First Time Puppy Owner

[lelu]

Hi everyone,

We are first time puppy owners (as adults) and we were expecting our pup in October, but our breeder contacted us yesterday as another person pulled out of their puppy who is ready to go next Monday (7 days), and so we are now taking him. So we have lots of organising to do now, but I was wondering if anyone knows of a good puppy preschool and then obedience school in the Newcastle NSW area?

Also what do need to do before he comes? I am going to get a pen/cage for introductions to our cats and for sleeping in at night, food, toys, bed, collar, lead, stuff for our cats like feliway and rescue remedy, organise his next vaccination with our vet, annual leave from work. Any other suggestions?

Because our cats are indoor only I wont be able to lock him inside unsupervised with the cats when we go back to work. We are getting 2 weeks off initially. We have a detached garage in our back yard which we are going to leave the side door open (unseen from the road), and put maybe a double sized pen around the door way so he can be both inside and outside, but he will also be safe away from the gate so people don't notice him. We have a metal bar gate, and we were going to go to bunnings and get a pad lock and some fake bamboo or other temp fencing that we can put up so people can't see into out back yard. Will he be safe from 10 weeks like this? Or should we just lock him in the garage for the day (approx 7 hours total 8 - 3.30pm). Also we have to think of a name too!

With toilet training the "old" method is run their nose in it, but is there a more positive and gental method? I dont like the sound of doing that to an animal.

Any other general tips/info etc?

Cheers,

Leah

[Salukifan]

There is a ton of really useful information in the drop down menus on The Dogstar Daily website.

Good that you don't want to rub the pups nose in it - if you're going to put any nose in it it should be the persons who was supposed to be supervising but failed to do it :laugh: Ditto on hitting with a rolled up newspaper. That stuff is definitely best consigned to the Dark Ages of dog training.

The trick to successful toilet training is to set the pup up for success and reward the right behaviour. You'll find lots of training advise on that website.

[aliwake]

Exciting times! Most importantly - what kind of pup is he, and do you have any pics?!! :)

[lelu]

Thanks guys! I will check out that website. He is a boxer pup. No pics yet, but will share when I do. I read through the boxer page and everyone seems to emphasise that your boxer needs to have an "off" button, so we want to train him right from the start. Hubbys parents have an untrained boxer, and lets just say a 40kg over excited dog who wants to play is not good :laugh:

[Starkehre]

Congrats lelu. Very exciting times.

A DOLer Jed (Boxer breeder and amazing lady) wrote a brilliant piece on raising Boxer pups a while ago. It is really fantastic and warrants a read. It relates to off switches etc. Hopefully Jed will pop in here and share it again, cause I am terrible at searching things, otherwise PM her and ask for it. :)

[Rebanne]

I like your idea of a pen around the doorway into the garage so he can choose whether to be inside or out when you are not home. I would put something a bit more solid at your gates though cause, if it was my place, I would give my pup the run of the whole yard when I was at home.

[tikira]

How exciting for you, and a little scary too. Remembering back 10 years ago, first ever puppy, we had lots of "take him back" or "what have we done" moments. They will pass as you get into a new routine.

Start as you mean to go on..... It solves a lot of Re-training issues down the track. If you don't want an adult dog jumping on you and biting your face, don't let puppy do it, they need consistancy.

Read all you can on puppy training, and toilet training, here on DOL and elsewhere. "rubbing his nose in it" only makes him afraid of you, and he will learn to hide from you to go to the toilet, and that is a hard habit to break. He is only a baby, and relies on you for love, consistancy and training.

Never ever call puppy to you and then punish him, he will learn that sometimes for "no reason he can think of" you turn into a crazy person and punish him, result- He just won't come when called, just in case.... It will be hard when you are so cross you could burst, but breathe deep, and don't call him, go get him if necessary.

Never go crook at them unless you catch them in the act, it is useless to punish them even 5 minutes after they commit a crime. If you do catch them in the act I found with my boy that a deep "uh uh" worked brilliantly. He would stop what he was doing, and I could redirect him to something he was allowed to do.

Puppy Proof your house. Just as you would with a toddler, NEVER leave anything laying around that could hurt him or you can't replace. Electrical cords, cooked bones, plastic bags, onions, shoes, garbage bins etc etc.... remove them or secure them. Give him plenty of toys that he is allowed to play with, but rotate them so he does not get bored.

Keep vet numbers on your fridge.

The best advice I ever heard was "when puppy is misbehaving,take a newspaper, roll it up tightly and...... bash yourself over the head saying "I am a bad bad owner" for letting him do that, or leaving that out for him.

