Popular breeds always suffer from poor breeding practices due to ignorant and irresponsible breeders.
In responsible breeding, dogs from the same bloodline are never mated, and ethical breeders devoted to the positive development and health of their chosen type of dog will never, ever breed dogs with avoidable temperament or health disorders.
Unfortunately, many amateur breeders in the United States and across the world attempt to cash in on the popularity of certain breeds and will produce lots and lots of puppies birthed to unsuitable sires and mares, often times mating within the same bloodline.
This prolongs and accentuates various issues within the breed, and inbreeding will compound that.
Sadly, the Boston Terrier is included as a "pet shop breed" and is often mated unethically to make a quick buck.
Boston Terriers, while most are sweet as pie and easily pick up basic obedience, can end up being a little unpredictable, even leading to some aggression.
This is often caused by the aforementioned irresponsible breeding practices, but can also be the fault of an owner who has not bothered to train his or her dog correctly.
Boston Terriers are a very excitable and rambunctious breed; these traits, coupled with a lack of obedience training, can make for a very difficult to handle dog.
In terms of health problems, Boston Terriers did not have the luck of the draw.
They are in a group of Brachycephalic breeds (which means they have short heads and noses) that has a number of respiratory issues due to an elongated soft palate and shortened airways.
These disadvantages lead to snoring, snorting, wheezing, and reverse sneezing.
While some owners grow to love these sounds and find them charming, they can often be indicative of a far greater problem, such as narrowed nostrils or tracheal collapse, both of which require corrective surgery.
The Boston Terrier is also prone to drooling and gassiness, which can be inconvenient for the owner that does not expect it.
Feeding a higher quality of food, either store-bought or homemade, can help downplay this issue.
All in all, the Boston Terrier is a wonderful pet, but it can require a big financial commitment to keep it in the best of health.
Though the despicable practices of some breeders are hard to pinpoint when you are looking at a new puppy, there are a few steps you can take to assure you will have to deal with as few of these temperament and health issues as possible.
First of all, and most important, never purchase a pet from a pet store.
Most pet stores are supplied by puppy mills.
Puppy mills are the champions of inbreeding and irresponsible mating.
There is no guarantee that your pup will even be a purebred Boston Terrier, but it is very likely that he will have several health problems down the road.
The second step is to find a reputable breeder and do your research.
Call owners of puppies that the breeder's dogs have sired and get reliable references.
If you put in a little legwork, you can assure yourself that you will have a much healthier and happier pup to share your life with.