Okay...my first dog forum. This means I AM DESPERATE. Let me give the high-level, readers digest version:

* Made some friends who have a Boston and fell in LOVE!!
* Decided that was a great breed for my family
* I have a husband who is not as much of a dog lover as me, but agreed he really liked our friend's Boston.
* I have 2 children 6 and 4 who are well behaved with animals.
* My husband and I both work full time.

And so we found Samuel...
* I bought him at 8 weeks, he is not papered, but his parents were on site.
* He was the Alpha and largest of the litter.
* In my observation, he is good with other dogs.
* He has been neutered.
* He know basic commands, sit, lay down, high five, speak, easy (when taking food).
* I have not been to obedience classes.

Our routine....
* Get up at 6:15ish take him out for potty, breakfast, play time and potty again. We leave by 7:45 and he is in him crate
* Hubby gets home around 4pm, let's him out of his crate, potty, dinner, potty.
* I come home, do what must be done then play with Sam, take him out for potty a few more times...last call is around 9pm when we start shutting things down, then in his crate.

Issues
* The biting...make it stop, please...someone. A hand full of times, this biting has been aggressive and accompanied with a snarl, but no broken skin.
* Still pooping in the house. I fence off certain areas to confine him, but if I feel he has been let out enough, I open up the house. ...and....he poops.
* Jumping up...on me, on the kids (which is the most disturbing)
* The barking...everything I read said teach him to speak and teaching him when not to speak would be easy. Not so much.
* Barking at me when hiding. Sam will get a sock, or someone's underwear, a small toy (for the most part my house is well maintained...but I'm not Martha Stewart...so there are things laying around sometimes) then he will go somewhere he knows I get get to him (under the bed, coffee table, etc.) and bark, and bark, and bark.....

At this point, he is staying. He is an investment and part of our family, I love him and so does the family, and he is soooo stinking cute, but the potty training and the house manners are a must. He hurts the kids with the jumping, etc. I am trying eveything I read (3 books so far) and I feel like I'm failing him and my family.

He is only 5 months old...are my expectations too high?

Welcome to the forums jenbren!

Your situation sounds all too familiar and I want to thank you for seeking help before giving up on your puppy.

I had VERY similar issues to yours with my boston, Jake, and I was literally hours away from giving him to a new owner because I had completely lost my patience with his inability to control his bladder in the house. He was peeing and/or pooping literally every hour! However, I stuck it out and did a few things that obviously helped his progress and when he hit about 8 months old, he was fully potty trained. Now, this dog is like my son and I almost tear up at the thought of nearly giving him up.

It sounds like you're crate training, so that's one step in the right direction. It's important to make sure that he doesn't have a lot of room in the crate - he should have just enough room to stand up and turn around - not an inch more! This will prevent him from creating a designated toilet spot in his crate. If he pees in the small space he's confined to, he'll quickly get over laying in his own pee and try to hold it longer.

Another thing, when your dog does use the bathroom outside, you must praise the living hell out of him. Give him treats and lots and lots of attention - let him know that what he just did was the greatest thing ever.

When he uses the bathroom inside, you must yell at him loudly, but only if you catch him in the act. If you yell at him afterwards, he won't be able to put two and two together and will only be confused.

As for the biting, some are going to disagree with me here, but it's my opinion that a dog needs strong, sometimes physical discipline. Jake used to bite and every time he did, he got smacked on the butt. Obviously, enough of that and he quit biting. You might want to also make sure he has something to chew on throughout the day so he can work out some aggression - something like a kong or nylabone is ideal.

The barking issue is the first time I've ever heard of something like that. Is your boston full-bred or a mix? That sounds like very strange behavior for a Boston Terrier, so I would make sure to ask your vet about that.

All in all, your expectations might be a little on the high side. A five month old puppy is still developing both physically and mentally so that's very important to understand. You must be vigilant in your discipline and praising and things will eventually work out for the best. When they do, you'll look back on these days and laugh. Hard to believe, but trust me!