Join a good dog club or vet that offers puppy classes, it saved our relationship with our first dog.

Ask questions, we are all here to help, and we were all once first timers!

Good luck with your homework for the next exciting week, and we need pictures as soon as possible.

These are just a few of the things I found helpful as I grappled with the responsibility of my first puppy. I know there are many more, and even 10 years down the track I am still learning.... but the rewards of a happy healthy relationship are so worth the puppy stage.

Di

[Salukifan]

I like your idea of a pen around the doorway into the garage so he can choose whether to be inside or out when you are not home. I would put something a bit more solid at your gates though cause, if it was my place, I would give my pup the run of the whole yard when I was at home.

Go over the contents of that garage with a fine tooth comb and remove all potential poison and choke risks. You can pretty much guarantee that at some stage he'll make it out of the pen. In one of my pup's cases, it took less than 5 minutes.

[Kavik]

I like your idea of a pen around the doorway into the garage so he can choose whether to be inside or out when you are not home. I would put something a bit more solid at your gates though cause, if it was my place, I would give my pup the run of the whole yard when I was at home.

Go over the contents of that garage with a fine tooth comb and remove all potential poison and choke risks. You can pretty much guarantee that at some stage he'll make it out of the pen. In one of my pup's cases, it took less than 5 minutes.

Yes to this. I created a puppy run along the side of my house, and my pup managed to squeeze through the gap between the pole and the fence! Luckily it only meant he was out with my other dogs in the larger yard. The gap was then fixed!

[Dogsfevr]

Common sense .

You can read many things about puppy raising but you don't need a degree to do it many stuff out there these days makes things so much harder when it shouldn't be.

Ask your breeder what the pup isbeing feed so you can get food now.

Agree with checking the shed & make sure the pen is high enough that pup can't get over .

Don't spoil pup because its cute,that cute pup will grow very quickly & what was fun at 12 weeks won't be at 6.12 months so consider anything that you encourage & what the consequences may be down the track because untraining bad habits is hard work & that is where many people fail .

Both discuss your guidelines & stick to it,All members must be on the same page to ensure pup learns quickly without confusion .a pup won't love you more because you allow it to get away with murder .

Teaching off is very easy that happens in your general daily activities from day 1 ,Boxers are out there & you can't take away that Boxer way but you body language & what you encourage & accept will make or break it.

My large breed puppies are always allowed to have "there time" to be what they are but they also learn very quickly about time out & calm that also includes guests & how they approach your dogs.Many just want to kiss & cuddle & razz up the pup but from day 1 they will learn this correct because everyone does it & the pup gets rewarded for it ,Like you say you rellies 40 kg Boxer isn't fun so just consider what it does & what annoys you the most & .

[smashtank]

I was/am the same as you.

Best advice I can give you is ask lots of questions on this forum! Anything and everything! People here were really fantastic with me and offered me a tonne of advice (and still do). I'm pretty sure my boy would be a hell of a lot worse off if I hadn't stumbled across this forum.

Also, read lots and make sure your whole household is on the same page. I have an uphill battle with my partner because he just doesn't take on board all the info that I do so where I'm trying to be a bit more strict and firm with Tank, my partner is much more relaxed... Not a good formula, but we're doing okay!

You're lucky you can toilet train outside. I'm trying (still...) to do this inside and let's just say, I'm SO glad I have floorboards! Tank is probably a 7/10 pee in the right spot puppy. And maybe one of those 7 he's gone in the right spot but totally missed his pad.

Good luck! :D

[lelu]

Thanks for all he tips! I haven't managed to find the post Jed wrote, and I can't PM them. Does anyone know what it was called or which forum it was in? I have been watching all the vids on Dog Star Daily about training, seems ok I think. I have enrolled him into puppy school which he will start at 10 weeks old.

Also here he is:

Edited July 23, 2013 by lelu

[ann21]

Lelu from the Dog Star website I would really recommend "after you get your puppy". It's a free PDF with alot of useful information by Dr Ian Dunbar.

[kelpiecuddles]

Is he a bobtail or has his tail been docked? Looks very short in that pic

[lelu]

Lelu from the Dog Star website I would really recommend "after you get your puppy". It's a free PDF with alot of useful information by Dr Ian Dunbar.

Thanks, ill check that out too!

Is he a bobtail or has his tail been docked? Looks very short in that pic

Bobtail :) He is from the lovely Janet and Darryl at Boxberry!!

[kelpiecuddles]

Oh Boxberry are nice babies, I was thinking he looked pretty hunky :)

[aliwake]

He is super cute!!

