How to Break a Boxer's Bad Habits
Start training as early as possible., Begin with basic command words., Practice the sit command., Train your dog to come., Teach your dog to heel., Be consistent about rules., Use discipline only the exact moment you catch your dog doing something...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start training as early as possible.
If you’ve just acquired a Boxer puppy, begin training immediately.
Start practicing command words, such as sit and stay, and get your puppy on a set eating and bathroom routine.
Socialize your puppy early by exposing it to other dogs, children, and crowds of people.
Let it get used to being around different sights and sounds by taking various routes when you walk it.
Keep training sessions short and try to make them fun when you’re just starting to train a puppy.
Adult dogs are more difficult to train than puppies.
It’ll take more persistence and time, but start training your new adult dog as soon as you bring him home. -
Step 2: Begin with basic command words.
Whether you’re training a puppy or adult dog, you should start with basic commands, such as sit, come, and heel.
Break up treats into small pieces to use as rewards.
Say the command word, and reward your dog immediately when it follows the command.
You’ll have to repeat the process around twenty times when you’re training your dog so the behavior becomes automatic.Training your dog is an important step in breaking bad habits.
You have to show your dog that you are the alpha in order to stop it from marking its territory, begging food or stealing scraps, being aggressive, or engaging in other bad behavior. , To make your dog sit, hold a treat in your hand while standing in front of him.
Then, use the treat as a lure to get your dog to sit down.
Move the treat over your dog's head in an arc so that he will naturally sit down to keep following the treat with his eyes.
As your dog's butt hits the ground, say "sit" to mark the behavior.
Make sure that you reward your dog with the treat right after he sits as well.
If your dog doesn’t naturally sit, you can place gentle pressure on his bottom to guide him into a seated position.Repeat the process for a few minutes every day and then start to phase out the treat.
For example, you might just raise your empty hand in an arc to get your dog to sit, and then reward him with some praise and a belly rub. , Teach your dog to come by holding position five steps away from it, saying “Come,” and holding a treat out in your hand.
When it comes to you, give it the treat and use happy expressions and words to offer positive reinforcement.
Repeat the process twenty times, and gradually step back to farther distances., When you walk your dog, make sure it walks beside or slightly behind you.
Your dog should not pull the leash or walk uncontrollably in front of you.
Say “Heel” when the dog is right beside you as you walk, and give it a treat if it stays there.If it rushes out in front of you, stop walking and wait a minute to reset the routine.
Make sure to offer other forms of positive reinforcement when your dog walks beside you.
Say, “Good heel! Good job!” and offer happy expressions. , If you want to break your Boxer’s bad habits, you need to be consistent about the rules you enforce.
For example, if your dog has a problem with chewing, don’t offer it an old shoe or sock and expect it not to go after a newer article of your clothing.
Your dog won’t know the difference between old and new shoes.If you don’t want it to beg for table scraps, never offer it human food, and tell your guests not to offer it any food.
In general, never be soft on any of your rules, and don’t make any exceptions.
It will just confuse your dog. , If you come home and find your Boxer went to the bathroom inside or chewed something, don’t yell or discipline it.
You’ll only confuse your dog, and it won’t know exactly why you’re yelling.If your dog got into the trash or went to the bathroom inside hours before you discipline it, it won’t be able to make the connection between the bad behavior and your response.
Alternatively, if you see your dog doing something it’s not supposed to, say “Hey!” in an authoritative voice to get its attention, and interrupt it from doing whatever it’s doing. -
Step 3: Practice the sit command.
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Step 4: Train your dog to come.
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Step 5: Teach your dog to heel.
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Step 6: Be consistent about rules.
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Step 7: Use discipline only the exact moment you catch your dog doing something wrong.
Detailed Guide
If you’ve just acquired a Boxer puppy, begin training immediately.
Start practicing command words, such as sit and stay, and get your puppy on a set eating and bathroom routine.
Socialize your puppy early by exposing it to other dogs, children, and crowds of people.
Let it get used to being around different sights and sounds by taking various routes when you walk it.
Keep training sessions short and try to make them fun when you’re just starting to train a puppy.
Adult dogs are more difficult to train than puppies.
It’ll take more persistence and time, but start training your new adult dog as soon as you bring him home.
Whether you’re training a puppy or adult dog, you should start with basic commands, such as sit, come, and heel.
Break up treats into small pieces to use as rewards.
Say the command word, and reward your dog immediately when it follows the command.
You’ll have to repeat the process around twenty times when you’re training your dog so the behavior becomes automatic.Training your dog is an important step in breaking bad habits.
You have to show your dog that you are the alpha in order to stop it from marking its territory, begging food or stealing scraps, being aggressive, or engaging in other bad behavior. , To make your dog sit, hold a treat in your hand while standing in front of him.
Then, use the treat as a lure to get your dog to sit down.
Move the treat over your dog's head in an arc so that he will naturally sit down to keep following the treat with his eyes.
As your dog's butt hits the ground, say "sit" to mark the behavior.
Make sure that you reward your dog with the treat right after he sits as well.
If your dog doesn’t naturally sit, you can place gentle pressure on his bottom to guide him into a seated position.Repeat the process for a few minutes every day and then start to phase out the treat.
For example, you might just raise your empty hand in an arc to get your dog to sit, and then reward him with some praise and a belly rub. , Teach your dog to come by holding position five steps away from it, saying “Come,” and holding a treat out in your hand.
When it comes to you, give it the treat and use happy expressions and words to offer positive reinforcement.
Repeat the process twenty times, and gradually step back to farther distances., When you walk your dog, make sure it walks beside or slightly behind you.
Your dog should not pull the leash or walk uncontrollably in front of you.
Say “Heel” when the dog is right beside you as you walk, and give it a treat if it stays there.If it rushes out in front of you, stop walking and wait a minute to reset the routine.
Make sure to offer other forms of positive reinforcement when your dog walks beside you.
Say, “Good heel! Good job!” and offer happy expressions. , If you want to break your Boxer’s bad habits, you need to be consistent about the rules you enforce.
For example, if your dog has a problem with chewing, don’t offer it an old shoe or sock and expect it not to go after a newer article of your clothing.
Your dog won’t know the difference between old and new shoes.If you don’t want it to beg for table scraps, never offer it human food, and tell your guests not to offer it any food.
In general, never be soft on any of your rules, and don’t make any exceptions.
It will just confuse your dog. , If you come home and find your Boxer went to the bathroom inside or chewed something, don’t yell or discipline it.
You’ll only confuse your dog, and it won’t know exactly why you’re yelling.If your dog got into the trash or went to the bathroom inside hours before you discipline it, it won’t be able to make the connection between the bad behavior and your response.
Alternatively, if you see your dog doing something it’s not supposed to, say “Hey!” in an authoritative voice to get its attention, and interrupt it from doing whatever it’s doing.
About the Author
Eugene King
Eugene King has dedicated 9 years to mastering education and learning. As a content creator, Eugene focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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