What Are the Signs That a Boston Terrier Loves You

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Becoming a parent to a Boston Terrier might seem a bit overwhelming. Each breed has its way of communicating; thus, many are not that well-versed in decoding the language used by my pets initially. You might be wondering how to tell if your Boston Terrier is happy and what are the signs that a Boston Terrier loves you if you own one.  

What Are the Signs That a Boston Terrier Loves You?

The first sign you need to look out for if wondering whether your Boston Terrier loves you is finding out whether it follows your command. Listening to you and following you is one of the major ways that shows love and respect to you as a leader. It trusts you to the fullest and is sure that you are its ally.

Sign 1: Protecting You and Your Home 

Being protective of one another is a sign of love, be it to a human or animal. Protecting you and your home is one of the major gestures through which a Boston Terrier shows its love for you.

It is concerned about your well-being and does not want to lose you. It wants you safe and keeps your home free from any intruders.

A dressed Boston Terrier sitting on a person's lap

Sign 2: Starts Nosing You

You might have seen in a lot of pet videos that pups put their nose on their owners and smell them. It is their way of knowing you better, and they are interested in knowing about your health and the places you have been to.

If a Boston Terrier loves you it will start nosing you and so it is important that you understand that it is open to strengthening your bond and has interest to know more about its beloved owner. 

Sign 3: Making Eye Contact With You

Oxytocin is the hormone that initiates the feeling of love and bond between a human and a Boston Terrier. This hormone is released in dogs when they make eye contact with their owners or familiar humans.

So when your Boston Terrier is continuously making eye contact with you, there is no neglect that it truly loves you and will always look out for you.

Sign 4: Putting Itself Into Vulnerable Positions

If a Boston Terrier leans or puts itself into vulnerable positions around you, that means it is letting its guard down.

As a result, it will often lay on its back showing that it feels comfortable around you, highlighting the factor of trust that it has developed for you. You can take advantage of this time to check if the dog has the dandruff.

Sign 5: Licking You

According to the American Kennel club a Boston Terrier may be licking you as a sign of anxiety, boredom or pain. If your Boston terrier licks you excessively, it might be a sign of a serious problem that requires a veterinarian intervention.

However, it is observed that two Boston terriers groom each other by licking, and they also act submissive while doing it.Therefore, when your Boston Terrier starts licking you, understand that it includes you in its pack and look upon you as a friend. Additionally, licking may give your Boston terrier a sense of security and comfort.

Sign 6: Excited When You Come Home

If your Boston Terrier is excited when you come home, it means that it loves you and cannot wait to spend time with you. This behavior suggests that it is excited about you and enjoys your company. 

Sign 7: Making You Rub Its Belly

If your Boston Terrier loves making you rub its belly, understand that it is making itself vulnerable around you.

Dogs tend to hide their bellies when they fear, and act vulnerable around the ones they feel safe with and remember sometimes vulnerability is the definition of love.

A dog lying on a gray sofa with teary eyes

Sign 8: Keeping Its Pace With You on Walks

A Boston terrier requires daily exercise so that it gets fully stimulated. When your Boston Terrier is interested in walking, another signal you must look out for is if your boston terrier keeps its pace with you on a walk.

Dogs only keep their pace with the walker when they completely trust them and love to be around them, and this is a complete signal of love and respect.

If your boston terrier pulls a lot during walks, here is a video guide for you that will help you to stop it.

Sign 9: Bringing You Gifts

A Boston Terrier loves you if it loves bringing you gifts. They want you to feel happy and excited.

So they initiate the bonding by making eye contact and bringing you a certain toy as a gift. In return, you can hide a toy and then show interest in the dog, bring the toy out and initiate a game and watch your Boston Terrier play in the room happily. 

Sign 10: Following You Around

If your Boston dog loves following you around even when you don’t have a toy, it is a perfect sign that it feels comfortable with you and wants to spend the maximum time around you. 

Sign 11: Wagging the Tail

Since dogs don’t have speech like humans, they try to communicate their feelings through signs such as wagging their tails. That means you can decode the wagging of the tails and understand the dog’s feelings towards you.

For instance, dogs wag their tails towards the left when they are feeling uncomfortable, anxious, or stressed. Keeping in mind that a Boston Terrier is an affectionate dog, wagging the tail towards the left might indicate the pup is suffering from separation anxiety from being left alone in a room. 

