George & Charmin
Boxer Pal
I posted this complaint in the training forum, but if anyone here can help too, please let me know. Here goes.....I hope no one takes offense to this post. I realize everyone here loves their dog(s), and i'm sure you all have perfectly loving and wonderful "furbabies". I once was optomistic, anxious, and rather happy about bringing our boxer into our home as a part of our family. Xaiver came home aprox. the 1st week in Nov. We routinely went to the breeders home to visit and give him toys prior to the homecoming so that he would be adjusted or at least comfortable around us before being separated from his littermates and mommy. We interviewed countless Vets until we found one that was perfect for our new baby. To make a long story short, we looked forward to having him love us and our 2 babies ( 6 & 2 yrs old). it was suppose to be wonderful! I joined this site before he even came to live us b/c i wanted to research the breed and make sure we weren't jumping in head first. however, our little darling is now 9 1/2 wks old, weighs aprox.15 lbs and is a horror to have in the house. My husband( who never had a pet as a child) is in total denial about how Xaiver is wreaking havoc in the house. For starters, he bites everyone. We were told this was because of puppy 'teething'. I didn't believe it but i accepted it.... Until now Because he tries to bite if you attempt to put him in his kennel! We were advised to buy a prong collar for training, until he's 10 wks and is able to have formal training. It doesn't work.! He still tries to bite. He jumps on my children after being told not to. even though his is playing with them, it is not something either of them likes! He barks at us, he tears up everything he can get his hands on, he attempts to eat out of the trash can (even though he eats more than enough) he digs holes in the backyard, and he still pees in the house. I hate to crate him, but he's so out of control that i put him there as a form of time out. Last night, i thought about all the time i had to put him there over the course of the day and it made me cry. I don't want to alienate him from us, but GOSH, it's easier for him to be there than to be out wreaking havoc on everyone. We need help or Xaiver is going to have to leave our home. We love him, but we also have kids who are very young and i don't want their concept of pets ruined by his outrageous behavior. I am open to all suggestions. We did months of research before we decided on this breed. the reason we choose boxers is b/c of the "supposed" love for family and KIDS! HELP....
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malinda
Boxer Buddy
Posts: 256
From: USA
Registered: Aug 2000
posted 12-20-2000 12:47 AM
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I feel your frustration and don't give up. Megan was what I would have referred to as a terror for the first month. Never having had a dog when I was growing up I often had moments when I thought I was way over my head. She cried for days, chewed on everything and did a lot of jumping.
Part of the key is patience, persistence and practice. When Megan bit me, when she was playing I held her mouth shut and said "no biting mama". When she jumps and she still does at 7 months old, I tell her "no jumping".
My husband had a hard time with the digging aspect and to this day I laugh. No offense it is a dog and dogs dig. I just take that as part of her life. We set up boundaries as to where she can dig and it seems to be working.
As for housebreaking use the crate, it is a god sent. It helps a lot in training them. I hated putting Megan in there and if anyone can testify to how hard dogs are to crate train I can. Megan barked at the crate, protested about going in it for months. I really thought she would never crate train but now she doesn't think twice about it. The other thing is your puppy is still young, the bladder is not fully developed.
Dogs take a lot of care and time to get them the way you want them. It would be great to bring a dog home and have it crate trained, not chewing on everything, not jumping and not doing anything else you want it to do. That would be a perfect world and we are not a perfect world by any means.
I hope I didn't discourage you, my point is the puppy is young he needs love, boundaries and training. I think obedience school would work great, when he is older enough to go. Until than maybe you could check into having a trainer come into your house, if you feel the need to do training before hand.
Chances are it will get better. Hang in there.
------------------
Mom of Megan-flashy, female, fawn boxer. Natural ears and docked tail. Born 5/23/00.
<A HREF="http://people.ne.mediaone.net/younme/megan.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://people.ne.mediaone.net/younme/megan.htm </A>
[This message has been edited by malinda (edited 12-20-2000).]
[This message has been edited by malinda (edited 12-20-2000).]
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misty
Boxer Pal
Posts: 1
From: friendswood, tx usa
Registered: Dec 2000
posted 12-20-2000 01:19 AM
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George and Charmin-
I know how you feel. My husband and I spent weeks researching different breeds and we both decided on the BOXER b/c of their good nature with people and children. I've also been told they are very loyal companions. We got Wrangler when he was 7 weeks old from the breeder and now he is 7 months old. When we first brought him home, he would bite everyone and anything! He was very dominant, growling and jumping, but was very good about not have accidents in the house.
