Treeing Tennessee Brindle vs Boston Terrier - Breed Comparison

Nicknamed the American Gentleman, the Boston Terrier is the result of crossing the British Bulldog with the white English Terrier. At first the Boston Terrier was bred to be a fighting dog, but since then, undesirable characteristics have been bred out and today the Boston Terrier is regarded as an indoor dog that doesn’t tolerate extreme weather conditions.

The breed emerged in the 1870s when Robert Hooper from Boston bought a dog thought to be a mix of a Terrier and Bull type lineage. A specialist breed club was formed in 1891 and in 1979 the commonwealth of Massachusetts named the Boston Terrier the Official State Dog. By the 20th century, the breed’s color and patterns were standard and an essential feature.

There doesn’t seem to be 100% clarity on how the dog came about but it originated in USA. It appears as though it was only since 1995 that records have been maintained through the American Kennel Club's Foundation Stock Service Program.

A Reverend Earl Phillips, who was a writer for a hunting magazine became aware of a Brindle Cur with a brown coat and tiger stripes. In fact ‘treeing’ is a type of hunting, where the dog chases an animal into a tree to escape. He heard about the dog’s amazing hunting skills.

In the early 1960s, he later formed The Treeing Tennessee Brindle Breeders Association, designed to protect the breed. It was in 2013 that the dog got foundation stock status with the American Kennel Club, but isn’t registered with the American Kennel Club.

The Boston Terrier is a lively, strong-willed breed with an alert expression and fairly large, erect ears. He is a small to medium sized dog and his square muzzle puts him among the Bull breeds. The dog is compact in build and varies quite significantly in size. Weight with the dog is actually divided into 3 categories – lightweight (under 6.8kg), middleweight (up to 9kg) and the heavyweights being between 9.1kg and up to 11.4kg. The Boston has a short head and a naturally short, low-set tail. The coat is short and smooth, and the colour can be brindle with white markings, brown and white or black and white.

It’s the energetic liveliness of the Boston Terrier that makes him such a lovable and popular pet. He has an affectionate, gentle nature that makes him a fantastic family pet and he gets on well with children and pets in the home. He can adapt to city or country life. One or two interesting facts of this breed are -

with his short nose, he is prone to drool and snore

he is prone to corneal ulcers because of his large, somewhat protruding eyes

with a small pelvis, the females often battle with the birthing process and may require a caesarean section.

The Treeing Tennessee Brindle is a medium sized, deep chested breed of Cur, descending from the Old Brindle Cur dog.

These strong dogs have a short, smooth brindle coat that is fairly soft to the touch. The coat's color is a mix of tan, black and a little bit of white.

He stands at between 41 and 61cm in height and weighs between 14 and 23kg both male and female. The Treeing Tennessee Brindle has a loud bark and it is best that this dog lives on a farm or in the suburbs as opposed to living in a small space in the city.

Temperament:

The Treeing Tennessee Brindle is a friendly, social dog and this is why he doesn’t make a particularly good watchdog.

He gets on well with children in the home as well as other dogs, not showing any aggression towards them.

They’re intelligent dogs and it will be a good idea to have them trained and socialized to make them well balanced and well behaved.

The Boston Terrier is such a sweet little dog, but you can’t really say what your puppy’s personality will be as personality varies quite a bit between individual Boston’s. Remember that just like with a human child, your puppy will turn out with characteristics that can be attributed to the way he was raised. The Boston just loves his human family and he wants to be part of all your activities, even though he may gravitate towards one favorite family member.

Your Boston can be your Best Friend

Your Boston is a Terrier and that means he is full of life and will require being exercised by you. He can’t just be left outdoors day after day because this is one particular breed that can’t adapt to changing weather conditions. He likes being inside where the temperature is more even. Look after your Boston, because if you do, you’ll be rewarded by having one of the best friends you’ve ever had.

This brindle-colored cur dog is brave, intelligent and lively and his temperament allows him to be a good companion for his human family.

