Do Boston Terriers Shed?

Depending on who you talk to, some people see dog hair as a nuisance or don’t mind it at all. Some might have allergic tendencies to knowing how much a dog breeds is helpful to know up front.

Boston Terriers are light to medium shedders depending on the season. Boston Terriers have short course hair and tend to shed less in the winter and more in the summer. Weekly brushing and a bath every ten to fourteen days should keep shedding to a minimum for your Boston Terrier.

Is the Boston Terrier Hypoallergenic?

No the Boston Terrier is not Hypoallergenic.

Dogs labeled and marketed as hypoallergenic tend not to trigger allergic reactions because of they shed less.

I’m guessing those that have claimed the Boston Terrier to be hypoallergenic have never owned one.

I have had a total of three Boston Terriers in my life and I can tell you they all shed.

Compared to my sister’s Shitzu, Boston Terriers shed considerably more.

Boston Terriers Shedding

Boston Terriers have short, medium course hair that lays flat against their body. They are considered to be light to average shedders and easy to groom.

Because their fur is short, it can sometimes feel like fine pine needles when it’s sticking through your clothing onto your skin.

I can see how much my own Boston Terriers shed by the amount of fur that is in our sheets. I have to wash the bedding twice a week to keep our bedding fur free.

We have wooden floors throughout the house and I will sweep the house daily. If I let it go for whatever reason a few days it will be pretty apparent through the amount of fur I sweep up just how much my two Boston Terriers shed.

They don’t shed no where nears as much as our dog’s friends who have Corgis, Shibas, Border Collies, German Shepherds or Australian Shepherds but they do shed more than my sisters Shitzu.

One of the reasons that people might think Boston Terrier’s do not shed is because it’s hard to see their fur on the floor, carpet or sofa. But if you look close enough you’ll see their short fur laying around waiting for you to sweep it up.

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Grooming Boston Terrier Puppies

For the most part puppies don’t shed as much as the adult Boston Terriers. And when I say puppy I’m saying less than ten months.

It is however important to get them used to you handling them. So I recommended you do daily inspections of their ears, mouth and touch and massage their paws. If you have a brush, it’s recommend to brush them weekly even if you’re not descending them, it’s still a good practice to get them used to the grooming brush.

Grooming for Healthy Boston Terriers

The best way to keep shedding to a minimum is to have a regular grooming schedule.

At a minimum brush your Boston Terrier’s fur at least once a week.

In the winter you might be able to stretch this out to once every ten days while in the warmer months you might have to brush your Boston Terrier as often as once every five days.

I’ve tried a few grooming brushes and our favorite is the one by Kong. You can find it at Walmart or buy it on Amazon.

Bathing Your Boston Terrier

I shampoo my Boston Terriers every ten to fourteen days.

We do go to the beach quite often and after we are done with the beach they get a simple water rinse at home.

I’ve tried many different shampoo brands and found that most main stream brands tend to dry them out.

My two Boston Terriers have also had an issue with allergies and yeast so we’ve often had to use product that were medicated.

The medicated shampoo that worked the best for our lifestyle, water quality and weather is made by Duoxo Calm Shampoo. It has the active ingredients hinokitiol and phytosphingosine.

The only con is that it doesn’t have much of a fragrance.

I used this product on them for two years and I would venture and try different brands here and there but always came back to Duoxo.

Recently this summer I discovered two other brands which I absolutely love:

Doggy Poo by Unite has great sudsing ability, easy to lather, and rinse off. Best part is the girls smell great and feel soft after. You can buy it on their website via this link:  Doggy ‘Poo Shampoo | UNITE Shop

Another brand I love but comes all the way from New Zealand is the line from: Pampered Pooch

It smells divine. They feel so soft after that you cannot stop touching them. The only downside is the shampoo and conditioner is separate so if you have Boston Terriers that hate the water this one is not a process that they will enjoy.

I also have the after bath spray which I use on my two Boston Terriers on a regular basis. It also softens and makes their fur feel silky.

I reserve this brand to use when we have family to see and I know that my two Bostons will be getting lots of pets while sitting on family members’ laps.

Nail Clipping and Grooming

I’ve had the same nail grinder for over eight years. I bought it on Amazon and it’s by Furminator. The best part I like about it is that it has a light so I can see the quick on my Boston’s nails.

