I always loved dogs growing up but never had one of my own. So when I finally bought my own place, I knew I wanted to add a puppy to my little family. The problem was I had no idea what kind of puppy to get. There are so many types of dogs with different breed traits, I just didn't even know where to start.
Chris has a lot of experience with all different kinds of dogs so he helped me choose a Boston Terrier as my first dog. They are small dogs, generally 10-25 lbs, and do well in a living scenario without a yard. Bostons are typically energetic, playful, people and other pet loving dogs with a history of being great companions. They are also known to be very intelligent. I thought all these qualities sounded great so I was ready to welcome a Boston Terrier puppy into my home.
I originally thought I would be getting a female, but I wanted to see all the puppies first and base my decision on the personality rather than having it already narrowed down by sex. When I first saw Ares he was this tiny little black and white ball of fur softly whimpering in the corner of a crate. His little paw was up on the crate and he was looking at me with these big eyes. The rest of the puppies were barking and hopping around and I just had to hold this sad one with the black dot on his head. They put him in my arms and that was it.
Ares grew up pretty fast and ended up on the higher end of the weight scale at 25 lbs. He's certainly energetic and playful and loves other people and animals, sometimes too much! My little Boston is an amazing companion and vey smart as well, but he has other traits that sometimes make our home a little crazy.
Boston Terriers are a relatively newer breed that can be traced back to 1870 and are truly American dogs. They come from Bulldog and Terrier lines bred down to a smaller size as non-sporting dogs and originate in, you guessed it, Boston, MA. Boston Terriers earned the nickname the American Gentleman as they tend to have a gentle and good natured disposition and the black and white coat, which is most common, resembles a tuxedo.
Ares certainly has all the traits the American Gentleman is known for, but he can also be very stubborn, defiant and protective. At times I feel pretty dumb when my little dog outsmarts me. He's learned manipulation well and uses it to his advantage all the time. Ares knowns all the same commands as Chaos but sometimes he decides he doesn't want to do them. It takes patience and a firm hand to get him to understand he is not the boss. Although if you ask him he will tell you that he is.
What people also find a little shocking and funny is that Ares is the watchdog of the house. He doesn't seem to notice that he is a small dog and if you hear him bark his "warning bark" without seeing him, you very well might think he a lot bigger than he is. There's not an aggressive bone in Ares's body, but if someone comes to the door or he sees someone or something out back, he will let us know. It could be a plastic bag blowing around the patio but he's still going to say "Mom, you need to check this out!".
I'm grateful that Ares has been such a joy to have as my first dog and he continues to make me smile every day. Our little American Gentleman might be a bit of a handful, but life just wouldn't be the same without him. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to hug that little tuxedo wearing furball!
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