The Boston Terrier has been nicknamed The American Gentleman and his overall pleasant and polite personality more than justifies this nickname. Just because the breed is considered pleasant, though, doesn't mean that it doesn't have some negative points; furthermore, just because the majority of members of a particular breed have certain characteristics doesn't mean that every single dog of that breed will also possess those characteristics. Finally, an unfortunate side effect of a breeds popularity is poor breeding practices. When a breed becomes popular, demand for that breed increases and individuals who know nothing about breeding think they can take advantage of the situation by breeding and selling large amounts of puppies. Because these individuals care nothing about keeping the breed healthy, they often breed dogs with behavioral and health problems, assuring that these problems remain in the gene pool and get perpetuated.

One problem seen in Boston Terriers is an unstable temperament. The majority of Bostons are pleasant, polite and gentle, though there are dogs that don't fit this description at all. Sometimes the fault is the owners; all puppies need to be taught the rules from early on and if a puppy isn't educated, he may grow up with behavioral problems. A large part of the unstable temperaments seen in Bostons, though, is due to poor breeding; some Bostons actually display aggression and yappy behavior and can be somewhat neurotic. Furthermore, within that pleasant gentleman there also runs a stubborn streak; Boston Terriers can be quite strong-willed and may not immediately take to following orders. This stubbornness can be seen when it comes time for housebreaking, which may be difficult with some dogs.

One of the most notorious negative points about this breed is the range of annoying face noises it makes. Unfortunately, the Boston Terrier's short snout causes it quite a bit of breathing problems and many of these problems include snuffling, snorting, grunting and wheezing; the dogs also snore quite loudly at night. Be prepared for slobbering as well. Not all Bostons slobber and some slobber more than others; a large number slobber when they drink. Drooling after drinking and eating may also be a problem. Maybe more annoying than the noises and the slobbering is the flatulence that some Bostons suffer from; this flatulence can be intolerable. As a tip, feeding your Boston fresh foods, including real meat and vegetables, can help drastically cut down on the flatulence. Finally, because of poor breeding practices and because of the desired physical characteristics bred into the Boston, this breed suffers from quite a number of health problems. Upper respiratory problems can be common, as can skeletal problems and eye problems. So, while the Boston Terrier can make a wonderful companion and addition to your family, make sure you know exactly what you're getting yourself into and make sure you're able to deal with the negative points of this breed as well as enjoy the positive points.