Boston Terriers

I have a friend with a Boson Terrier...and she  has one child and is expecting her second this summer.  Her senario is different from yours as her dog came along before the kids.  I think her Boston was about two years old before her son was born.  I know she carefully prepared her dog for the birth of her son...working with a trainer.  Her dog and her son get along famously... it's worked out really well for them all.  Good luck with your puppy hunt!

Melanie is owned by two and I'm sure she'll be here to give you her thoughts. I know she has two children.
 
I don't own one but am handling this one [linkhttp://www.infodog.com/my/dogpage.htm?akc=NP%2004649901]http://www.infodog.com/my/dogpage.htm?akc=NP%2004649901[/link]
he is a busy little boy, he lives with two little girls under the age of 9 and is VERY spoiled.
Health wise from his owner and breeder there doesn't seem to be many issues but juvinille cateracts are an issue in the breed.

Hi-I am in Illinois too, and there are several  big dog shows coming up over the summer months that you can attend and meet with several breeders and owners and get their personal experience and feedback.  Wheaton Kennel club hosts a two day event at the DuPage County Fairgrounds,  There is also a big show for two days out at the Kane County Fairgrounds, and there is a fairly large show up in Belvidere.  In early fall, the Grundy County fairgrounds out in Morris, IL is another nice show.  If you go to the AKC website, you can probably link in to get exact dates and times-you can also link up with Roy Jones online who is the coordinator for alot of these events.  In some cases, the show schedule is already posted and you will know exactly what time and in what ring the dogs are being shown, and also how many are expected in attendance.....It is the perfect way to get first hand knowlege.  You might also consider taking your kids along-it is a kind of neat family day, and you can see how your kids react to the breeds you are interested in. 
 
If you aren't intending on participating in showing for conformation or breeding, then let the people you meet know that you are primarily interested in a pet quality dog....As far as health issues-all breeds have their issues, and I have come to the conclusion that even in the most careful breedings, problems can crop up, and as dog owners, we deal with them as they come along.  Some are more serious than others, but heck, we took the same sort of chances when we elected to have children.
 

Thanks guys for replying. 
 
It's funny you should say that, Suefitz, (about the chances we take when we have kids) because just two hours ago I thought that exact same thing.  I've been going back and forth in my head about the right breed.
 
I'm thinking a boston might be too small for us.

I own 2 Boston Terriers. I just love the breed. I am hoping to add another one to my family next year because I'd like to get involved with showing. Bostons get along great with children provided that the children know how to properly behave around a dog. My 2, as well as my Rottweiler and other critters, were raised with my 12 year old son and do extremely well with my 2 year old niece who lives with us. Because Bostons are prone to a few health issues, it's important to buy from a responsible breeder if you choose to go the breeder route. If you'd like to speak to other BT owners and breeders, PM me and I can give you linkage to another board I'm on that's strictly Boston Terrier. If you want to learn more about BT's, check out the [linkhttp://www.bostonterrierclubofamerica.org]Boston Terrier Club of America[/link] website. I live in Illinois as well and we do have a BT club here called the [linkhttp://www.westernbostonterrierclub.com/]Western Boston Terrier Club[/link]. They put on shows and stuff during the year with their next one being in October. If you want to get a list of breeders, contact Billie Bunch([email=bbunch1024@aol.com]bbunch1024@aol.com[/email]). She's normally quick to respond but if you don't hear from her right away that means she's out showing her dogs somewhere in this country. If you have anymore questions regarding Bostons, just let me now. I love talking about them. []

your doggies are cuties!
Thanks, meilani.
 
I have a friend (he doesn't live by me) who has a boston and he was always telling me goofball stories about him.  His apparently likes to chase squirrels.  But, for some reason, I was thinking that bostons were bigger than they are.   

Bostons can range in size from 10 to 25lbs. Sometimes you can find them a little bigger too. I personally love the smaller ones. My 2 weigh 12 and 15lbs.

