These are our opinions and should be taken as such, as professional Boston Terrier breeders, from what we have experienced in our time with these wonderful fur people!

There are many things that contribute to a healthy mind and body for a well balanced Boston puppy, but the two most distinct factors are genetics, and upbringing.

 Genetics:

            A dogs genetics are what determines a lot of its personality definition, such as outgoingness, shyness, hyperactivity, or calmness, and so with this in mind, we decided when we began researching Boston Terriers that we wanted the perfect family pet; a calm but playful, sweet, affectionate, highly intelligent, but easily trained, kid-friendly, pet-friendly housedog! While most Boston's carry a lot of these traits as part of the breed, but there are also a lot of Boston's that are hyperactive, yippy, and independent or aloof to people due to bad or careless breeding practices (or bad upbringing). A great disposition is a side by side priority next to health for us. Many people are unaware how much of a dogs temperament and personality are pre-dispositioned by the genes of the pups inheritable lineage.  We feel its vital to selectively breed dogs that are nothing short of the dream dog that every wonderful person wants. While we strive for a stunning face and conformation in our lines, the disposition and long term health is far more important in our view, and all this starts by careful selective breeding based on their genetically inherent traits in disposition, health and longevity.

            Health is something also much predetermined by a dogs genetics. Most of the common health problems we find in the Boston Terrier are recessive genes, meaning that a copy from both the sire and the dam have to be encoded in order for the puppy to have that problem. This is the reason we do not inbreed or line-breed. All of our dogs have been veterinary tested clear for Juvenile cataracts, Deafness, heart problems, breathing problems, back problems and Patellar Luxation, but there is no way to determine if they carry the genes recessively without having several generations of dogs that all have been tested for health issues and proven clear and clean of any and all defects. This is our way of making sure we are breeding dogs correctly, by living, loving and experiencing first hand our own offspring and by staying very close to most families who have brought our wonderful dogs into their lives.  When a breeder starts inbreeding dogs, a gene that ONE parent may have carried recessively (and therefore harmless to their puppies), gets bred to their own offspring, who also may also carry it recessively, and thus is born a dominant health concern in the puppies. Simply put, inbreeding/line breeding brings double the chance of getting great qualities and double the chance of getting terrible qualities, and when a breeder is breeding for a show dog it is often necessary to linebreed in order to accomplish and WIN in todays fast moving show ring. Since the idea of what is perfect in a judges eyes changes so rapidly over time and is slightly different everywhere you go, its nearly impossible to keep up without any line breeding. It  is possible , but very very difficult. While there would be NO purebred dogs without the original foundation stock being inbred, breeders now have a vast gene pool in most breeds so that inbreeding is no longer necessary to maintain the breed true to type and form. Many of our puppies can and do win in the show ring, but its very much a political game and fashionable keep-up that determines what look wins. Agility and obedience competitions are all about the mind and full great health of dogs and without either no dog would ever accomplish anything in those competitions. Without inbreeding we wouldn't have pure bred dogs, but we wouldn't have all the pure bred health problems either. This common practice in breeding is often why we find our self repelled by the "show dog" atmosphere, because in order to get a dog that is 100% perfect to the written standard of its breed, linebreeding is almost always necessary...but there are no health requirements for show dogs, only appearance. A beautiful perfectly put together dog is allowed to skip across a show ring with one Luxated Patella, and so we find the average show mentality a little hypocrytical. Shows are intended to better the breeds of pure bred dogs, yet they require nothing of health and temperament, and so they inadvertanently promote linebred unhealthy and sometimes unsocialized dogs. This is not to say all show dogs are this way, there are MANY wonderful show breeders who promote good health and mind. When they stick by behind a strong health and mind ethics and  accomplish a  champion dog full with all health certifications they deserve a HUGE amount of respect and honor. To accomplish  perfection through decades of researching unrelated, yet perfectly healthy dogs  who's minds and hearts could melt Antarctica is truly a remarkable feat on both the breeders and dogs part. Unfortunately like many beauty contests alot of shows are won by circumstance or bias, not to say that demeans the pride in a clear win.  It is not easy for any breeder to pursue a show career for their dogs when the standard is constantly shifting, much of the time not with the dogs health benefit in view. We find that beauty is the eyes of the beholder for all Boston terrier lovers and we strive to demonstrate the breed in all of its forms, and celebrate its minor diversities.

