I'm so excited I can't wait to bring my puppy home!!
Spend this time shopping for and puppy proofing your home. Check your fence for any holes or dangers to the pup. Check your garden and home for any poisonous plants. Take a walk around your yard looking for potential escape routes. Puppies can get through smaller places than an adult dog. Check latches on your gates and ensure they are secure and consider putting a lock on your gate. Check your yard for dangerous items such as poisonous plants, hornet’s nests, mushrooms, etc. Make a resolution right now that your puppy will never be allowed to run off lead without close supervision. After getting used to playing in the freedom of his safe fenced yard, he won’t ever know enough to look both ways before crossing the street to chase a squirrel. Keep him safe by keeping him on a leash! Taking time now to plan and get things in order will help to ensure you a well adjusted happy boxer and an easy stress free adjustment for you both.
Start Out With The Right Attitude ~ Be Positive
The first few weeks of your puppy’s new life will be cute and he/she is is just learning and the novelty may wear off. (Hopefully, this isn't the case you are prepared for this and have been well informed and screened by your breeder) There may be times when you wonder if getting a puppy was such a great idea..... Have patience and keep your sense of humor, this little baby is depending on you and is learning from you. Show your pup lots of love and positive training Remember They're only a puppy once and what they learn now can affect them their whole lives. The extra effort and love you put into your baby now will pay off in the future for both you and your pup.
What you will need ~ Plan for and go shopping now... Before your pup comes home....
Food and Water Bowls ~ I recommend stainless steel for a variety of reasons... They don't break, are easy to clean, and don't harbour bacteria. ( plastic has also been known to harbour bacteria, cause puppy acne and pink noses) I like the doggy diner, a three piece set with stand and two removable bowls. There is much debate about raised or floor level bowls causing bloat I don't know it depends which theory you listen to the latest is that raised cause bloat. ( I heard this after I had built my guys a beautiful raised diner) The doggy diner is floor level. If you put water in your dogs crate please don't use the water dish that rests in a loop that is hooked to the side of the crate. The puppy’s head can get stuck in the loop if the dish is knocked out and can strangle the puppy. If you put water in your puppy’s crate, buy a bowl for the crate that is one complete attachable unit instead. Usually found at your pet store stainless steel. Great for travelling.
Grooming ~ Zoom Groom Rubber Brush made by kong, (just like the toys)....This rubber brush is awesome for short coated breeds like the boxer, but also works well on clipped breeds.. Be sure to get the PINK colored brush which is for short coats. The purple is for longer coated breeds and the blue for cats. This brush is great for removing excess hair, is easy to clean and it gives your dog a wonderful massage when you groom! My dogs line up for brushing and come back for seconds.
Nail Care ~ I recommend using a cordless grinder (Dremel Tool) instead of the traditional nail cutters. I use the mastercraft brand from Canadian Tire with a flex shaft attachment. You can find them at most hardware stores, and some retail like walmart, zellers etc. or check online for a dog supply outlet.... When using this grinder be careful, dogs nails heat very fast. Start slowly, feeling the nails temperature often, If it's warm go to the next nail and continue on. Better to go back then to burn. It's really a lot easier than it sounds. Just use your common sense. (Check out this great site for detailed, picture instructions on how to dremel nails www.DoberDawn.com ) If you don't feel comfortable with this and want to use nail cutters.... I recommend using the “plier” style cutters in stead of the guillotine cutters they are more comfortale for your dog (and easier to use in my opinion). Buy the best quality you can afford. Keep in mind that the blades need to be sharp and they need to feel comfortable in your hand. Do Not buy $ store cutters.
Where will your pup sleep? ~ To crate or not to crate.... I recommend crate training your pup!!! This will make house training so much easier, give your pup a place of his/her own and provide a safe place for your pup when your not at home. You can use a wire or plastic crate but I personally recommend the plastic for a puppy. I have heard too many horror stories of dislocated jaws from wire crares, I have also witnessed a pup with his teeth stuck between the bars. Very painful, luckily he wasn't hurt, but I will never forget it. Buy or borrow a crate. Buy or borrow a crate a little bigger than the pup so he/she won't soil in it. If you want to buy an adult size one I reccomend these sizes.... An adult Boxer will need a crate that is at least 36” X 24” X 28”. For a larger boxer or male 42” X 28” X 32”. You can put a divider in the crate so only part is used or put a litter box with paper in the crate as well. I like the wire crates for older dogs and they seem to prefer them as well. They are quite convenient for travel as they fold up. Bedding ~ Something durable that washes and dries easily. ( Save the big fluffy pillows for when they are house trained) imitation sheepskin, fleece, old blankets cut to size Or if you're industrious make a crate pad out of these materials. I really like imitation sheepskin or wool blankets for puppies since this is a naturally wicking material (removes the moisture from the surface). This gives your puppy a dry place to sleep even if he has an accident in his crate. I also like incontinent pads or newspaper on the bottom of the crate and place the bedding on top The newspaper will help to absorb any moisture. You can choose to lay newspaper across the bottom of the crate or put a litter box at one end and then place the bedding across the other. Your puppy will have a place to relieve himself and a dry place to sleep. Puppies are naturally clean and if given somewhere to soil would rather go there than soil there bed.
