Obedience training for boxer puppy

[Connie S.]

Hi! I've participated a few times in various forums and my first thoughts after the unpleasant experience I had at obedience class turned to thoughts of contacting my friends here at Boxerworld. I signed up my 5 1/2 month old boxer for obedience classes at a well known pet supply store. The instructor was so anti-boxer I was actually sickened. I've had boxers all my life since I was twelve yrs. old. They've all lived to be 13 or 14 years old. This is my 4th boxer so I must have done something right... Anyway, I wanted to try obedience school for our newest Dolly. Mostly, for jumping and to come when called. She "soft bites" at times and can get a little bit rambunctious so I wanted that addressed also. I crate Dolly while I'm at work (a first for me but seems to be working out well) but she's allowed to sleep in bed with us. Okay....not the best idea but we like it that way . Well, according to the trainer, that's a HUGE mistake.
"Boxers should be crated at nighttime and anywhere but in the bedroom. They can smell males and females and will eventually become dominant and may turn against either the husband or wife." Also, can anyone tell me the pros and cons of feeding Science Diet and Bil-Jac. She thinks Science Diet is the worst dogfood causing bloat in larger breeds. Actually, this is the first time I didn't feed my dogs store brand foods. With this little girl, she's getting what I thought was the best food and the best training. This first meeting was for owners only so next week she gets to see vicious Dolly. Happily, when I was leaving one of my other classmates remarked that their mother has a boxer and they measure all their dogs against that one because she's the best dog ever. Just wish they brought that point up in class when the trainer was badmouthing boxers. Thanks for listening. Any encouraging words are appreciated!

 

[Alisha Mobley]

Originally posted by Connie S.
The instructor was so anti-boxer I was actually sickened.

If the trainer is stuck on the thought that Boxers are so bad then I would look else where. A trainer who doesn't believe *any* breed can be trained and can't look at the dog for what it is instead of it's breed isn't going to be of much help. :(

Originally posted by Connie S.

I crate Dolly while I'm at work (a first for me but seems to be working out well) but she's allowed to sleep in bed with us. Okay....not the best idea but we like it that way . Well, according to the trainer, that's a HUGE mistake.
"Boxers should be crated at nighttime and anywhere but in the bedroom. They can smell males and females and will eventually become dominant and may turn against either the husband or wife."

Our trainer believes the alpha should sleep in an elevated spot and all others sleep at a lower level. This would mean the human/s sleep in the bed and the dogs sleep on the floor/crate. According to our trainer when you put a dog at your level to sleep you are saying it is equal to you when it shouldn't be. He compares this to wolves and how they live...the alpha sleeps on a high rock/hill/etc and the rest of the pack sleep around it. ~ Anyway, that all said there are many who allow their dogs to sleep w/ them w/ no problems. Personally ours are crated but that's just our preference.

As for being crated anywhere but the bedroom and smelling females and males which may cause them to turn on someone...WHAT!?!?!? I've never heard this before and believe it to be a bunch of crap!! Too many people crate their dogs at night, in their bedrooms w/ no problem for this to be any thing close to the trueth. You should ask this trainer who they know that this has happened to. Was she saying it's only bad for Boxers to sleep in the bedroom or does it go for all breeds??

Originally posted by Connie S.

Also, can anyone tell me the pros and cons of feeding Science Diet and Bil-Jac.

You can do a search on the boards to find out more about these foods and many, MANY others.

 

[Renee&Jake]

It sounds like your trainer has some issues.

I would ask for a refund, make it perfectly clear why, and find a new trainer. If you stay, be very careful of the advice you get from this one. It sounds like a case where he/she has enough knowledge to be dangerous, but maybe not enough to train.

 

[JulieM]

I would find a new trainer, too - unless you are inclined to try to prove her wrong. It wouldn't be easy, because someone with that strong of a bias is not going to be persuaded easily, but maybe if she sees your puppy doing very well she may open her mind a fraction of an inch about Boxers. However, I would think it will be very difficult for you to be in the class because anything your puppy does - whether it's normal puppy stuff or not - will probably be blamed on the fact that she is a Boxer and not that she is a puppy.

There are several links in the forums about dominance theory, many trainers feel it's a bunch of hogwash. (Gary Wilkes has one on his website, www.clickandtreat.com, called "Alpha Schmalpha" - which just about sums it up!) While dogs and wolves are the same species, dogs and humans are not. Dogs *know* we're not dogs, they don't expect us to act as if we are dogs, and it tends to confuse the issue when we do. Dogs do need you to give them rules to live by - they need structure, just as children do - and they need to know that they can trust you to take care of them and protect them, but they don't need you to dominate them.

As for sleeping on the bed - IMO it's only a problem if the dog is not abiding by the other rules of the household. Even then, there are guidelines you can put in place - dog only gets onto the bed when invited and gets off the bed when asked.

 

[Wendy Swalls]

I am assuming that you are talking about PetsMart, as I recognized that the first class is you without your dog. All PetsMart trainers are different, ours is wonderful. She told us before we even brought Mickey home that it would be a good idea to get him in early, as Boxers tend toward the stubborn side. I knew enough to realize she was right and we got Mickey into class at 10 weeks. We're now 1/2 through the CGC test and our trainer is a huge help in getting us through it.

