Boxer Puppy Training: 10 Steps Guide to Do It Right

First off congratulations on your new Boxer Puppy.

As time goes, you will know that this is the best decision of your life only if you played your hand right, So let’s ensure that!

A Boxer puppy is known to be curious, playful, and more energetic than most breeds, That’s why Boxer Puppy Training won’t be an easy ride

Being large and imposing dogs, Once grown, make Boxers the best family pets for your protection but on the other hand, They may also exhibit potentially problematic behavior without proper training

That’s why you should start your Boxer Puppy Training once he enters your home.

In this article, we hope to help you out with that.

So let’s start with our step by step Boxer Puppy Training Program to ensure starting your shared life together with your Boxer puppy on the right foot, Shall we?

10 Steps Boxer Puppy Training Program

Step 1. Do Your Research

Read a book, ask a friend, surf the internet (dah!!), do whatever you can to Be aware of this breed’s distinct personality traits. Just to have a complete picture of what you are getting your self into

It’s most important to make yourself aware of the type of dog that you are going to handle, as well as the right time to start training your puppy.

We did the work for you, Here is everything you gonna need to know about your Boxer puppy

A Boxer at A Glance

Bred For:
Bull-baiting, guardian

Exercise Requirements: >40 minutes/day
Energy Level: Very energetic
Longevity Range: 8-10 yrs.
Tendency to Drool: High Tendency to Snore: Moderate
Tendency to Bark: Low
Tendency to Dig: Low Social/Attention Needs: High

Boxers are stocky, muscular and powerful.

Physicality

Males grow to about 25 inches and weigh from about 65 to 80 pounds (30 to 36 kilograms); females grow from about 21 to 25 inches and weigh from about 50 to 65 pounds (22 to 30 kilograms).

The Boxer’s Coat

It is short and sheds moderately. Some boxers are a rich, fawn color and others are brindle. Their face or mask is usually black, but many have white face markings and white on the chest and paws.

Personality

Boxers are energetic, smart and playful dogs that like to stay busy. Their temperament reflects their breeding. They have a preference to be in the company of their owners and are loyal pets that will fiercely guard their family and home against strangers.

Few boxers bark excessively. If a boxer barks, chances are there is a good reason. Many boxers are vocal, however, and make a growling noise that’s really just the dog’s way of talking.

What It Is Like to Live with A Boxer

The boxer has a high need for companionship and exercise. If these needs are not met, boxers can be destructive if left alone in the house.

Boxers are ideal for people who want a canine companion with them most of the time. They can do well on a country estate or in a city apartment as long as they have the opportunity to romp and expel energy.

If you live in an urban area, regular walks are necessary.

Boxers are not big fans of hot weather, and care must be taken to prevent them from getting overheated. They also need protection from the cold since they are short-coated.

Their coats, however, are very easy to care for and will be shiny and bright as long as they have a good diet, are bathed occasionally, and are given regular rubdowns with a grooming mitt or bushings with a rubber curry.

Some boxers drool excessively, and some snort and snore.

Like most larger dogs, Boxers are not long-lived in particular. Their life expectancy ranges from about seven to 10 years.

NOW, after you got everything you need to know about your boxer puppy let’s get down and dirty with the training process

Step 2. Start As Soon As Possible

Boxers are one of the most intelligent and energetic breeds out there.

They have the ability to catch on training quickly through repetition, so it’s advisable you begin issuing clear commands and cues early on as soon as you bring your puppy home.

Make sure to keep training sessions short but fun for puppies at this young age (8 to 12 weeks old).

For example, whenever you bring your new puppy home, take him to the toilet spot designated for him, shower him with praising when he uses it.

In your puppy’s mind, This will connect that behavior with praise from the start and make him more likely to repeat it.

Start your training with simple commands such as “Sit”.

It won’t be hard with a young puppy, just whenever you spot him about to sit anyway, point and say “Sit” loudly and when his hind leg hits the ground, making a bit of a fuss about it, so he understands what the relation between the word sit and that action.

He’ll be perplexed at first, but soon he will get it.

Step 3. A Good Name for Effective Training

It goes without saying that giving your puppy a proper name ensures that your puppy knows when you are speaking to him and trying to get his attention.

This will come in handy later when following their name with commands during training.

Pick a name for your new puppy that you love, but also suitable for the purposes of training.

It is preferable to give him a short name ending with a strong consonant. So whenever you call him, your puppy can always hear it clearly.

Names with a strong ending such as (Jasper, Jack, Ginger) are easy on your puppy’s ears, especially when you place a strong emphasize at the end.

Whatever the name is, try to associate it with pleasant, fun things, rather than negative. The idea here is that to make him think of his name the same way he thinks of other great stuff in his life, like “walk,” “cookie,” or “dinner!”

Step 4. Socialization Is Vital

Boxer puppies are lovely and friendly, they need interaction during the entire training process.

In general, a boxer puppy loves to fool around, make foolish stuff, be with other human beings, and need some form of recreation.

If you were able to integrate this into the training environment, your puppy will be more into the training and he will grow up more responsible.

Boxers do not like to feel lonely. They need to socialize with others just like humans.

If not properly exposed to other humans or other puppies on a regular basis, your puppy may show aggression problems such as biting, chasing and barking loudly. This might arise unexpectedly and would be difficult to correct.

Step 5. Focus on Reward-Based Training.