I'm wishing you the best - hang in there!

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Boston Terrier Forums

Jimmy is right! Katie will turn 1 this saturday. She occasionally still poops in the house. It maybe because we have a younger puppy who is 5 months old and hasn't quite figured out to "ask" to go out to potty. Patience! Is all I can say. These things don't happen over night! I think sometimes it's too cold or raining and she wants back in the house instead of taking care of business.
Good luck!

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Cathy, Katie, and Beau

Thank you for the words of encouragement! I must share something with you. It's getting cold and I decided to buy Sam a sweater.

I swear to you...every behavior I described stops when he is wearing the sweater. He will even whine to get out to potty. No jumping, no biting, no barking. Totally behaved, gentle, quite. We got it 2 days ago and affectionately call it the majic sweater!

The only thing I can chalk it up to ...is it makes him feel submissive which counters his alpha behaviors. Let me cavaet, when the sweater comes off....most of the behaviors come back. However, I'm finding the with the sweater on, it gives me a lot more opportunity to praise the good behavior, rather than praising it sporatically, here and there when the sweater is off.

Weird... I know...but totally true! He is a picture for all to enjoy

I got sapphire 6 weeks ago, and basically i trained her to go potty in 4 days she only had a few accidents, when she comes out of the crate take her immedietly outside and when she goes praise her big time now i never gave her treats for praisal i picked her up and kiss her and she loves it as soon as she goes she jumps on me for her kisses, she is 15 weeks now, but anyway Sapphire doesn't bark, the only time she barks is if she is playing with our other dog we have or if she is in her crate and has to go to the bathroom, i don't know what to say about that. Now for her biting you need to tell her no loudly and walk away ignore that behavior. Sapphire gets into all the kids toys and clothes and if she has something i tell her to drop it loudly and she drops it not all the time sometime she has a mind of her own but she does do it. Don't say alot of no's just like kids if you have too many no's they start ignoring and doing anyway, so do loud uh uh uh or ahhh ahhhhh it works for Sapphire, the no's i do for is when she is jumping on the kids or biting the kids clothes or hair. if you have any other questions feel free to ask
sarah

My trainer told me exactly the same thing. He told me not to overuse the word "NO" because then the dog thinks we nagging him all the time. So he told me to use other words like Uuhh..ahh loudly at times. So I used ahhh, uuhh when he tries to jump on the coffee table or go into the kitchen. I used NOOOO, when he gets into his mood to nip at my finger, try to bite my hair, or my socks that I have on my feet.

its so funny how they love socks, sapphires favorite thing is when i do laundry and pile it in the living room to fold she is in clothes heaven she is even in bigger heaven when she finds a dryer sheet lol

Make sure to watch your dogs with those dryer sheets! I've heard horror stories of some dogs swallowing them whole and having all sorts of problems with it not digesting!

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Boston Terrier Forums

yeah i don't let her have them, she finds them and i tell her no but she is so excited when she gets one though

I am so glad I signed up on this website! All of the responses are making me feel sooo much better! Sam is gradually getting better, him wearing the sweater really helps. He is getting praised so often he is finally learning what is expected of him. He still has a few accidents (no #2's in a while, only #1's) but I do see improvement every day. He still does the barking but I have to chalk that up to the fact that I taught him to speak...and he "found his voice"...I dunno...BUT...when he does that now I tell him firmly to "SIT" just to focus his energy on something else and he will come to me with the sideways walk and lowered ears then I tell him gently, but firmly, "No speaking" or "Shhh" with my finger to my mouth. He is getting it.

The jumping is still the only thing that is really persistant at the moment...and getting things that are not his...LIKE SOCKS!! What is up with that?? Thank you for the advice on the over use of "NO". I am definately going to introduce some alternatives. It amazes me how smart these dogs are. I can tell when he is intentionally being stubborn and when he is still being a puppy. I am feeling confident that things are going to be just fine!! He is such a love sometimes it is hard to be consistent with him because I just want to pick him up and give him kisses!

Thanks again!!