[vnewell]

Hello!! I joined the forum today because I am completely desperate! I have had my boxer since october now. His name is Cash and he is 10 mo old. We recently moved back home after my husband got out of the military. We moved into a brand new house and Cash is absolutely out of control. As far as I knew, he was pretty potty trained, that is until we got here. He doesn't listen and has decided to pee on our brand new couch twice already. My husband is done with him and is ready to get rid of him, but I just love him so much...I can't do it. I really want to work on it and train him to be a better dog, but I need some help with the basics, potty training, coming when he is being called, stuff like that... I already got him to sit and lay down, but only with a treat. My hubby gave me 1 month to make it better...any ideas would be wonderful!! Thanks so much!

 

[ReekosMom]

IMHO I think its terrible your hubby is willing to get rid of him that quick!!! Anyways hes probably regressing because of the new enviroment and he may be stressed out because of the move! Ive never had to deal with this but I would start all over again from scratch! Like take him out every hour or so. Id also take him to a class! Go to PetsMart or something! I enrolled Roxy in PetsMart training classes and they seem to be very good!

Im begging you not to give up on this little boy! Please give him a chance and all this IS going to take MORE then a month! Im telling you he is probably having regression issues because of the move and he may be thrown all out of wack because of it!    I know you dont want to rehome him but it breaks my heart to see people give up on their animals so easily!

 

[southerngirls]

I agree with RoxyGirl. Just like with a human, a dog is sensative to changes. Let your husband know that it will take longer than a month to solve the issue-but let him know there will be improvement at the end of that month. I would also do any type of training class you could. that will help with the day to day commands. Our two year old is regressing some because of the new puppy we have. She will see that the pup doesnt get in trouble is she has an accident, so she has taken it into her own paws to just pee when she feels like it. The only difference is our pup wont do it in front of us (which is why she doesnt get in trouble) but our 2yr old will pee right in front of us. So she does get in trouble. We have started taking both dogs out more frequently to help prevent any further regression and also to help reinforce going potty outside. Please keep us posted on how things go. i sure would hate for you to lose your boy due to some simple issues that can be easily corrected with a little time consistency. Just make sure to never punish him by smacking him-this sends the wrong signal. Keep working on the commands he knows-hide the treat in the palm of your hand and when he does the command act like you are going to give the treat, but instead give him lovins and pets. That is how i weaned our 2 yr old off the treats for doing the command she was supposed to. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[puppysmasher]

a month huh? he's going to be a puppy for about another year or so. giving him one month is UNREASONABLE. so is buying a brand new house with a new puppy. buying a brand new house with a new puppy and NOT opting for creamic tile (makes pee/poop easier to clean)? seriously. you need to explain he's still a baby. it sure ain't gonna happen in amonth.--Rich

 

[vnewell]

Thanks so much for all your help. And puppysmasher, my house is all tile downstairs and that's where they have been hanging out most of the time and sleeping, until he decided to pee on the new couch the other night. They had to sleep in their cages last night (I also have a maltese). I'm definetly going to check out the classes. Trust me, I'm doing everything I can posibly do to keep him. I even called some training schools but they were trying to charge me $85 everytime they came to my house, and I pretty much had to do most of the training, so I have been doing A LOT of reseach online. When they make a mess on the floor, what do I do? I have heard that you have to take them outside right away, or that you have to put them in the cage, or ignore them completely, so i'm pretty confused. Again, thanks so much for being concerned and for your advise!!! I will definetly keep you guys posted!! thanks!

 

[Flutterby]

Crate training.. Do not give him free roam if he isn't going to play by your rules. If he can't be trusted or watched, then in his crate he goes. Just my suggestion... But definitely give him more than a month.

 

[mom2scoutandgunner]

When you catch him pottying in the house take him outside immediately to the area you want him to do his business and tell him "potty" or whatever phrase you want to use.  Since he is in a new environment, you are starting from scratch again. (Sorry!)

Whenever you cannot watch him 100% use the crate.  I would also crate him at night too.  Make the crate an inviting place for him to be.  Put him in there with a treat and maybe a few of his toys.  Puppies can get in so much trouble....we all understand where you are and where you are coming from.  I have raised 2 puppies at the same time  

Petsmart training is good for the basics.  I used treats with ours too.  Once he gets used to the commands (using treats) you can start asking and expecting him to do it without a treat.  Training takes patience, lots and lots of patience.  The more you practice with him the more you will mentally tire him out and the less he will act up.

You have to remember though that his attention span is short and you will have come up with creative ways to keep him interested.  They love games and love to take walks.  Walks are also a good way to mentally and physically tire him out (take a different route each time).  We walk ours 2x a day ~ once before work and once after work for 30 minutes.  You don't want to take real long walks with him as a puppy.

Hopefully your hubby can be patient with him as well.  Maybe if he sees that you are working with him and he is showing progress, he will be more relenting.  Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Flutterby]

If you need a toy to keep him occupied, I suggest a 10" teaser ball.. I don't know how curious he is, but they're great!

 

[vnewell]

Thanks for the new advice, I actually bought him a couple of new toys today and he loves them, I need to try a ball because today I found out that he actually likes to fetch, usually he just looks at them and keeps walking. I was also really excited because he stood at the door wining and as soon as I took him out he did his business!! Thought I would share my excitement with everyone!!

 

[samsonsmom]

I'm not going to repeat what everyone else has already said, so I'll try and cover some other points...A KONG is an excellent toy for your pup...Fill it with some Peanut Butter, low fat, plain yogurt & some of his kibble...Stick it in the freezer for a couple hours and that wil keep him occupied for awhile..That's a good treat to give when you need to crate..They are a very hard rubber, so it's not something that he can chew apart...
When you have him out of the crate, keep him on a lead, that way you can grab the lead to take him outside real quick..We used that with Angel and I found it worked quite well...When he's on the lead in the house, use that as a basis for some training..Start with "sit"..give him a treat, then do a "sit, stay" give him a treat. vary it up, boxers get bored, so you need to keep it fun..Use a squeaky to get his attention if you have too, that's if he likes those..Mine just need to see the treat bag and they are ready!!!
I have a post in the puppy section about teaching "recall"..include that with your training sessions also...Anything you can do to keep him busy, occupied is a good thing....
Keep in mind, boxers are considered puppies til they are 3, that's a very long puppyhood and as they are kids at heart they always will be goofy and rambunctious, but it's up to you to teach them what's appropriate...
Good luck and please don't give up on him, it takes awhile and as boxers are a very sensitive dogs, they don't do change easily and it does take time for them to adapt....

 

[nano]

You have been given good advice from everyone.  You are right, the change is making him have a set back.  Stress and all and not knowing for sure where is okay to go in new surroundings. Make sure you use a good cleaner that rids the smell from the spot so they aren't tempted to repeat.  I use Natures Miracle available in about any pet store.  When they make the mess, simply put the offender in their crate and go and clean it up.  Say nothing.  They know who did the deed and they know that it wasn't proper.  If you make a big deal over it it can become a game and they will do it more.  

The training, well you're right on that too.  It is up to you.  A trainer can help you, but you can get a lot out of a book that equals many training sessions.  A nice group class can be helpful though and much cheaper.  I recommend a book called "Mother Knows Best." by Carole Benjamin.  You can usually find it at Barnes and Nobles and other book stores.  It is a good book to have, even for older dogs.  

Good luck!

You will have improved a lot in a month, so don't worry just keep at it.

Nano

 

[lillyzmomma]

Vnewell--
My advice as a dog trainer and owner of a Boxer...--

Training, whether on your own, with a trainer, or in a class, is up to you.