Boston Terrier Reviews

There are a few things in life that can turn your world upside down: children, marriage, college, not necessarily in that order, but I'm not one to judge. About four years ago, my life changed with the addition of my dog, Sancho. As an apartment dweller at the time, it was absolutely necessary that I select the perfect breed, one who was able to live comfortably in small spaces, i.e. quiet, relatively clean, and well-behaved. On the other hand, I wanted a dog who would keep up with my active lifestyle. I like to hike, bike and spend a lot of time at the beach, so my pup needed to be able to keep up the pace.

I researched several different small breeds, and ultimately decided that it was either the French Bulldog or the Boston Terrier that were the best suited for me. Boston's as opposed to "Frenchies" had a better track record in terms of physical health. The French Bulldogs, because of their short muzzles tend to have breathing problems as well as heart-related issues. Boston's also are known to have breathing issues in addition to eye & skin problems but in the grand scheme of things, these were risks I was willing to take.

Here are the upsides: Boston Terriers have short hair, which means they are easy to keep clean and less shedding on the furniture. Bonus! Bostons are an active breed, so they loves their walks, runs, hikes and can easily keep up with you. They are a super curious breed, which means that they are generally great with other dogs (which means dog parks are great places to wear your dog out - another Bonus!), and get along well with children. Overall, they are easy to train and require little maintenance besides the general visits to the vet.

I say I rescued Sancho from a family of four children, two other dogs, and various other animals, but really it was he that rescued me. I saw his cute little mug at eight weeks old posted up on the cork board of a Starbucks on a sign that read "Eight Week-Old Boston Terrier for Sale (my husband won't let me keep him)" and it was then and there in that coffee shop that my life as I knew it was changed. Having a dog, they say, is much like having a child. You can't go away for the weekend, and leave some food and water in a bowl like you do for a cat. With dogs, especially puppies, they need constant attention, exercise and loving care.

Like children, the first two years are as close to torture as I can imagine. There is not one piece of furniture I still own from the apartment I had when Sancho was a puppy. Although, a good dog overall, puppies are, well, puppies. They need training and supervision and if you are not willing to dedicate yourself to this, then you should probably not have a dog of your own. With a little training Sancho picked up the standard tricks: sit, shake, speak. I would say he learned sit within three months of having him. More recently, he has mastered "dance," "lay down," and "crawl" (yes, my dog is a genius).

Not a day goes by that I don't think of how lucky I am to have come across his picture in that Starbucks in a city I rarely go to. Sancho gives Boston Terriers everywhere a good name, and is the most well behaved dog I have ever come across. I meet other Boston Terrier owners out and about and it is not uncommon for them to say that they have owned a number of full-breed and mixed-breed dogs and their Boston brings a little something extra to the table. I, myself, am a "lifer" and swear by the breed. When I have the time and ability to dedicate myself to multiple dogs, I would like to rescue, however my household will always include a Boston Terrier.

You can follow Sancho on his Twitter page @LA_Sancho.