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BoShih (Boston Terrier & Shih Tzu Mix): Info, Pictures, Care & More

Boshih - Boston Terrier Shih Tzu Mix

The Boshih is an adorable little guy who is a crossbreed between a Boston Terrier and a Shih Tzu. Weighing in at about 10–20 pounds, she’s lovable, curious, and cheerful. She’s the perfect pet for families with children, beginning pet owners, and those who live in apartments.

Dogs of this breed tend to be small and have medium to long-haired coats.

Breed Overview

Height:

12–16 inches

Weight:

10–20 pounds

Lifespan:

12–15 years

Colors:

Brown, black, white, tricolor

Suitable for:

Families with children, apartment dwellers, beginner pet owners

Temperament:

Curious, cheerful, affectionate, energetic, loyal

If you’re searching for a family pet that requires moderate grooming, moderate exercise, and will be loyal to a fault, then the Boshih breed might be the right choice for you.

It is essential that to recognize that any type of dog will be a huge responsibility, especially if you’ve never owned a pet before. Ensure you conduct your research and are ready to give the Boshih a forever home before you adopt one.

In this guide, we’ll go give you some information about the Boshih breed so you can determine if this adorable little fellow is indeed the right choice for you as a pet.

Boshih Characteristics

Energy
+
High-energy dogs will need a lot of mental and physical stimulation to stay happy and healthy, while low-energy dogs require minimal physical activity. It’s important when choosing a dog to make sure their energy levels match your lifestyle or vice versa.
Trainability
+
Easy-to-train dogs are more skilled at learning prompts and actions quickly with minimal training. Dogs that are harder to train will require a bit more patience and practice.
Health
+
Some breeds, due to their size or their breeds potential genetic health issues, have shorter lifespans than others. Proper exercise, nutrition, and hygiene also play an important role in the lifespan of your pet.
Lifespan
+
Some dog breeds are prone to certain genetic health problems, and some more than others. This doesn’t mean that every dog will have these issues, but they have an increased risk, so it’s important to understand and prepare for any additional needs they may require.
Sociability
+
Some dog breeds are more social than others, both towards humans and other dogs. More social dogs have a tendency to run up to strangers for pets and scratches, while less social dogs shy away and are more cautious, even potentially aggressive. No matter the breed, it’s important to socialize your dog and expose them to lots of different situations.

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Boshih Puppies

The Boshih, who is inquisitive and affectionate, inherited all the best qualities of its parents. While they are considered a designer breed, you can find them in shelters and breed-specific rescues, so it is possible to adopt one of these loving puppies instead of purchasing one.

Boshih puppies tend to be energetic, but they’re small, meaning they’ll do well living in an apartment or in a home with even a small backyard to run in. They do require moderate exercise to run off excess energy and to keep them healthy. Capable of thriving in almost any environment, the Boshih puppy works best with someone who will pamper and dote on them.

While Boshih puppies are stubborn, they do well around other pets and strangers if they are trained and socialized when they’re puppies.

While they do thrive well in almost any environment, they suffer from separation anxiety, so if you work long hours and are away from home a lot, this might not be the best choice for a pet. Now that you know a bit about the Boshih puppy, we’ll delve further into exercise, trainability, minor and significant health conditions, and more below.

Parent Breeds of the BoShih
Image Credit: Left- Christine Bird, Shutterstock | Right – Tatiana Gasich, Shutterstock

Temperament & Intelligence of the Boshih 🧠

The Boshih comes from two very friendly dog breeds, so it stands to reason that her temperament is friendly as well. The breed is fun-loving, loyal, and intelligent. The only negative aspect of this dog’s temperament is that it has a tendency to bark.

Since it’s small, it can’t do much to protect your family from harm, and its barking is an attempt to alert you to something, which makes her a good guard dog instead.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 👪

Since the Boshih is small and affectionate, the breed is excellent for families with children. It’s best, however, to monitor them when they’re with small children, as their size makes it easy for them to be injured. Teaching your children how to play and get along with your new Boshih puppy will help.

Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets? 🐶 😽 

The Boshih gets along fine with other pets. As with any other dog breed, training and socializing this breed when they’re puppies will yield the best results, though this breed tends to get along with everyone, humans and pets alike.

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Things to Know When Owning a Boshih:

Now that you know quite a bit about the Boshih breed, you should be closer to deciding whether you want to give one of these puppies a forever home. First, let’s look into the food, diet, and exercise requirements you’ll have to institute to keep your puppy healthy and happy.

