Are Boston Terriers Good With Kids?


I have come across a lot of dog owners no matter the bread who have said their animal is good with kids. Which is true, if you introduce your dog to a new child, I believe any animal can be great with kids. Bella and my daughter have been playing with one another with virtually no problems since Sofia was born in August of 2017.

Full disclosure: Bella did bite Sofia when she was around 12 months old. This was because Sofia was starting to walk, she went up to Bella’s face to pull on her cheeks. This caused Bella to freak out and bite. The nip did not break the skin but did leave Sofia’s forehead red. This was a point in time we thought about getting rid of our Boston. However, please continue reading we have trained Bella and she is now amazing with kids!

Are Boston Terriers Good With Kids? Boston Terrier Society
Sofia walking Bella.

Are Boston Terriers Good With Kids?

Yes, Bostons Terriers are great with kids. Boston’s are loyal, compassionate animals. If you and your child show the Boston love your Boston will do nothing but return the favor to you.

How to introduce a new baby to your dog.

When our daughter was born, we introduced Sofia to Bella in a slow, methodical approach.

  1. Blanket – before we introduced the two in person, I took a blanket that wrapped Sofia to Bella. I did this about 6 hours before we came home. This allowed Bella to smell and get to know Sofia’s scent.
  2. Introduction – we allowed Bella to walk around Sofia’s car seat to inspect what this new little animal was.
  3. One on One – once Bella felt comfortable, she was allowed on the couch next to the baby and us.

How I felt.

At first, I was really protective of Sofia. I was so worried about Bella biting her or hurting her, even though Bella had no history of biting or attacking anyone. I think this was a natural reaction to protecting my human baby.

What Helped Us Feel More Confident With Bella And The Kids

One things that helped us feel more confident with Bella around the kids was our confidence in knowing what Bella needs. As well as our overall behavior around her and the family.

I highly recommend reading Cesar’s Way. This is the book we read after Sofia was born and it really helped us when it came to training Bella to be great around kids.

You can find the book, Cesar’s Way, on Audible. If you sign up for a free 30-day trial you can listen to the book for free. Check the offer out here on Audible, Audible’s 30-day Free Trial.

Final thoughts…

Be sure to introduce your child slowly to a new dog no matter what the breed is. A dog needs tome to know who they are dealing with just like humans do, especially if the child will be grabbing the dog.

Always take your child out of any situation where the dog has become aggravated or aggressive.

Donnie Gardner

Donnie Gardner is the owner of the Boston Terrier Society. He has been raising Bella the Boston since 2010. He resides in Kansas with his wife, daughter, and Bella. His favorite activities are hanging out with family, traveling, running (but has bad knees), and reading non-fiction books.

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