Boston Terrier dog breed

Your dog will need feeding twice a day. It’s better for your dog’s small stomach to split their meals into two rather than feeding them their daily allowance in one meal. If you have a puppy, they should be fed 3-4 times a day, but as they get older decrease to 2 meals.

All dog food has nutrient contents and measurement guidelines on the packaging. This will tell you how much food your dog needs a day. You can include dog treats in your dog’s diet, but make sure you don’t give them too many. Too many treats will cause your dog to become overweight which will affect their health.

Boston Terriers have a short smooth coat. You might think this means that they don’t need grooming often, but that’s not always the case. Some Boston Terrier’s need bathing weekly and others can go up to 6 weeks. How often you bathe your dog will depend on how quickly they get dirty or smelly. You need to bath them to keep their skin healthy. If your dog starts to smell or itch, then it’s time for a bath. You can either bath your dog at home or take them to a professional dog groomer.

You can buy a bath brush to help remove dead hair and skin during bath time. The brush is rubber and specifically designed for use on dogs.

How much exercise your dog needs may vary. Generally, they like 30-60 minutes a day. This can be split into two walks. They’re a lively breed that loves to run around off lead. Make sure your dog is in a safe area before letting them off the lead.

Your dog will love to play games and should always have toys within reach. If they don’t have a toy, they are likely to chew on something else. They don’t mind if it’s a shoe or a table leg. They have strong jaws, so chew ropes and hard rubber toys suit them best.

Boston Terriers are intelligent, but they’re also stubborn. This can make training difficult. You’ll need to be patient with your dog and remember that repetition is key. Training classes are a great place to pick up tips for successful training and they give your dog the chance to socialise with other dogs.

House training is easier with a puppy than an adult dog. This is because adult dogs will be used to going to the toilet wherever they want, and it’ll take time to change that. The sooner you start puppy toilet training, the quicker they will learn. To toilet train your dog, you’ll need to give your dog lots of chances to go to the toilet. Let them outside frequently giving them your chosen command such as “go for a wee”. Reward your dog when they have toileted outside.

This condition refers to birthing difficulties that can occur at any stage of labour. The cause could be foetal, maternal or a combination. Foetal abnormalities, abnormal foetal positioning and birth canal abnormalities are examples of possible causes. A vet will need to assist with the delivery of the puppies. A caesarean section may be the best option.

If your dog has a cataract, you’ll notice a cloudiness of their eye. The clouded lens causes vision loss and can affect one or both eyes. Your vet will carry out tests to determine the stage of development and what form of cataract it is. Surgery will be recommended to prevent complete blindness.

Luxating patella refers to the incorrect alignment of the kneecap. A normal kneecap slides into a groove, a luxating patella will jump out of the groove, causing pain and locking the leg in place. The affected dog will hop on one of the back legs, holding the affected leg up. If your dog has a luxating patella it will need surgery to realign the kneecap. This involves making the groove deeper so that the kneecap slides in easily. An untreated dog can become lame and will be in pain.

Retinal dysplasia is when the retina of the eye doesn’t develop properly. It can cause total retinal detachment and blindness in severe cases.