How to Train a Boxer Puppy
Begin training early., Focus on rewards-based training., Use food rewards., Start with basic commands., Mix up the reward-giving., Expand the training., Enroll your puppy in an accredited obedience program.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Begin training early.
Boxer dogs are highly energetic but also intelligent animals.
They will learn through through repetition, so it's important you begin issuing clear commands and cues early on, even when they're puppies.For young puppies (8 to12 weeks old), keep training sessions short but fun.
For example, when you bring your new puppy home, take him to the toilet spot in the garden and praise him when he uses it.
It will be a coincidence at first, but it's never too young to tell him "Toilet time" when he happens to squat.
Then lavish lots of praise on him.This will help your dog learn to connect that behavior with praise from the get-go and make him more likely to repeat it.You can also start with simple commands such as "Sit".
With a young pup, the training is a simple as spotting he's about to sit anyway, and when his hind leg hits the ground, saying "Sit" and making a bit of a fuss of him.
He'll be perplexed at first, but soon he'll realize the link between the word and the action. -
Step 2: Focus on rewards-based training.
This method works by rewarding good behavior, while ignoring the bad.
This capitalizes on the idea of using what motivates a Boxer puppy to train him: rewards of food and attention/affection.
The idea is that the Boxer works hard to repeat the behavior which earned him a treat or a fuss.
The unwanted behavior was ignored by you, the trainer, and in your dog's mind does not benefit him at all, is a waste of energy, and therefore is not worth repeating.
Because Boxers like food and attention, this is best way to train them.Punishment is not a part of this training technique.
Never beat your dog.
Beating or hitting dogs when they behave undesirably is not a useful training measure.
Instead of learning from the punishment, your dog will instead become fearful of you, which ultimately defeats the training process since that is not the desired result.
In the end, rewarding good behavior is more useful and constructive for training purposes than punishing bad behavior. , Appeal to your Boxer puppy's belly.
Boxers are very food-oriented and motivated.
Reward desirable behavior with food and you’re likely to get a repeat of that good behavior.
Food treats should be small, such as Mini Zukes, Charlie Bears, Bil Jac or freeze dried liver.
Many dogs will even work for their regular dog kibble.
Think about the giving of treats as a reward for the behavior you wish to encourage only as a starting measure.
Treats should soon be replaced with praise as the reward, otherwise the dog may become overweight or even obese.Alternatively, you could also weigh out your dog's daily food allowance out and then set aside a small amount of the daily total for use as treats.
This helps prevent your Boxer from putting on weight with all the training you are doing., Aim to give a command, and then give a reward immediately the action is carried out.
This strengthens the link in the dog's mind between action and reward.
Start with a basic command, such as "Sit," and work on that until your dog has it mastered.Grab a treat and let the puppy sniff the treat in your hand so he knows it's there.
Then hold the treat just above the pup's eye level, over the head, so he has to look up to keep it in view.
Once he is looking for the treat, draw an arc over her head so that when he looks up to follow, his bottom naturally sinks down.
As soon as he starts sitting, say give the command "Sit" and give the treat.
Work up to other commands or tricks, such as "Lie down" and "Paw" (where he extends his paw to you.
Rewards-based training is the best method to get your dog to understand and follow all kinds of commands and cues. , Once your dog is regularly repeating an action after he is issued a command, make the treat giving less predictable.
Mix things up a little.
Typically, a dog that gets a reward every time gets sloppy because the treats are too easy to come by.
By skipping a reward, it sharpens up your dog's thinking and makes him wonder if he didn't sit fast enough or well enough.
He will therefore work harder to please you.
Eventually you will reward every fourth or fifth command, so that he remains focused on earning a treat but without getting discouraged that they are too hard to earn., Test your Boxer pup in different situations and add distractions.
Once you have established basic commands (e.g. "Sit" and "Stay") in the quiet of your own yard, practice with distractions so the dog knows he must respond and learns to focus on you no matter what the distractions.
Add noise, or another trainer, or even another animal.
When you dog gets distracted and has troubling focusing, you need to temporarily interrupt his stream of thought by talking to or commanding him or by an action (such as stomping your foot).Develop distraction techniques with treats in low distraction settings and at home.
Always follow through with praise and treats.
As you get more confident on your dog's ability to stay in control, increase the level of difficulty by walking around the block or near a dog park to work on his skills.
Work up to busier areas once your puppy is consistently responding to commands like “leave it” or “watch me”.
Work up slowly to added distraction and you will both gain confidence in your dog's ability to handle a crowd.
This is key to creating a well-mannered dog that behaves well in situations where there are other people and animals. , Local shelters, pet stores, and other organizations offer training programs at low cost.
Consider visiting one of the classes prior to enrolling to make sure that you agree with the type of training presented.
You may also want to consider getting a professional trainer.
A professional dog trainer, such as one from the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), is very knowledgeable about dogs and can help you learn basic handling skills.
Overall, though it is an added expense, having professional training assistance is beneficial in the long run because it will help you and your energetic dog communicate effectively.An important part of training is helping your Boxer to behave around other dogs, so try and attend a puppy class.
Many veterinary clinics hold puppy classes, which are ideal for Boxers who need early socialization.
All the attendees have received their first vaccination and are only allowed to attend if they are healthy.
The benefit to the puppy is learning confidence and social skills around other young dogs. -
Step 3: Use food rewards.
