House Training a Boxer

Feed the dog at the same time every day and you will get to recognize the likely times that he will need to use his bowels.

Dogs are usually quite predictable and input tends to equal output, so a reasonable guesstimate can be made.

Take the dog outside first thing, on waking up, at certain times during the day, and before you go to bed.

Select a spot not too far away from the back door to be the toilet area for house training your Boxer.

Always take your Boxer on a leash to that area and reward with a treat and plenty of praise immediately after they have “performed”.

This is central to the dog making the connection that he is doing a good thing and reinforces the message that outdoors is the right place for this activity.

When house training a Boxer it is also a good practice to use a special verbal signal while the dog is eliminating, for example “do business” and this can be used repeatedly until the dog makes the association with this cue as well.

Try to prevent any soiling in the house although this is likely to happen on some occasions, it has to be expected as a normal part of the learning process. Supervision is the key.

Try not to allow any opportunities for an accident by being alert to all the signals. Watch out for circling and sniffing around and looking at the door.

When the dog displays any of these signs then take it outside immediately, there is no time to lose!

When an accident does happen indoors, it is important to clean the area meticulously to remove any odors which will only encourage further elimination in that spot.

Dogs instinctively use areas that smell like urine or feces. Do not punish the dog if you find they have made a mistake as it will only make the situation worse and could undo any progress that you have made. The dog may become afraid of you or worse still afraid to eliminate while you are present.

If you are not at home to watch the dog then another form of house training can be used. Many owners use a crate to successfully house train their puppies.

Finally remember that dogs are instinctively clean animals. If they can avoid it, they would rather not soil themselves or their usual eating and sleeping areas.

When dogs are given consistent, dependable house training methods it is quite surprising how quickly they can learn. It does take a firm commitment from the owner to diligently stick to a training plan, but the satisfaction gained from successfully house training a Boxer is certainly worthwhile, not to mention the convenience!