On the other hand, wagging the tail towards the right indicates comfort, calmness, and a general feeling of happiness and excitement. That means if the Boston Terrier starts to wag its tail towards the right when it sees you, it has a feeling of happiness due to your presence, which indicates it loves you.

Considerations

The following are some considerations that dog owners should have for a healthy relationship with your Boston terrier

  • If your pup does not show any signs mentioned above, it does not mean you are a bad parent/owner. Dogs show their affection in many different ways, and you might not be able to recognize it right now, but you will get there with time.
  • If your Boston Terrier has suddenly stopped showing signs of affection, it might be possible that it is not healthy or it is experiencing stress and therefore requires a visit to the vet. 

Points for Strengthening Your Bond

If you have bought or adopted a Boston Terrier recently, it might still not be comfortable around you, and so don’t expect the above signs of affection. However, you can use the following tips to strengthen your bond:

Training

Even if you want the Boston Terrier to show affection to you, in most cases, this affection will only be a reflection of the love you are showing the dog. For instance, if you tend to feed the Boston Terrier or take it for walks at a certain time, the Boston Terrier will show excitement when the time approaches. 

However, you can’t relate well or show love to a Boston that doesn’t behave the way you would want. The best way to create a good relationship with your Boston Terrier is to give it good training immediately after adopting it. 

Usually, this helps to stop any unacceptable behaviors it might have come from the previous owner or shelter. Although you won’t be expecting to create a loving relationship with the Boston Terrier during this training time, it lays a foundation for a good future relationship.

Food

Dogs love food, and feeding them is one of the best ways to bond with your dog. In fact, feeding your Boston Terrier is one of the ways that will make it realize you are its new owner after adopting it from an animal shelter. 

It will start shifting its allegiance to you and even start protecting you. It will show signs of excitement and affection when the feeding time approaches, enhancing the bond. However, remember that Boston Terriers love eating, and you need to feed them the right diet to avoid obesity issues.

For instance, placing large amounts of food is not advisable so the Boston Terrier can feed to satisfaction. Instead, consult your vet on a diet, the right amounts, and the frequency of feeding depending on the age and health condition of the dog, so you don’t end up overfeeding or underfeeding it. 

Rewards

Dogs are prone to forgetfulness, especially when training an older dog. That means after training the Boston Terrier, there are still chances the dog will forget and repeat the mistakes. Punishing the dog might cause a feeling of resentment, and the dog might become anxious or aggressive.

This is more common when the dog is not sure of the reason for the punishment. As a result, the dog might start avoiding you, fearing you will punish it further. Therefore, instead of punishing the dog, it’s advisable to use a positive reinforcement method. 

That means you will be encouraging the dog to do what is right rather than punishing it for doing what you don’t want. For instance, you can give it a toy, verbal praise, and a treat when it correctly responds to a command.  

Exercises

A Boston Terrier is an energetic dog and loves playing to expend energy. If you don’t have a toy or other pets the pooch can play and have fun with, it may suffer from boredom. One way you can have fun and improve your bonding with the dogs is by relieving them from boredom by taking them for hikes or long walks. 

Usually, the Boston Terrier will keep memories of the exercise and associated fun, and it will feel excited when the exercise time approaches. You might even notice the Boston Terrier wagging its tail towards the right in anticipation of the fun when it sees you wearing sneakers.

A person carrying an orange bag with a Boston Terrier

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Hot Weather Create Problems for my Boston Terriers?

A Boston Terrier can face potential issues in extreme weather, be it hot or cold. It is a short-faced dog and might not sit well with extremities; thus, make sure you do not make your dogs do anything beyond its limits. If you notice any signs of weather-related health issues, contact a veterinarian.

Are Boston Terriers Friendly With Cats?

Yes, they can be friendly with cats. Boston Terriers have minimal hunting instincts and putting them together with cats poses no problems. However, if dogs have cats around from a young age, they get friendly.

Do Boston Terriers Have a Favorite Person?

Boston Terriers tend to have a favorite person because they are considered one-person dogs. Still, Boston Terriers can bond with other people and family members.

20 Reasons Why The Boston Terrier Is The Best Dog Breed Ever

Conclusion 

Being a pet owner demands a lot of effort and sacrifices; it is quite similar to being a parent. Each animal has its way of communicating, you just need to decode those signs, and it only happens with time. Licking, lying in vulnerable positions and maintaining eye contact are one of the most common signs that show affection, be sure you look out for it.