Boston Terrier Reverse sneezing sounds alarming the first time you hear it, but it’s actually one of the least concerning things your Boston Terrier can do. The behaviors that should genuinely worry you? They often look completely harmless.
That’s the tricky part about owning this breed.
Boston Terriers are expressive little dogs with big personalities, and owners tend to chalk up unusual behaviors to quirks. "Oh, that’s just Benny being Benny." Sound familiar? The problem is that some of those "quirks" are your dog’s only way of telling you something is wrong.
Here are five behaviors that are easy to brush off but absolutely deserve your attention.
1. Excessive Pawing at the Face or Eyes
What It Looks Like
Your Boston is rubbing their face along the carpet, pawing at one eye, or squinting more than usual. Cute? Kind of. Concerning? Absolutely.
Boston Terriers are a brachycephalic breed, which means their flat faces come with some real anatomical tradeoffs. Their eyes are large and prominent, and that makes them significantly more vulnerable to scratches, ulcers, and foreign debris than most other dogs.
Why You Can’t Ignore It
A corneal ulcer can go from minor to vision-threatening within 24 to 48 hours.
"The eye issues we see most often in Boston Terriers aren’t dramatic injuries. They’re the slow-burn problems that owners waited too long to address."
Even a tiny scratch from a piece of grass or a cat’s swipe can turn serious fast. If your Boston is consistently pawing at their face after outdoor play, get it checked. Don’t wait for visible swelling or discharge to confirm something’s wrong.
2. Scooting or Excessive Rear-End Licking
It’s Not Always What You Think
Most people assume scooting means worms. Sometimes it does. But in Boston Terriers, the more common culprit is impacted or irritated anal glands.
These small glands sit on either side of the rectum and need to express naturally during bowel movements. When they don’t, the pressure builds. Your dog scoots to relieve it.
The Bigger Picture
Left untreated, impacted anal glands can abscess. That’s a painful, messy situation that usually requires veterinary intervention and sometimes even surgery.
Some Bostons need their glands expressed manually every four to six weeks. It’s not glamorous, but it’s an easy fix when you stay ahead of it. The dogs that end up with serious complications are almost always the ones whose owners didn’t realize it was happening until the problem escalated.
"Scooting is embarrassing to watch and easy to laugh off. But your dog isn’t doing it for fun. They’re telling you something."
If you see it happening more than once in a week, it’s time to call your vet or groomer.
3. Sudden Changes in Eating Habits
When "Picky" Becomes a Red Flag
Boston Terriers are generally enthusiastic eaters. So when one suddenly loses interest in food, or starts eating dramatically less, it’s not just a phase.
A skipped meal here and there is normal. Two or more days of noticeably reduced appetite is not.
What Could Be Behind It
The list of causes is long: dental pain, nausea, gastrointestinal issues, stress, or something more systemic. Boston Terriers are also prone to megaesophagus, a condition where the esophagus doesn’t move food properly, which can look like picky eating but is actually a structural problem requiring specific feeding strategies.
On the flip side, a sudden increase in appetite combined with weight loss can point to conditions like diabetes or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
Changes in eating aren’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s subtle: taking longer to finish the bowl, losing excitement at mealtime, leaving a few bites behind consistently. Trust your gut if something feels off.
The Rule of Thumb
"You know your dog’s baseline better than anyone. When that baseline shifts and stays shifted, that’s the moment to act."
Don’t wait for other symptoms to appear before reaching out to your vet. Appetite changes are often the first signal, not the last.
4. Head Tilting or Loss of Balance
More Than an Adorable Head Tilt
A head tilt when you make a funny noise? Adorable. A head tilt that persists, or is paired with stumbling, circling, or rapid eye movement? That’s a different story entirely.
Persistent head tilting in Boston Terriers can indicate vestibular disease, an ear infection that has progressed inward, or in more serious cases, a neurological issue.
Why Boston Terriers Are Particularly at Risk
This breed is genetically predisposed to a condition called hemivertebrae, where the spinal vertebrae form abnormally. It’s more commonly associated with hind-limb weakness, but spinal abnormalities can also contribute to coordination and balance issues.
Idiopathic vestibular disease (sometimes called "old dog vestibular syndrome") can appear suddenly and dramatically. Your dog may look like they’re having a stroke. The good news is that it often resolves on its own within a few weeks with supportive care. The bad news is that you cannot tell from the outside whether you’re looking at vestibular disease or something neurological that needs urgent treatment.
That distinction requires a vet visit. Always.
5. Labored or Noisy Breathing During Rest
The Snoring Myth
Yes, Boston Terriers snore. Yes, they snort. Yes, they make ridiculous sounds when they breathe, and most of the time it’s completely normal and frankly endearing.
But there’s a line between "classic Bostie breathing" and actually struggling to breathe, and that line matters enormously.
Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS)
BOAS is a collection of upper airway abnormalities common in flat-faced breeds. It includes things like stenotic nares (narrow nostrils), an elongated soft palate, and a hypoplastic trachea. Any one of these can restrict airflow. Multiple together can make simple breathing an exhausting effort.
Signs that breathing has crossed from quirky into concerning:
- Open-mouth breathing at rest (not after exercise)
- Blue or grayish gums at any point
- Visible effort in the chest or stomach with each breath
- Extended recovery time after mild activity
- Sleeping in unusual positions to keep airways open (propped chin, stretched neck)
Why Owners Wait Too Long
Because it develops gradually. Your Boston doesn’t wake up one day suddenly unable to breathe well. It creeps. They adapt. They slow down a little, sleep a little more, avoid the stairs. Owners interpret this as aging. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it’s a dog that has been quietly struggling for months.
Corrective surgery for BOAS is highly effective when done early. Dogs often experience life-changing improvement in energy, sleep quality, and overall comfort. The surgery is far less successful when the airway has been chronically stressed for years.
If your Boston seems to work hard to breathe even during calm, cool moments, please don’t normalize it. Get an evaluation. That sound, the labored one you’ve been tuning out, might be the most important signal your dog has been sending you.
Pay Attention to the Subtle Stuff
Boston Terriers are stoic in the most inconvenient way. They will mask discomfort, push through pain, and keep wagging their tail long after something has gone wrong. That’s why the small behavioral shifts, the ones that are easy to explain away, are the ones you need to take seriously.
The behaviors above aren’t emergencies on their own in every case. But they are messages. And your Boston is counting on you to listen.