Never tell your dog to "Come" and then correct him for something he did wrong. He will think the correction is for coming to you. (Think like a dog, remember?) Always go to the dog to stop unwanted behavior (in the act, remember?)
Never hit or kick your dog or strike him with a newspaper or other object. Such abusive measures will only create fear and confusion in your dog and could provoke aggressive behavior down the road.
When praising or correcting, use your best doggie voice. Use a light and happy voice for praise, and a firm, sharp voice for warnings or corrections. A pleading, whiny No, No or "Drop that' will not sound too convincing, nor will a deep, gruff voice make your puppy feel like he's a good dog.
Your dog also will respond accordingly to family arguments. If theres a shouting match, he will think that he did something wrong and head for cover. So never argue in front of the kidsor the dog!
Despite the Boxers powerful appearance, he is a soft dog who will not respond to harsh training methods or corrections. Puppy kindergarten and continued lessons in obedience are the best course to combating the Boxer stubborn streak.
Next step: Games for Boxer Puppies
Reprinted from Breeders Best: Boxer © 2004. Permission granted by Kennel Club Books, an imprint of BowTie Press.
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