Boxer Home Help!

[gabity]

Help!

Any suggestions welcome! Will take everything on board and try any thing!

We have the most wonderful 20 month old boxer in the whole world. He is our original baby and we love him to bits. We also have a 12 month old 'real' baby! And baby and dog love each other dearly, no worries or trouble at all. When its me, OH, DD and Ddog in the house together everything is perfect, dog is quiet, plays with baby, does what we tell him, sleeps in the kitchen without any fuss, can leave him with full access to all the house for a good few hours, never had any bother.

However, he is a nightmare around certain people, he gets hyper and jumps up, runs around, like he can't control himself. One of these people is my Mum and another is Dad.

We are moving in with my Mum for 2 months in 3 weeks time. Have sold our house and waiting for new build to be completed. We have no other option.

I will be at home 3 days, but want to take DD to toddler groups. Mum and OH are at work, only Dad in the house, he is wheelchair bound and obviously can't control a massive dog. (although he can when dog is calm). Can't leave Ddog in any room shut in, in mums house as he can open all the doors himself! Mum is going to be home while I work the other 2 days and she says she is scared of what Ddog will do. (although she loves him to bits when he is being calm).

Why does he carry on like that? No one believes us when we tell them what he is like at home when it is just us. What do we need to do? The frustrating thing is he does know how to do it all, he just won't (most of the time) in company. He is well exercised and is great when out and about. Super with other dogs - and mute! so barking isn't a problem!!!

Sorry this is a total ramble, but I am so worried. I know it will all be fine once we are settled in our new home, but so worried about the next few months.

Are they exciting people who make a huge fuss of him everytime they see him and bring the occassional treat?

The Devil Dog cannot control himself around my Dad and Whippy Dog pees with excitemnt when she sees my mum.

Or is just any new and possibly exciting person that comes into your house?

Either way the advice is the same. Get people to come round armed with treats. The people ignore him completely and turn their back on him when he jumps up. Once all four paws are on the floor they can tell him to sit and he can have a treat.

Everyone must do this with him. Even you. It will be easier for the dog he cannot jump on anyone than it will be for him to learn it's okay to jump on some people but not others.

Yes, we were talking about this today. Will start now with this. There are a couple of friends who encourage it. Grrr. However there are a couple of friends who have never ever touched him, just don't like dogs and he has never touched them and doesn't go near them even when he is excited, same with old people and young people, so he has a conscience!

Can I pick your brains about the other issues? Need someone who knows what they are talking about!!

Example, Mum has DD and Ddog, me and OH are out. Everything fine, dog lying asleep, mum playing with DD. All of a sudden dog will just take it into his head to have a 'mad turn'. He runs about, picking things up and throwing them up in the air, charging at Mum, biting at her feet etc. There is no reasoning with him. Interestingly OH has never ever seen him like this. I have and I can stop it but getting him to sit, paw, down, roll over and bingo he is back to his normal self! Mum says his whole face changes, and she is right! Its like he is possessed!

I am so scared at leaving him which is such a shame as I know he can do it, and be the perfect dog.

p.s what is the best way to stop him opening doors? Other than get round handles! Should we scold him every time? What is best method of punishment in this case?

Erm, if you find a way to stop him opening doors could let me know? That's another of The Devil Dog's tricks

No don't punish him, but crate train him maybe?

I have no idea why he suddenly goes mad. Just trying it on I would imagine, especially if anyone else has indulged his playful side at all, when he has done this. The advise would be the same really. Ignore him completely until he is calm and then give him attention.

If doors are a huge issue, take the door handles off and reattach them upside down.

Or you could just fit a safety gate to the rooms where you would like to contain him. IIRC, Argos sell a pet gate which is taller than a standard baby gate...I imagine an enthusistic boxer could jump a standard one.

