The first Boston Terrier I met was an emotional support dog. I had a friend who returned from the Marine Corps and suffered from PTSD. His dog was the most loving dog I had ever met. Which is probably the reason I ended up with two Boston Terriers of my own.
When you are considering the type of dog breed you want as an emotional support dog, a Boston Terrier should be at the top of your list. They make exceptional dogs due to their loving nature and desire to cuddle with their owners.
If you are curious about the Boston Terrier breed and what makes them a great emotional support dog please keep reading. We will go over their traits and physical quality which align with your needs. We will also discuss a few negatives to the breed which you may have to watch out for.
What Qualities are needed for a good emotional support dog?
Boston Terreir Intelegence
The first quality of a good emotional support dog is its trainability. Some dogs are let’s just face it not as intelligent as others. Some breeds are stubborn or high-strung. Why does this matter you may think. Well, you will need to bring this dog around people and places.
You need a dog that can be around while not being a pain to deal with. Meaning if you walk into a store the dog can’t start barking and trying to get everyone. For the most part, Boston Terriers are intelligent and not big barkers.
Although they will have a little stubbornness to them for the most part they love to please their owners. So if you train them they will be very obedient and stable. For a person who needs a stable companion these dogs really fit the bill.
Boston Terrier Hygiene
I’m not sure about you but when I pick a dog for my house hygiene is a big deal. Does the dog shed and does the dog need a lot of grooming and attention?
When you are trying to figure out what dog breed is a good emotional support dog, the hygiene and upkeep of the breed is important. You don’t want to add a large stress to the household trying to help someone needing emotional support.
When it comes to Boston Terriers they are a short hair breed. This means that you will not need to bring them to the groomer every month or spend a lot of time bathing and brushing them. For some people this may be an enjoyable experience so if that is you then the Boston Terrier may not be the dog for you.
For the rest of us who are not looking to add a new monthly chore to our list of bringing the dog to a groomer then go with a Boston Terrier. They do shed a small amount but it’s not bad. They also don’t require many baths unless they get dirty from playing.
I will give a warning or really just a funny issue I had happen to me with my Boston Terriers and their shedding. I was walking around the house and felt a pain in the back of my heal. I thought at first I may have stepped on a rock or something sharp.
I tried to check my foot but could not see anything. So I called my wife and asked her to look. So she got a light and started doctoring the big baby…. me. What she ended up finding was I did have a splinter stuck about halfway into the hard part of my heal.
What was surprising to me was that the splinter that I had was a single piece of dog hair. Some kind of way this one small piece of hair stuck into my heal about a 1/4 of the way in. She was able to pull it out with tweezers and it didn’t break.
I was amazed that the hair was able to stab into my foot and I was really surprised it did not break when she went to pull it out. I am not sure what would have happened if it would have broke but I figured it would involve a needle and my wife hurting me. So I was very glad that the hair came out.
I would love to hear if anyone else has ever had this type of thing happen to them. If so send us an image on our Twitter channel so we can share it. @BostonTerrierNa is our handle.
Are Boston Terriers a Sturdy Dog Breed?
Depending on who is looking for an emotional support dog breed the breed’s sturdiness will become a factor. If you are an older person you will just need a dog that will be ready to cuddle. Of course, the Boston Terrier is a great dog for cuddling.
If on the other hand, you are an adult who has some smaller children in the house the sturdiness of the dog will be a bigger factor. You will need a dog breed that can really handle being played with a little more rough and can keep up with a lot of activity.
In my home, we have 4 children from ages 4 to 20. So there are lots of different styles of play and a lot of activity. My son wants to come in throw a ball or play tug of war. My little one just wants to have them come sit by her and play house.
A Boston Terrier usually weighs around 25 pounds plus or minus 10 pounds depending on gender and genes. In my home, I have a female who weighs around 22 pounds and a male who weighs between 35 and 40 depending on how much food he steals.
Being they are a strong compact dog they can really handle themselves in any situation. The only thing that holds them back is their flat face. They will breathe heavily when playing and can’t handle extreme temperatures. When I say extreme I don’t mean 120 degrees which would be hard for any dog but I mean if its hot outside or cold outside they should probably be brought in. If you go outside and sweat or have to put on a jacket, don’t leave the Boston Terriers out there very long.
Conclusion
When you are considering going get an emotional support dog there are a lot of qualities you need to consider. Most of them will be the same traits you would look for in any dog added to your home. You need them to be easy to handle, trainable, low maintenance, and sturdy.
If you look at the AKC website they rate Boston Terriers as 4 out of 5 for trainability. Also a 2 out of 5 for barking. Lastly, they rate playfulness and openness to strangers as a 5 out of 5. If you put all of these traits together it lines the Boston Terrier up as a very good emotional support dog breed with high intelligence.
So to put it into a summary if you are looking for an emotional support dog, go with a breed you like. If you like a dog that you will get groomed and has long flowing hair, a Boston Terrier is not for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a sturdy breed that is easy to handle train and groom, maybe you should consider a Boston Terrier.