# Need ideas to train my Boxer Puppy



## Boxers&Pom's Mom (Jan 17, 2011)

I have experience with Boxers, but they really never had a job to do. They just been my pets. We used to do long walks when they were younger, but as they got old they become couch potatoes.
My life is also different now. I am more active for my own health and I want to train Bruno different. I want him to have a job like a Boxer should have. Any ideas?
He is 8 weeks old and now I am working in house training and crate training. I would like him to stay fit, so Spring is coming and I want to have a plan for him.

So I am welcome for ideas and suggestions!


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## RawPitbulls (Feb 7, 2013)

I would HIGHLY reccomend you purchase the following:
Leerburg | Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 8 Months DVD
Leerburg | Establishing Pack Structure with Your Puppy DVD
Leerburg | Basic Dog Obedience DVD
If you actually follow what these say, you are going to have a simply wonderful relationship with your puppy.


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## katies mum (May 8, 2012)

Hi,Glad he is settling in well.You are right ,boxers need jobs!!!!.Two of my boxer bitches trained for search and rescue and surprisingly were very good at it.No they havent got the best noses for that job but you would be amazed at how good they can still be at it.You could try tracking with him,he could start this now at 8 weeks of age.They can be surprisingly good at obedience and even protection work so you could look into working trials or IPO.There isnt many things that boxers cant do.Remember he doesnt know what is a job and whats not a job and to him just being with you,exercising with you and playing with you is a job to him.Im sure whatever you do you will have great fun together!!


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## katies mum (May 8, 2012)

RawPitbulls said:


> I would HIGHLY reccomend you purchase the following:
> Leerburg | Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 8 Months DVD
> Leerburg | Establishing Pack Structure with Your Puppy DVD
> Leerburg | Basic Dog Obedience DVD
> If you actually follow what these say, you are going to have a simply wonderful relationship with your puppy.



Very good videos,all so look at the nose work videos.


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## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

I always wanted to get into carting, weight pull, or nosework with Duke. I wanted to get him evaluated for shutzund, but there aren't any clubs close enough to go for practice consistently if he could do it.


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## RawPitbulls (Feb 7, 2013)

katies mum said:


> Very good videos,all so look at the nose work videos.


Nose work is good. They also have a bite training puppy video as well.


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## katies mum (May 8, 2012)

SaharaNight Boxers said:


> I always wanted to get into carting, weight pull, or nosework with Duke. I wanted to get him evaluated for shutzund, but there aren't any clubs close enough to go for practice consistently if he could do it.


Thats a real shame you couldnt find a club close enough to you for schutzhund/IPO.All the dogs that i know that do this sport are such well trained happy dogs.Its great fun and you get to meet lots of like minded people.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

RawPitbulls said:


> I would HIGHLY reccomend you purchase the following:
> Leerburg | Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 8 Months DVD
> Leerburg | Establishing Pack Structure with Your Puppy DVD
> Leerburg | Basic Dog Obedience DVD
> If you actually follow what these say, you are going to have a simply wonderful relationship with your puppy.


I would NOT recommend Leerburg, some of his methods are ok some are not. Trainers I would recommend: Ian Dunbar, Victoria Stillwell, Karen Pryor, and Jean Donaldson among others..


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

Once your pup has had his shots, I'd enroll him in puppy kindergarten. Then you can go from there. Some boxers do well at agility, which is great exercise for both dog and human. I'm thinking about starting it with Dempsey. Just make sure the exercise isn't too strenuous until his growth plates close - around 18-24 months.


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## woganvonderweidenstrasse (Nov 22, 2012)

Georgiapeach said:


> Once your pup has had his shots, I'd enroll him in puppy kindergarten. Then you can go from there. Some boxers do well at agility, which is great exercise for both dog and human. I'm thinking about starting it with Dempsey. Just make sure the exercise isn't too strenuous until his growth plates close - around 18-24 months.


Don't the growth plates close at 8 months? .... maybe Boxer's are different from shepherds?


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## Georgiapeach (Jan 24, 2011)

woganvonderweidenstrasse said:


> Don't the growth plates close at 8 months? .... maybe Boxer's are different from shepherds?


