Expert: Angela Donald - 5/8/2010

Question
I have a 8 month old brindle boxer(Mercedes). I have had her since she was 5 weeks old. The problem is she is very hyperactive, so i try to train her by giving her treats and teaching easy commands. She knows the commands "SIT, STAY, COME, NO, and MERCEDES GET IN YOUR HOUSE" but when she sees something she is interested in more than me i become invisible to her and she well not listen. When we go to the park she pulls me on the leash instead of her walking on it. She is starting to get big and I'm begining to worry that if her behavior does not improve I'm going to have to get rid of her.(she is the first boxer i have ever owned)i just want her to be able to walk on a leash and listen to the commands she knows. Please HELP I LOVE MY DOG.

Answer
Hi Johanna,

First the puppy was way too young to leave the dam and litter at 5 weeks old so you are experiencing behavior problems which are common among dogs taken away from the litter and dam too early.Instead of her being only hyperactive Mercedes probably has a high prey drive and it needs to be addressed by a professional trainer who can give you hands on training, they will be able to see your techniques and her problems personally. If you can't find one in your local area then I would recommend the "Illusion" collar which will help in her pulling and start on loose leash training. The more you pull the leash the more the dog will pull.This collar will give you more control over her without having to use alot of strength or pulling back on her leash and will lead to you being able to hold the leash loosely with slack in it and her walking nicely by your side. Start everyday practicing the "watch me" command,you can see a video of this on my website at
http://www.hitowerboxers.com/apps/videos/videos/show/8111389-puppy-discipline there are many other training videos there. You need to practice everyday the commands you want her to learn in short sessions 10-15 minutes, if she truly knew these commands you wouldn't be having the behavior issues. It is always important to stay calm and firm in your commands. Your tone of voice matters as you will see in the videos. Timing as well. You can not be angry or frustrated as the dog will not listen to you, dogs follow pack leaders who are calm and assertive, no yelling, no repeating commands over and over. With the boxer breed they need a firm but fair approach to training and discipline, no hitting either. It is imperative to never use the word "come" when you are disciplining her or her name. Set her up for success by training at home first in a place where distractions can be controlled, like a training partner with another dog. Once she has this new watch me command down then take her out and when she gets fixated on something use it and reward her for doing the right thing. You may also try turning around and going in the opposite direction when she pulls, she will soon get the hang of it. If she isn't getting at least 30 minutes to 1 hour of aerobic type exercise daily then she is also experiencing frustration and needs to release her pinned up energy. So daily walks are imperative to correcting her hyperactivity or behavior problems.Try letting her run around the yard before walking or training sessions with her to release some of that pinned up energy. One other thing may be contributing to her hyperactivity ,the food she is on, check the label and if it says 28% protein switch to a lower protein amount perferably 21 %. I wish you much success and thank you for your questions.

Angela Donald
Canine Behavior Consultant
Hi-Tower Boxers
http://www.hitowerboxers.com