What Are Bostons Like to Live With?
Cheerful and deeply people-oriented. They were bred for company rather than work, and it shows: a Boston wants to be wherever you are, preferably participating. They’re good with children, good with visitors, and reliably comic without seeming to try.
Their needs are moderate, which is much of their appeal. A real walk and a good game are plenty, and they’re content in an apartment in a way most terriers aren’t. The snoring comes standard. So does the snorting, and a certain amount of gas. Bostons also feel both heat and cold more than you’d expect, since there’s not much coat there. A sweater in January isn’t a costume, it’s a kindness.
Why Do Bostons Have So Many Eye Problems?
Because of the shape of the skull. A shallow orbit means the eye sits more exposed, with less bone around it to take a hit. The practical result is that ordinary life is rougher on a Boston’s eyes. A branch on a walk, a swipe from a cat, or an enthusiastic play session can leave a corneal ulcer, and ulcers move quickly. Squinting, pawing at the face, a watery or cloudy eye, or an eye held shut is a call today rather than a wait-and-see. Caught early, most are straightforward. Left a few days, they aren’t.
Bostons are also prone to hereditary cataracts, which can show up young, and to glaucoma and cherry eye. The rule we’d offer: with most breeds, a mildly weepy eye can wait until morning. With a Boston, don’t.
What Do We Watch For in Bostons?
- Breathing. Milder than a Bulldog’s, but real. Noisy breathing, or tiring quickly in warm weather, is worth mentioning.
- Knees. Patellar luxation is common. A skip or hitch in the back legs that resolves after a step or two is the classic sign.
- Hearing. Congenital deafness runs in the breed, more often in dogs with a lot of white. There’s a test if you’re wondering.
- Skin. Mast cell tumors turn up in Bostons more than most breeds, so any new lump is worth a look rather than a wait.
- That screw tail. It comes from vertebral malformation, which is usually harmless, but occasionally not.
How Do I Keep My Boston Healthy?
Take eye health seriously, respect the heat, and keep them lean, since extra weight makes a compressed airway work harder for no reason. Walk them on a harness rather than a collar, and get any new lump checked while it’s small.