House training - most breeders line their puppy rooms with clean newspapers, so your new pup will probably already associate newspaper as the correct place to ‘go’,when your puppy comes home, for the first few days, have some clean newspapers on the floor near a door for the pup to associate with. Eventually the paper can be moved outside. First of all for easy house-training we need to know when the pup is likely to want to go to the loo. Usually as soon as the pup wakes up and immediately after meals he will need to relieve himself, show the pup the newspaper, and when he performs praise him lavishly, you might also like to use a command word or a clicker.

Puppies do show signs of needing to go to the loo, it is up to us to interpret them properly and make house-training simple. Pups will go round in circles sniffing the ground, this is the time to put them on the paper or outside in the garden, but stay with the pup in order to praise at the right time – yes even if it is raining! Pups need constant supervision in this matter, and mistakes made by the pup are down to us as dog owners not paying attention. Mistakes must never be punished, and praise must always be given to the desired response.

Boxers are by nature very clean animals, and house-training is usually quickly accomplished young puppy cannot go through the night without needing to go to the loo, so leave a thick wad of paper on the floor for him to use. We usually have a new puppy in the bedroom (horror!) as we find the pup will sleep for very long periods when he is warm and remain safe in the knowledge that you, the pack leader, is close by.

Alternatively the use of crates or cages will assist in house training as puppies very seldom soil their bed so crates/cages are good for sleep periods, on waking he is taken out side or put on the newspaper until he has relieved himself. If the pup sleeps in the cage at night he will soon come to associate the cage as his own domain, going to the cage for solitude – dogs really do get to like their cages.

Initially the new puppy will be learning socialisation in his new environment – your home. NEVER under estimate how many new things there are for him to learn about, a good breeder will hopefully have accustomed him to the vacuum cleaner, T.V and washing machine, possibly small children other dogs and maybe cats, though if your pup has been brought up in a kennel then you will have to tread very carefully.
Fear response is easily learned at this stage of a pup’s life, using methods of distraction such as a toy or a tit bit can help (if a pup does show fear, distract him don’t praise him as he will associate the praise with showing fear and assume that fear is the required response).
Ground rules of the home need to be taught from the very start. It is extremely important to be consistent with the puppy. He must know from you if he is allowed onto the furniture at all and what he can and cannot play with, in fact even when he can play! You are the pack leader and as such you must dominate as the alpha dog otherwise he will eventually dominate you.

There will be times when your puppy will not be able to come out with you, so it is a good idea to leave him alone for short periods of time. Initially do this while you are in the house. Keep a special toy for the puppy to have at these times. Put the puppy in the kitchen (or better still the cage or crate), ideally when he is tired with his special toy or robust chew close the door and leave him. Go back to the room after a few minutes to let him know that you are there let him out and make a

By regularly handling your puppy, such as checking teeth and mouth, clipping nails and touching his feet, standing him on a table or surface you are unwittingly socialising him to many different things. He will be required to stand on a table at the vets so by the time he goes to the vet he has already learned that this is OK. If your puppy is going to venture into the show ring, then he is going to be subjected to total strangers looking in his mouth and handling his body.

fuss of him gradually extend the periods of time he is left – he is learning that you always come back and he is safe while you are away. It is worth pointing out here that cages and crates are not intended to be used for long periods

Unfortunately, the pup’s vaccinations are not finished usually until the ‘socialisation period’ has ended. Still there is much that can be done to socialise the puppy. He can be carried to the shops, in busy streets where there may be heavy traffic, and allowed to see other animals and children. The pup will need to become accustomed to journeys in the car, by initially going on very short journeys, and learning that it is not a frightening thing. A car crate is a good thing, as the dog feels secure, though there are various seat belts available now

The puppy will do things such as sit, and lay down of his own accord, when this happens reinforce the behaviour with a command word. When the pup begins to sit down use the command SIT, when laying down use the command DOWN, and praise the puppy. He will soon associate the word with the action. Similarly he will learn to associate the command COME, when he is in the house or garden, get down to his level, clap your hands and in a friendly excited high pitched voice say COME with arms wide open, he will run to you (possibly knocking you over), praise him lavishly, again he is learning to associate the word with the deed. Then allow him to carry on doing what ever he was up to before you disturbed him.
If this pup is destined for the show ring then early ring training can begin in the same way, if he is nicely balanced, then when he is standing foursquare use the command STAND and praise him in a high and happy voice. Your puppy is unwittingly beginning to respond to you and command words without any real formal training.

A puppy bought from a kennel will not have heard such terrors as a washing machine, vacuum cleaner or even a TV, so he may well show signs of fear when he encounters them for the first time (tail down, cowering, ears back, running away to a place of safety e.g. Under a table) he will need to learn that these things are not a threat to him. By feeding in the kitchen the pup will come across the washing machine, feed while it is on a cycle and his hunger will probably overcome his fear, playing with the pup will also serve as a good distraction and he will soon forget the fear he first felt.

He should have a collar put on soon after arriving at home. He might try to run away from it at first, but if the collar is put on loosely for short periods of time he will soon forget it is there. Next, a lead can be attached, let it trail on the ground after the pup as he runs around. At times the lead can be used as part of a game – the pup will probably hold the lead in his mouth while you hold the other end, persuading him to follow you – when he does, praise him and offer him a treat, this is the beginning of lead training which will eventually introduce him to the great outdoors!
All training must be fun for the puppy, it must also be remembered that he has a very short attention span, so sessions must be kept very short. He will want to please you, but he does not always know what is wanted from him so timing for praise and or reward is VERY IMPORTANT.

Training and socialisation should be fun for both the pup and you, it should be undertaken as a gradual process, and remember it is a life long journey that you will go through together.
Remember that;
* Dogs learn best through patience and with rewards
* Timing is very important, a reward should be given within a second of the desired response
* You need to find your dogs ‘buttons’ that is to say what will motivate him – toys or food
* Learning should be fun and enjoyable, ten minutes three times a day is enough with a few hours separating each session
* Mental activity is more tiring than physical activity
* Train in a quiet place with few distractions
* Failure at any level should not be punished, go back to the previous level where you succeeded.

NEVER use physical punishment – aggression breeds aggression
This and the previous page, SOCIALISATION, has been taken from part of the work I did when at college. It is not intended to be exhaustive and is a guide only. It may not be reproduced in part or whole without seeking the prior consent of the author.