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

Since your Boshih puppy is small, they tend to have moderate dietary needs. It is best to give your puppy a dry food formula that’s designed for dogs of this size and energy level. The Boshih breed tends to overeat and can become overweight easily if you’re not careful.

If you’re worried that your dog is gaining too much weight, make an appointment with your vet, so they can prescribe different foods and help you with an exercise plan that will benefit your Boshih.

Exercise 🐕

As previously stated, your Boshih pet is prone to overeating and can easily become overweight, so exercise is essential to keep your puppy fit, trim, and happy. Since it is a moderately active dog, exercise will help burn off excess energy and make them better behaved. A couple of fast walks a day or a yard where they can run around, and play will take care of the exercise they need to be healthy.

However, if you want to throw in a few trips to the dog park, a couple of swims a week, and play with them in the backyard, they won’t complain.

Training 🎾

While your Boshih puppy is stubborn and slow to learn at times, they’re fairly easy to train with patience and determination. House training varies from pet to pet with this breed, so you’re going to want to start training early on. Make sure to use a calm voice, a firm hand, and positive rewards for a job well done for the best results.

Grooming ✂️

Depending on the coat your Boshih has, grooming can be moderate to high. At certain times of the year, they will shed quite a bit, which means you should brush her every day and keep the vacuum ready to go at all times. You need to bathe them when they get dirty with dog shampoo and keep their nails trimmed when they get too long.

It’s a good idea to make an appointment with a groomer once a month, so she can be groomed the proper way. Make sure that you start grooming, bathing, and brushing the teeth of your Boshih young so that when they’re older, they are already used to the process so that it doesn’t scare them.

Health and Conditions 🏥

As with any other pet out there, the Boshih has serious and minor medical conditions you need to watch out for.

Minor Conditions
  • Dental problems
  • Allergies
  • Snuffles
  • Ear infections
  • Megaesophagus
  • Reverse sneezing
Serious Conditions
  • Patellar luxation
  • Hip dysplasia
  • Bladder problems
  • Kidney problems
  • Liver problems
  • Heart problems
  • Eye problems
  • Umbilical hernia
  • Brain tumors
  • Deafness
  • Heart problems

Minor Conditions:

There are also a few minor conditions that your Boshih could possibly inherit from its parents. Many Boshih breeds suffer from allergies, snoring, ear infections, and dental issues. You can take care of these problems and prevent them by asking your vet to help with allergy medicine and making sure to keep your pet’s ears clean, and their teeth brushed.

Serious Conditions:

There is a chance that the Boshih could inherit serious conditions from their parents since they are a crossbreed. Watch for the conditions above, and take your pet to the vet should any symptoms of these conditions occur.

If you want to avoid these serious conditions before you purchase or adopt a Boshih, ask to see the parental history of the puppy when you visit the breeder for the best results.

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Male vs Female

The only difference between the male and the female Boshih breed is that the male is usually slightly bigger. If you don’t intend to breed your Boshih, it’s best to make an appointment to have them spayed or neutered. It benefits the dogs in terms of health and temperament.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Boshih

1. The Boshih Is a Good Choice for Allergy Sufferers

With their long, straight coats, the Boshih breed is considered a good choice for people who suffer from allergies but still want a dog as a pet. There are quite a few breeds out there that are good for allergy sufferers; the Boshih is considered to be one of them.


2. The Boshih Is Highly Intuitive and Loyal

The Boshih has a combination of traits from its parents and tends to be highly intuitive when it comes to the emotions of their owners. These dogs are highly loyal as well.


3. The Boshih Doesn’t Handle Solitude Well

As previously stated, if you purchase or adopt a Boshih mixed breed, someone needs to be home with them most of the time. The Boshih doesn’t handle solitude well and can easily develop separation anxiety. This breed is happiest when they can follow their owner from room to room and be with people all the time.

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Final Thoughts

The Boshih breed makes a great companion for most pet owners, even first-time dog owners. The breed is inquisitive, active, intelligent, and loving. If you’re searching for a pet that loves to get out and run but still loves to snuggle with its owners, then a Boshih puppy is the right choice for you.

You do need to make sure that you’re not going to be gone all the time or work very long hours that will leave your Boshih puppy alone for long periods of time. This breed does develop separation anxiety as they like to be around their pet parents and will follow you from room to room.

If you’re an active person or have an active family and someone in your family is home often, then your Boshih puppy is eagerly waiting. Remember, if at all possible, adopt your puppy from a local shelter instead of purchasing one from a breeder, as there are many Boshih puppies in a shelter waiting to be taken to their forever home.

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