Part 1  of 3 “Raise the Red Flag”

 How to select your new Boston Companion

At some point in their lives, all those with good taste (at least in my opinion) discover that their lives will not be complete without a Boston terrier. Who can blame them? I question the sanity of anyone who does not want a Boston, and even look suspiciously at someone who owns only one. Once the decision is made, one can only hope that research is done to determine the best route in choosing their new companion. There are many Bostons in rescues right now that could use a great home so that option should be the very first explored, especially if someone is able to make enough time in their day and has enough room in their heart for a special needs Boston. Should rescue be ruled out for one reason or another, the alternative is purchasing from a breeder. This in itself can be quite the challenge in determining what red flags to watch for. There is a right way and there is a wrong way to breed dogs and if your smooshy faced buddy is going to be around for their lifetime, you need to make sure you avoid heartbreaking health issues by purchasing your dog from an ethical and educated breeder. Purchasing a pet is not like purchasing an item on Amazon… at least it shouldn’t be.

Red Flag #1: Avoid “shopping cart” websites like the plague.

If they will take a payment from you without approving of their puppy’s future owner, they are NOT a reputable breeder. You should also be wary of those who take many deposits from people prior to having a litter. This indicates they plan to always have a large supply of puppies on hand to “fill orders”. Reputable breeders produce puppies for themselves first, and puppies that they choose to place are typically determined after 6 to 8 weeks, unless they have some sort of disqualifying characteristic from the start. Okay so let’s say the MOST beautiful Boston you have ever laid eyes on (in pictures) is clear across the country. Thanks to the improvements in pet shipping through airlines, you can have your puppy delivered to your local airport sight unseen. Great plan? NO, it is not. And let me tell you why.

Red Flag #2: Don’t ship sight unseen.

In November 2013 a new rule went into effect that prevents a breeder from shipping your puppy sight unseen to you unless they, 1. Have four or less breeding females. Or 2. They are a USDA licensed kennel. #1 could include reputable breeders or more likely could include backyard breeders since most reputable breeders are still probably going to ask you to pick up your puppy in person. #2 means you are most likely buying from a puppy mill….

Red Flag #3: Don’t buy from a USDA licensed kennel.

USDA licensing requires kennel facilities with concrete floors and drainage to accommodate volume waste. Puppies are required to be raised in the kennel rather than the home, and regulations do not prevent a breeder from crowding several dogs into one cage, rarely allowing them exercise or attention. Kennels bragging that they are USDA inspected and approved do not realize this is not a positive point. USDA inspects and approves a lot of horrible facilities with dogs living in horrible conditions. Being USDA licensed and inspected merely means they are breeding puppies in high volume. We all want our smoosh faced buddies to be healthy and this particular breeder says all of their breeding dogs have been checked by their vet and found to be healthy. That’s good enough, right? BZZZT! Wrong!

Red Flag #4: “My vet says my dogs are healthy”.

A “vet check” is NOT the same as breed specific health testing for hereditary conditions. Testing for conditions specific to the breed should be done on the parents and preferably for many generations back in order to rule out the likelihood of your dog inheriting a crippling condition. Bostons should be BAER tested for normal hearing in both ears, CERF tested for multiple conditions of the eye, Patellas tested Normal, and JHC DNA tested, (or both parents JHC DNA tested) for juvenile hereditary cataracts, which can render a dog blind by the age of two. (Be warned however, that BAER testing does not diagnose “selective hearing” which is commonly found in Bostons). Why does this Boston not have a smooshy face?

Gracie Mae and Vinny have taken a vote and decided it was time to show our appreciation to our  BTN Network friends, readers and supporters, by coming up with an  fun opportunity to receive a surprise for your favorite Dog.

How you ask...

For the next 9 days we will be asking for our readers and their dogs to participate in a daily event.

After midnight each night the names will be collected and entered in to the main drawing....

That is it.  Simple  quick and we hope you will come Play with us...

Then we will pull out of the Hat so to speak 9 names and those entries will be sent a token of our thanks. These names will be placed in the final drawing.... for a very special gift  more to come on this.

