Boston Terrier Chaos. That’s the word that comes to mind when your Boston Terrier has zero training under their little tuxedo collar. Shoes disappear. Guests get launched at. The leash becomes a medieval torture device for your shoulder. You call their name and they just stare at you, head tilted, completely unbothered.
Now picture the flip side. A Boston who sits politely while you put on their harness. Who comes sprinting back to you at the park the second you call. Who stays planted while you answer the door instead of turning your entryway into a mosh pit.
That’s not a fantasy. That’s nine commands away.
Boston Terriers are sharp. Like, genuinely sharp. They read people well, they’re motivated by attention and treats, and they thrive when they know the rules of the game. The problem is that their confidence can easily tip into stubbornness if you let it. Early, consistent training keeps that big personality working for you instead of against you.
Here’s exactly what to teach them, and why each one matters.
1. Sit
This is the foundation. Everything else gets easier once your Boston understands that planting their rear end on the ground is how they get what they want.
Use it before meals, before walks, before you clip on the leash. "Sit" becomes the word that means pause and think, and that impulse control is genuinely priceless with a breed this bouncy.
Teaching it is simple: hold a treat just above their nose and slowly move it back over their head. Their bottom will hit the floor almost automatically. The second it does, mark it with a "yes!" and reward.
2. Stay
"Sit" gets them to stop. "Stay" keeps them there.
This one takes patience to build, but it pays off constantly. Opening the front door without a furry torpedo launching past you. Setting down a bowl of food without a circus. Answering a quick question at the vet without your dog wandering into everyone else’s business.
Start with just a second or two, then gradually increase the duration. Distance comes later. Don’t rush it.
The dog who knows "stay" isn’t just well-behaved. They’re safe.
3. Come (Recall)
Honestly, this might be the most important command on the entire list.
A reliable recall is what lets you give your Boston off-leash freedom without your heart rate tripling every time they catch a scent. It’s also the command that could, genuinely, save their life one day if they dart toward a road or a dog they shouldn’t approach.
Make "come" the most rewarding word in their vocabulary. Throw a party every single time they get it right. Never, ever call them to you and then do something they find unpleasant. If bath time is coming, go get them. Don’t poison the recall.
4. Down
"Down" is "sit’s" calmer, more serious sibling.
When your Boston is overstimulated and you need them to actually settle, "sit" often isn’t enough because they’re still poised and ready to launch. "Down" gets them lower, physically and mentally. It’s harder to bounce back up from a down position, and that slight extra effort naturally encourages them to relax.
It’s also just incredibly useful at restaurants, waiting rooms, and anywhere else you need your dog to be genuinely calm rather than technically compliant.
5. Leave It
Boston Terriers are curious. Dangerously so. They will sniff, mouth, and investigate absolutely anything that crosses their path, which means "leave it" isn’t optional. It’s a safety command wearing casual clothes.
"Leave it" sounds like manners training. What it actually is: a reflex that could keep your dog from eating something toxic on a walk or starting a scuffle with another animal.
Start by covering a treat with your hand. When they stop pawing and nosing at your fist, reward them with a different treat from your other hand. The lesson: ignoring something gets you something better. That logic, practiced enough times, becomes instinct.
6. Off
This is different from "down." "Down" means lie down. "Off" means get off the couch, off the guest, off the counter.
Bostons love to jump. They love to be at face level with the humans they adore. And while a 15-pound dog launching at your shins is survivable, it’s less fun when they hit your elderly grandmother or a small child.
Teach "off" consistently, reward four paws on the floor, and you’ll have a dog who greets people politely instead of aggressively adorably.
7. Wait
"Stay" and "wait" sound interchangeable but they serve different purposes.
"Stay" is a formal hold: don’t move until I release you. "Wait" is more like a pause: hold on a second before proceeding. It’s what you use at the car door before they explode out into a parking lot. At the top of the stairs when your hands are full. Before crossing the street.
It’s a softer version of impulse control, and because it’s less formal, it tends to be easier to generalize to everyday life situations.
8. Place
"Place" means go to your bed (or mat, or designated spot) and stay there until released.
This command is underrated. It gives your Boston somewhere to be during dinner parties, during deliveries, during any situation where you need them out of the way but not shut away. It’s not a punishment. It’s their job.
A dog with a "place" command has something to do when the world gets busy. That’s better for them and dramatically better for you.
Start by rewarding any interaction with the mat, then build duration and distance gradually. Use a consistent release word, something like "okay" or "free," so they know when the job is done.
Getting the Most Out of Training
Keep Sessions Short
Five to ten minutes is your sweet spot with a Boston Terrier. Their attention is good but it’s not infinite. End every session on a win, even if that means going back to something easy right at the end.
Short sessions done daily beat long sessions done occasionally. Consistency is the whole game.
Timing Is Everything
The reward has to come within a second or two of the correct behavior. Too slow and your Boston is literally unsure what they did right.
A marker word like "yes!" bridges the gap between the behavior and the treat. Train yourself to say it the instant they get it right, before you even reach for the reward.
Generalize Everything
Your Boston knowing "sit" in your kitchen is not the same as your Boston knowing "sit" at the dog park with three other dogs running around nearby.
Practice every command in new locations, with new distractions, at different times of day. A truly trained dog performs reliably everywhere, not just in ideal conditions. That reliability is what you’re actually working toward.
Use What Motivates Them
Most Bostons are highly food motivated, which makes training relatively straightforward. But pay attention to your individual dog. Some respond even more to play, to a favorite toy, or to enthusiastic verbal praise.
The reward that works is the one that makes their eyes light up. Find that thing and use it generously.
9. Their Name
Save the best for last, because this one gets overlooked almost universally.
Your Boston’s name isn’t technically a command but it functions as one. It means: look at me, tune in, pay attention to what’s coming next. If they don’t reliably respond to their own name, none of the other eight commands work as well as they should.
Practice it daily. Say their name, and the second they make eye contact, reward them. That eye contact, that automatic you called? response, is the foundation of every single moment of communication between you and your dog.
Get that right, and everything else starts clicking into place.