I had 100% intentions to be the one to groom their nails and I prefer to use the nail grinder as opposed to the nail clipper. As puppies the way I broke down the sessions are:

1. Turn on the nail grinder close to them and give them treats (this gets them used to the sound.

2. Turn on the nail grinder and let the base of the grinder touch their paws without actually grinding it. This is to bring the sound and the vibration closer to them. I used LOTS of treats.

3. Now I had the help of my boyfriend. I started to very quickly grind and groom my Boston Terrier’s nails while he fed them treats constantly. We kept the sessions quick and short if I could only do one paw then we’d tackle the other paw the next day.

Now as adults my two relax and fall asleep while I’m grinding their nails. I still have treats to give them after the session is done.

Ear Cleaning

If your dog is healthy you generally will never have to clean their ears.

Maggie my older Boston has only had to have her ears cleaned maybe twice and that was because she rolled around in sand and I had to clean the sand off the crevices.

Even though Maggie has had allergies her ears stayed clean.

Clean ears should not smell and have a bright appearance to them like a light sheen of oil but not too much.

Orbit on the other hand had very bad yeasty gunky ears that during her worst I would clean every day.

I have used some products from Amazon or the local pet store but the best cleaning product came from the vet. So if your Boston Terrier has bad yeast in her ears, bring her or him in for a consultation and you can go home with a product that your vet recommends.

For in home maintenance I use ear wipes from Earth Bath which come in a convenient packet and do the job to keep my Boston Terrier’s clean from yeast and wax.  You can find it on Amazon via this LINK. 

Teeth Cleaning

Unfortunately neither of my two Boston Terriers will let me stick a tooth brush in their mouths. The only way I can keep their teeth clean is through feeding them edible chews.

We’re subscribing members to Real Dog Box and our monthly subscription comes with bags of light, medium and heavy chews. I also get super chews added on.

The edible chews gently rub off any plaque build up in their teeth and the heaver chews scrape of any tartar that may have built up.

Having great dental health is the foundation to their overall health and well being. Healthy teeth and gums mean less chance for inflammation and allergies. A great book to read is Raw Meat Bones by Dr. Tom Lonsdale.

Supplements For Healthy Skin And Coat

Adding bone broth and mushrooms to your Boston Terrier’s diet will help towards healthy skin and coat.

I tend to add collagen as opposed to making my own bone broth. I’ve been using this product from Amazon now for three and half years.

Recently I’ve also started to add some mushroom powder to their daily meals. Sometimes if we have mushrooms at home I’ll sautés some in olive oil and feed that instead of the supplement.

Food For Healthy Skin and Coat

In the summer I make sure that my two Boston Terriers are eating some seafood in the form of mussels, or fish (salmon, smelt, anchovies or sardines).

I prefer to feed fish and seafood as a source of their Omega 3s as opposed to feeding fish oil which can go rancid during shipping or lose their efficacy over time.

By feeding their Omegas as opposed to supplementing it I’m ensuring I have maximum bioavailablity for their fish oil.

Keeping the House Clean from your Boston Terrier’s Fur

Your Boston Terrier’s Fur on the floor acts as dust balls. Therefore cleaning your house every day by sweeping or vacuum is a good practice.

Wash their bedding once a week and your bedding (if they sleep with you) twice a week.

First Aid Skin Care For Your Boston Terrier

In the event of a skin emergency, there are a few items to keep in your medicine cabinet.

MalAcetic Wipes – to use to clean your Boston Terrier’s paws after a walk in the city.  I bought my wipes on Amazon via this LINK.  

Vetericyn Spray: To apply if your Boston Terrier has any itchy spots.  You can find them at Petco or on Amazon via this LINK.  

Silver Cream: To apply if your Boston Terrier has any cuts or abrasions.  I discovered this product at SuperZoo and promptly stocked my cabinet via Amazon.  You can buy it via this LINK. 

Anti Fungal Spray: To apply if your Boston Terrier has yeasty paws of yeasty belly.  My go to.  I never run out of it and probably on my fifth bottle.  You can find it on Amazon via this LINK. 

Earth Bath Grooming wipes: To wipe down your Boston Terrier after a hike or playing in the park. You can find it on Amazon via this LINK. 

In conclusion

Yes Boston Terriers shed. If you’re looking for a hypoallergenic dog the Boston would not be it.

However if you’re acceptable to light to medium shedding then brushing your Boston Terrier at least once a week and bathing them at least once every ten days to two weeks will keep shedding to a minimum.