I enrolled him in puppy kindergarten (obedience class) at 3months old. I was told he was too young, but I did it anyway. He was very responsive. Boxers are very smart, but I have to keep in mind he is still a puppy. In fact my husband will sometimes yell at him when he misbehaves and I have to remind Jason(my husband) that even though Wrangler is 55lbs he is still a puppy and still mentally developing. He stays in the house and we crate him 8-9 hours a day due to work.
He loves Peanut Butter. I started a routine that in the mornings before I leave for work after he has eaten and gone outside he immediately goes to the crate for a treat. I bought a "kong" toy at petsmart, rubber toy with an opening to place treats or peanut butter or both in. I put a big spoon of peanut butter in the kong and that is what he can have in the crate. Now when you pull the pb jar out of the fridge he takes off for his crate. The obedience class taught us how to practice with him everyday to learn, sit, down, stay, and come. He love people but does not do well around other dogs. He is a very dominant dog, even with us sometimes. I plan to enroll him in another obedience class after the first of the year, just so he can be socialized with other dogs. Good luck with your boxer! It gets better!!!
IP: Logged
malinda
Boxer Buddy
Posts: 256
From: USA
Registered: Aug 2000
posted 12-20-2000 12:47 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I feel your frustration and don't give up. Megan was what I would have referred to as a terror for the first month. Never having had a dog when I was growing up I often had moments when I thought I was way over my head. She cried for days, chewed on everything and did a lot of jumping.
Part of the key is patience, persistence and practice. When Megan bit me, when she was playing I held her mouth shut and said "no biting mama". When she jumps and she still does at 7 months old, I tell her "no jumping".
My husband had a hard time with the digging aspect and to this day I laugh. No offense it is a dog and dogs dig. I just take that as part of her life. We set up boundaries as to where she can dig and it seems to be working.
As for housebreaking use the crate, it is a god sent. It helps a lot in training them. I hated putting Megan in there and if anyone can testify to how hard dogs are to crate train I can. Megan barked at the crate, protested about going in it for months. I really thought she would never crate train but now she doesn't think twice about it. The other thing is your puppy is still young, the bladder is not fully developed.
Dogs take a lot of care and time to get them the way you want them. It would be great to bring a dog home and have it crate trained, not chewing on everything, not jumping and not doing anything else you want it to do. That would be a perfect world and we are not a perfect world by any means.
I hope I didn't discourage you, my point is the puppy is young he needs love, boundaries and training. I think obedience school would work great, when he is older enough to go. Until than maybe you could check into having a trainer come into your house, if you feel the need to do training before hand.
Chances are it will get better. Hang in there.
------------------
Mom of Megan-flashy, female, fawn boxer. Natural ears and docked tail. Born 5/23/00.
<A HREF="http://people.ne.mediaone.net/younme/megan.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://people.ne.mediaone.net/younme/megan.htm </A>
[This message has been edited by malinda (edited 12-20-2000).]
[This message has been edited by malinda (edited 12-20-2000).]
IP: Logged
misty
Boxer Pal
Posts: 1
From: friendswood, tx usa
Registered: Dec 2000
posted 12-20-2000 01:19 AM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
George and Charmin-
I know how you feel. My husband and I spent weeks researching different breeds and we both decided on the BOXER b/c of their good nature with people and children. I've also been told they are very loyal companions. We got Wrangler when he was 7 weeks old from the breeder and now he is 7 months old. When we first brought him home, he would bite everyone and anything! He was very dominant, growling and jumping, but was very good about not have accidents in the house.
I enrolled him in puppy kindergarten (obedience class) at 3months old. I was told he was too young, but I did it anyway. He was very responsive. Boxers are very smart, but I have to keep in mind he is still a puppy. In fact my husband will sometimes yell at him when he misbehaves and I have to remind Jason(my husband) that even though Wrangler is 55lbs he is still a puppy and still mentally developing. He stays in the house and we crate him 8-9 hours a day due to work.
He loves Peanut Butter. I started a routine that in the mornings before I leave for work after he has eaten and gone outside he immediately goes to the crate for a treat. I bought a "kong" toy at petsmart, rubber toy with an opening to place treats or peanut butter or both in. I put a big spoon of peanut butter in the kong and that is what he can have in the crate. Now when you pull the pb jar out of the fridge he takes off for his crate. The obedience class taught us how to practice with him everyday to learn, sit, down, stay, and come. He love people but does not do well around other dogs. He is a very dominant dog, even with us sometimes. I plan to enroll him in another obedience class after the first of the year, just so he can be socialized with other dogs. Good luck with your boxer! It gets better!!!
