Bad things Max does

[ssmiller]

Max is in to everything! Keep in mind he is only 6 months old and he is with us on the road (we are owner/operators with a big rig) as well as at home:
Chewed both pairs of hubbys perscription glasses, ruined my cell phone, ate a parking ticket that costs us $10, drank Windex (that was a scary time!), chewed up our fuel list, ruined his dog bed by constantly peeing on it (we're trying another one but he has already peed on that one too), digging many LARGE holes in my yard, destroyed almost all of my perennial flowers, chewed many pens, we r still missing 2 rulers, loves anything paper!, into the garbage all the time, terrorizing the cats, eating their toys then later throwing them up, constantly in the litter boxes. He has ruined many jeans, shirts, underwear, bras, pjs, etc. Also peeing on purpose while he is looking right at me!
After the 2nd pair of glasses, hubby told me to put an ad in the paper and get rid of him. I refused, of course, but I am afraid to leave him alone in the house or even the truck, for that matter. Guess I'll have to get the dog crate out at home and try it once and see what happens. But we don't have room in the truck for the crate so we just keep moving things up higher!
But I love him soooo much, I just wish he would settle down!

 

[Barron's mom]

Sounds like a puppy to me!

You are going to have to crate, and puppy-proof your house. If you leave something within reach of your puppy, your puppy will reach for it and chew it in order to satisfy his need to chew. If you see your puppy chewing on something that he is not supposed to be chewing on, remove the object from his mouth; correct him by saying 'no' and immediately give him a nylabone.
You might also want to spray bitter apple on objects that you cannot remove from the room. As for the digging, you are going to have to supervise him in the yard and immediately and verbally correct him. It takes time and patience, but they are well worth it!:D Good luck!

 

[rog1006]

Sorry to say, but that's a Boxer Puppy for ya and he WON'T really settle for quite some time, so you're going to have to teach him how to be a good boy.
He doesn't know what he can and can't chew if everything is in his reach to munch on! Crate while you're gone UNTIL he understands that he can't destroy everything--may take a WHILE but be consistent.

In the truck---how does he get into everything? I guess I don't understand the set up...do you leave him in the truck by himself? Do you have a seat belt that you can use for him? They have them so they hook right into the belt and it clicks into the collar and around them to keep them in the seat so they don't get hurt or cause danger on the road.

You should do a search on dog training and get a few books to give you and your husband the tools to help make him a wonderful boxer baby!

Good Luck!
Christine

 

[Tulsa-Dan]

Trying a crate "once" isn't going to solve your problems. Training, even crate training, takes time and patience and persistence. Trying something once and if it doesn't work abandoning it is no way to train a dog.

My question is, if you are on the road all the time and the dog stays at home (unsupervised) why in the world did you get a dog in the first place? If you are at home when the dog is being so destructive, why are you not supervising the dog, training the dog, giving the dog acceptable alternate behaviors to destroying things? Where are you when he's chasing cats, destroying glasses, shoes, jeans, etc.? Why aren't you there?

If you travel with the dog, then the dog needs to be trained for that type of life. Additionally, if he's id cooped up in a big rig for 10 to 12 hours, how much exercise do you give him? I'm sure it probably isn't nearly enough. So then, what do you expect the dog to do with all of his energy. He's a puppy so he doesn't know what else to do with it all unless he is properly guided and given time and instruction as to what IS acceptable and what isn't.

Stop blaming your dog for your lack of responsibility. If you cannot handle the responsibilities of a dog with your particular lifestyle, then find that dog a proper home with people who are better equipped to handle it. Or, call your local boxer rescue and let them help find the dog a better home.