Socialization:

            From the moment these babies are born we enjoy every kiss and cuddle! We enjoy the quiet sleeping stage from birth to 3 weeks, the wobbly yawning stage at 4 weeks, the inquisitive and exploratory stage at 5 weeks, the chewing and yipping playful stage at 6 weeks, and eventually the maturity and personality forming stages of 7 and 8 weeks. This is not to say they don't have their rough times with us! There is paper shredding, not to mention a lot of mistakes in potty training! Before they go to their new homes, our puppies are handled daily with us, and socialized by our cats and other dogs. This is the best part of what we do and we wouldn't miss a minute of those little chubby faces! They get picked up, rolled over, sat in laps, kissed and cuddled to no end. Our cats also take special fascination with puppies, as they were raised themselves to be dogs...and enjoy rolling over and playfully pawing with the little pups. We also have an 8 year old who loves the "puppy rumbles" as we call them, a time when all puppies can be out and playing on our floor, with toys, feet, fingers, and pant legs. In warm months we let them play out on the front lawn, chasing the big dogs and wrestling with cats, and if its warm enough, they get to play in the kiddy pool. While it is hard to part with a creature you invest so much time and love into, there is nothing more enjoyable than watching them grow, and seeing how happy they are in their new homes with their loving people, especially when they send us pictures and letters!

Day Boston Terrier Early Potty Training:

            So with our chosen genetic path firmly in view, secondly as important to a great puppy is upbringing. When a mommy Boston has her puppies, she has them naturally under our strict supervision to be sure every puppy comes out promptly and healthily. We then help her clean them, heat them, and watch over them until she's finished. This is only where the love and dedication begins, and its a long road of joyful work from there! From birth on, puppies are raised with their mommy in a 4 foot crate in our family room,  which is where we spend almost all of our time as family and the pups are under constant attention. Here they learn to squirm away from their blanket onto their paper to piddle, and mommy can go potty outside on our 5 acres (they run free). This is HIGHLY important, for if a puppy is never able to get get away from its blankie and food to potty, it can affect its house training as an adult because it never learns the proper cleanliness that comes naturally to most well-bred Boston Terriers. At about 4 weeks, they first begin to take a fascination to stuffed toys and squeakys, and at 5 weeks, their fascination turns to shredding their paper! At this age we move them to a indoor 10x10 heated/cooled pen with shavings, where they have lots of room to romp and play. This also furthers their training with distancing their potties from their food, as they learn to hold it longer while they run across the pen to do it in the corner. This is very useful when their new owners go to train them to paper put in the corner of a large room. At this playful and adventurous age we give them LOTS of toys and chewies, teaching them from the start what is "good" to chew on, and so when in their new homes they have an easier time refraining from chewing what is not so good (like your shoes). At 6-7 weeks, depending on the maturity of the pups, we allow them to use the doggy door, which after a few days they get the hang of with the help of their mommy. Again, this is highly helpful when going to new homes with a doggy door already in place. This is the easiest way to housetrain your Boston! If puppies stay at our home any longer than 8 weeks, we begin crate training them for their prospective owners. All of this is a long process, but it is well worth our time and effort for our puppies to adjust so much easier into their new homes!

Potty Training for New Owners:

            Once you have your puppy, you're in for a wonderful ride! But as with every ride, there are ups, and there are downs.  There are many different ways to potty train a new puppy but here is one of the very successful ways we have found. A new puppy will not automatically know where to potty in your house, and for this reason, an 8 week old puppy should NEVER have full free run of any house! This will only bring much frustration for both new owners and the puppy. The idea to potty training is to have two parts to any puppy containment area: the sleep and eat part, and the potty part. Whether you are using a crate, or puppy pen, a bathroom, or a kitchen as your training area, you want to have the puppies bedding, food, and water all on one side, and the rest of the area be a potty place. Boston puppies are typically very cleanly, and will naturally not want to potty near their food, and with all the training we put into them before they leave, it is usually very simple to continue this process.