Every day we will add a new Item in this article.  For those who participate we hope you will enjoy this  and give us feedback at

info@bostonterriernetwork.com.  We are looking to fine tune this into a a worthwhile fun item to use again in the future if you like this format...  So here we go

Day one......1. If you have a or ever had a dog named   Roxy?   if you have a photo of this dog please place a copy of this dog on the FB thread where this article has been placed and After midnight each night the names will be collected and put into a drawing to select 26 finalist for the grand gift...  Tomorrow we will tell you why we selected the name Roxy.  and by the way your dog does not need to be a Boston to enter  we will accept  not only photos of  Bostons but Bulldogs and pugs too!!

Return here tomorrow for the Day two learn what action is needed to enter in to our daily  we will be asking for our readers and their dogs to participate in a daily event.

The cornea is the transparent, domed front part of the eye that acts to protect the inside of the eye and maintain ocular integrity, while also allowing light to enter for vision. The normal cornea is composed of several layers: An outer layer of epithelial cells lines the surface and protects the rest of the cornea. The thicker, middle layer is called the stroma and contains multiple supportive cells, collagen fibers and nerve fibers. The inner lining is called the endothelial layer and it functions to help keep maintain corneal clarity. A corneal ulcer is a break in the outer epithelial layer of the cornea. Although initially painful, uncomplicated ulcers should heal with appropriate therapy in three to four days. Ulcers that persist beyond this period of time, or progress quickly, prove to be complicated ulcers.

Corneal ulcers that fail to heal, worsen, deepen, or become infected can be considered complicated ulcers. These can be broadly categorized as the following: 

1.Ulcers that fail to heal due to external causes, including ongoing trauma, unresolved foreign bodies embedded within the eyelid or conjunctiva, and abnormally placed eyelashes. 

2.Ulcers that fail to heal because they are secondary to other ocular diseases such as dry eye, glaucoma or inflammation (uveitis).

3.Ulcers that become deeper or progress due to secondary bacterial or fungal infections. These ulcers may rapidly worsen with resultant perforation of the cornea. They may exhibit a phenomenon known as “melting,” in which the support substance of the stroma is degraded by bacterial or inflammatory enzymes and the tissue dramatically softens, weakens and loses its supportive strength and may lead to severe inflammation within the eye and result in rupture of the eye with loss of vision

Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome (SARDS) is characterized by sudden vision loss in the dog. This disease affects the retina, which is in the back of the eye. For an unknown reason, SARDS patients suddenly loose retinal function and develop subsequent degeneration or atrophy of the retina. In addition to sudden loss of vision, many owners notice dilated or enlarged pupils.

All geriatric dogs (usually beginning at 6 years of age) develop a hardening of the lens (Nuclear Sclerosis) that causes the lens to have a grayish appearance. The grayish-blue haze increases as the dog ages. Nuclear sclerosis is NOT a cataract, and does not usually interfere with vision.

If your geriatric dog has cloudy eyes but still appears to see well, this does not mean that they do not have cataracts—dogs can see fairly well if their cataracts are small. Dogs also can adapt well if one eye is blind from cataract and the other is not. Often, they adapt so well that the owner does not realize that the dog cannot see out of one eye. Dogs can also adapt well—up to a point—if both eyes gradually develop severe cataracts; dogs can develop a “memory map” as to where things are in their familiar environment. Dogs with poor vision do not let their owners know that they have a vision problem until it is severe in both eyes.

Most cataracts in dogs are inherited and can occur at any age. The cataract may develop rapidly over weeks, or slowly over years, and occur in one or both eyes. Different breeds of dogs have different characteristics of cataract development. For example, cataracts in Bichon Frise dogs tend to develop rapidly in early adulthood and usually involve the entire lens in both eyes. Mixed-breed dogs can also develop inherited cataracts.

 I'm sure most of you can attest to this next story.  When I walked Sierra, she would drag me off to the side of

the road and start smelling like crazy.  That area is where all the dogs did their business.  She couldn't see

the area coming up, but her nose led her there.  I always found that amazing.