Boston Terrier vs French Bulldog

Which breed to choose: French Bulldog or Boston Terrier?

So you might come to decision to have a dog in your life. And you are looking for a small, entertaining, funny, friendly dog breed. There are various dog breeds to choose from but internet is full with funny flat face dog videos or images. French bulldogs and Boston Terriers are one of the most popular among small breeds. Some mess Terriers with Frenchies because they are very similar. So what are differences between French bulldog and Boston Terrier, lets find out!

Short Historical Introduction of French Bulldogs and Boston Terriers

Boston, Massachusetts is where the Boston Terrier gets its name from. It is an American born breed. Which was originally a crossed breed between an English White Terrier and English Bulldog. English White Terrier is now extinct. And it happened in the year 1980s. Eventually crossbreeding with Pit Bull Terrier, The Boxer, English Bull Terrier, and the French Bulldog, has evolved the breed into this modern day Boston Terrier.

The English lace makers who had to go to Normandy to work at the time of the Industrial Revolution took with them their small Bulldogs. These small Bulldogs were crossbreed with French Terriers in France which resulted in the creation of the lovely French Bulldogs we love and know today.

Both the dogs are very protective about the people around them and they make exceptional guard dogs both in and out of the house. Distinguishing between a French Bulldog and a Boston Terrier can be difficult sometimes. Even after sharing similar characteristics in various areas, they do differ a lot in others and it is worth mentioning those similarities and differences. So the next time you adopt, buy, or see any of them, you can be sure of their breed. And it does not become tough for you to decide whether you have a French Bulldog or a Boston Terrier.

Physical Appearance

The pattern of their coat and the color of it is the most evident way by which you can differentiate between the two. The French Bulldog comes in a wide range of coat colors like white, brindle, fawn, cream. Or a mixture of two or more colors, and many more.

Whereas, the Terrier, also known as the “American Gentleman” for the tuxedo-like pattern on the neck area of their coat, comes mostly in some brindle, seal, black, and white color. Frenchies have bat-like ears which at the top tips are rounded and at the base, they are broad, unlike the Bosties ears which are all the way pointed. But when it comes to tails, they have similar tails which are not very different from each other.

Their height is short on an average. Frenchies are shorter than Boston’s with the average height of French Terrier’s being 28cm to 30cm and the Boston’s being 40cm to 43cm. But if you are comparing their built, French Terrier’s have a more muscular built with larger bones than the other. Weight wise, on an average, the Frenchies weigh 12lbs to 33lbs and the Bosties weigh 15bs to 29lbs

Grooming

Both the lovelies do not shed a lot of hair as they are short-haired dogs. To cope with high heat and temperature during the summer season, you might witness them shed more hair than usual. Due to their short coats, grooming and maintaining them becomes super easy.  Their short coat will never smell unlike the other large dog breeds out there. But they do fart a lot. 

Health Problems

There are health concerns regarding both the French Bulldogs and Boston Terriers. Issues like allergies, seizures, cataracts, deafness, eye injuries, and patellar luxation are some of the common illness which the Boston Terriers suffer from. Problems regarding their back where they suffer from spinal defects and malfunctions, heart problems, eyes problems and, joint and bone problems. Both of the breeds needs an ample amount of exercise in order to stay healthy. But it is seen that French Bulldogs easily become obese if they do not exercise properly and regularly, and eat too much.

Frenchies and Boston Terriers should not be overfed. In order to keep them active always and allow them to use their entire potential.  When they are taken out for running, they should not be allowed to do too much of it as their body can get easily overheated. Which will result in breathing issues in them which is very common and dangerous to them.

The life expectancy on an average of a Boston Terrier is about 13 years and that of French Bulldog is about 9-12 years. 

Personality – Frenchie or Bostie?

Some people might think that both these breeds are not fun or safe to be around but it is just the opposite. Unlike their short physical framework, they have a golden heart like any other dog and have a great personality. They are very fun companions and they are great with the kids of any age.

The personality traits of a French Bulldog is mainly composed of playfulness, loyalty, alertness, affectionate, friendly and very active. Whereas, the personality traits of the Boston Terrier include friendliness, playfulness, loyalty, expressiveness, alertness, activeness, and energetic.

It is seen that Frenchies are more affectionate but that does not mean Bosties lack of it.

The main difference between their personality traits is that the Bosties are very expressive. You can look at the face of a Boston Terrier and understand what they are trying to express and how they are feeling.  But neither of them like isolation and they always want someone to be with them. So if you think you or any of your family members cannot be with them always, then neither of them is an option as a pet.

Level of Activity (French bulldog vs Boston Terrier)

The French Bulldogs have a heavier build due to which they remain more relaxed than the other breeds. They like to sleep when they are not doing anything else. When they are jumping and running, they are less agile. After they come back home they take ample amount of rest. They are very energetic and would be great partners for hiking or a long walk which would keep them active as well as keep them away from obesity.

The level of activeness for Boston Terriers is very high. They do not dislike water and occasionally go for a swim when they like or when they are playing or their body is overheated. Like any other dogs, they love to chase, play, run and jump. They have short snout which does not allow them to overrun. Sometimes they can become obsessive with their tennis balls and they would play nonstop.

Both breeds like to own plenty of toys and have plenty of play time.

Training

If you are bringing home a dog for the first time, then you might consider having a Boston Terrier as they are great for the first timers. And they also tend to learn very quickly and be obedient to their masters. They can easily adapt to the people and the surroundings. They do not require a lot of training too. The only drawback is that they can get territorial at times. This can result in a lot of problems so, you have to make sure that they socialize with other humans and different breeds of dogs as well. But when it comes to the French Bulldogs, they can have a stubborn side to which in their process of training, you have to be a bit authoritative.

At times they might need a lot of regular and orderly training which will require positive reinforcement. It is easy for them to develop bad habits and it takes time for them to adapt to their master and surroundings. But you know what the saying is. With lots and lots of love, you can easily train any breed of dog.

Preference for Climate and Living Conditions

Too much of cold or too much of hot weather is not a suitable condition for both the breeds to live in. They need a moderate type of climate to stay comfortably. They have a short coat which allows their body to get easily overheated if they are living in exceptionally hot weather which will, in turn, cause them various illnesses. And in cold weather, their short coat allows the cold air to easily enter their body which creates breathing problems in both of them. 

They do not like staying indoors always and it is important to regularly take them outside in the open air for them to live healthily. They can greatly adapt to city life or apartment living.  Frenchies are ideal for apartment or city living as they do not require a lot of space to live in or a lot of exercises. But Boston Terriers like to run around a lot and also need more exercise than Frenchies so they need a little more space than Frenchies.

Wrap-Up Frenchie Vs Boston Terrier

If you are thinking of adopting any of these breeds, you can refer to the above-mentioned characteristics of them to understand which best suits your personality, time schedule, the living conditions, and most importantly, the weather conditions in which you live. You can also refer to people who own any of these breeds to get in-depth knowledge about their dogs. Both of them make easy and very good companions.  In general, if you are bringing home a French Bulldog, it will cost you around 2,500 dollars and if you are getting a French Terrier, it will cost you around 900 dollars. But it is always better to adopt than to buy because they all need loving homes.