Anyone own a French Bulldog or a Boston Terrier???

[Irishgrrrl]

DH and I are talking about getting a new puppy. I''m not sure if we''re (read: I''m) ready for this yet or not . . . we''re just TALKING about it! The two main breeds we''re considering are Frenchies and Bostons. We know we would want a little boy, since our girl dog isn''t too fond of other girl dogs. (Our boy is a total sweetie and loves everyone he ever meets, so we don''t have to worry about him!)

Does anyone have any suggestions about Frenchies and Bostons? Which breed is "better" in your opinion and why? What are some pros and cons to each breed? Any info you can give us would be VERY much appreciated! Thank you!

 

[packrat]

I''ve never owned either of those breeds, so I''m no help. I think Boston Terriers are cuter than all get out, and I''d asked JD about them, as opposed to a JRT, but he said they have a breathing issue, like Pugs do, that would drive me batty. My guess is they don''t *all* have the weird breathing thing going on tho. So..like I said, I''m no help-but I think the BT''s are super cute!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Packrat, I know what you mean! The breathing thing worries me, too. From the research I''ve done so far online, it seems that all brachycephalic (a/k/a "smush-nosed") breeds have the potential for breathing problems. But, I guess ANY breed has certain health issues that are common for that particular breed. For example, Great Danes are very prone to bloat (gastric torsion) and von Willebrand''s disease (a clotting disorder similar to hemophilia in humans), as well as several skeletal/joint issues that have to do with their size and their fast growth rate. So I''m trying not to let potential health problems affect my decision too much. However, I definitely DO want a dog who will have a loooooooooooooooong life span, which is why we''re looking at smaller breeds. Our Dane was only 8 years old when he passed away, and I just CANNOT go through that again anytime soon. CAN. NOT.

I did a search, and I see that several PSers are owned by Bostons, but I didn''t see any Frenchies. So, Boston owners (and Frenchie owners, if you''re out there), let me pick your brain!!!

 

[whitby_2773]

Emm -

this is GREAT news (almost - but no pressure...

)

can i ask you what you're looking for in a dog? that way maybe you can choose the breed to best suit what you want him for.

so - a long liver (got it) - do you want.....super energetic? docile? good with kids? someone to be active with? a working or competitive dog for ring or outdoor work of any kind? do you want an assertive dog? a leader? a follower? long hair? short hair? NO hair?

a friend of mine has recently added a cavalier king charles spaniel and - oh. my. word! talk about CUTE! he's a friendly, docile little boy who just wants to follow everyone, then snuggle when he catches up! he plays a bit, but this is definitely an inside dog in the general sense. he bonds HARD, so can't be left alone all day; he'll go and sit in the seat of the little girl who owns him and wait till she comes back when she goes to school. it's beyond cute but he's a little person who needs a lot of 'owner-time'.

do you have other dogs, or will he be alone during the day? would love to know what you're looking for in a dog; apart from anything else, it paints a picture of your life

i've never owned a terrier (i'm all about the setters, as you probably know) and i'm a ditto on the breathing thing; i kinda hate that they were bred that way - not cool. but they're definitely adorable and i saw a hugely gay little boston trotting along on a walk this morning, and he was all character!

so - criteria?

 

[lyra]

I like Bostons better, which means nothing. Boston hair will go through your socks and poke into your skin believe it or not! But they are so pretty, and I believe less prone to respiratory issues. I would look into the various health issues and see what to look out for.

 

[parrot tulips]

The friend who recently married hubby and I has 2 Frenchies, and my sister has 2 Bostons! LOVE them both so, so much. The main difference I''ve noticed (outside of their looks) is that the Bostons are way crazier and more energetic. They jump all over you and cover you in kisses. This might frighten smaller children, or people who aren''t comfortable around dogs. My friend''s Frenchie, while still full of energy, is a lot more mellow and easier going, and a LOT less prone to jumping. Their new guy is only 8 weeks old, so not much to report than all around cuteness. Both my sister''s and my friend''s dogs snort upon occassion, but it''s only once and a while - not the constant wheezing I hear from another friend''s pug. But...these are only observations from an outsider, not someone who owns either breed or has a ton of experience with them.

