Training Your Boxer Puppy
Boxer puppies are generally high-spirited and happy little pups. They love to play. Like most other breeds, however, they do need to have owners who are definitely in charge. You can start your Boxer puppy training around 8 to 10 weeks of age. With their intelligence and curiosity, Boxer puppies learn very quickly.
Socialization
As with other dogs, Boxer puppies do require good socialization from a young age to help them become well-adjusted, confident adults. Socialization involves introducing your puppy to new people, places and things, as well as other friendly dogs. This helps your puppy build confidence and confidence will help him avoid problems such as separation anxiety, nuisance barking and dog-on-dog aggression when he’s older.
You can start socializing your puppy by taking him to pet stores that welcome dogs, parks and other places that invite dogs as soon as your puppy has received all of his vaccinations. Encourage friendly people to pet your Boxer puppy. Try to carry some puppy treats with you so you can give them to people to give to your puppy. This will make the experience pleasant and memorable for your puppy.
You can also allow your Boxer puppy to meet other friendly dogs, with their owners’ permission. Make sure that your Boxer puppy and the other dog are on their leashes so you can control the situation. Don’t allow your puppy to run up to the other dog or get in his face. You want the encounter to be very positive and some other dogs may not appreciate a puppy leaping on them or surprising them. These encounters are good experience for your puppy because they teach him about proper manners with other dogs.
Puppy Preschool
Puppy preschool and puppy kindergarten classes are also recommended for your Boxer puppy training. These classes are often offered by pet stores, kennel clubs and animal shelters. They teach puppies some basic manners and some easy obedience lessons. They also offer a great way to encourage more socialization since your puppy will be in class with other puppies his own age. And, he’ll be getting lots of petting from other friendly people each week. These classes are highly recommended for any puppy.
Training At Home
You may decide that you want to do some training at home with your Boxer puppy. Boxer puppies are bright and curious so they will do very well with this kind of training. You can start your training around 8 to 10 weeks as long as you keep the lessons simple at first.
To start your Boxer puppy training your puppy will need a collar and leash. A flat buckle nylon collar is a good choice for a puppy. You won’t want to spend a lot of money on a collar at this age since your puppy will quickly outgrow it. Slip collars or chain collars are not recommended for small puppies since they can hurt the puppy’s throat when the puppy pulls on them. Nylon collars are easy to find in pet stores and they come in many different colors and designs. You can get a leash to match. A six-foot leash is a good choice.
Basic obedience lessons for your Boxer puppy can include sit, stand, lie down, come, and learning to walk on a leash. Your Boxer puppy should be able to learn these lessons in just a few weeks. Puppies have a short attention span so it’s best if you keep your lessons short. A couple of 10-15 minute sessions per day are recommended. However, you should try to train each day. Otherwise your puppy may forget things that you’ve been working on until he has truly mastered them.
Keep your lessons fun and positive. Try to make training like a game. Boxers are very playful dogs and they particularly like fun and games. If you can make learning a game they will enjoy learning. You should also work on keeping your attitude positive. Your puppy will be able to pick up on your mood. If you are grouchy or don’t feel like training then your puppy probably won’t have a good session. Be cheerful and positive and your puppy will enjoy training.
If you do need to correct your Boxer puppy make sure that you are firm and gentle.
Of course, this article is only able to cover a small selection of the facts on training a Boxer puppy. There are many different facts to consider and it’s important to get them right. When possible, get a good solid guide to show you everything you need to train your Boxer puppy since this is an important time for your puppy to learn. I highly recommended Secrets to Dog Training which will give solid methods to get your boxer puppy training into an effective routine for your dog.