Tips For Training Your Boxer

Although there are many training tips for Boxers, chewing is the most common. Boxer puppies love to chew, and will chew anything they can get (Lucy chewed the bottom cushion of two very expensive wing-backed chairs as a pup-ripped them to shreds as a matter of fact!). Although chew toys are preferred, there is a way that you can help your Boxer fulfill her natural instinct to chew, and help her to ease the pain of teething as well. This is what we did to help out with Lucy's problem...

To start, simply fill an old sock you have with several ice cubes. Next, put a knot in the sock and place the sock with the cubes in the freezer. When your puppy starts to chew on things, simply give her the sock. You can keep several socks with ice in it in your freezer if you want, so your puppy will always have a chew toy. Although this is great to use, you should never leave your dog alone with the sock. She could end up chewing the sock and swallowing pieces of it, which could lead to very serious health problems.

Leashes
During leash training, a lot of people prefer to attach the leash to the Boxer then drag him in the direction they want him to go. This isn’t the best way to train, as it often sends the wrong signal to the puppy. Instead, you should first get your Boxer puppy used to the collar and the leash. You can do this by putting his collar and leash on inside the house or outside in a fenced in area, so that she can walk around and move about freely with the leash on, dragging it alongside her. I actually prefer a harness to a collar, but use what you have available.

Once you have given her some time, pick the leash up, then start calling her to you. Once she comes over to you, start praising her for it, so she knows that she is on the right track. Always be patient when leash training, as it will take some time for her to get used to it. If you continue to praise her when he is doing it right and continue giving her time to get used to the leash, you shouldn’t have any problems.

Digging around
Digging is something that Boxers love, as it is essential to their nature. Digging can be somewhat frustrating if you don’t give your Boxer an area to herself, as she will dig holes in your yard. If you keep your Boxer indoors, she may try to dig in the floor, on the couch, or on the bed. Digging is part of their nature, and you should never punish a Boxer for digging. I think this was also part of Lucy's ordeal with the wing-back chairs!

To help her fill this need, you should give her an area to dig in. You can get her a kiddie pool or sandbox, filling it with either soil or sand. Then, try burying a treat or toy in inside, so your Boxer will dig to get it out. Once she learns this is where she should dig, she will more than likely head to that area when she has the need to dig. Later on, when she becomes a bit older, you should invest in obedience training classes that will help her to get her digging habits under control.

The above tips can help a great deal when training your Boxer puppy. Boxer’s are great dogs, although you’ll need to have a bit of patience with them. I'd actually say that Boxer's require an Alpha type owner. Even though they are very smart dogs, it may take them time to learn. Once they start learning however - they will become an integral part of your family that you couldn’t begin to live without. I just don't know what we would do without our Lucy!