 

[Erinleigh]

We debated getting a boston, but ended up getting a yorkshire terrier. As others have mentioned, the terrier attitude is a lot more... energetic than most other breeds. That being said, FF and I wouldn''t have it any other way! We love Charley''s little attitude. He''s also the most snugly, loving dog I''ve ever met, so we really lucked out So I''m obviously a bit biased, but if I were choosing between a bulldog or a boston, I''d say boston all the way!!

 

[littlelysser]

hello!

I don''t currently own a frenchie, but I have loved them FOREVER. I''ve done tons of research into the breed and I''ve known several frenchies quite well, even dogsat for one for a couple weeks.

I absolutely love french bulldogs. They have fantastic personalities and are just little firecrackers. Before we decided to get a rescue for our second dog, we were going to get a frenchie. They are so full of personality and they are just such wonderful little dogs. They are often described as a big dog in a little dog''s body, and I''ve found that to be true! And my GAWD are they adorable when they are puppies. I just love them. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

I will say with frenchies, getting a good breeder is key. I''ve been around several frenchies at the dog park and other places that have no health issues at all. However, they all came from super reputable breeders. There are some really crummy internet breeders and puppymillers out there...and those are the dogs that tend to have major issues.

Unfortunately, they are also extremely expensive...sometimes upwards of $3000. Personally, I think they are worth it, as they are just faboo little frog dogs!

There is a GREAT rescue group out there for frenchies - www.frenchbulldogrescue.org. If you decide a frenchie is the dog for you, that might be a good place to start!

 

[littlelysser]

Oh, and I had to attach a pic of my favorite frenchie in the whole world, playing with one of my dogs, Cricket.

We like to call this picture superflybrucie:

He just kills me.

 

[neatfreak]

Well I am biased because I LOVE french bulldogs and want to get one next time around. But that being said there are two boston terriers at our dog park all the time. They are NUTSO. Freaking adorable-but nuts. So I would spend some time with one to make sure you don't mind the insanity-they are going to be much crazier than a Great Dane for sure!

 

[PinkTower]

I have had two Bostons, plus my hubby had one as a child They are very high energy. Lots of fun, but time consuming to exercise. I was a stay at home mom, so I could handle the exercise. Mine were also expensive to own because of health problems. The female had epilepsy, which I understand is a common flaw.
They were also very sensitive to cold. How is your climate? They usually wore sweaters in winter.
Looking back, I could not handle them now because I work. I have a standard poodle, which I find to be much calmer. She took one round of obedience training and walks perfectly by my side without a lead. The Bostons went to obedience training over and over and continued to pull at the lead and I never trusted them off lead.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

YAAAAY!!! Guys, thank you SO much for all this great info!!!

Whitby ~ We''re looking for a lap dog! LOL! Caesar, bless his heart, thought he WAS a lap dog ~ all 120 pounds of him!!! I miss the lap-doggy-ness though, and I''d like to have a dog who is pretty mellow and wants lap time. We don''t do agility or shows or anything like that ~ this guy would be purely a spoiled-rotten pet. And short hair would definitely be a plus. (God knows I vacuum enough already! LOL!) Also, he would need to be crate-trainable, since DH and I both work and he would be home all day with our other two dogs. Our other two are lab mixes, and are not crate trained, but spend their time in the kitchen while we''re gone. (On most days, I can come home at lunchtime and let everyone outside for a potty break.) As far as the other two dogs go, our girl (Turbo) is DEFINITELY the alpha, and our boy (Biko) is very easy-going and gets along with everyone (both human and canine). So we would have to have a boy (since Turbo HATES most other girl dogs), preferably one who is pretty middle-of the road . . . one who will let Turbo have her way for the most part, but yet not one who allows Turbo to run roughshod over him! LOL! Turbo does tend to play a little rough sometimes, which is why I would want to crate-train the new guy. That way, he''s separated from her while we''re not home. I honestly don''t think she''d ever hurt him on purpose, but she does get a little rough with the playing sometimes. So, that''s basically what we''re looking for!

Lyra ~ I agree 100% about the health issues. I''ve been researching online to see which breeds have which problems, and from what I can tell so far, it looks like Bostons and Frenchies are very similar in their health issues (mainly because of the pug noses). And I know what you mean about the hair poking into your feet ~ black lab hair does the same thing! I can''t tell you how many times I''ve pulled dog hairs out of the bottoms of my feet!