This method works by rewarding good behavior while ignoring the bad.

This employs the idea of Reward-based training, meaning you use whatever motivates a Boxer puppy to train him: Rewards of Food and Attention/Affection.

The idea here is that your Boxer puppy will work so hard to repeat the behavior which has earned him a treat or a fuss before. Also, whatever behavior was ignored by you, will be in your dog’s mind, Non-beneficial at all, and a waste of energy, and therefore is not worth repeating.

It is known that Boxers like food and attention, so this is the best way to train them

Punishment?? NO.

Punishment is not a part of this training technique.

Never beat your dog.

Beating or hitting dogs when they behave undesirably is not a useful training measure.

We know Boxer puppy training can be tiring sometimes, Be patient, punishment is not an answer!

Instead of learning from the punishment, your dog will instead become fearful of you, which ultimately defeats the training process since that is not the desired result.

In the end, rewarding good behavior is more useful and constructive for training purposes than punishing bad behavior.

Step 6. Start with Basic Commands.

Unlike most people think, teaching your boxer puppy basic commands such as “Sit” and “Stay” is super easy, You don’t want a professional trainer to do it for you and it goes like this:

Give your puppy a command, Point to where you want the command is done, Mimic it and then Reward him immediately after the action is carried out.

It’s that simple.

This creates a correlation, a link in the dog’s mind between the command word, action, and reward.

Let’s start with a basic command, such as “Sit”, and work on that until your dog has it mastered (I have mentioned it before but this another way of doing that).

1. Grab a treat, show it to your puppy, and let the puppy sniff the treat in your hand so he knows it’s there.
2. Hold the treat just above the pup’s eye level, over the head, so he has to look up to keep it in view.
3. Once his eyes are locked on the treat, draw an arc in the air over his head so that when he looks up to follow, his bottom naturally sinks down.
4. When you realize that he starts sitting, say loudly the command “Sit” and give him the treat.
5. Repeat this procedure several times until in your puppy’s mind he connects the command “sit” with the action of sitting and being a good boy so he can be treated
6. After several attempts, repeat the previous steps but without the treat

Use the same method with other commands or tricks, such as “Lie down” and “Paw” (where he extends his paw to you). Reward-based training is the best method to get your dog to understand and follow all kinds of commands and cues.

Step 7. Housebreaking The Puppy

Potty training.

When your puppy is old enough (about eight weeks or so), you can start teaching him where to go potty.

First, decide on a designated command for this action like “Potty here” or “Potty outside”.

Usually, after eating or in the mornings, your puppy will need to go potty.

When you suspect that, take him to an appropriate “potty spot” outside and say your chosen command with his name.

When he do go potty, praise him and maybe even give him a doggy treat.

If he starts to go potty inappropriately, pick him up quickly and say “No, Potty outside!” Then immediately take him to the correct potty zone outside .

Step 8. Exercise, Keep Your Boxer Puppy Active

Boxers are high-energy dogs, So you must have the energy to exercise them daily! Anything less is unfair to them and can set them up for training failures as well.

If you don’t have a large fenced-in yard for them to run in, take them to a dog park or on a nice, long walk around the neighborhood at least once per day to alleviate pent-up energy.

You can teach him to perform certain canine exercises such as playing fetch, walking or running on a leash, or other outdoor activities

This will help to keep him engaged and most importantly for you to manage his indoor energy level

Believe me, you need that, you don’t wanna go back home to see him destroying your furniture or cloths

Step 9. Train yourself to train them

This Boxer puppy training program is not exclusive to your puppy, you should train yourself to train your pup.

For example, Once you know your puppy is likely to need to go potty at certain times (first thing in the morning, shortly after eating, etc.), train yourself to automatically take them outside during these times.

This will help minimize the chances of “accidents” and set him up for success.

If you are busy and going to be gone for a few hours, try to limit feeding to the hours when you will be home to let them outside to go potty

Be The Alpha Dog

It’s essential for you during the Boxer puppy training to assume The role of a leader.

Your boxer puppy should always treat you as his master and have no control over you.

You are the Alpha dog, Remember that, especially during leash training. As his leader, you should be strict and dominant especially when setting rules.

You must have the power over him and not allow him to overtake you.

Stick to this strict regimen until your dog fully learns and understands what behavior is acceptable and required and what is not.

Believe me, this will pay off later.

Step 10. Quality Time

Training sessions can be stressful, That’s why both you and your puppy need some time out.

Aside from the training sessions, It’s essential for new owners to spend extra time with their Boxer puppies whenever they can.

Make sure that you set aside time every day to be with your puppy to reassure him that he is your companion and an important part of the family.

By doing that, you will enhance your puppy’s trust and loyalty to you and assist with training. Remember that you never want your dog to feel neglected.

That’s it,

That was our Boxer puppy training guide for you ladies and gentlemen!

Now your Boxer puppy is ready and set to face his new life well-trained

Remember love is the most important ingredient of this equation, So for this to work make sure he feels your love

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What did you think of this Boxer puppy training guide, whatever you think comment below and let me know!!

And as always if you liked what you read here and you wanna read more feel free to check my other articles on Top 5 Easy-to-Train Dogs or How to Train a Dog to Attack

If you got any more tips or suggestions regarding puppy training please share it with us and the readers in the comments, we are all here to learn!

If you have any questions leave them in the comments, We will respond ASAP

Have a nice day and Read you next time