            We have found that the easiest and quickest way to teach a new puppy where to potty is to have a doggy door. Again one must remember to NEVER let them free in the house without supervision in the first couple of weeks, even with a doggy door. The best method for doggy door training is to put a crate up against the door with their food, water, toys, and bedding in it, and gently push them in and out of the door a few times. They generally get the idea very quickly, especially with their previous dog door experience. After they fully understand the concept in your home, you can keep expanding the area in which they sleep until they have full access to the room, and eventually to your house. This process usually takes a couple weeks to a couple of months, depending on your puppy and your perseverance.

            As for crate training, which seems to be what the majority of new puppy owners come to use, again the "two part" technique is the most efficient. For the first couple weeks of training in its new home, the puppy should be kept in a 4x2 crate when not being played with or snuggled. In this the new owner should place newspaper on one side, and a blankie and food/water on the other. We do not recommend the constant use of puppy piddle pads, as the pups like to rip their paper up at this age and can inhale and choke on the plastic or it will impact their intestines. The puppies feeding times should be monitored the first few days to see how much and when the puppy defecates after feeding. In this way their owners can track when to let them out of their crate, and how many times per night the puppy potties. After a week or two, when this schedule has been accurately tracked, the owner can start letting their puppy out once or twice a night, or as many times as the puppy has been recorded to potty. Once the puppy goes no more than once a night, the owner can reduce the size of the crate to only have water and bedding inside, and continue to take the puppy out when its time to potty. This reduction of space encourages the puppy to hold its potty and wait for you to take it out instead of just going on the paper. Puppies thrive on schedule and consistency, so if these methods don't work for you on your schedule, don't follow them and instead find one that does work. Puppy buyers should ALWAYS feel free to call their breeder and ask questions!!!

Deworming and Vaccinations:

Please keep in mind that the following is our TYPICAL schedule - we often use different types of wormers for different parasites at different stages in life, and there is no set rule to deworming other than time frame consistency. Wormers we commonly use are: Pyrantel, Interceptor, Nemex, Piperazine, as well as fenbendazol and albendazole  products (common brand names Valbazen and Safe-guard) for dual micro/large parasite deworming.

 In regard to a healthy body, there is also much effort and consistency put into our little fur babies. Puppies are given a small puppy-safe dewormer called Nemex, which rids them of all adult roundworms and hookworms, at 2, 3, and 4 weeks of age (these are the directions as they are on the bottle). At 6 weeks they are each given an Interceptor tablet (which is more effective on the larger puppies), which further rids them of Roundworms, hookworms, heartworms and whipworms. Dewormers can only rid the adult parasites, not the eggs, which is why worming must be continued until the puppy is older and able to metabolize better on its own. At 7 weeks, they are automatically given Albon, which is a treatment for the micro parasite Coccidiosis, which causes diarrhea and spots of blood in their stools. Coccidia are small protozoans (one-celled organisms) that multiply in the intestinal tracts of dogs and cats, most commonly in puppies and less than six months of age, in adult animals whose immune system is suppressed, or in animals who are stressed in other ways (e.g.; change in ownership, other disease present). This little pest often peeks out every time puppies get a vaccination, or change food due to stress in their immunity, so all owners can expect some possibility in having to re-treat at least once later in their puppies growth. It is a simple and cheap administration, and most puppies tend to like the taste of the medication.  At 7-8 weeks they are given their first vaccination for Parvovirus, Adenovirus, and Distemper, and also another Interceptor de-worming tablet (occasionally we use Valbazen as a final wormer instead).  Its very important to remember that your puppy will need 4 full sets of vaccinations before  it will be truly protected from contagious diseases.  By this age they are all fully weaned of their mommy's milk, and on the tiny Eukanuba Small Breed kibbles. As you can see, there is a lot of work put into having those beautiful shiny coats and bouncy personalities!

