Waiting for your Boston Terrier puppy to come home can feel unbearably long. Use this time to prepare yourself and get what your puppy will need ahead of time, so that you can focus on your puppy once she comes home.
Here are some tips to get you as well prepared as possible.
You heard me right. 10 weeks. They need this time to learn from their siblings and their parents.
I know you want the puppy at 8 weeks. But I’m here to tell you that the longer they stay with their breeder the better it will be in the long run.
The assumption on my end is that you’re getting your puppy from a reputable, preservation breeder who cares about the puppy’s well being.
Good breeders stand by their puppies.
If your breeder is sending home the puppy at 8 weeks I would see that as a red flag.
If you want to learn more about how to find a reputable breeder click on this article:
The first thing you need to do after your schedule your pick up date is to schedule time off.
Trust me that every new puppy owner will say on day one … I wish I took some time off work.
Establishing your puppy’s potty training habits requires you to be present with your puppy who will need to go outside every two to three hours.
So talk to your boss and ask for a week off. If you do not have any vacation time, and you can swing it and it’s approved – take unpaid days off.
Or work from home.
Because this one week investment will be the best thing you do for your puppy when they come home.
I was in close communication with Orbit’s breeder prior to her coming home. One day she asked me who my vet was?
I had never been asked this question before with any of the puppies I had purchased.
So I asked her why.
She said to me – “Because brachycephalic breeds need special care due to their short faces”.
Luckily she knew of a vet that friends of hers went to in my area so I promptly made an appointment to bring Orbit in for her first wellness exam the week she was coming home.
All of my dogs got sick at one point in their puppyhood, after hours. Find out from your vet which after hours facility they would point you to in the case of emergency.
Your breeder will be the best source of information as to what your puppies known health issues “might” be because she would know the medical history of your puppy’s parents.
Not every puppy is 100% perfect but …. your breeder should 100% be able to perfectly disclose known issues to you.
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Typically your puppy will have their first round of shots when they are 8 weeks old.
Your vet will probably then want to vaccinate at 12 weeks and 16 weeks.
Some breeders will recommend all three in the series. Some will recommend you skip one set.
You can learn more about the risks in puppy shots in this article:
What’s So Risky About Puppy Shots?
I love the book Bones Would Rain From The Sky.
It’s a soulful approach in how to view your dog’s needs and will be a good foundation for you as you take on the role in raising your puppy.
And the Puppy Primer by Patricia McConnell and Brenda Scidmore
Ideally your breeder is familiar and will be doing the Puppy Culture Program.
You should familiarize yourself with this philosophy and purchase the classes and material so you can continue the training at home.
Talk to your breeder if they are not aware of this program or have one of their own.
I saw a joke on Facebook the other day. It said:
How to know if you are ready for a Boston Terrier Puppy. Go around your home and pick up random things and destroy them and then throw them away. If you are ok with this, then you are ready for a Boston Terrier Puppy.
It’s a bit tongue in cheek but there are threads of truth in it.
Put yourself on the ground and look at anything your new puppy might be able to reach.
And then move it up or relocate it.
Things like books, shoes, magazines etc need to be far away from your puppy.
If they can’t get into trouble they won’t. If they can, they will!
A simple internet search of “plants that are toxic to dogs” will reveal a list that you can follow to see if you have any plants inside your home or garden that need to be moved.
Make sure that all hazardous chemicals in the garage and kitchen are locked or stored in a secure place.
If you have a garden, you might have a mouse or rat trap. It looks like a black plastic box with a hole.
Most dogs cannot get into them but small puppies might be curious and this would be extremely dangerous to them.
I like the first aid kit at REI for dogs. It has a small book inside that covers most known first aid emergencies. And you can reorder replacements for any items you use.
DOGTV has programming that is called “exposure” which has sounds that your puppy will need to be exposed to.
Make sure you watch these shows first so that you are familiar with the soundtrack.
You want your puppy to have a positive experience the first time so watch how they react and go softly and slow.
It’s also great to leave on while you’re at work.
DOGTV’s patented programming was designed and developed with world leading pet experts, and designed to support the dog’s natural behavior patterns, and is thus divided into 3 content categories: Relaxation, Stimulation and Exposure.
Relaxation programs reduce stress with dedicated soothing music and visuals. When dogs are left alone, they can become anxious. This segment uses calming videos and soothing sounds to relax your dog and make them feel at ease.
Stimulation programs encourage movement and playfulness. It uses more engaging videos and sounds from dogs and other animals. These videos are designed to be playful and keep your dog from getting bored.
Exposure offers a variety of videos on subjects that typically make dogs nervous such as vacuum cleaners, car rides or busy streets. Introduced gradually, it helps your dogs acclimate to those events so they do not continue to become anxiety-inducing situations.
I’m of the opinion that kibble isn’t real food.
It’s something that used to be food. They took real ingredients cooked it three times at high heat, added a bunch of additives and pass it off as real food.
Learn about raw feeding or home cooking.
Some books to get you started:
Doctor Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health For Dogs and Cats
And then join as many raw feeding and home cooked groups on Facebook as you can.