-
Step 4: Start with basic commands.
-
Step 5: Mix up the reward-giving.
-
Step 6: Expand the training.
-
Step 7: Enroll your puppy in an accredited obedience program.
Detailed Guide
Boxer dogs are highly energetic but also intelligent animals.
They will learn through through repetition, so it's important you begin issuing clear commands and cues early on, even when they're puppies.For young puppies (8 to12 weeks old), keep training sessions short but fun.
For example, when you bring your new puppy home, take him to the toilet spot in the garden and praise him when he uses it.
It will be a coincidence at first, but it's never too young to tell him "Toilet time" when he happens to squat.
Then lavish lots of praise on him.This will help your dog learn to connect that behavior with praise from the get-go and make him more likely to repeat it.You can also start with simple commands such as "Sit".
With a young pup, the training is a simple as spotting he's about to sit anyway, and when his hind leg hits the ground, saying "Sit" and making a bit of a fuss of him.
He'll be perplexed at first, but soon he'll realize the link between the word and the action.
This method works by rewarding good behavior, while ignoring the bad.
This capitalizes on the idea of using what motivates a Boxer puppy to train him: rewards of food and attention/affection.
The idea is that the Boxer works hard to repeat the behavior which earned him a treat or a fuss.
The unwanted behavior was ignored by you, the trainer, and in your dog's mind does not benefit him at all, is a waste of energy, and therefore is not worth repeating.
Because Boxers like food and attention, this is best way to train them.Punishment is not a part of this training technique.
Never beat your dog.
Beating or hitting dogs when they behave undesirably is not a useful training measure.
Instead of learning from the punishment, your dog will instead become fearful of you, which ultimately defeats the training process since that is not the desired result.
In the end, rewarding good behavior is more useful and constructive for training purposes than punishing bad behavior. , Appeal to your Boxer puppy's belly.
Boxers are very food-oriented and motivated.
Reward desirable behavior with food and you’re likely to get a repeat of that good behavior.
Food treats should be small, such as Mini Zukes, Charlie Bears, Bil Jac or freeze dried liver.
Many dogs will even work for their regular dog kibble.
Think about the giving of treats as a reward for the behavior you wish to encourage only as a starting measure.
Treats should soon be replaced with praise as the reward, otherwise the dog may become overweight or even obese.Alternatively, you could also weigh out your dog's daily food allowance out and then set aside a small amount of the daily total for use as treats.
This helps prevent your Boxer from putting on weight with all the training you are doing., Aim to give a command, and then give a reward immediately the action is carried out.
This strengthens the link in the dog's mind between action and reward.
Start with a basic command, such as "Sit," and work on that until your dog has it mastered.Grab a treat and let the puppy sniff the treat in your hand so he knows it's there.
Then hold the treat just above the pup's eye level, over the head, so he has to look up to keep it in view.
Once he is looking for the treat, draw an arc over her head so that when he looks up to follow, his bottom naturally sinks down.
As soon as he starts sitting, say give the command "Sit" and give the treat.
Work up to other commands or tricks, such as "Lie down" and "Paw" (where he extends his paw to you.
Rewards-based training is the best method to get your dog to understand and follow all kinds of commands and cues. , Once your dog is regularly repeating an action after he is issued a command, make the treat giving less predictable.
Mix things up a little.
Typically, a dog that gets a reward every time gets sloppy because the treats are too easy to come by.
By skipping a reward, it sharpens up your dog's thinking and makes him wonder if he didn't sit fast enough or well enough.
He will therefore work harder to please you.
Eventually you will reward every fourth or fifth command, so that he remains focused on earning a treat but without getting discouraged that they are too hard to earn., Test your Boxer pup in different situations and add distractions.
Once you have established basic commands (e.g. "Sit" and "Stay") in the quiet of your own yard, practice with distractions so the dog knows he must respond and learns to focus on you no matter what the distractions.
Add noise, or another trainer, or even another animal.
When you dog gets distracted and has troubling focusing, you need to temporarily interrupt his stream of thought by talking to or commanding him or by an action (such as stomping your foot).Develop distraction techniques with treats in low distraction settings and at home.
Always follow through with praise and treats.
As you get more confident on your dog's ability to stay in control, increase the level of difficulty by walking around the block or near a dog park to work on his skills.
Work up to busier areas once your puppy is consistently responding to commands like “leave it” or “watch me”.
Work up slowly to added distraction and you will both gain confidence in your dog's ability to handle a crowd.
This is key to creating a well-mannered dog that behaves well in situations where there are other people and animals. , Local shelters, pet stores, and other organizations offer training programs at low cost.
Consider visiting one of the classes prior to enrolling to make sure that you agree with the type of training presented.
You may also want to consider getting a professional trainer.
A professional dog trainer, such as one from the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), is very knowledgeable about dogs and can help you learn basic handling skills.
Overall, though it is an added expense, having professional training assistance is beneficial in the long run because it will help you and your energetic dog communicate effectively.An important part of training is helping your Boxer to behave around other dogs, so try and attend a puppy class.
Many veterinary clinics hold puppy classes, which are ideal for Boxers who need early socialization.
All the attendees have received their first vaccination and are only allowed to attend if they are healthy.
The benefit to the puppy is learning confidence and social skills around other young dogs.
About the Author
Stephanie Lee
Committed to making DIY projects accessible and understandable for everyone.
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