Feeding program and Starter Pack:

            First off, in our experience we have found that the mommy dogs decide when their puppies should be weaned, and so we do not detach puppies from their mothers until the momma dogs want nothing more to do with their puppies. This happens at about 6-7 weeks, when the puppies are fully eating solid food, and the mommas just cant stand their teeth and nails anymore! We primarily feed the pups Eukanuba Small Breed Puppy food, and have had excellent results with it for a couple of years now. The kibbles are small enough for their little Boston mouths to eat, and it contains the highest amount we've seen of both Crude Protein, Crude Fat, DHA for a healthy mind, calcium for bones, and a variety of other minerals and nutrients to help the growth of our pups. Also, it is a pretty mainstream dog food (but by no means cheap), so their new owners won't have a hard time picking some up for their new baby. Bostons can have very sensitive tummies and intestinal tracks, so its very important to stick with one kind of food and no added can foods, people food or human treats.  A great training treat that never upsets their tummies is call Natural balance and it comes in a sausage like form, where you can chop it up in small pieces for training, its also an excellent adult food and can be used as a supplement.  If you choose change food to a different brand,  do it so gradually as to decrease the stress to the puppies system from the change of diet (that sort of stress is what triggers the microparasites to take advantage of the puppies system). Eukanuba also has provided us as breeders with some very nice packets to send home with buyers and their new puppies, full of informative pamphlets and a samplet of the food. We also provide, when we are in stock, a Natural Balance sample, NuVet Natural dog vitamins and pamphlet (also, no fillers or preservatives, only available by online order), a squeak or plush toy for the puppies ride home, and a portable foldup cloth waterproof bowl that proves very handy on long trips home with your puppy. We include all of this at no cost to help ease the transition for our pups to new homes, and to offer useful information to their new owners.

Buying from a reputable Breeder:

Everyone can agree that all puppies are cute, whether they are in a pet store window, in an online photo ad, or at a breeders house. The thing to consider before ever purchasing a puppy on impulse is, what kind of breeding practice are you promoting when you buy that puppy? There are hundreds of Boston Terriers that need homes in shelters due to horrible breeding practices, ignorant impulse buys, and sometimes just a bad set of circumstances. Rescue is always a first good option to consider but many of the these dogs have serious health and behavior issues and not every home is suited for this huge task of helping these poor babies. Please remember that Day Boston terriers rescues unwanted Bostons of any age and health so if you hear of a Boston in need or interested in adopting a Boston please give us a call. Another option that can work for many people is adopting a retired breeding dog from a great breeder. Just make sure to have the dogs knees and eyes certified before taking the dog if it hasn't been done already or if your prepared to deal with health issues that the breeder should disclose in the first place. If  you have already ruled out rescue for your situation, it is important to spend time putting research behind the breeder you choose.  Always remember that a great breeder IS NOT a person who brags about fancy show breeding, pedigree or tells you that they have been breeding for 20 years , yet they do not know about health testing, dispositional genes and they don't recall any possible known health issues and once they sell you the dog its your problem. While not every breeder will get along with every possible new puppy owner, its important to understand that breeder must look at  the long term investment that she/he has into you and your puppy. We at DBT screen our new homes very carefully for many reasons, but one of the issues is we want only the best loving, sincere and dedicated type of family and persons bring our puppies into their lives. If a potential new family is rude, smug, shallow, disinterested in our health testing and shows little interest in our adult dogs dispositions, health and mind, we will decline the application. A truly great breeder doesn't HAVE to sell you a puppy, they would rather keep a puppy then sell it it to the wrong person and after all of the expense and emotional investment to their puppies its absolutely crucial that we have only the best kinds of people buy our puppies. Only a reputable breeder does this screening process, and while it may make those declined very angry and sometimes slanderous, its an absolute necessary action to keep our precious babies in a long term happy life.  Be armed with questions and knowledge but always remember to be polite when asking these questions, because a good breeder will also have questions and concerns about you and your home as well. 

Ask yourself and the breeder the following:

Why do they breed?

Why did they choose their specified breed?

Do they do all the genetic testing for their breed?

What kind of conditions are their dogs in, are they kennel dogs, or well socialized pets?