Collar and Leash ~ It will be so tempting to buy a designer or the cutest collar you see. That's up to you, but your pup won't wear it for long. Buy an adjustable collar (10 – 14” size) for an 8 week old puppy. The dollar store is a great place for first collars. You can adjust the size as the puppy grows until the puppy grows out of it and needs a larger collar. I like the flat buckle snap type collars that are adjustable so that you. can always adjust them as they grow. The type of leash you purchase is totally up to you b I suggest a 6’ long 2-4 " leather leash, most obedience classes ask for this and it's easier on the hands.. This will be a large dog and you won’t want a thin lead that will hurt your hand if the dog should pull. Do not use a choke collar they can damage the pups trachea.
The best collar to walk an adult boxer on is a 1” flat martingale collar. These collars are also known as fur saver or Greyhound collars. This type of collar will give you extra control of your dog when walking without causing the damage and discomfort that a choke collar would. An additional leash that you may like to have for an older puppy or adult boxer is a Flexi-Lead. This is a retractable leash and is wonderful to use when taking your boxer on walks. It comes in lengths up to 26 ft long. Be sure you use the size designed for dogs up to 110 lbs for your boxer.
Time To Play ~ Kongs are great and come in all shapes and sizes for all types of playtime. Boxers love squeaky toys, just watch them, because they also like to eat them buy the latex not vinyl, rope toys, stuffies( buy kids stuffies and remove the eyes etc. They are made with new material and are much more durable) , Balls, balls and more balls, all shapes and sizes. Boxers love balls try the wiggly giggly ball.... With any toy, like a child safety is first Always make sure the toy is too big for you boxer to swallow and there are no pieces he can remove You don't want him to be able to choke on it.
Bath time ~ Generally boxers are very clean and need few baths. There are shampoos of all types on the market. I like bearher apricot shampoo, You may have to find the one you like. Keep in mind boxers do tend to have sensitive skin.
Feeding Your Pup ~ I like Nutro Natural Choice chicken for large breeds or chicken rice and oatmeal. From experience with my boxers lamb gives the terrible gas !! I will do all can to prevent that. I also juice vegetables/fruit which they have daily and feed them organ meat and tripe at least 3 times a week. A lot of people don't like to feed human food to their dogs. Mine enjoy cheese on their crunchies and the occasional slice of peanut butter on toast. Feed your pup the large breed puppy food until at least 8 months I like to keep them on it for a year. Be careful with a lot of extra's at this age you don't want to upset the growth. Too much protein or carbs and they will grow too fast causing joint problems. Feed pups four times a day until you find them leaving a meal. approx. 4 months old, then 3 times 6-8 months, from thereafter 2 times a day for the rest of their life. Either soak their food with warm water or add a little cottage cheese or yogurt to their crunchies. Make sure you Do not exercise your pup or dog for 1 hr after eating. This can cause bloat.
Chewies ~ It's either you , your belongings or chewies. Puppies need and want to chew You will need to provide your puppy with something to satisfy this urge and I recommend using Gumabones while they are young and teething. Once they are older you will need to switch to Nylabones which are harder and will last longer. The Galileo bone is also a favorite of my dogs as well as the Hercules bone. Another great chew item that I always have available to my dogs are shank or knuckle bones. You can buy these in any pet store and the smaller shank bones can be purchased with filling which occupies hours of a dog’s time! You can buy them empty and fill and refill them yourself with peanut butter or Cheese Whiz. You can also freeze the bone with the filling in it and it will take the pup longer to work through it. If the shank bone starts to wear thin or splinter, it is time to throw it out.
Always have a chew item in your dog’s crate when you put them in it. This will give them something to do to keep busy in their crate and helps to prevent boredom. Do not leave your dog unattended with rawhide or pig ears, they can choke. If you want to give these to your dog see if you can get them from your butcher. They cure them the same way as ham.
