Good Shelter

Sportstrainer · New Pup

Good Shelter

Sportstrainer · New Pup

i am going to look into other options as far better training because I dont want to get rid of him. I just need to work harder and find ways to improve. Does anyone have any ideas for leaving him out of his crate when I am not home. I dont like him being in the crate and I know that is part of the reason why he is so active. I want to fence him in the breakfast area but I am afraid he will tear up the blinds or stratch up the kitchen table.

PawPrint · Smitten by Boxers

Did you know your wife did not like dogs when you first bought him from is breeder?
It sounds like this was never going to be a good situation unless you were hoping your wife would change her mind.

Do not turn him over to a shelter. They will kill him if they can't find a home. And most shelters cannot give much time for a new home. They have to kill dogs every single day they can't find homes for.

If you have to get rid of the poor dear, call your breeder and return him there. A responsible breeder would never agree with you putting him a shelter where he might be killed. They will take him back and try to find him a true forever home.

As to more training, Petsmart is not a good place to go with a difficult dog. You need a real trainer and you need to dedicate some real time. Your wife needs to attend the classes with you to learn how to train your Boxer. She has to be 100% involved and care or else this seriously will not work out :(

Sportstrainer · New Pup

Thanks Pawprint, I really appreciate your advice. I love Dex and I dont want to get rid of him. He is a great dog but his behavior can be unruly at times so I want to try to correct the problem rather than give up. They have one place called the Richmond Obedience school and the owners trains boxers from what I was told. So i am going there on monday to talk with them and see what type of training they use. Even though my schedule is busy, I have to make time to train him. Pet smart helped me with learning the basic commands but using treats all the time to train a dog does not work always. I havent used treats with Dex in a very long time and he listens just fine without it. I watched dog whisperer a few times and tried to use some of his techniques and they dont work with dex. That is usually when he protest the most. I would love to find someone who trains the police dogs because I think they have a great training system. I didnt know my wife didnt like dogs, when I told her I was going to get a boxer she didnt have a problem with it. Also any ideas on keeping him out of crate in the day while a work? How have people gotten their dog to where they leave them out in the house all alone?

BoxersnMinis · Congratulations!

Hi, you definitely have a challenge. I just started Obedience training with my 6 month old pup. One very important thing is that everyone in the house must be on board to reinforce all the positive training that your Pup is receiving.

I would be training in a facility other than PetsMart, which you said you would be looking into.

I have 3 Boxers and they all spend time in their crates. When I was working that was the norm. Now the older two (9 yo and 5 yo) are left out. The younger one was not left out until he was 4 years old. Crating is not punishing, but 8+ hours is a long time for a Puppy.

Hope the new training facility you are looking into works out well for you and Dex.

BluStorm · Grand Champion

I have two female boxers one that is a little over two years and one that is 5 months. My two year old Sierra was a chewing terror. I didn't get a kennel for her till she was 5-6 months old. Before that I have a baby gate up between the kitchen and the rest of the house and I would just keep her loose in the kitchen while I was gone.. but she kept chewing on my kitchen cabinets and stealing towels and magazines DVD anything that she felt she could chew up off the tops of the counters... We went round and round trying to get her not to chew on these things and to chew on the dozen different toys she had.. nothing worked. So I had to kennel her while I was at work and while I was sleeping.. she still tried chewing on the cabinets... finally at one point she ended up being in the kennel almost every moment other than to eat and go outside she would even start to chew on them while I was standing right there.. She finally out grew it... Now that she is a little over two years she has calmed down a bit. But I still put her and my 5 month old boxer Autumn in the kennel when I am at work and at night. I am slowly giving Sierra more and more freedom both my girl are good dogs.. they just have so much energy.

With some good training and time your boy will mellow out some and will be able to be out of the kennel more. Try and exercise him more. If he is tired he will be mellower in the house. I dont know what to tell you about the wife. I think she is just saying she does not like the dog because you say he is aggressive and hyper towards her... if she is not helping with the training he will not have a chance to bond with her and will feel that she is an outsider and will be very protective of you. Training needs to be done by everyone in the house for it to work.

Sportstrainer · New Pup

Yeah I thought about leaving her fenced in the kitchen but our blinds were expensive and I would hate to come home to the blinds being messed up. My wife would hit the roof and she would not want in the hosue anymore. I am trying to look into other avenues though to give him more freedom. I also plan to take him to an actual training center starting in May and I tld my wife that if she does not get more involved with him and go to every class, we will not be able to keep him. So she agreed to it because she really likes Dex. She didnt expect him to be so hyper and she is not the playful type when it comes to dogs so it has been a transition with her. She is starting to interact with him more now so we are trying to make it work.

PawPrint · Smitten by Boxers

Sportstrainer wrote:

Yeah I thought about leaving her fenced in the kitchen but our blinds were expensive and I would hate to come home to the blinds being messed up. My wife would hit the roof and she would not want in the hosue anymore. I am trying to look into other avenues though to give him more freedom. I also plan to take him to an actual training center starting in May and I tld my wife that if she does not get more involved with him and go to every class, we will not be able to keep him. So she agreed to it because she really likes Dex. She didnt expect him to be so hyper and she is not the playful type when it comes to dogs so it has been a transition with her. She is starting to interact with him more now so we are trying to make it work.

For Dex's sake, I am hoping for the best. I pray he does not have to lose his life for simply being a happy Boxer. But seriously, a new puppy is a family decision. And a family committment. Your wife has to 100% supportive. Getting a Boxer was my decision, but it was a decision made with full agreement from my husband. We looked for a puppy together and our Boxers share our lives equally. I do all the training and my husband tries not to undo that training .

My Boxers have always been able to live freely in my house. I have had as many of 3 adult Boxers who had free roam of my house. Right now I have an adult and a 14 month old puppy. While we are still working on a few small areas with the puppy, she is dependable in the house.

-- Edited by PawPrint at 14:38, 2007-03-27