How to train a boxer dog

Although it is definitely an arguable point, a Boxer is a most gifted of canines. For the family who wants an all-around dog, the Boxer has no equal. No other dog is more individual in appearance, more keenly intelligent or sanely even-tempered. The Boxer has a knack of getting into the hearts of an entire household.

Having a Boxer – or any dog for that matter – as a pet is an entirely different matter from just appreciating the visual beauty and loyalty of this animal. Training is an important part to ensure that you and the Boxer enjoy many years of wonderful companionship.

The first thing you have to do in your task is to accept the fact that you’re going to have poop and urine in certain spots around your house for about four to six months; which means you will be doing a lot of reinforcing. A lot. So, immediately after meals, take your pup outside and wait patiently for doggie to do the do. When he does, be sure to offer praise for him performing how you desired. Inevitably, you are going to find your pup used it in the house. When this happens, both of you go together and have the puppy gently sniff the potty or dooty and tell him in a firm but even voice no, while gently expressing your displeasure at the behavior.

As you’re working out the boundaries between inside and outside, it is advisable that you develop a training program. A training plan gives you a roadmap from where you are to where you want to be.

The first step is to define the behavior in detail. Questions to ask yourself in your plan are:

1. What will the finished behavior look like? (People ask how to stop a dog from whining or barking during the behavior. If silence is part of the behavior, plan it, and train it from the start!)

2. How will this behavior be cued? (Verbally? Physically? Environmentally? A combination? Remember that part of teaching a cue is making sure that only the cues you want become lasting cues -- and that dogs are master discriminators. Include plenty of time for generalizing the behavior.)

3. What kind of latency is required? (Latency is speed of response -- the time that elapses between the cue and the behavior. Zero latency is an immediate response. Fast latency is habitual, meaning if you train it for some behaviors, the dog will likely adopt it for all behaviors.)

4. Does this behavior have duration? Distance? (How long should the behavior last? If there's a specific time requirement, plan to train fifty percent beyond that. Distance should be trained similarly. Distance includes behaviors where the dog is sent to work at a distance, behaviors where the dog must respond to a cue when he is at a distance from the owner, and behaviors where the dog must maintain a behavior even when the owner moves away from him.)

5. What distractions might the dog face in those locations when performing the behavior? (List them, rank them, and train them.)

6. How reliable does this behavior have to be? (Reliability is a number. You may need only 9 out of 10, or you may need 99 out 100.)

The definition of the behavior is a detailed description of where you want to go. The second step is to evaluate where you currently are. If this is a brand new behavior, that’s easy! You’re starting from scratch. If this is an in-progress behavior, evaluate the behavior for all of the above criteria. Keep records and let the data tell you exactly what your dog is capable of doing reliably.

The final step is to make a plan to get from where you are to where you want to be. Start with the behavior. Break it into responses, and shape it to perfection. When it’s exactly right, then add the cue. Then one by one add elements like duration, distance, and distractions.

As your training progresses, keep your plans firmly in mind. Periodically review your training plan, and if necessary, revise the definition of the desired outcome. Don’t stop working on the behavior until the behavior your dog performs is an acceptable image of the behavior you described.

When you are training, you have to know exactly what “bit” you are looking for in each training session. This “bit” is criteria. You define your criterion at the beginning of each session. It must be specific and consistent throughout the session, which means: During that set of repetitions, you will praise only behavior that meets your criterion. You will praise at the moment the dog meets your criterion.

At the end of the session, you can review your data and determine whether you’re ready to move ahead.

When you first begin working on say, sit, you praise the sit itself – the moment the dog’s rear end touches the floor. Soon he’s sitting regularly, but he gets up as soon as you praise. So, you want to add duration to the behavior. After a few days, he’s holding his sit quite reliably, except when people walk by. So you change when you praise again, praising at the moment a person, who is getting increasingly closer and closer, passes.

Rather than strict error percentage, some trainers like to have 10 error-free reps in a row before increasing criteria. When you raise criteria, it makes sense for the number of correct responses to drop. However, the dog should still be successful the majority of the time. If the dog makes two errors in a row, stop and evaluate what you're doing. Success should be quickly and often. Set your criteria at an achievable level, and don’t increase until your dog is reliable at the current level. Once you’ve increased your criteria, don’t back up (repeat previously accomplished criteria in the same situation).

Before even considering getting a boxer, it would be wise to familiarize yourself of the knowledge available so that you will be prepared when your new puppy or adolescent Boxer comes home. The Boxer is a unique breed and has been shown that many traditional training methods will not have success with Boxers. Yet, here is a great start for you to begin with.