Boston Terrier Your Boston is sitting at your feet, those giant round eyes locked onto the bag of treats in your hand. The tail is going a mile a minute. You reach in, grab one, and toss it over. She catches it mid-air, crunches it in about half a second, and immediately resumes the stare.
Sound familiar?
Here’s the thing though: not every treat that makes her go crazy is actually good for her. Boston Terriers have sensitive stomachs, a tendency toward allergies, and a flat face that affects how they chew and breathe. What you’re dropping into that little mouth matters more than most people realize.
So let’s break it down. The five best treats you can give your Boston, and the five you really need to stop buying.
The 5 Best Treats for Boston Terriers
1. Blueberries
Fresh blueberries are one of the best snacks you can offer, full stop.
They’re small, soft, and easy to chew, which makes them perfect for a breed with a short snout. They’re also packed with antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins C and K. And most Bostons absolutely love them.
Keep the portions reasonable. A few berries as a reward during training is plenty.
2. Plain Cooked Chicken
This one is a workhorse treat. Plain boiled or baked chicken, no seasoning, no butter, no garlic, is a high-value reward that most dogs will do backflips for.
The best treat isn’t always the one that comes in the fanciest packaging. Sometimes it’s just real food, prepared simply, given with love.
Boston Terriers with food sensitivities do especially well with plain chicken because it’s a single-ingredient protein source.
Shred it into small pieces and use it during training sessions when you need your dog’s full attention. Works every time.
3. Carrots (Raw or Lightly Steamed)
Raw carrots are crunchy, naturally sweet, and low in calories. They also help scrub teeth a little while your dog chews, which is a bonus for a breed prone to dental issues.
Go for baby carrots or slice regular carrots into bite-sized pieces. Some Bostons prefer them lightly steamed if they’re on the pickier side.
Low calorie matters here. Boston Terriers gain weight easily, and treats add up fast.
4. Single-Ingredient Freeze-Dried Meat Treats
These have become incredibly popular, and for good reason.
Freeze-dried chicken, beef, or salmon treats contain exactly one ingredient: the meat itself. No fillers, no artificial preservatives, no mystery additives. They’re lightweight, easy to carry, and most dogs treat them like gold.
Look for brands that list a single protein as the only ingredient. If the label reads like a chemistry textbook, put it back on the shelf.
5. Plain Rice Cakes (Unsalted)
This one surprises people, but plain unsalted rice cakes are a perfectly fine low-calorie snack for Boston Terriers. They’re bland, easy to digest, and great for dogs with touchy stomachs.
Break them into small pieces so your dog doesn’t inhale a huge chunk at once.
A sensitive stomach isn’t a life sentence of boring food. It just means being thoughtful about what you reach for.
They won’t replace a high-value training treat, but as a casual snack, they work well.
The 5 Worst Treats for Boston Terriers
1. Rawhide Chews
Rawhide is everywhere, and it seems harmless enough on the surface. It’s a mistake for most Boston Terriers.
The problem is twofold. First, rawhide can be a choking hazard, especially for a flat-faced dog who doesn’t have the jaw anatomy to break it down efficiently. Second, when dogs swallow large pieces, those chunks can swell in the stomach and cause serious digestive blockages.
There are much safer chew options out there. Rawhide isn’t worth the risk.
2. Treats with Artificial Dyes and Preservatives
Flip over any brightly colored dog treat. If you see Red 40, Yellow 5, BHA, or BHT on the ingredient list, set it down.
Boston Terriers are prone to skin allergies and digestive sensitivities. Artificial additives are a common trigger. That neon orange bone might look fun, but it’s doing nothing good for your dog’s gut or skin.
The flashier the treat looks, the more skeptical you should be.
3. Anything Onion or Garlic-Based
This one is non-negotiable. Onions, garlic, leeks, and chives are toxic to dogs, full stop. Even small amounts over time can damage red blood cells and lead to anemia.
The sneaky danger here is seasoned human food. A small piece of chicken sounds harmless until you realize it was cooked in garlic butter.
When in doubt about an ingredient, look it up before it goes anywhere near your dog’s mouth. That extra thirty seconds could save a vet visit.
Always know what’s in your food before you share it.
4. High-Sugar Commercial Treats
Some dog treats have more sugar than you’d expect. Not natural sugar from fruit, but added sweeteners used to make the treat more palatable and more addictive.
Boston Terriers are already prone to obesity. Extra sugar in their diet contributes to weight gain, dental decay, and in some cases, can affect blood sugar regulation over time.
Read labels. If sugar, corn syrup, or molasses appears near the top of the ingredient list, it’s not a great choice for regular use.
5. Xylitol-Containing Products
This one is genuinely dangerous, and it catches people off guard because xylitol shows up in products you wouldn’t expect.
Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in some peanut butters, yogurts, and even certain commercial dog treats. It causes a rapid release of insulin in dogs, leading to dangerously low blood sugar. In higher doses, it can cause liver failure.
Always check peanut butter labels before giving them to your dog. This is not a treat concern to take lightly. Some of the most popular brands have used xylitol, and a lot of dog owners still don’t know.
A Few Extra Things Worth Knowing
Portion Control Is Everything
Even the healthiest treat becomes a problem when you’re handing them out like candy. Treats should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily caloric intake.
Boston Terriers are small dogs with big appetites and a serious talent for looking underfed even when they’re not. Don’t fall for it.
Watch for Reactions After New Treats
Whenever you introduce something new, go slow. Give a small amount and wait 24 to 48 hours to see how your dog responds. Watch for itching, digestive upset, or unusual lethargy.
Boston Terriers can develop food sensitivities at any point in their lives, even to foods they’ve had before. It’s just part of the breed.
The Ingredient List Tells You Everything
A short, readable ingredient list with real food at the top is almost always a better sign than a long list of things you can’t pronounce. This applies to dog food and treats equally.
The simpler, the better. That’s the rule.
Treating your Boston well doesn’t have to be complicated. Stick to the good stuff, avoid the obvious landmines, and pay attention to how your individual dog responds. Every Boston is a little different, and yours will tell you pretty quickly what agrees with them and what doesn’t.
Those big eyes are watching. Make sure what you’re handing over is actually worth their excitement.