Are you getting a Boston Terrier for the first time?
Or really any dog for that matter here are the basics you will need to get before your dog comes home.
Items Every First-Time Boston Terrier Owner Needs!
When Emily and I bought Bella back in 2010, we had to drive two hours one way to go get her.
We had done research on the breed we wanted. And through our research, we realized a Boston Terrier was going to be the perfect fit for our new family.
However, in all our research, we never went out and bought the things we needed.
We ended up stopping by a Walmart, and I think PetCo right before we picked Bella up.
I mean like right before we got her. We drove two hours to get Bella, and once we arrived in the city to pick her up, that is when we bought our pet supplies.
9 Items Every First-Time Dog Owner Needs (The Basics)
Once again, these are the necessary items to get you started when your Boston arrives.
You will, of course, need more things like clothes, flea/ tick medication, vaccines, poop bags, and more.
This essential item list will at least get you set up for success.
Do you want to skip ahead and see everything I recommend on Amazon? Here is a link to my storefront on Amazon covering all the basics I would recommend, Boston Terrier Society Storefront. Here you can see pricing and more.
1. Food & Water Bowl
I recommend getting a food bowl that holds both dishes. This will help you keep your Boston’s feeding area nice and neat.
If we had gotten individual bowls, Bella would move them all over the house, she is a bit aggressive when eating.
Bella likes to eat all her food in about 15 seconds. So one thing we purchased was a slow feeder bowl. This is optional but if you are looking to slow your Boston’s food intake it is a good option.
If you want to get the food bowl Emily and I have been using for years you can find it here on Amazon, Double Feeder Food & Water Bowl.
If you want the slow feeder bowl we use that goes into out double feeder bowl you can purchase it here on Amazon, Slow Feeder Dog Bowl.
2. Food
I do not recommend buying food for your Boston until you find out what they are currently eating.
Once you go and pick up your new Boston ask the breeder, rescue, or pet store what the Boston is presently eating.
Whatever your Boston is eating, keep them on that diet. Once home, you can slowly transition them from that food type.
If you want to learn more about what type of food and how much be sure to check out this article on the Boston Terrier Society. I interviewed other Boston owners to see what they feed their Boston, Food Needs Of A Boston Terrier.
3. Boston Terrier Dog Toys
Over the years Bella has had a number of stuffed toys and bones. Even to this day she still shreds stuffed toys.
The first thing I recommend to new Boston owners is a chew bone. Haleigh recently got a Boston of her own and came on to the Boston Terrier Society YouTube channel to share what was working.
One of her recommendations was a chew bone. The one she recommends is the Benebone, you can find it on Amazon reasonably priced here, Benebone.
Check out this article: 7 Best Chew Toys For Boston Terriers – Aggressive Chewers
4. Bed For Your Boston Terrier
Boston’s love their sleep. Any large bed will work as long as it is fluffy and soft.
The dog bed we use for Bella currently is the Best Friends by Sheri Cozy Cuddler. We bought the jumbo version, Bella loves big beds.
If you want to get the same bed as Bella make sure you get the jumbo. You can find it here on Amazon, Cozy Cuddler Bed.
Related Article: 9 Of The Best Dog Beds For Boston Terriers (Plus What To Avoid)
5. Crate For Boston Terriers
When Emily and I first got Bella we had a cloth crate for her. I thought it worked great, but she ended up chewing through it when she was under a year old.
The other crate we had for Bella was the Midwest Homes For Pet Dog Crate. I personally didn’t like this all metal crate becuase when Bella had really bad separation anxiety she eneded up chewing on the metal and lost some teeth.
However, the Midwest Homes crate could be a good fit for someone wanting to do kennel training.
My number one pick for Boston Terrier crates is the one we have now, Sport Pet Designs Plastic Kennel. This is an all in one kennel that has some great features we like.
- Great For Travel (Airline Approved)
- Has Wheels
- Has Pull Handles For Easy Carrying
- Can Be Used For When You Leave For The Day
Check the kennel out on Amazon, Sport Pet Designs Plastic Kennel.
6. Blanket
Any blanket will do. We simply gave Bella one of our blankets we already owned. Boston’s love to burrow, so having a blanket is crucial for them.
Use an old blanket you love 🙂
7. Puppy Pads
This is optional. As of two months ago, we stopped using puppy pads, Bella is 10 years old.
However, before then, we always used puppy pads. These pads are a great way to potty train your dog, especially if you live in an apartment.
You can buy your puppy pads on Amazon delivered right to your door by clicking here, Puppy Pads.
8. Leash
When Bella was younger we used a retractable leash. However, we found that the retractable leash led her to pull so we switched to a standard 1 inch 4-foot leash.
Getting a shorter leash has helped with the pulling.
If you want to buy the leash we have currently you can find it on Amazon here, Pet Safe Nylon Leash. Make sure you get the 1 inch thick by 4 feet long.
9. Harness
I highly recommend a harness rather than a collar for your Boston Terrier, and most veterinarians and owners would agree.
The harness we use and has helped stop Bella from pulling is the Dean & Tyler harness. While this isn’t a good option for a puppy it is a good fit for a Boston who is 15 lbs or larger.
This harness has a lot of great features:
- Easy To Get On And Off
- 3 D-Rings To Clip A Leash
- Handle Bar To Easily Grab Your Boston
- Extremely Durable
You can find the Dean & Tyler harness on Amazon. Click here to go to Amazon to see reviews, pricing, as well as purchase the harness, Dean & Tyler Harness.
Related Article: 7 Best Dog Harnesses For Boston Terriers (And What To Avoid)
How To Save Money On Basic Items
If we had bought these items ahead of time, we could have saved money buying them online rather than at Walmart and PetCo.
Here are all the items we purchased with prices from Amazon. This is the basic stuff you will need to get started all of it costing under $300.00.
To find everything mentioned in this article in one nice orderly spot click this link here to find my Amazon page, Boston Terrier Society Storefront.
However, there are things we have now that we could not do without. Check out Bella’s must-haves for a complete list and description of what we have now for Bella.
Final thoughts…
Doing your research on these items beforehand will help save you some money.
Buying these items online usually will save you a few dollars per item.
Once again to get a complete list and details on what we have for Bella these days check out this page, Bella’s Must-Haves.