The larger the dog, the later the growth plates close. A boxer's growth plates don't close until at least 18 months, often later, if the boxer is especially large - up to 24 months in some cases. Strenuous, forced exercise before then (like jogging with them, agility, etc.) can damage young joints. 

Basic obedience classes, walks (10 minutes per month of age until the growth plates close), free play outside (they'll know when they need to rest), are fine.


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## RawPitbulls (Feb 7, 2013)

lauren43 said:


> I would NOT recommend Leerburg, some of his methods are ok some are not. Trainers I would recommend: Ian Dunbar, Victoria Stillwell, Karen Pryor, and Jean Donaldson among others..


I don't know about these other trainers, except Victoria Stilwell. I have seen "It's me or the dog" a few times. But, I can REALLY vouch for Ed. He has helped me with all of the dogs I have worked with. I have worked in pitbull rescue for a few years, and his methods do nothing but work. He works on pack structure, and relationship. He knows that there is a difference between fear and respect. And he makes sure that the dog doesn't fear you, but you have a mutual respect in your relationship. 
At the end of the day, A lot of people have theories on what you should do. But Ed has 50 years experience to back up what he says. If you want something that works, then go leerburg. If you want to gamble wether or not something works, then try your luck with others. EOS


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

RawPitbulls said:


> I don't know about these other trainers, except Victoria Stilwell. I have seen "It's me or the dog" a few times. But, I can REALLY vouch for Ed. He has helped me with all of the dogs I have worked with. I have worked in pitbull rescue for a few years, and his methods do nothing but work. He works on pack structure, and relationship. He knows that there is a difference between fear and respect. And he makes sure that the dog doesn't fear you, but you have a mutual respect in your relationship.
> At the end of the day, A lot of people have theories on what you should do. But Ed has 50 years experience to back up what he says. If you want something that works, then go leerburg. If you want to gamble wether or not something works, then try your luck with others. EOS


Everyone is different. I have listened to some of his pod casts and while I find some of his information very good there are some things I personally could never do to/with my dog. He uses electric shock collars which I will never be ok with. And I do not believe in the dominance theory or "pack mentality". Dogs know we are not dogs. As an example of where I don't agree with the dominance theory, many people will say if a dog humps you or another dog, this is a dog displaying dominance over you or that dog, while in some cases it could be but there are many many reasons for humping, including excitement, lack of exercise, and natural play behavior.

And on one pod cast he talked about "back in the day" when he used to grab a puppy up by the scruff around its face, now I am under the impression he doesn't practice these techniques anymore I was off put by the casual nature he talked about them and the fact that he did it at all.

But as I said everyone is different. While some trainers work for one person, they may not work for another (same goes for the dog)...YOU are the only one that has to be comfortable with the techniques you use. His techniques simply don't work for me.


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

If you're looking for some fun activities for you and your pup, start with the basics and then some more advanced obedience. After he's good with all of that, you can try Agility, Fly Ball, or Lure Coursing.


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## woganvonderweidenstrasse (Nov 22, 2012)

Georgiapeach said:


> The larger the dog, the later the growth plates close. A boxer's growth plates don't close until at least 18 months, often later, if the boxer is especially large - up to 24 months in some cases. Strenuous, forced exercise before then (like jogging with them, agility, etc.) can damage young joints.
> 
> Basic obedience classes, walks (10 minutes per month of age until the growth plates close), free play outside (they'll know when they need to rest), are fine.


But Boxers aren't bigger than Shepherds? Sorry, I'm confused.


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

I've always been told that the growth plates don't close until 18 - 24 months of age for any of the larger breeds. 8 months sounds way too young for me, especially for a shepherd since I've heard they're usually in the 24 month range.


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## woganvonderweidenstrasse (Nov 22, 2012)

rannmiller said:


> I've always been told that the growth plates don't close until 18 - 24 months of age for any of the larger breeds. 8 months sounds way too young for me, especially for a shepherd since I've heard they're usually in the 24 month range.


No that's what the breeder told me. At 1 year old you can already start running them - and by 18 months they're ready to do jumps for the retrieve and the endurance (AD) test of 21 km. I'll do some more research and get back to you on this.


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Yikes that goes against everything I've ever heard about growth plates! According to everything I've heard, you aren't supposed to start running with your larger breeds until 18 months, jumps and stuff after that.


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