Exercise

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Boxers are bouncy lively dogs and they do need a certain amount of exercise or they will bounce off your walls!

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But – your boxer will not know when he/she has had enough and will keep going to the point of exhaustion.  This is not good for your dog.  You must be in charge of the exercise and not over tire your dog.

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For the first 6 months to a year do not take your dog for long tiring walks as you will damage their joints for later life.  Adopting a 5 minutes rule is a good idea, 5 minutes for every month of the dogs life up until a year of age.  This means that at 3 months your dog should have 15 mins of exercise at any one time, but you can do this two or three times a day. Then at 6 months they can have two or three 30 min  walks a day and so on. By the time they are a year old you can be having two 1 hour walks. It is best to take them for several short walks on or off the lead about 10 to 20 minutes each spaced out throughout the day.  They will also benefit from playing in the garden and practising training sessions which will make them think and all this helps them to grow into a happy dog.

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Too much exercise can lead to hip hyperplasia and other joint problems as can jumping in and out of the car and off the sofa.  It is also best not to allow them to go up and down stairs and this also puts a strain on their shoulders and hips.

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During the summer walk your dog in the early morning or late evening, never at lunch time when the heat and humidity is at its hightest.  This applies to all dog not just Boxers or other short nosed dogs. Taking water with you and allowing the dog to have little sips will help to keep him cool.

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If you find you dog pull’s too much before they are trained (Or after!) – Don’t use a choke chain, try a harness instead – you will find this is far more effective than strangling your dog and risking damaging their throats. If you go to our links page there is a link to Thames Valley Boxer Rescue and they recommend a harness that helps with pulling.

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Always use a lead when walking by the road – even after they are trained – you never know when a cat or another dog will appear on the other side of the road and your dog will be in the road and possible hit by a car.

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Remember - Have lots of fun and play with your dog, they love it.

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Toys

 

Boxers love toys. Provide your puppy with his own toys, rope toys, hard rubber rings, Kongs, tennis balls (not small bouncy balls – they could get stuck in their throat and choke them – I have seen this happen and the dog died!).  Squeaky toys are great but keep an eye on them as the squeaker can present a choking hazard as can all the little bits they chew off! But they do love running about with a squeaky toy.

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Do not give your dog old slippers, shoes, socks or soft toys – they will not know the difference between the old ones and new and will be very confused at being told off for chewing your brand new expensive shoes or your child’s favourite soft toy!

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They will also chew any thing that they find on the floor so be careful!  Make sure all small toys like Lego or a child’s dummy are not left within the dogs reach.

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Do not let them be possessive about toys or any item, when you want the item or toy you take it from them, saying “drop" or "leave” and praising them and then rewarding them with another toy or a treat.  When you want them to have the toy back it is on your terms.

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Taking a toy away from a puppy that is growling is not easy for a wary owner but it is important to establish this at a young age as little baby teeth do not do much damage.  You can gently squeeze the sides of the mouth and push the lips onto its sharp baby teeth (this will be uncomfortable for the puppy) - saying "Drop or Leave" as you do and this usually works.

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Teach your dog the words "Drop" and "Leave" - they need to do this instantly on your command in case they every get something that is harmful to themselves.