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There are lots of different theories about how to train dogs and I don't claim to be an expert on them. What I do know is that not all methods seem to work well on Boxers and I've seen many keen Boxer handlers put off continuing with obedience because a pedantic trainer applies the same methods to every dog and blames a lack of success on the handler (or worse still, blames it on the dog). So I'm sharing here some of my opinions on Boxers and how to train them.
There is one web site I recommend highly. It has articles that make a lot of sense to me and which don't just follow the latest training fad. I suggest that anyone wanting to understand their dog better and be able to train them in sensible ways read the articles at
Suzanne Clothier's site.
Some excellent training advice from an anonymous author: The best advice ever given a puppy owner is to
take a newspaper, roll it up, secure it tightly, and
leave it on the coffee table. Then, when the puppy
piddles in the house, chews up a slipper, or breaks any
other house rule, you simply take the newspaper and bang
it on the top of your head repeatedly, while reciting
the phrase, "I should have been watching my puppy!" This way of thinking can be extending through into how we respond to our adult dogs' behaviour too.
Things to Try with a Naughty Boxer
My first suggestion - talk to your breeder. If you have purchased your dog from a good breeder they should know a bit about training boxers - afterall they live with them too! Benefit from their experience.
Second suggestion - take your dog to obedience classes - there they will get used to behaving around other dogs and people. This environment will help socialise your dog, so even if the trainers aren't brilliant, you still benefit. However, I'd steer clear of any class where 'force' methods are used. I believe that people use force to teach only when they have no understanding of dog psychology and cannot get a dog to behave by any other means. Forcing a dog to obey a command (eg ramming a dumbbell into their mouth to teach them to retrieve) gets you a reluctant sulking response, I prefer a dog to obey enthusiastically. What's Normal Behaviour for a Boxer?
Well bred, well raised Boxers normally start life pretty well behaved. This is just a ploy to lull you into a false sense of security. As they mature, many go through what I call the 'teenage rebel' stage when they start trying things they know you don't like, seeing how strict you will be and just who is 'top dog' in the house. Admittedly, not all boxers go through this stage, some with a particularly laid back or timid nature might not, others may get the message that you are top dog so clearly they don't try to defy you. However, I consider that a normal Boxer temperament - ie intelligent, inquisitive, confident, playful - leads naturally to some naughty behaviour as the dog matures, and unless you want a robot instead of an amusing character-filled pet, you don't want to squash them to the point where they're too scared to even try to see what they can get away with. How do you Teach a Boxer?
Let's use the example of the dog who runs off to see other dogs and won't come back when called. Dogs learn by experience and association. If every time Fido runs away from you he is rewarded by being able to leap about and play around before you catch him, in his mind, "running off=good result". If you are telling him off once you catch him, he associates the telling off only with the catching, ie "dad catching me=bad result". So you can see that there is little incentive for him to come back when you call. To change this association in his head you will have to set up experiences that teach him a different association. Take Fido places where he can meet other dogs in a controlled situation on leash - eg obedience class. Now teach him some new commands:
(1). Teach Fido a command for 'Leave', if you approach another dog and Fido is not allowed to play, use the command 'leave', and if he does leave the other dog alone, lots of praise. If Fido does not 'leave' the other dogs when you tell him to, he will have trouble understanding just what that command means. Make it easier for him to grasp its meaning by restraining him so he can't disobey the command - hang onto him as you approach another dog, say 'leave', he obeys because he can't get at the other dog, and you praise him so he learns what the command means.
(2). Teach him a command which tells him he can relax & do his own thing like 'Okay' or 'play'. It becomes a kind of release word for Fido that tells him it's now playtime and training is over. If you approach another dog and Fido is allowed to play with it, use the release command and then make sure he has some fun. Use the release command after every training session as Fido's cue that he no longer has to concentrate so hard.
Repeat the 'leave' exercise a few times, relax Fido for a moment or two, then use the 'play' or 'Okay' command. Gradually over time he will learn the difference between the two commands and you can try 'leave' without restraining him. Use praise, food, games to make sure he sees that obeying is fun.
(3). Teach a recall - ie teach him to come when you call him. Don't just use his name, use a command like 'Here' or 'Come'. Once again, you need to teach this in a controlled way- on a long leash - so that you get a perfect result every time because he can't disobey. Once again, make sure the reward he gets teaches him that coming is worthwhile. Do not use this command when he is off-leash for a long time - you need to have it like clockwork before you try off-leash, then only away from distractions. If you ever use the command and he doesn't obey, go right back to primary school and start practicing on a shorter leash again.
Once Fido joyfully obeys 'leave' and 'here', and you can do it off leash reliably, use it at the park, but always only when you really have to. If he disobeys, keep him on a leash until you've practised enough to feel confident that he'll do it off leash again.
How do I teach other commands?
A dog can learn quite a number of words. Choose short simple commands that sound different from each other. Keep commands 'pure' by using them in a consistent way, always praising when the dog obeys, and always re-teaching the command when the dog disobeys.
Don't use one word to mean different things - instead add different commands, eg I use different commands for 'come'. I use 'here' only when I really mean business, so 'here' is the command we practiced for ages on leash to get it perfect. At the park if I don't really care whether the dogs come or not, I might just call their name or say 'come', they know this isn't an 'obedience' command, more just conversational and they come over if they're not busy sniffing something. It's important to make these distinctions - if you are casual in your application of an important command word, then the dog may be casual about it at the very time it counts most - like when they're about to step onto a busy road.
The important thing is to teach a command with lots of repetitions in a controlled set-up, with lots of rewards. Lots & lots of practice, lots & lots of praise, always praise when the dog obeys even when you think they should know that command backwards & forwards - unlike some breeds, Boxers may obey only when it suits them, not just because it pleases you - make it worth their while to obey.
What do I do if my dog disobeys?
If your dog disobeys you, whenever possible take the opportunity to turn it into a learning experience - show them what they should have done - if they have run up to a dog and ignored your commands to 'leave' and 'come', catch them, put them on a leash, say 'leave' and make sure they leave the dog, then praise them, then give your 'play' or release command (if the other owner doesn't mind) and let them play with the dog again, and praise them for it. After the other dog has gone it is important to practice the 'come' command on leash to reinforce what the dog should have done, and praise them.
Keep in mind that if your dog disobeys it can be only one of two reasons - 1. You haven't practised the command often or well enough for the dog to truly understand what you want, or 2. You haven't taught the dog that it's worth his while to obey.
If you have comments on any of my opinions above, please email me and tell me all about it - I'm always keen to learn. If you want advice on how to train your Boxer beyond what I write about here, you're better off going to a local obedience club or trainer. It's not sensible for me to try to answer training problems via email for dogs I haven't seen in person
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