Pugs and Boston Terriers (allergic, terrier, miniature, schnauzer) - - City-Data Forum

appalachiangirl · 03-31-2008, 04:01 AM

Are Pugs and Boston Terriers hard to housebreak? I have been considering getting one of the two breeds,and want to know as much about them as I can,other than they are adorable looking and said to have nice temperaments. I have read they can be stubborn,though.

Davachka · 03-31-2008, 05:33 AM

We have a boston terrier and he was "ok" to housebreak. He is 4 years old and he has accidents still, but its about once a year or so and its typically because my daughter overslept and did not take him out. I'm not sure if it is his fault or ours, I will probably guess ours. I pretty much let my 12 yr old train him, so he is a spoiled little thing, but fairly well behaved.

I would say they are not any more difficult than other breeds, and our boston terrier is quite the lover. He is the most affectionate dog I have ever met, he is constantly sitting within one inch of our 12 yr old ( he is her dog) or giving her kisses. It's quite adorable, bostons are very social, friendly and loving.

cleosmom · 03-31-2008, 06:45 AM

Pugs are known as the most difficult breed to housetrain.

noplacelikeWA · 03-31-2008, 09:38 AM

We have 2 pugs and they are great! House training depends on the trainer not the trainee. In the beginning we used a doggy door to train ours and a couple of days of treats for using the door and going outside is all it took. When we moved to our new house without a doggy door it became up to us to remember to let them out to do their business and the accidents only happen when we forget to let them out.

Training pugs to do other stuff might be considered more difficult than most breeds because they are lap dogs and have no real purpose in life. Working dogs are always easier to train because they like to have a job. Treats are the only way to train a pug, but becareful because they are typically overeaters and get overweight easily. Other breeds will tire of treats when they get full, not the pug, more more more!

Pug owners need to be cuddle lovers, who enjoy having a tag along EVERYWHERE you go. A low key and laid back owner are the best personality match for a pug.

Boston Terriors are great pets as well however they are VERY different from the Pug. Terriers are feisty, energetic, determined, clever, brave, and have a low tolerance for other pets, even dogs. (It's a dog with an attitude that's eager to assert itself.) Historically bred to hunt and kill pests, they are still used for hunting. They're great pets if owners are prepared with determination to match the dogs high-spirited personality. (Probably easier to train to do anything over the pug.)

dogpaw · 03-31-2008, 10:10 AM

My sister had a pug, Lucy was very cute, but the house training was a never ending battle.

Ms. 01 Snake · 03-31-2008, 11:28 AM

we were lucky enough to be home when training our Pug and didn't really have a ton of problems. It took a few weeks or months but not any different than any other dog.
The only problem we had was when we attempted to crate train him. He didn't have a problem going potty in his crate. We just got some baby gates and let him have a certain area of the house until he progressed.
Don't expect it to happen right away. It takes moths before they can hold it.

Inthesierras · 03-31-2008, 11:46 AM

I have had 2 Boston Terriers, both were easily house trained. My friend has a pug that is turning one and still is not fully house trained.

If you get a Boston, be aware that they are full of energy! Seriously, FULL OF ENERGY. Our dog puts up with my 5 year old son. They wrestle, play, etc all day long. Our dog has never bit him even if my son deserved to be, lol. They are wonderful family pets and we plan to add another Boston to our family alter this year. I have been around Bostons my entire life and have never come across one that was mean.

millie61 · 03-31-2008, 03:08 PM

My Pug was house trained by 6 months and even our rescue Pug who was 18 months and not house trained got the message after a few weeks.

appalachiangirl · 04-01-2008, 01:14 AM

Thank you for all the responses. I don't know if I'll be moving soon (hopefully) but since I live alone,I'd hope to move to a place that would allow small dogs (I'm allergic to cats). I'm kind of leaning towards the Boston Terrier. I've also thought of a miniature schnauzer. My aunt had one and the dog was adorable and a real ball of energy,but she didn't like other dogs at all!

LhasaApso · 04-04-2008, 01:11 AM

I think it mainly depends on the dog because I have 3 dogs and 2 of them are housebroken, however the other lacks in that department.
I have a friend that has two Boston Terriers and they are both housebroken.
My cousin has a Miniature Schnauzer that he has had for 13 years and is highly intelligent. He has been housebroken since 3 months and can do a lot of neat tricks.

Pugs are absolutely adorable but if you cannot bear to hear the sound of snoring then I say you should hold off on a Pug.
Growing up, I had a Pug and they can get extremely loud when they are sleeping. The reason for that is that they have a short snout so they tend to snore loudly when sleeping.

Which ever dog you choose remember to religiously train it (housebreaking) so that they will be housebroken.

Good luck!