Identification ~ Please microchip or tattoo your dog. Make sure your dogs collar has and Id tag with your phone number and their rabies tag. This gives your number and your vets in case of emergency. Do Not put your pets name on the tag. Don't make it easy for someone to assume ownership of your dog.
Bitter Apple Spray ~This is a safe spray-on product you can use to discourage chewing on inappropriate objects.
The Gate ~ This will most likely be a must have.... A wire, wooden, or plastic “baby gate” for blocking doorways or areas you want to keep your puppy out of.
Puppy Proof Your Home....
Raising a puppy is a lot like raising a toddler - they get into everything! Puppy proof your home as you would for children. Puppies need to learn what is Okay and what is not Okay. Some of what they can get into can be hazardous to their health or to your possessions. You can make life safer for the puppy and your furniture by getting rid of hazards and temptations ahead of time.
To a puppy, the world is brand new and fascinating! He’s seeing it all for the very first time and absolutely everything must be thoroughly investigated. Puppies do most of their investigating with their mouths—“Look at this! What is this? Something to eat! Something to play with? Murphy’s Law says that a puppy will be most attracted to the things he should least have – electrical cords, the fringe on your expensive oriental rug, your brand new running shoes, etc. I suggest that you cover/hide electric cords, put up smaller items and spray everything else that your pup shouldn’t chew with Bitter Apple.
Preventing destructive and dangerous chewing is easier than trying to correct the puppy every second. Look around your home. What objects could be put up out of the way of a curious puppy? Bitter Apple spray can be applied to furniture legs, woodwork and other immovable items. Are there rooms your puppy should be restricted from entering until he’s better trained and more reliable? Install a baby gate or keep doors to those rooms closed.
Regarding Children. Remember that your puppy needs to be protected from young children, and your children need to be protected from your puppy’s sharp teeth. Your puppy will have needle sharp milk teeth until they fall out around 5 months of age. Also, until your puppy learns manners, they can be rough with small kids and love to grab their clothes and pull. Children don’t know their own strength around children and can hurt a puppy unintentionally. ALWAYS supervise children around puppies and be gentle and consistent in teaching your puppy good play manners.
Everyone Needs Their Own Place.
Decide where to put the crate, and have it set up and ready for your puppies arrival. I would suggest your room, for sleeping the first couple of nights. (puppy's are social and he will probably be scared and lonely for the first few nights). Where to keep the crate will depend on what’s most convenient for you as well as the puppy’s response. Many puppies don’t like to be isolated in one part of the house while the family is in another, but some puppies won’t settle down in their crates if there’s too much activity going on around them. You might have to experiment with different locations until you learn what works best for both of you.
Make Training Fun.
Join a puppy kindergarten class with your boxer pup. Be sure the class uses positive training. Most classes allow puppies starting at 2 to 3 months of age. When your puppy is 6 months old, attend an obedience class with him. It is recommended you attend AT LEAST 2 or more 8 week sessions. Your 6 month old puppy will learn very differently than your one year old puppy. Choose an obedience class that does NOT use a choke chain. Choose instead a class that teaches using food and praise rewards instead and your boxer will learn much faster and enjoy doing it! Boxers do not do well with harsh or violent training, no dogs do...... You do NOT have to use this method to train your dog. Training should be a time of positive bonding, love and learning for you both.
Puppies play very rough and love to use their teeth! Young puppies have needle sharp milk teeth so if your puppy gets carried away, give him a firm but gentle reminder to play nice. You can also react to him by emitting a sharp yelp like a puppy who hurts and then stop the play for a short moment. The puppy will eventually get the idea that, if he gets too rough, the fun stops.
Never strike your puppy. Dogs of any age will learn much faster if you simply use a stern voice or a simple uh uh or hey works extremely well. All of my dogs know if they hear me say uh,uh or clear my throat they need to stop whatever they are doing because it is unacceptable.
As you raise and train your puppy, it is very important that you be firm but gentle in your corrections and even more importantly, you HAVE to be consistent!! If you are not consistent, your puppy will have a hard time understanding what you expect of him.
Wonderful Books if you'd like a good read......
Good owners Great Dogs ~ Brian Kilcommins
Mother Knows Best ~ by Carol Lea Benjamin
Raising a Puppy You Can Live With - by Rutherford and Neil
The Boxer: Family Favorite - by Stephanie Abraham
Boxer's make your life complete, I know you'll enjoy sharing your life with a Boxer!