[raffikki]

A DOLer Jed (Boxer breeder and amazing lady) wrote a brilliant piece on raising Boxer pups a while ago. It is really fantastic and warrants a read. It relates to off switches etc. Hopefully Jed will pop in here and share it again, cause I am terrible at searching things, otherwise PM her and ask for it. :)

I really hope Jed doesn't mind me putting this here, found it after searching for ages :laugh: and of course it was in a pretty obvious place..." Dog Breeds 101 > Boxer"

It doesn't matter whether your dog was the alpha or the pusher in the litter, what matters is that you begin training on the 2nd day after he arrives at your house. And you never never razz the boxer, or stir him up, until you have given him an "off" button, and he will reliably obey you.

When he is obedient, you can razz him up all you like, and then you can say "stop" and he will.

And socialise him. This is a serious guard dog - he has a nice nature, but he is a guard, he has been a very good war dog (for the wrong side, LOL) and he is well able to see off any perceived threats, so make sure he goes out and meets other dogs when he is a little bloke. Make sure he understands he is to be friendly.

Some big grown up boys can be seriously scary with other dogs, make sure yours isn't one of them. Train, train, train, socialise, socialise, socialise.

And don't razz him.

I wrote this years ago - it is in the breed sub forum - and boxers havent changed ...

Boxers are not hyper. They are happy, enthusiastic, exuberant, affectionate, devoted to their owners, happy to please, love to be trained, do not always do 100% what you ask, because sometimes they know a better way, but they understand, and they like you to spend time with them. They can be as silly or as serious as you wish. This is a dog which spends his whole life trying to please you, and care for you and yours in the best way he can.

They do not need heaps of exercise - a run or a walk or a bit of ball or frisbee chasing is enough for your average boxer. However, if you are a jogging or biking maniac, the dog will keep up with you.

To make your boxer hyper, start when you first get him.

Flap your hands in front of his face a lot, jump up and down, make funny noises, encourage him to jump up on you and then whack him when he jumps on your Sunday-go-to-Meeting dress, let the kids tease him, and encourage him to chase them around and jump on them. Rough house him a bit, wrestle with him, he'll growl and carry on and behave like a two bob watch, but he sure is having a good time. Don't bother socialising him with other dogs either, boxers like other dogs, and there's really no need to train him much, he's pretty bright, he likes you, he'll get it.

Leave him in the yard a lot too, and don't point out the error of his ways to him, so he is not sure how to behave.

That will make him even more hyper, because you always laugh when he does that, so when he is not sure what he ought to do, he'll be hyper trying to please you.

Remember too, that he is soon going to weight around 30 kg, most of it solid muscle, encapsulated in a very agile and athletic body, but until he is about 2, he will have the mind of a baby, and will behave like one, so when he jumps through the window, knocks the village preacher to the ground, slobbers all over him and eats his hymn book, he's only doing what he believes is right. What pleases you.

Start walking him when he is 9 months old, and he'll be so enthusiastic about all those new sights sounds and smells, he'll pull like a train. You wont be able to hold him.

so, you'll have a 30kg hyper boxer that is a complete pain in the neck, the kids wont play with him, he'll have to be tied up when visitors come, and he'll jump all over you and just about scratch you to death. Because he thinks that is how he should do it.

and - he'll spend the rest of his life in the backyard, alone, sad, mournful, scratching his head, wondering why you don't like him any more, or he'll end up at the pound, or attacking other dogs, or untrainable, or pts. Or, he'll be so bored, he'll simply jump your fence every day until he gets run over.

Recipe for a nice boxer and happy ownership

Make sure you are smarter than the dog

Treat him gently.

Discourage him from jumping up

Teach him to sit from the second day you have him

Make sure you are smarter than the dog

Give him lots of love and attention - gentle, quiet affection - don't slap him on the ribs or the head, stroke him, look into his eyes, tell him what a good dog he is.

Teach him that he follows you through doors, that he doesn't knock you or the kids over.

Make sure you are smarter than the dog

to wait to be invited into the car

Let him meet other dogs when he is a baby

Let him meet cats, chooks and birds when he is a baby

Discourage him from chasing other animals or people

Call him off when his behaviour is over the top, sit him, and praise him.

Don't play rough games with him.

Lead train him at home, without distractions. Praise him lavishly.

Chastise him gently when he has done wrong.

Be consistent.

Don't treat him like a fool, or he will be one.

Remember he is a gentle, loving soul, who thrives on praise and attention, and is only happy in the company of his family.