I am very sorry that you've had a bad experience, the trainer sounds like she has issues that should disqualify her from her position. Boxers are the BEST and anyone who knows dogs should know that. They are smart and fun and very easy to train, especially using the PetsMart training methods which are all reward based, no punishment allowed.

If you can, try another trainer. IMHO it's vital to get them trained and trained early. We have friends with a 2 y/o rottie who is untrained and a HUGE problem.

 

[oddlou]

If you really feel like your trainer is not going to give your pup a chance, you should probably find another trainer. Then again, more than anything, the trainers just show you how to teach them, and the most important part of the puppy classes is probably the socialization- so changing might not be necessary or best.
Our trainer at Petsmart is great, she loves Lou, yet knows that his being a tad hyper is part of his personality. He's also started on advanced training and is working on his CGC.
As far as the Science Diet goes, I, like my trainer, dislike it very much. The ingredients found in it are almost as bad as the ingredients you find in the lower quality foods you get at the grocery store. I feed Nutro Natural Choice and its worked great. You can do a search on this website and find a wealth of information on food. Good Luck w/everything.

 

[Tulsa-Dan]

I would have answered earlier, but I was too busy laughing my head off!!

"Boxers should be crated at nighttime and anywhere but in the bedroom. They can smell males and females and will eventually become dominant and may turn against either the husband or wife."

:rolleyes:

My dogs sleep in bed with me, always have. As Julie suggests, I do have rules. They must be invited on the bed and they must get off when told. But they abide by those rules and all seems fine in our household. I don't know where she got this theory (I'd ask were it me), but I personally have never heard that before and do not in any way believe it to be true.

I would also suggestion going to the store and expressing your thoughts to management about this particular trainer's bias against Boxers. No trainer should consider breed in training other than considering that particular breeds specific training issues/problems, if any. No dog is untrainable because of its breed. That's just plain ridiculous and if that is what this trainer believes, she needs to go study some more.

If it is a pet store such as PetsMart or Petco, you can ask for another trainer. Every trainer is different, so you may find another who loves boxers and has had experience training them and is aware of their unique qualities and training issues.

The first rule to remember when choosing a trainer is that if you are not comfortable with anything this trainer is saying or doing, GET ANOTHER TRAINER IMMEDIATELY. There is no need to put you and your dog through the stress of having to deal with an uneducated, biased trainer who is likely to do your dog more harm than good with an attitude such as hers.

As for food, I also think S/D is one of the WORST foods on the market. I don't believe it makes for any more or less bloat since I believe bloat is caused by over activity right after eating, and overfeeding, but not by a particular brand of dog food (that too is another ridiculous statement by your so-called "trainer").

Here is a link to a thread here at BW which will be of great benefit to you in choosing a good, nutritious food for your dog.

http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=18766

Best of luck and do keep us posted.

 

[Alisha Mobley]

Originally posted by Wendy Swalls
I am assuming that you are talking about PetsMart, as I recognized that the first class is you without your dog.

Our trainer does this as well. The first class is strictly for owners to learn more about dogs in general...their way of thinking, why they do some of the things they do, etc.

Originally posted by Wendy Swalls

We're now 1/2 through the CGC test and our trainer is a huge help in getting us through it.

It was to my understanding that the CGC test must be taken all at once...not as the dog learns. Is your trainer helping you get ready for the test or are you taking it over a period of time? When I took Pru and Sheeba in to be tested they had to go thru and pass the 10 requirements right then. Just curious?

 

[Wendy Swalls]

Ashley, our trainer is letting us pass one item at a time. She told us that she has to witness us passing and that it doesn't have to be done all at the same time. That works well for our class, as some of the dogs are better at some things than others. Mickey has passed more than 1/2 of the requirements and we're working on the others. We still have 3 classes left to pass and I do believe that he'll pass, if I tire him out enough before the next classes!

As far as food goes, I have fed Mickey Nutro since we brought him home and I'm VERY happy with the food. His coat is shiny and his energy level is off the charts. I heard that Science Diet is pushed by the vets because the sales people show up at the office. That's no reason to push a dog food if you ask me. Nutro was recommened to me by friends whose dog is happy, healthy and beautiful, and that was good enough for me. Plus, I've read good things about it here.

BTW, Mickey has slept with us since day one and he knows who the boss is! How ridiculous!

 

[Connie S.]

I had to reply before reading all the rest of the wonderful responses I received. (I knew my mind would be put at ease if I called on my friends at Boxerworld). The store is not PetSmart but Petco. I tried to get her in at 13 weeks of age. The trainer then cancelled the day of the class. Said she was leaving the store. Turns out this is the same trainer I have now. She's not able to leave the store yet so will be teaching the first few classes. So...I really tried to get Dolly in as early as possible but it took until she was 5 1/2 months old to have Petco restart the obedience classes taught by the trainer who was supposed to do it months ago. I'll stop for now and go back to reading your replies. Thanks all! You're great!