What is their health guarantee on their puppies?

Will they take back your puppy under any situation if need be?

Do they rescue?

How much effort do they put into raising their puppies, and how is it apparent?

Do they screen their buyers?

Will they let you visit their home or facility?

By purchasing a dog from them, are you upholding good breeding ethics, or supporting bad ones?

Will they ALWAYS accept their placed puppies back into their home if need be?

Why did I choose this breed?

You can NEVER ASK A GOOD BREEDER TOO MANY QUESTIONS!

 These are just some of the things to consider before buying from ANY breeder. There are a lot of ways to be a good breeder or a bad one; a good breeder doesn't necessarily have 2 dogs, nor does a bad one necessarily have 50. A breeder who's goal is a show dog doesn't mean they have good dogs, and a breeder who claims to breed only because they think that their dog is good is not so responsible of a breeder either. Being registered with the AKC has nothing to do with their health or disposition, there are no requirements as such in any registration clubs. Though there are many tangents to eye when choosing a new family member, in the end, the most important thing to remember is that your pet is going to live for 14 years give or take, so the least the prospective owner should do is put a few weeks of time and research into picking the right dog for them, not only in one aspect, but all; health, temperament, mind and body.

What is a registered puppy?

Many people are confused as to what a registered puppy is and what different dog registries are. Akc is the largest American based Dog registration Club. While they offer the largest selection of registerable breeds, shows, events and long term tracking of certain pedigrees, its important to understand that they are NOT the only great dog breed club. The first and most important thing to understand is Akc is a HUGE money making business, a company that profits by making rules, boundaries and standards to the dog world. While they attempt to stretch their rules and opinions across the world, in most cases other countries have a different idea of what a great perfect dog is.  The biggest misconception about Akc is that they screen or determine dogs to be good dogs if they are registered with Akc. This is not true! Sadly Akc, does not care whether a dog is half dead and stricken with genetic health problems, because they would still register that dogs offspring if the correct fees are paid.  And sadly MANY despicable breeders will forge Akc papers on litters just to say their Akc to get a higher price to people who unaware of what this all really means..  Akc doesn't offer any special registrations for dogs that are perfect in health and mind, they are solely focused on what is most to what they deem as " perfect" for that time and if it meets the show standard they create. Unfortunately most of these standards mean that most breeds of dogs are bred to meet that standard instead of being bred for health or disposition and almost ALL Akc breeds are doomed to serious health problems if the breeder doesn't do their part by only breeding excellent healthy dogs. The other issue is that while a dog registered with Akc can be registered with many other dog breed clubs, a dog who doesn't come from Akc lines cannot be registered with Akc. So.. in short just because a dog is Akc doesn't mean its a better dog, healthier or bred better then a non Akc Dog.

We believe while family history is crucial, so is the long term health tracking of all dogs. If you do not plan show your puppy ,then which club your puppy is registered with is of little importance. But what's more important is making sure your puppy comes from a long line of healthy, sane dogs that have all been certified by licensed vets to be free of all known health issues.

Akc is the leading force of registered dog breeding in the America, but we hope someday they will link themselves to another organization called OFA.   OFA is a non profit organization that keeps a public dog health data base of all the testing and know health issues a dog has. Its an expensive optional process that breeders can elect to go through, but this offers future puppy owners a place to really see the long term dedication a breeder has to their breed.

 Testing.. 1...2 ..3?

Testing a dogs health is the utmost important part of raising great dogs and insuring the future  puppy owners will be able to enjoy their precious pup until they are of ripe old age with no genetic long term health problems. We as breeders cannot ever begin to play god or predict every possible gene scenario but we can and do everything in our power to make educated, tested and long term breeding decisions that will impact hundreds of peoples lives. Its not a matter of what is right now or what would be cute. Its a matter of insuring that the breed of choice stays healthy and it isn't lost to the hundreds of other breeds in terrible health and absolute heart break. Below is some of the testing that Boston Terriers require:

1) Patella Certification, Each dog is testing to insure that Patellas are strong, supportive and clear of all defects.