Boxer's are an incredibly smart breed of dog. Don't be fooled - beneath those big pondering eyes lies a quick mind and a sharp wit! That hang-dog expression is perfect for getting them out of trouble, but while your boxer dog is looking at your with that 'who me?' look, he/she is figuring out their next move to have the most fun.
I'm not a dog trainer, but I AM a boxer owner. And in my opinion, the secret to training success with your boxer is the same as educating a human - once you figure out what DRIVES them, you can tailor your training to meet that need. In your boxer dog's case, because they are such a sociable breed, the number one thing that drives them, their overall desire, is to be part of their 'pack'/family and bask in your love and attention. Therefore, rewards are far more effective in achieving training success with your boxer dog than punishments.
Subsequently, I have found that clicker training works well with boxer dogs, especially initially as pups. It's very important to start your training as soon as your little bag of skin gets home. Those first few days and weeks is when you lay the foundation for the rest of your relationship, and lessons learnt by your boxer during this time will not be easily forgotten. While the big wide world is very distracting to your boxer dog pup, I find that the clicker gets their attention and focus like nothing else, and helps accurately pinpoint the behaviour your are trying to reward and encourage.
As your boxer dog matures, the clicker can be faded out for other rewards - from food, to access to your boxer dog's favourite special toy, to simply being showered in verbal encouragement, pats, and cuddles.
To help you with training your boxer dog, I've included some very helpful videos in this section that focus on dog training generally.
I also subscribe to KikoPup's channel on uTube, as I find her explanations on clicker-training extremely clear, simple, and effective.
Checkout the books, DVDs, and training equip available from Amazon on my products page!
