When Do Boston Terriers Calm Down? [What Can You Do To Help?]

Boston Terriers are great fun… to begin with. Lively and affectionate; and so very cute as a young puppy. But as the initial excitement starts to wear off, and the reality of looking after an energetic dog starts to take hold, it’s only natural to question when they will start to calm down. Besides, we need a rest – don’t we!

So, when do Boston Terriers calm down? Boston terriers will lose their “puppy energy” between five to eight months of age, although will properly begin to calm down after a year or two of ownership, sufficient training, and constructive outlets for their energy (both physically and mentally).

Even when a Boston Terrier “calms down,” it tends to stay pretty hyper in comparison to other dogs.

These are certainly no slouches.

While every dog is an individual with its own distinct personality, there are some pets expected to stir up a little more energy than others.

The Boston Terrier is certainly one of them.

They are a ‘terrier’, after all.

Of course, a lot of energy is to be expected in any young pup. And it’s definitely fun, to begin with.

But for a dog that can be quite a handful, it’s good to know that it should not continue forever. So long as you take the appropriate action and raise them properly along the way.

Let us now take a closer look at why this particular breed generally has a lot of energy.

We will then be looking at how and when they calm down, why you would want to commit to the process and how to effectively do so.

So if you are at your wits’ end, its probably best that you stick around for a bit longer.

Why Do Boston Terriers Have So Much Energy?

The main reason why Boston Terriers have a lot of energy is due to their genetics. It’s a breed trait and something that has been passed down through generations.

And despite popular opinion, Boston Terriers are considered “medium energy” dogs.

When you ask Boston Terriers owners what they think, many of them report that their little bundles of joy are pretty hyper.

The thing is, they have a very unique way of being hyper.

Boston Terriers love their extremes and hardly find any compromise.

One moment, your dog will be lounging around snoring for hours, content doing absolutely nothing.

Seconds later, they’ll be running around violently experiences an episode of “zoomies.”

While it might seem a little intense and weird, this is just how Boston Terriers are.

While personality factors surely play a role in energy levels, there are biological factors to take into consideration as well.

A dog’s temperament, although not guaranteed, is highly correlated with its breed.

Breeds all share a certain ancestry with each other. Personalities are actually highly inheritable, just like fur color or size.

After all the years of breeders trying to “master” and “create” Boston Terriers, somewhere along the line, this inclination for energetic bursts was preserved.

While they’ll always fall on this level compared to other breeds, it is important to remember that these levels won’t be the same during their entire lives.

Like all other dogs, energy levels tend to change a lot over the course of their life. And as situations, contexts, and environments change.

Do Boston Terriers Calm Down With Age?

Boston Terriers are known to calm down with age, although it does take them a little while to get there. And their energy does need to be effectively managed and put to use.

Like other dogs, Boston Terriers will experience specific trends throughout their lives in terms of their energy levels.

In their infancy, puppies actually do not have a lot of energy. Although they have this reputation for being super peppy and full of energy, newborn puppies sleep their days away.

On average, a puppy will sleep about 14 hours a day, more than half of the day!

They also don’t have the physical capabilities to really be hyper yet. Once they reach a few weeks old, that will all change.

Young puppies will really get a lot of energy and do not know how to properly channel it.

They are excited to explore their new world and play with anything they can get their paws on.

Part of this heightened level of energy is that they are puppies with a lot to spare.

Think about how active a human toddler can be – and it all makes sense.

While they tend not to act so hyper after a couple of months, there are a few more different things coming into play.

A lot of this has to do with general conditioning and experience.

What Age Does A Boston Terrier Calm Down?

Boston Terriers begin to calm down around eight months of age. Part of this is due to the fact that their heightened levels of puppy energy begin to curve.

A lot of this has to do with the fact that they are merely being trained.

A newborn puppy has no concept of what is acceptable or not. They are essentially doing everything for the first time.

As they live with you more and more and they start to gain an understanding of the different things they are allowed to do, they’ll change their behavior accordingly.

They know they can’t simply run and crash into anything whenever they feel like it.

Partially, this is because of the fact you train them a bit. On the other hand, this is because they learn that running headfirst into walls is a painful experience they should avoid.

Their energy levels will plateau a bit for a while after this.

Now you will start to see the stark dichotomy between energy zooming and being a couch potato.

As they get older, their energy levels are expected to plummet quite a bit.

As the dogs get older and a little more elderly, they will not have nearly as much energy as they used to.

Normally, they reach this point by the time they are nine or ten.

Of course, you will always have those exceptions who get lazy earlier or simply have the soul and spirit of a puppy.   

Remember that expectations for mixed breeds are a bit unpredictable, especially when the parents have “conflicting” qualities.

Taking a super hyper dog and a super relaxed dog doesn’t exactly create something “in the middle.” It’s best to be prepared for the worse care scenario.  

Why You Will Want To Help Your Boston Terrier Calm Down

While hyper puppies are certainly adorable and cute, there are many reasons why you would want to actively help to calm your dog.