PT ~ Your perspective is GREAT to hear, since you know two of each breed! Thanks so much for sharing! I kinda get the feeling that you''re right about the energy levels. Frenchies do seem to be more mellow, and Bostons seem to be more hyper. And it''s good to hear that all four of those little guys don''t wheeze all the time like a Pug would! Thanks again for all the info!

Erin ~ Ya know, the energy thing is what really worries me about a Boston. I''d be afraid that a Boston might be a little "much" for our other two dogs, especially our little old man. And we did consider Yorkies, BTW! They are ADORABLE! One of my students (I teach horseback riding lessons) has a Chihuahua/Yorkie mix. (A Chorkie, I think they''re called?) And she is just a love-bug! But I''m worried about getting a TINY dog, since our other two are sizeable. I don''t want the new baby to accidentally get hurt!

LittleLysser ~ OMG!!! Brucie is AWESOME!!! I''ve actually never met a Frenchie in person (although I have met a Boston). I really wish I knew someone who owns a Frenchie so I could go play with him/her! LOL! It''s good to hear you say that their personalities are so great. I''m really at a disadvantage there, since I''ve never met one in person! Thanks for the rescue link, BTW ~ that''s definitely an option we''d be willing to look into. And I totally agree about a good breeder being a high priority. Have you done any research into breeders? Are there any that you''ve heard of that are good, and preferably located east of the Mississippi? (We''d rather not ship the baby ~ we''d want to drive to pick him up and we''re located in south-central PA.) And I hear ya about the expense! I''m hoping we can save a bit of $$$ since we''re not looking for a show-quality dog ~ just a pet. In just the little bit of research I''ve done, I think the least expensive puppy I''ve seen was about $1,300!

NF ~ I''m so used to the Dane mellowness, I''m just not sure how well I''d adjust to a Boston''s energy level. The more I hear from you guys, the more you''re convincing me that a Frenchie is the way to go!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 7/6/2009 9:10:07 AM
Author: Pink Tower
I have had two Bostons, plus my hubby had one as a child They are very high energy. Lots of fun, but time consuming to exercise. I was a stay at home mom, so I could handle the exercise. Mine were also expensive to own because of health problems. The female had epilepsy, which I understand is a common flaw.
They were also very sensitive to cold. How is your climate? They usually wore sweaters in winter.
Looking back, I could not handle them now because I work. I have a standard poodle, which I find to be much calmer. She took one round of obedience training and walks perfectly by my side without a lead. The Bostons went to obedience training over and over and continued to pull at the lead and I never trusted them off lead.

Thanks, Pink Tower! I''ve heard that Bostons are very trainable, but that their energy level is sometimes an issue. Our climate is pretty middle-of-the-road. It does get cold in winter and hot in summer, but we have central AC in our house so the heat wouldn''t be an issue. And I''m just LOOKING for an excuse to buy cute little doggy sweaters! LOL!

 

[Amethyste]

I had a frenchie...
he was the sweetest... i miss him so. when I am able to have a dog again, it will be another frenchie.
they have the kindest heart and the most playful.

 

[jaylex]

My dad has a Boston terrier. I LOVE him to death! He is super energetic when bf and I come over and he loves to play fetch and "hide and go seek". But once I play with him for a little while and get a lot of his energy out, he just cuddles up right next to me, puts his head on my lap and falls asleep. And according to my dad, when he''s ready to go to bed, all he has to do is say "Rocky! Go Night night?" and the little guy jumps up onto the bed, snuggles under the covers, puts his head on the pillow and goes to sleep. He''s such a good dog.

My dad doesn''t have a problem keeping him exercised. He takes him for walks or Rocky just runs around the house.. but he hasn''t broken anything since he was a puppy 5 years ago...
He does get sensitive to the cold so we put sweaters on him in the winter (he looks so cute!

). He hasn''t had any breathing problems as far as I know.. and believe me, if he did, I would know. My dad loves that dog just as much (if not more) than he loves me

!

I love Boston Terriers. So Loyal, fun, cute and smart.. but maybe I''m just biased?