Then - when he hits two, you can rough-house him all you like, coz you will have an "off" button -

Boxers love contact games. We have a couple here - one is the one where you lie on the floor with a towel over the head, and the boxer tries to get it off - with realistic growling and snarling noises. this game is made better if you rip aside the towel from time to time and says "boo", which makes any boxer totally frenzied. Hiding is the second game. YOU hide and the boxer finds. When the boxer has found, jumping up and behaving like a two bob watch is encouraged. Chasing is a good one - you can chase the boxer, or the boxer will chase you! Over the bed, into the bath, into the yard - anywhere you like!!

When your face is red, you are lying in a pool of sweat with your eyeballs hanging down your cheeks from exhaustion, and the boxer is jumping up and down, tongue hanging around his knees, waiting for you to move so he can jump on you again, you can say

"Enough"

and he will settle.

This breed is a companion guard dog - that is what he was bred for, and that is what he does best - he is not a herder, a retriever, a pointer or a sled dog. His only interest in life is you. He is bold, he is brave, he looks you in the eye with sincerity and friendship. He does take some understanding. He probably wont start any quarrels, but he's happy to finish them!!

Character and temperament are as important in the Boxer standard as conformation.

If you want to own a boxer, keep that in the forefront of your mind. You are the sun in his universe, you hold his behaviour in your hand, he will behave exactly as you want him to - no matter what that is. He's not obedient like a border collie, he was made to make his own decisions, and he will sometimes think you are a bit of an idiot, and do it his way. Mostly there is method in his madness, if you will only see it.

If you want a 100% obedient dog, don't get a boxer. He will be obedient in all the important ways. Boxers don't do well in obedience, because once they have done it, they can't see much point in it, and are just as likely to trot beside the cones, off lead, as through them - "see, quicker this way mum, you come too."

He is not a dog for everyone. He is called the "clown of the dog world" and he is a clown in his friendly, happy, funny outlook, as he tries to please you, but once the chips are down, you couldn't wish for a better guardian of you, your family, or your home. He rarely bites without good cause, and he does not bark much, he is a quiet achiever.

Buy him from a proper and reputable registered breeder, and see the parents.

[lelu]

A DOLer Jed (Boxer breeder and amazing lady) wrote a brilliant piece on raising Boxer pups a while ago. It is really fantastic and warrants a read. It relates to off switches etc. Hopefully Jed will pop in here and share it again, cause I am terrible at searching things, otherwise PM her and ask for it. :)

I really hope Jed doesn't mind me putting this here, found it after searching for ages :laugh: and of course it was in a pretty obvious place..." Dog Breeds 101 > Boxer"

It doesn't matter whether your dog was the alpha or the pusher in the litter, what matters is that you begin training on the 2nd day after he arrives at your house. And you never never razz the boxer, or stir him up, until you have given him an "off" button, and he will reliably obey you.

When he is obedient, you can razz him up all you like, and then you can say "stop" and he will.

And socialise him. This is a serious guard dog - he has a nice nature, but he is a guard, he has been a very good war dog (for the wrong side, LOL) and he is well able to see off any perceived threats, so make sure he goes out and meets other dogs when he is a little bloke. Make sure he understands he is to be friendly.

Some big grown up boys can be seriously scary with other dogs, make sure yours isn't one of them. Train, train, train, socialise, socialise, socialise.

And don't razz him.

I wrote this years ago - it is in the breed sub forum - and boxers havent changed ...

Boxers are not hyper. They are happy, enthusiastic, exuberant, affectionate, devoted to their owners, happy to please, love to be trained, do not always do 100% what you ask, because sometimes they know a better way, but they understand, and they like you to spend time with them. They can be as silly or as serious as you wish. This is a dog which spends his whole life trying to please you, and care for you and yours in the best way he can.

They do not need heaps of exercise - a run or a walk or a bit of ball or frisbee chasing is enough for your average boxer. However, if you are a jogging or biking maniac, the dog will keep up with you.

To make your boxer hyper, start when you first get him.

Flap your hands in front of his face a lot, jump up and down, make funny noises, encourage him to jump up on you and then whack him when he jumps on your Sunday-go-to-Meeting dress, let the kids tease him, and encourage him to chase them around and jump on them. Rough house him a bit, wrestle with him, he'll growl and carry on and behave like a two bob watch, but he sure is having a good time. Don't bother socialising him with other dogs either, boxers like other dogs, and there's really no need to train him much, he's pretty bright, he likes you, he'll get it.

Leave him in the yard a lot too, and don't point out the error of his ways to him, so he is not sure how to behave.