 

[Zannie]

i agree with dan my husband is a owner operator too i do notdrive with him if i did we would not have a dog ,a boxer in a semi for
hours on end is to much i can't amagine madie or scout going with him i mean he gets tierd and bored in the truck i can see why your dog is having these problems ....

ann

 

[JillE24]

Definately a boxer puppy! But I do agree with Dan, you have to supervise them all the time. We never let Laila out of our sight or she would be into everything. She loves the trash, especially tissues, so we keep the bathroom door shut. We are constantly taking things out of her mouth that don't belong there - especially when she thinks we're not paying attention to her (like when we're eating dinner). I can't imagine what she would be into if we didn't watch her - but because we do, she hasn't destroyed anything.

I would also listen to these recommendations & try to puppy proof your house & car.

Good luck.

Jill

 

[ssmiller]

1st lets clear up a few things, this is NOT our first boxer. The first, Mik, went to the rainbow bridge Feb 2003 and we got him at 7 weeks old so I am well aware of how boxers are. Max is with us almost all the time when we are on the road, he is only alone in the truck when we stop to eat or shower (no dogs allowed). He is NOT cooped up for 10-12 hours at a time. We stop every 4-5 hours to stretch, go to the bathroom and to let Max out for potty time and a run. And then there is the down time when we are waiting to be loaded or unloaded that I am with him outside playing. He does get plenty of exercise. And we have puppy proofed the truck and the house as best we can.
Regarding the crate, I didn't mean to imply that I would only be doing it once! We crate trained our last boxer and we will do the same for Max.
While we are at home, we have 2 or 3 weeks of stuff to do around the house and I can't possibly watch him every single second. He has a nice sized fenced in yard to play in at home and he seems to enjoy being out there (weather permitting). We do NOT keep him outside all the time!
All has been forgiven regarding the glasses. They are still under warranty and can be replaced for $19.95.
We realize that Max is just a puppy and he will get into things. We love him and take care of him just as any good mom and dad would. I just wanted to share with others some of the things Max gets into. Not to be reprimanded by some that don't know the whole story.

 

[Lillum]

Hi, I have a boxer called Max also. He is doing so many of the things you describe. Anything he can get a hold of he wants to chew on them. He is so lovable and so good otherwise. But I don't trust him in the house without putting him in his 42" crate we bought just after we got him at the age of 6 weeks. I knew he would grow into it. He never minds going into the crate. Bedtime he goes right in and if we are gone for a few hours he is very good in the crate.

You try to watch them carefully in the house. I have blocked off all the rooms that we aren't in so that we can keep an eye on him or else he would be in the bedroom dragging any shoes etc he could find to munch on. We got him all sorts of toy chew things including baby teething type things, nylabones, etc. But he tires of them and keeps looking for other things, like the legs on my tables or the arms of my chairs. I will have to get some of the bitter Apple and apply on those things. I am hoping that they eventually grow out of this stage. He turned 6 months at Christmas time. So am wondering when they grow out of what I am considering the terrible 2 yr olds like children.

 

[mom2Lola]

I know exactley how you feel!!!


Our Lola just turned a year on the 16th of December, but boy she is a handfull at times! She loves to get in the trash, so we got a trashcan in the kitchen that has a lid, well like the smart dog she is, she learned to open the lid!! So now everytime she gets near it we tell her NO, and she is starting to learn that is off limits, but every now and then she will go by and it is almost like she looks at us to see if we are watching her and if we act like we aren't she takes her nose and opens the lid! To me it is kinda funny, but I know there are things that can hurt her too!:D



I hope you have better luck with your pup, I know in time he will out grow his mischief, just make sure you are firm with him and he will know who "boss" is!!

 

[Lillum]

Hi Mom to Lola, Wow your little gal is a yr old and she is still having the getting into things problem. I was hoping by that time that Max would be a over that problem. I know how clever they can be and when you scold, they give you that adorable innocent look that makes you melt, with the mouth set so that one tooth shows on the side of his lip.

After reading these comments, it seems that mine isn't the only one with this behavioral problem, seems to be their nature. I also worry about him getting into things that can hurt him, like if he gets a hold of a pillow with foam in it that he can chew apart. Definitely have to keep an eye on them all the time.

But he has given us so much enjoyment and pleasure and I guess that outweighs the mischeif he gets into.