 

[atroop711]

when I was a kid we owned 3 diff. dogs and the Boston Terrier was one of them and my FAVORITE. Our dog Samantha was so smart and playful. She was so full of energy. Great dog for ppl who have love the park, run and play. I can''t so anything bad about them since I don''t have any bad memories (I was a kid...we don''t find fault in any pet). We thought about getting a boston terrier recently but I''m too busy to take care of a dog now. We even had a name picked out...BUGSY!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Amethyste ~ Your Frenchie must have been a wonderful boy! I''ve heard that Frenchies are like potato chips: you can''t have just one! I hope you can get another one soon . . . and post pics for us to "awwww" at! LOL!

Jaylex ~ Rocky sounds awesome!!! I was really starting to lean toward a Frenchie, but now I''m not so sure . . . those Bostons are SOOOOO ADORABLE!!!

Atroop ~ I bet Samantha was a wonderful girl! And you''re so right . . . kids never find fault with pets, no matter what. Our Collie that we had when I was little was perfect, and there''s no convincing me otherwise! LOL! And Bugsy is a GREAT name for a Boston! Too cute!

 

[parrot tulips]

Here are some pictures of the little ones - the 2 Frenchies are to the left (from when they were puppies), and to the right is my sister''s boyfriend holding their two Bostons (one''s brindle, and the other one is a "redhead," so they''re not your standard black and white). I''ve cuddled with all of them, so with enough exercise, any of them would (in my limited experience) make great lap dogs.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Date: 7/6/2009 11:41:53 AM
Author: parrot tulips
Here are some pictures of the little ones - the 2 Frenchies are to the left (from when they were puppies), and to the right is my sister''s boyfriend holding their two Bostons (one''s brindle, and the other one is a ''redhead,'' so they''re not your standard black and white). I''ve cuddled with all of them, so with enough exercise, any of them would (in my limited experience) make great lap dogs.

Ohhhh, PT! You enabler! They''re ALL absolutely adorable, but that little cream Frenchie is just breaking my heart!!!

 

[Ms.Goggles]

Irishgrrl - I''m no help, really, but I just wanted to chime in and say how much I love Frenchies as well! I saw them on an Animal Planet show years ago and thought they were the funniest looking little dogs I had ever seen. I started researching them, seeing more in person and I was totally head over heels for them!

We actually just found a breeder recently and we are on the list for her next litter! (We''re hoping for a fawn female. ) Our breeder is PHENOMENAL; I can''t stress the importance of finding a good one, like some of the other posters have mentioned. Here''s some Frenchie love for you...it doesn''t get any cuter than this!

 

[packrat]

Awww lookit those ears! So cute!

 

[ams0124]

I have a Boston!!! I LOVE HIM SOOO MUCH!!! He''s definitely a handfull I will say that. He''ll be a year on August 19th. He''s absolutely full of energy all the time! We also have a aussie cattle dog and boy can our little boston wear him out! Camo (the boston) is really smart, and really eager to please...He learned a handful of tricks in a weekend, including shake, roll over, sit pretty (he sits on his hind legs and looks like he''s begging), and twirl. Both FI and I work during the day, so both of our dogs are kennelled while we''re gone...they both go straight to their kennels if we say "go lay down" and they are fine there until we get home. I do take both dogs on walks every evening when I get home, so that helps the energy level.

As far as health issues go... He''s breathing is great...he snored a little when he was younger but has seemed to grow out of it. Boston''s also have teeth issues...because they are bred to have smaller mouths there are a few teeth in the back that tend not to grow in straight which can cause an issue later in life as most of the time they will start to rot. Camo was lucky enough that for some reason he wasn''t born with these particular teeth. If however your boston does have them...they can simply be removed when you take him/her to get fixed.

With regards to the weather...We live in CO where winters can get pretty cold. Camo wore a sweater around outside, and if I took him anywhere I wrapped him in a blanket....when we got him he was 3lbs and what 3lbs animal wouldn''t be cold in the snow.

He''s fine now, and actually really like the snow...he goes jumping in it like a little rabbit.

I''d love to answer any other questions you have about Bostons...I''ve learned a lot in the time we''ve had Camo...they may seem like a lot of work, but they are so loving that it''s completely worth it to me...I''ll go see if I can find some pictures of Camo...

