Boston Terrier Toddlers and Boston Terriers have a lot in common. Both are small, both are absolutely convinced they know best, and both will happily chew on something they absolutely should not be chewing on the second you look away. The difference? You can eventually reason with a toddler. With a Boston Terrier, you need a plan.
And that plan starts with one deceptively simple skill: teaching your dog what belongs to them and what doesn’t.
This isn’t just about saving your favorite shoes. It’s about setting your Boston up for success in a household where they feel confident, not confused. When a dog genuinely understands boundaries around objects, life gets easier for everyone.
Here’s exactly how to do it, step by step.
Step 1: Set Up the Environment Before You Start Training
Before a single treat leaves your hand, you need to set the stage.
Management comes first. If your Boston can freely access your socks, TV remotes, and kids’ toys, you’re not starting a training plan. You’re just hoping for the best.
Pick up anything you don’t want chewed. Put it out of reach. This isn’t a permanent solution, but it removes the opportunity to practice the wrong behavior while you’re building the right one.
"The fastest way to slow down training is to keep letting your dog rehearse the exact habit you’re trying to break."
Designate a specific spot (a basket, a crate, a corner of the living room) where your Boston’s toys live. Consistency in location actually helps dogs understand ownership faster than most people realize.
Step 2: Build a Strong "This Is Yours" Association
Now the fun part. You’re going to teach your Boston that their toys predict good things.
Grab one of their toys and hold it out. The moment they sniff it, interact with it, or take it, mark that with a yes! or a click and immediately give a treat. Repeat this with every toy in their collection over several short sessions.
You’re not teaching a trick here. You’re building an emotional association: my toys equal great things happening.
Keep sessions to about five minutes. Boston Terriers are sharp, but they’re also easily distracted. Short and frequent beats long and boring every single time.
Why This Works
Dogs don’t generalize the way humans do. Your Boston doesn’t automatically know that the squeaky hedgehog is "theirs" and your leather wallet is not. You have to show them, repeatedly and clearly, which objects belong in which category.
Positive association is the fastest bridge to that understanding.
Step 3: Introduce the "Leave It" Cue (Properly)
"Leave it" is one of the most misused cues in dog training. Most people teach it as a correction. That’s backwards.
Start with a low-value item your Boston isn’t obsessed with. Place it on the floor. The second they move toward it, calmly cover it with your hand or foot. No yelling. No "no." Just neutral blocking.
The moment they pull back or look away, yes! and reward with something better from your other hand. Repeat until they’re reliably looking up at you when they encounter the covered item.
Then, and only then, add the verbal cue "leave it." Say it once, calmly, right before they would normally look away. This is how the word gets meaning.
"A cue said ten times in a row is just noise. A cue said once at the right moment becomes a real signal your dog can trust."
Practicing with Real-Life Objects
Once your Boston gets it with the training item, start practicing with actual household objects: a shoe, a kid’s stuffed animal, a throw pillow. Same rules apply. Blocking, waiting for disengagement, rewarding.
Do this in short reps, in different rooms, at different times of day. Variety in context is what makes the behavior stick.
Step 4: Teach a Solid "Drop It"
Leave it prevents the grab. Drop it handles what happens after.
Start by letting your Boston take one of their toys. Let them hold it for a second, then bring a high-value treat close to their nose. Most dogs will open their mouth automatically. The second the toy drops, say "drop it" and give the treat.
This sounds simple, and it is, but people mess it up by saying the words before the dog understands what they’re being asked to do.
The cue follows the behavior until the dog knows the game. Then it can predict it.
Practice this daily. Build it into playtime. Toss the toy, let them bring it back, ask for the drop, reward. Make it a natural part of how you interact with your dog, not a special training event.
What About Chasing Them Down?
If your Boston grabs something and runs, chasing them is the worst move you can make. To them, that’s the best game in the house.
Instead, turn away. Become boring. Or grab one of their actual toys and start playing with it yourself, making it look irresistible. Curiosity almost always wins.
Step 5: Create Clear Daily Routines Around Toys
Training sessions are important, but the real magic happens in the daily routine.
Rotate the toys. If your Boston has access to the same five toys every single day, those toys lose value fast. Novelty matters to this breed. Pull two or three toys out per day, swap them out the next.
Put the toys away when playtime is over. This is subtle but powerful: it reinforces that toys come out when you’re engaged together, not as a free-for-all scattered across the floor.
When your Boston picks up something they shouldn’t, don’t overreact. Calmly redirect them to an appropriate toy, reward the switch, and move on. No drama needed.
"Redirecting is not giving in. It’s teaching your dog what to do instead, which is always more useful than just saying no."
Step 6: Proof the Behavior in the Real World
At this point, your Boston knows their toys, understands leave it, and has a working drop it. Now you proof it.
That means practicing in situations that are actually challenging. When guests are over. When there’s something exciting on the floor. When your dog is amped up from a walk and their impulse control is at its lowest.
Lower the criteria when distractions go up. If your dog can leave something alone for ten seconds in a quiet room, expect five seconds max in a distracting environment. That’s not failure; that’s how brains work.
Build duration, distance, and distraction gradually. Never all at once.
Consistency Across the Household
Every person in the house needs to use the same cues and the same rules. If one person lets the Boston grab socks and another redirects every time, your dog isn’t confused because they’re stubborn. They’re confused because the rules keep changing.
Get everyone on the same page. Write it down if you have to. Consistency is the single biggest factor in how fast your Boston actually learns this.
A Few Honest Reminders
This process takes time. Some Bostons pick it up in a couple of weeks. Others need a few months of consistent work before it starts feeling automatic.
There will be setbacks. Your dog will grab the remote. They’ll snatch a sock the second someone leaves it on the floor. That’s normal.
What matters is not the slip. What matters is what you do after it: calmly, consistently, without frustration. Keep redirecting. Keep rewarding the right choices.
Boston Terriers are remarkably trainable when the communication is clear and the rewards are worth it. Give them a real system, and they will rise to meet it every single time.