Don't dismiss rescues right off the bat.  My rescued golden/gordon loves kids and loves to run, play and walk.
 
I think larger dogs are better with kids and vice versa.
 
I totally understand your wanting an English Bulldog. Mine was the love of my life,  But so glad you are aware that they are so high maintencance needing A/C, shouldn't jump or walk far.
 
No offense to the BostonBulldog owners, but the ones I met are too hyper, quite nuts infact.  My neighbor has a BB/beagle mix puppy and is so hyper I cant' stand her, jumping in my face neither can my easy going golden/setter who had to give her a little nip to stop her behavior.  I'm sure bad breeding has a lot to do with (this dog came from a petstore). The other 2 I know belong to an old retired couple and the dogs are beserk jumping all the furniture and getting so worked up, that one puked on me while she had picked him up to let me pet him.
 
There is a pretty american/english bullie dog -Sophie  listed here.  I am adopting Zeus on Sat. also a pretty olde english but can't live with kids...we are in Maryland. 
[linkhttp://www.ontherebound.org/adopt.htm]http://www.ontherebound.org/adopt.htm[/link]
  

AWWWW.

See, I KNOW. It's getting harder and harder for me to NOT consider a rescue. Seriously. Esepcially when I accidentally caught Houston animal cops (or whatever that program is on Animal Planet) last night. It never fails that show ALWAYS gets me crying.

I really, really, really want that olde on there. But if she's not so great with kids, that's a no-go for me. And Virginia is quite the travel. But there is a bulldog rescue in Northern Illinois.
They've just (bulldogs, that is) been my dream dog for forever. Ever since I was little and used to see Spike on Tom and Jerry. heh.

Thanks for the link[]

That Olde English girl just gets excited and MAY accidently push a kid down.  I don't think they would mind  a family with older kids.  How old are your kids?  She is absolutely beautiful isn't she?

6 and 9. Both are boys. My 9 year old has autism though and is very nervous around dogs. He USUALLY is. But he did well around my mom's 6 year old bearded collie (though Sammy annoyed him and he refuses to walk around dogs and won't go forward until the dog moves). I was thinking that if I got a puppy and he could be in the puppy's life everyday, watching the puppy grow into an adult dog, that might lift his fear of having a dog of his own. I'm just afraid with a full grown rescue dog he might get really nervous around the dog and if there's any possible aggressive/anxious behaviors in the dog, my son's anxiety might spark it and the two might not end up being a good mixture, you know?

oh, and my yard is not fenced in. Any dog I get would be an inside dog and I would walk it for potty breaks (or at least take it out on a leash, I will not tie my dog out, ever.).

*edit* oh crap, heh, I forgot to add that I would exercise the dog regularly as I, myself, need daily exercise so puppy dog would go right along with me.

I see.  then you are right about adult rescues and not knowing their pasts.
 
Well, I would look at breeds that are good with kids, that don't need extreme amounts of exercise since you have no fence, and have few health issues.  I think mixes tend to be healthier so what about a mixed puppy (maybe lab/golden) type.   

I own two Boston Terriers.  I always had a large fear of dogs and always considered myself a cat person.  Then I met Penny.  She was my then boyfriend's (now fiance's) dog.  I fell in love and two years later bought Guinness.  Penny was a rescue dog, and I am a big fan of that.  Getting a puppy is like having an infant.  They take a lot of time.  Take a look at the Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue's website http://midwestbtrescue.org/  They have a bunch of dogs in Illinois.

The things that I like best about Bostons are:
- how much they cuddle
- how good they are with children (I have a great pic somewhere of me reading a story to a 18 mo old and Penny both on my lap.)
- they have great facial expression
- they are very smart and very willing to learn
- they are small enough to pick up if (when) they are naughty
- they live long lives (into their teens)
- they are great in colder climates (Illinois for example)

Good luck with your search!