 

[ams0124]

Here''s Camo when we first got him

 

[ams0124]

Here he is a couple weeks ago at his vet checkup

 

[ams0124]

Last one...This picture is posted in another place on PS but here it is again...

 

[Ms.Goggles]

Oh my gosh, what an adorable dog! Love the name!

 

[packrat]

Gawd you guys are killing me with cuteness here! They''re way too expensive for me but ohhhh how CUTE!

 

[ams0124]

Thank you!!
I had this whole post written up on how he got his name and PS ate it

He''s named after a bull on the professional bull riding circut. He has the same coloring as this bull did...It''s hard to tell in the pictures but he''s brindle and white. Anyway when we brought him home he was exploring our bedroom and found his reflection in our full length mirror...he started to back up really slowly and FI and I thought he was afraid of his reflection...and then out of nowhere he charged head first at the mirror like a bull. It was the funniest thing I''d ever seen...so we had to name him after a bull...and Camo just fit.

 

[Squirrly]

one of my professors has a boston who roams around the music building almost everyday. sweet pea is probably the most awesome pup i''ve met! she may be the violin prof''s dog, but she doesn''t bark. except for one certain pitch we came across in string tech (it was painful enough for us, poor dog)

being the violin prof, she''s also the head of the area''s suziki program and sweet pea is a hit with the kids. she''ll sit through their lessons and then be more than ready for playtime when it''s over.

energy-wise, she''s on crack. she will fetch and run around with my friend''s seeing eye dog (sweet pea thinks she''s a big dog. the lab humors her) but if i sit in the hall she''ll come over and sit on me so she can be petted, and i''ll get plenty of kisses, mostly on my hands.

training wise, miss d rarely has her on a leash, even when outside. pea stays close to her and if she starts to investigate something, she''ll come running back when called, and she''s only 2.

pea''s a cross between a mini and a full boston, so i''m not sure if that affects her personality any. as far as her health, i only hear her snort on occasion (usually after running around for awhile) and she had surgery on her leg this past year, but i don''t think it was genetic. she could run just as fast on 3 legs as she could on 4 though.

i''m afraid i don''t know much about frenchies, but my BF who loves big dogs and has his heart set on a german shepherd met pea and loved the dog, so i might just have hopes of getting one after all

 

[littlelysser]

Date: 7/6/2009 9:24:17 AM
Author: Irishgrrrl

LittleLysser ~ OMG!!! Brucie is AWESOME!!! I''ve actually never met a Frenchie in person (although I have met a Boston). I really wish I knew someone who owns a Frenchie so I could go play with him/her! LOL! It''s good to hear you say that their personalities are so great. I''m really at a disadvantage there, since I''ve never met one in person! Thanks for the rescue link, BTW ~ that''s definitely an option we''d be willing to look into. And I totally agree about a good breeder being a high priority. Have you done any research into breeders? Are there any that you''ve heard of that are good, and preferably located east of the Mississippi? (We''d rather not ship the baby ~ we''d want to drive to pick him up and we''re located in south-central PA.) And I hear ya about the expense! I''m hoping we can save a bit of $$$ since we''re not looking for a show-quality dog ~ just a pet. In just the little bit of research I''ve done, I think the least expensive puppy I''ve seen was about $1,300!

We ended up with our Cricket Dawg before I had a chance to research breeders too extensively, BUT I know of one breeder in PA - who works with the breeder who sold us our Ibizan Hound (the big orange dog in my avatar). Our breeder is absolutely incredibly and a really dedicated to the Ibizan Breed. Anyway, I haven''t dealt with them professionally, but they own and show one of our Ibizan Hound''s littermates. Their website is www.bigstarbulldogs.com. I know that bigstar deals with both Ibizans and Frenchies and I believe they may be relatively close to you. Anyhoodle, might be a chance to at least see some frenchies and hang out with them.

FWIW, we decided on the Ibizan breed before we''d ever met any in person. We were watching the Westminster Dog Show about 7 years ago and saw Bunny the Ibizan. She was a LOVELY dog and won the hound group two years in a row. We started researching the breed, and realized they would be a great fit for me and my DH. We didn''t actually meet one until we went down to meet our breeder and put a deposit on our future hound - that is where we met our pup''s mother and three other fabulous Ibizans. So, don''t worry too much if you can''t meet one right away!