Its easy to just try to live with your dogs high energy.

Sometimes its been going on for so long that you learn toe expect it, or put up with it.

However, there are many personal and practical reasons you may want your dog to calm down a bit.

You also owe it to yourselves, your dog and other people to help them calm down.

Here are some potential reasons to not simply accept lively behavior:

Damage

Boston Terriers are pretty tiny, but they can do a lot of damage when they are hurling around the room at differing speeds and crashing into everyone and everything.

While typically seen as a good puppy for an apartment, many small living spaces are not equipped to deal with the passion of a Boston Terrier.

When a dog gets energetic, they will often lose control over their inhibitions.

Before you know it, things are broken. Things need fixing.

This can become incredibly costly or even dangerous. You don’t want to worry about having shattered glass all over the home of a hyper dog, for instance.

Respect The Neighbors

Depending on where you live, you may have neighbors that you need to consider.

Dogs endlessly running around in circles tend to make a lot of noise that can disrupt your neighbors and cause a lot of obnoxious noise.

Even if you aren’t concerned with your neighbors reporting you or your rental location kicking you out – it is a nice idea to keep things peaceful for your neighbors.

Peace

In general, peace is incredibly important for both dog and owner alike.

Zoomies are tolerable enough during the day, and on occasion, but you don’t want this happening late at night when people are trying to sleep.

Or when you are busy doing other important things, like working or concentrating.

How Do I Get My Boston Terrier Puppy To Calm Down?

No matter your reason for wanting your Boston Terrier to calm down, there are a few essential strategies you can use to get your dog to calm down a little bit.

If you are having issues with keeping your Boston Terrier under control, here are some simple tricks you can try:

Sufficient Exercise

When your dog is too energetic, your current walks may not be enough.

If you are afforded a yard where your Boston Terrier can feel free to explore at their own leisure and keep running until they are tired – that’s great.

If you don’t have your own personal yard, there is always the option to take your dog to a size-appropriate dog park.

If you need to take your puppy out on walks around the neighborhood, consider doing so more strategically.

For instance, when they are more lively, or at times when they are most likely to get bored.

Just remember, a young puppy should not be over exercised, but you can build up the time slowly.

A general rule of thumb is 5 minutes per month of age.

So by the time they are 6 months of age, they should be able to walk for 30 minutes.

By the time they are adults, Boston Terriers will need up to an hour of exercise per day.

Its quite a lot.

But if you break it up, or provide it through play and walking, it’s easier to achieve. This leads us on to the Next point.

Schedule Playtime

Exercise is not just for the outdoors.

There are many ways to keep your dogs entertained right in their own home.

It’s nice to have some playtime for your dog, and scheduling it makes your life a lot easier.

While some bursts of zoomies are unpredictable, there are many different things you can do in your home to entertain your pooch.

Try playing a nice game of fetch or tug of war.

Set aside a certain amount of time every single day so that your dog will play with you.

You really need to make it around the same time every day.

While a dog can’t read a watch, they do have a bit of an internal clock that they can follow. They’ll subconsciously learn to save their bouts of energy for these designated times.

Consider Professional Training

Sometimes, it helps to bring in the professionals.

If you are having issues with training your dog, consider bringing in an expert who has experience with this particular breed, or problematic dogs in general.

There is no shame here.

And they have various techniques and approaches you may not have used or considered.

Sometimes, training in a different setting or context can make all the difference, too.

Just consider, professionals have a lot more experience training rowdy dogs, and they will know how to effectively get a dog to burn through any pent up energy.

They can even offer you some professional advice for you to take on, long-term.

Keep Their Stimulation Up

When you aren’t around, your Boston Terrier will need something to do.

It is very common that a dog will save all of its energy for the exact moment you get home.

They are excited to see you – and many people fail to realize that dogs get bored too.

Dogs need to have some toys that they can play with at all hours of the day so that they can entertain themselves in some manner or another.

Keeping your dog sufficiently mentally simulated is a very effective strategy.

Sometimes, having another dog in the house helps.

Set A Good Example

Lastly, it seems a little weird, but dogs are inspired by you.

There is a lot of truth in the saying that pets take after their owners.

If you exhibit lots of built-up energy- your dog will likely reflect this. It is good for everyone if you learn how to get your stress and frustration under control.

Finally

Boston Terriers make excellent pets, but they are certainly a challenge and a handful.

In the beginning, its more than fun, but in time it can start to get you down.

Thankfully, there are many different thing that you can do to curb their energy, and to put it to use elsewhere.

In time, and with sufficient training, you should find their energy naturally comes down anyway.

So all in all, don’t be put off by the potentially energetic nature of Boston Terriers.

Enjoy the energy for what is is where you can and from there, do all you can to raise and keep a more even-tempered dog.

Other Boston Terrier guides you may want to see:

• Best Dog Crate For Boston Terrier