Even though they are friendly around strangers, they still make good watchdogs and will alert you to all kinds of visitors to your property. They do best in a home with large grounds and an active family where they can explore and sniff around. At the end of the day, they love to lie contentedly at your feet, a loyal, loving companion.

Boston Terriers are generally healthy, feisty little dogs but it is always wise to know that you may well come across some health conditions that can affect your pet.

Eye Problems

Your Boston may well have to contend with cataracts, and in the dog world, this isn’t only an ailment for old dogs. Juvenile cataracts can develop in young puppies already. Cherry Eye is another eye problem with a prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid. It is also an eye disease than can be found in young dog of less than a year old.

Deafness

Boston Terriers actually have a fairly high incidence of deafness in one or both ears. White Bostons tend to produce more puppies with deafness.

Brachycephalic Syndrome

The Boston Terrier is a brachycephalic dog and therefore more predisposed to Brachyphalic Syndrome where the dog battles to breathe because of too much soft tissue which forms in the airways.

To avoid many dog diseases with your Boston, buy your puppy from a reputable dog breeder who screens dogs used in a breeding program as this prevents puppies inheriting genetic disorders.

The Treeing Tennessee Brindle is a robust, healthy breed. You’re not likely to battle with too many health issues with him.

Watch out for ear infections which are more common in floppy eared dogs. Other common dog diseases that you need to know about -

Canine Distemper:

This is a viral disease which is highly contagious and with no known cure. It’s why there is a vaccine against it. Coughing, lethargy, high temperature and loss of appetite with vomiting are symptoms of this disease.

Canine Influenza:

This is another highly contagious respiratory viral infection transmitted between dogs in close proximity to each other, like in kennels for instance.

Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, breathing difficulties, lethargy and loss of appetite. It’s important to get veterinary assistance as pneumonia could set in.

Exercise

The Boston Terrier is a lively dog, and even though he doesn't have any extreme exercise requirements, he will still require you exercising him by taking him on walks, or having ball games with him. As an essentially indoor dog, he can even enjoy some quieter indoor games.

Feeding

You’ll be able to gauge how much your pet requires in terms of high quality food, but by the time he is an adult, he usually has one or two bowls of food a day. Size and age play an important role in determining his eating habits. Home made foods made up of rice, meat and vegetables are always welcome for your pet and these can be added into his top quality commercially produced dog food. For a healthy dog who is free of skin problems include some raw meat in the diet from time to time. Always make sure that there is a bowl of fresh, cool water which is available 24/7.

Grooming

With his short coat, the Boston Terrier isn’t a heavy shedder and is low maintenance in terms of keeping his coat groomed. Brush him at least twice a week to remove loose hairs and to also prevent flea and tick infestations. Brush his teeth 2 or 3 times a week to ensure no plaque build-up which can damage the teeth. Never use human toothpaste, but invest in special toothpaste and -brush for dogs. If he is essentially an indoor dog, you may have to get the vet to trim his nails too.

Grooming:

A brush once or twice a week will be sufficient for this dog. Look inside his ears for signs of redness which could indicate an ear infection. Make sure his eyes are still bright and not red and with a pus discharge. Trim his nails too.

Exercise:

The Treeing Tennessee Brindle is a high energy dog and he is going o want more than just a walk every day, although he will love that and rely on you for this daily outing.

He will also want ball games and hide and seek games.The breed needs an active owner who will take him on long walks and hikes.

Diet:

Whenever you opt to give a dog commercially manufactured dog food, you need to check that the dog food is made with high-quality ingredients which are mostly made up of protein or meat.

Certainly a puppy will need protein in his food for proper growth and he will require 4 bowls of food a day. An adult dog will require 2 bowls of food a day.

The type of commercial dog food you buy will depend on the age of your dog as well as his activity levels. If your dog has a known allergy or illness, there are dog foods manufactured with that in mind.

Try and in include some homemade food into his diet. Nothing spicey and exotic as this can cause stomach problems. A good guide is boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables.