Boston Terrier Rescue of East Tennessee


 
 

What to Expect When You Adopt a Rescued Boston Terrier

Adopting a rescued animal is one of the most rewarding experiences you will have as a pet owner.  You

are giving an animal a second chance at a loving and caring home – and sometimes life itself.   There

are many misconceptions about adopting a rescue so we have provided this information to answer the

many questions we receive regarding adoption.  Please read through it carefully considering your home

environment, the time you will have to invest in a new pet, and the special commitment that may be

required in adoption.
 

What is the temperament of a Boston Terrier?

While each dog is an individual you can expect a young Boston Terrier (puppy to 4 years old) to be high

 energy, very friendly and very playful.  Older Bostons (5 years and up) tend to be less high energy but do

 not lose their friendly and playful spirit.  A young Boston Terrier may be "too much" for a family with very

 young children or for an elderly person.  We will work with you to match you with the best Boston Terrier

 for you, your home and family.
 

Will an adopted dog be housetrained?

All rescues spend some time in foster care living in a home environment for healthcare and behavior

evaluation.  If housetraining is required the rescue receives this training at his/her foster home.  However,

we find that almost all rescues require a period of adjustment when going to their new home.  A rescue could have spent time as a stray or in a shelter where housetraining is lost.  In addition, each home is different and the dog will need to adjust his/her new routine.  Expect to watch your new adoptee closely for at least a week and work with them consistently on their new potty routine. If problems should arise with males marking, please contact us. We have many different training methods you can try.
 

Just remember, if you can’t go 7-8 hours without a trip to the restroom, don’t expect that

the dog can either.

Why does my adopted dog try to dart out the door or jump the fence?

Darting and running is a common behavior of rescues – it is important to not take it personally!  It is a

dog’s instinct to "go home" even if that home had been uncaring or abusive.  No matter how wonderfully

you treat your new rescue, he/she may instinctively try to "go home".   A rescued will have been to many

different places before he/she ends up in a forever home.  They may spend time in a shelter, a vet, a

transport home, and a foster home before they come to live with you – they are naturally confused.  This

darting behavior should subside after the dog settles in which may take a few weeks.  In the meantime,

keep an eye on them when a door is opened.  Many rescues never exhibit this behavior and it is more

common in males than females. 

Will an adopted dog "mark" in the house?

One of the most common reasons that dogs end up in shelters or rescues is that the original owner did not

have them spayed or neutered, or simply did not afford the dog an opportunity to relieve itself normally due to being caged or otherwise left in the house for long periods of time unattended.  Leaving an animal in extreme discomfort leading to “misbehavior” is unacceptable conduct on the part of a human.  On the other hand, leaving a dog intact will increase it’s desire to "mark" territory by urinating at certain spots.  All BTR dogs are spayed or neutered prior to being adopted but it takes several months after the surgery for the hormones to completely leave the dogs system.  Some dogs – particularly males – may try to mark their new home no matter what. 
 

Note that this is far more common problem if a recently neutered male is coming to a home with other

male dogs.  If they do mark – it usually will happen in the first day or two.  Keeping a good eye on your

new dog is the best way to prevent this.  If this continues after a few days contact us and we can

recommend several different products that are very successful is stopping this behavior and we can

provide some very effective tricks to help with that problem.  Ask us for details.

Do Boston Terriers require special diets?

No.  It is the rare Boston Terrier that has a sensitive stomach – so they generally can eat any dog food.

Most Boston Terriers, however, do have a sensitivity to corn and corn byproducts.  The side effect of

digesting corn is gas and often some loud tooting!  

Many popular dog foods contain corn and corn byproducts.  Bostons are not actually allergic to corn and feeding them dog food with corn will not hurt them – it may just make them unpleasant to be around!  

Should I crate my newly adopted dog?

We recommend that you use a crate in the first few weeks.  Crating in a fairly dark spot with plenty of

cover (blankies) gives a dog a sense of security and safety,  in addition to helping to prevent accidents and

speeding up the adjustment period.  We strongly recommend that you crate your dog anytime that you

are out of the home, as well as at night, keep the crate covered with something light to keep it a little dark

inside and always check the crate to make certain there’ve been no accidents while you are gone.  Many

dogs become very attached to their crates and you may want to use it for life.  In many cases a dog can

gradually be left alone in the home or at night once he feels safe and secure.

Do I need to take my newly adopted dog to the vet for a checkup?

All BTR dogs are fully vetted in our care.  They receive all of their annual vaccinations as well as their

rabies shot.  All dogs are screened for heartworms and are heartworm negative when adopted.  You will

documentation of vaccinations, rabies, and heartworm testing that you should give to your vet for their

records.  Outside of a "get acquainted visit" you new dog should not need to be taken to a vet until the

recommended periodic visit, unless you have a problem that requires a vet’s attention.