If you’re not convinced that kibble is bad watch PetFooled and look up what rendering means. Also understand that the 4 Ds could go into your pet’s food when its kibble.
Cooking or preparing your dog’s meals isn’t complicated.
Let’s pivot for a second and think about humans. Women have babies and are entrusted to be smart enough to figure out what to feed their babies.
Yet somehow the pet industry thinks they have to do this for you and sell you bags of what used to be food for your dog.
Feed real food. Feed fresh food.
Your puppy is going to be teething and you want to teach it shoes are not chews.
So you need to get them things they can chew on such as Kong Toys or chews from REAL DOG BOX.
Below is a list of items you will need prior to your puppy coming home. I recommend the brands we have tried for each item.
– Crate: I have two of the Amazon Basics. Single Door & Double Door Folding Metal Dog Crate Cage
– Crate pad. These Bolster Beds wash well and can be found on Amazon.
– Puppy Pads: The AmazonBasics Pet Training and Puppy Pads, Regular and Heavy Duty
– Dog Bed: The first dog bed will probably be destroyed so either go to TJMAXX or get one online. Amazon has one for under $16. Get two so you have one in the bedroom and one in the living room.
– Toys: Boston Terriers are the strongest toy destroyers you will ever meet. I love anything made by KONG and have bought maybe 15 of these Wild Knots Bears
– SmartPetLove Snuggle Puppy Behavioral Aid Toy has “Real-feel” pulsing heartbeat and heat pack calm by appealing to natural instincts. It will help with crate training by reducing negative behaviors such as whining and barking, which also helps YOU sleep at night
– Puppy Cam: Furbo Dog Camera: Treat Tossing, Full HD Wifi Pet Camera and 2-Way Audio, Designed for Dogs, Compatible with Alexa (As Seen On Ellen). We use ours every day and I have a review you can read HERE.
– Treats: Since I’m a fresh feeder I like the treats from Real Dog Box. If you want to order treats from Amazon I would recommend Canine Cravers
– Clickers: EcoCity 2 Pack Dog Training Clicker With Write Strap
– Treat Pouch: I use a fanny pack. I have one in green and one in black. The black one never has treats in it so I use it when I’m going out without the dogs.
– Urine Cleaner
– Poop Bags: I like Earth Rated Dog Poop Bags, Extra Thick and Strong Poop Bags for Dogs, Guaranteed Leak-Proof
– Bowls: they have great ones at TJMAXX
– Bowl Mat: I found Petco to have some great options
– Blanket: I like the blankets at Petco
– Puppy Carrier: I love the one made by Roverlund because it’s stylish enough so that man of the house can carry it too.
– Puppy Sling: I paid $80 for mine from a local pet boutique store and then months later found one for a fraction of the cost on Amazon made by i’Pet® Hands-Free Reversible Small Dog Cat Sling Carrier Bag Travel Tote Soft Comfortable Puppy Kitty Rabbit Double-Sided Pouch Shoulder Carry Tote Handbag
– Puppy Gate: I have one that is shaped like an octagon and large which I purchased at our local Unleashed
– Soft Crate: I bring my Noz2Noz Soft-Krater Indoor and Outdoor Crate to the park or when we go camping.
– Nail grinderr: Mine is so old I could not find it on Amazon anymore. But what I love about it Is that it has a light so I can see how close I am getting to the quick.
– Slippery Elm: I like the one made by Nature’s Answer Slipper Elm | Super Concentrated Herbal Supplement | Promotes Healthy Hair & Skin | Aids in Digestion | Kosher, No Gluten & No Alcohol 2oz
– Dog Collar: I started off with cat collars from Petco so that I could hear Maggie when she was underfoot.
– Dog Leash: The first puppy leash should be of the lightest material. The first ones we had were from the dollar store and I only upgraded them when they were about 16 weeks old.
– Dog Tag
– Puppy Brush: the KONG – ZoomGroom Red – Dog Brush for Grooming and Shampooing – For Small Dogs/Puppies is perfect for Boston Terrier coats.
– Puppy Outfits
– Puppy light: Clip On Dog Collar Light
– Headlamp: This is for you – and those times that you need to go out for evening potty sessions. I like the headlamps at REI
– Dog wipes: nothing beats Earthbath 100 Count All Natural Puppy Grooming Wipes
– Puppy shampoo: Earthbath Ultra Mile Puppy Shampoo
In Closing:
Bringing home a puppy is the most exciting thing to do.
Some dog owners have moments where they feel overwhelmed but you can prevent this by being well prepared so that your time is focused on the puppy instead of doing the things you should have done before puppy came home.
I hope this article has helped you.
If you want to read more on Boston Terriers I present a short list of my most popular articles below:
HOW TO FIND A REPUTABLE BOSTON TERRIER BREEDER
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hello, my name is Hannah and I dance with my dogs.
I am a Terrier Breed Advocate. I started this blog because there isn’t enough space to tell our story on our Instagram.
I have two Boston Terriers. Maggie is my socially awkward heart dog while Orbit is my charismatic soul dog.
You won’t read about cats here, but you will get a fairly large dosage of articles dedicated to this wonderful breed to help you learn more about them or provide practical tips as you raise your own. Read more about us.