That will make him even more hyper, because you always laugh when he does that, so when he is not sure what he ought to do, he'll be hyper trying to please you.

Remember too, that he is soon going to weight around 30 kg, most of it solid muscle, encapsulated in a very agile and athletic body, but until he is about 2, he will have the mind of a baby, and will behave like one, so when he jumps through the window, knocks the village preacher to the ground, slobbers all over him and eats his hymn book, he's only doing what he believes is right. What pleases you.

Start walking him when he is 9 months old, and he'll be so enthusiastic about all those new sights sounds and smells, he'll pull like a train. You wont be able to hold him.

so, you'll have a 30kg hyper boxer that is a complete pain in the neck, the kids wont play with him, he'll have to be tied up when visitors come, and he'll jump all over you and just about scratch you to death. Because he thinks that is how he should do it.

and - he'll spend the rest of his life in the backyard, alone, sad, mournful, scratching his head, wondering why you don't like him any more, or he'll end up at the pound, or attacking other dogs, or untrainable, or pts. Or, he'll be so bored, he'll simply jump your fence every day until he gets run over.

Recipe for a nice boxer and happy ownership

Make sure you are smarter than the dog

Treat him gently.

Discourage him from jumping up

Teach him to sit from the second day you have him

Make sure you are smarter than the dog

Give him lots of love and attention - gentle, quiet affection - don't slap him on the ribs or the head, stroke him, look into his eyes, tell him what a good dog he is.

Teach him that he follows you through doors, that he doesn't knock you or the kids over.

Make sure you are smarter than the dog

to wait to be invited into the car

Let him meet other dogs when he is a baby

Let him meet cats, chooks and birds when he is a baby

Discourage him from chasing other animals or people

Call him off when his behaviour is over the top, sit him, and praise him.

Don't play rough games with him.

Lead train him at home, without distractions. Praise him lavishly.

Chastise him gently when he has done wrong.

Be consistent.

Don't treat him like a fool, or he will be one.

Remember he is a gentle, loving soul, who thrives on praise and attention, and is only happy in the company of his family.

Then - when he hits two, you can rough-house him all you like, coz you will have an "off" button -

Boxers love contact games. We have a couple here - one is the one where you lie on the floor with a towel over the head, and the boxer tries to get it off - with realistic growling and snarling noises. this game is made better if you rip aside the towel from time to time and says "boo", which makes any boxer totally frenzied. Hiding is the second game. YOU hide and the boxer finds. When the boxer has found, jumping up and behaving like a two bob watch is encouraged. Chasing is a good one - you can chase the boxer, or the boxer will chase you! Over the bed, into the bath, into the yard - anywhere you like!!

When your face is red, you are lying in a pool of sweat with your eyeballs hanging down your cheeks from exhaustion, and the boxer is jumping up and down, tongue hanging around his knees, waiting for you to move so he can jump on you again, you can say

"Enough"

and he will settle.

This breed is a companion guard dog - that is what he was bred for, and that is what he does best - he is not a herder, a retriever, a pointer or a sled dog. His only interest in life is you. He is bold, he is brave, he looks you in the eye with sincerity and friendship. He does take some understanding. He probably wont start any quarrels, but he's happy to finish them!!

Character and temperament are as important in the Boxer standard as conformation.

If you want to own a boxer, keep that in the forefront of your mind. You are the sun in his universe, you hold his behaviour in your hand, he will behave exactly as you want him to - no matter what that is. He's not obedient like a border collie, he was made to make his own decisions, and he will sometimes think you are a bit of an idiot, and do it his way. Mostly there is method in his madness, if you will only see it.

If you want a 100% obedient dog, don't get a boxer. He will be obedient in all the important ways. Boxers don't do well in obedience, because once they have done it, they can't see much point in it, and are just as likely to trot beside the cones, off lead, as through them - "see, quicker this way mum, you come too."

He is not a dog for everyone. He is called the "clown of the dog world" and he is a clown in his friendly, happy, funny outlook, as he tries to please you, but once the chips are down, you couldn't wish for a better guardian of you, your family, or your home. He rarely bites without good cause, and he does not bark much, he is a quiet achiever.

Buy him from a proper and reputable registered breeder, and see the parents.

Thank you so much!

[luvsdogs]

Lelu from the Dog Star website I would really recommend "after you get your puppy". It's a free PDF with alot of useful information by Dr Ian Dunbar.

You can also download Before You Get Your Puppy which takes you to the 1st weeks at your home. Good Luck with him, he's gorgeous. I believe that boxers never grow up so lots of fun times ahead. :)