locate the cluster of veins. This is called the ‘quick’ and cutting this can cause your dog to bleed. If your dog has dark nails this can be difficult. The best policy here is to trim the nails bit by bit over a longer period of time. The quick will retreat over time.

Try to cut with the right hand and hold the paw firmly. Use a calm soothing voice while you do this. You don’t want your dog to become afraid and make the clipping more difficult. Try to cut at 90 degree angles.

If you do cut too far - don’t worry! You can use some of the powder to stop the bleeding. Just sprinkle the powder over the affected area or dip the paw into the powder. There are some other household items you can use to slow the bleeding. You can use cornflower or normal powder in the same way you use the styptic powder. You can also press the dogs nail into some soap. If the bleeding is not too bad - just simply applying pressure should slow the bleeding.

If you have cut your dogs nails too far and they bleed - this may make the dog scared of the nail clipping all over again. You will need to desensitize your dog again.

If your dog is very afraid of having his nails clipped you should gradually get the dog used to the process and the tools. Start again by praising and treating the dog while you handle his paws. Then get the dog used to the clippers. Step by step desensitization coupled with positive reinforcement should ease your problem.

If you really can’t get your dog to behave long enough for a nail clipping remember - most vets will do it for you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Steve Allison is a third generation of professional dog breeders along with his brother Gary. It all started with his grandparents in 1970 with the Boston Terriers and has expanded to Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Pugs, Shih Tzu’s and Pomeranians. He is also actively involved with dog rescue and has a website that showcases the puppies they occasionally has for sale at All My Puppies Online Steve is also the co-author of two consumer guides, Carpet Secrets and Moving Secrets Guide.

Share This