The other advantage of gates is that you can put him on the other side of the gate but where he can still see what is going on so he's not totally removed from family life. Also, when people visit, you can use it to separate him until he settles. If he's settled and quiet on the other side of the gate, bring him in to be with everyone. If he gets exciteable, remove him to the other side of the gate again. Repeat as necessary. He should get the idea pretty quickly that good behaviour is the key to being allowed to be near the people. However, he is a Boxer and 'getting the idea' of anything can be a challenge for them

He sounds fab

You need to crate train him to start with

You need to teach him calm and settle

Get him used to to head halter so your Dad can control him if he has to when they are left alone together

You need to teach your Mum to ignore him

What is his daily routine like at the momentand what is he fed?

Typical boxer behaviour. This is why a lot are rehomed at about this age They are the best breed imho.

Absolutaly the best breed. He doesn't think he is a dog, he is an intelligent toddler without a doubt!

He was crate trained as a puppy, did really well with it, no problems at all at home. He was in his crate overnight and when we were at work...until Granny came to babysit, she took DD to the shops and left the dog by himself in the crate, he destroyed it. Totally, and hurt all his face.

So he moved into the big cupboard down the stairs with the door removed and a stairgate and he was fine, now he gets the run of the house with no disasters to date.

Don't think he would be very impressed at going back into the crate? Would it work? How could we stop him getting upset and banging non stop when we left him with Dad which I'm sure he would and eventually getting out?

We use a harness with him just now for walking and he wears it in the house and mum and dads. Would a head halter be better? Does it give a lot more control?

Was up at M&Ds today, told mum to ignore him etc and she just kept saying 'oh look at his wee sad face!' Head. Wall. Bang.

The stair gate we have is the tall one, but i'm sure he would just 'nose' it all day if we tried to keep him confined at mums, that and huff and puff in a way only boxer can! It would drive Dad mad!

Want to try and help him, feel so bad that other people can't love him as much as us! He also doesn't eat when we are out, even in our own house. Is that common? We can leave the tastiest treat out for him and he won't eat it till we return. Insecure? I hate to think my puppy is unhappy!!!

He is fed at the moment on pedigree chum and dog mixer. Its the only thing we can get him to eat. For the first year he had Royal Canine puppy food, but totally went off it (if thats possible) and didn't eat for days and days. Mum tried him on a tin and he ate that fine. He is still not the worlds best eater. Vet thinks he has sex on his mind and that reduces his hunger???

Routine at the moment:

7am - Up, sometimes eats his breakfast, sometimes not.
7.30-8.15 Walk
8.30 - 12.30 In house by himself (will be with Dad when we move)
12.30-1.30 Walk with OH
1.30-5 Usually sleeps with OH! (OH starts work at 3am and has an afternoon snooze!)
5 Dinner
Gets another walk in the evening.

Once we move he will get a lot more exercise, routine will be the same but no need for him to be on the lead where we are moving to, where as here it is built up town walks.

p.s thanks all so far and put a couple of pics on profile so you can see my gorgeous boy!

The head collar would certainly be easier for your dad to use if he is in a wheelchair. I would gently get the boxer used to it and keep it on all the time in the day so you dad could gentle restrain him of move him if required.

I would definitely get him used to be confined to a smaller space be it a crate or a small area like you did before. If he is anxious in anyway this will give him security (just a general plea really - people who want to get their puppies out of crates early are doing them no favours. If a dog is used to chilling out in their own space for a while you can take them anywhere and they will be calm, happy and relaxed)

Obviously now he has worked out he can find a way to get out of the crate be it by his behaviour it will be harder but if he gets feed in his open crate etc and positive associations with the crate it would make your life easier.

How much exercise does he get? If I was planning to leave his while I went out with the DC I would exercise his little socks off first, feed him, and then happily crate him for 2 hours while I went out. I my return would be a massive play session and then he would have free time in the house again. With another walk later.

Boxers are clever energetic and will definitely find work to do if they are not kept busy so I do feel that a lot of the issues can be removed if he is kept busier.

If crated the opening of doors is not a problem.

I also think his funny few minutes would stop as well but if not just remove him from the room and give him time out for a second or two.

When he is is lying still give him a titbit reward the behaviour you want give it a name eg good settle. Then when he is jumping about you can ask him to go settle - which is his command to chill out.

Can't help with the mother sorry