GROOMING A BOSTON TERRIER

The basics of Boston Terrier grooming

It is very important to groom your dog and get him used to being touched and handled all over in a pleasant way. As well as removing dirt, grooming helps you to bond with your dog and establish a good relationship with him. It is also very important as a way of monitoring your dog’s health; close contact during grooming will allow you to find new lumps/tumours, skin complaints and parasites such as fleas and ticks.

The sleek, smooth single coat of the Boston Terrier makes grooming very quick and easy. Brushing a couple of times a week will keep his sleek coat in tip top condition.

The face, eyes and ears are the most important parts to keep clean and injury free.

Check Eyes daily for any discolouring or discharge if in doubt check with your vet, Boston’s eyes are very delicate and sensitive and if a scratch is left unattended this can cause permanent eye damage and even loss of sight.

Clean facial wrinkles daily with moist cotton wool, dry thoroughly.

Check ears two to three times a week for dirt, wax, ear mites can be a problem. If there is a strange smell from the ears a visit to the Vet may be needed. Boston Terriers have sensitive ears, which are prone to infection.

Clip nails regularly and always clip dew claws, if left unattended these can curl round and imbed into the soft skin and will require Veterinary attention. Generally being white Boston’s nails are quite easy to trim as you can see the ‘quick’. If you cut this it is very painful for the dog and will bleed quite heavily. Your Boston will then not like you trimming his nails and will cause a problem. If you are unsure ask your Veterinary Nurse or Groomer for help and advice.

Bathing your Boston when required using a mild shampoo formulated for dogs. Some Bostons can suffer from itchy skin so make sure the shampoo is complete washed out and he is dried thoroughly. One thing a Boston doesn’t like is to be wet and cold, he only has a single coat and will get a chill easily.

Bostons do moult, but having a single coat they are not heavy moulters.

Check your Boston’s teeth regularly especially if you feed soft wet food only. Give them something hard to chew and this will help to keep teeth clean. Brushing with a soft tooth brush and doggy toothpaste (human toothpaste can cause upset tummies) once a week will help prevent gum disease and tooth decay.