Four paws pays
A jumping Boxer knocks people over. Reinforce sitting for greeting from the first week and never reward the airborne version, not even once.
Working Group
Boxer
A working guardian that kept its puppyhood. Boxers stay physically demonstrative for years and need that energy pointed somewhere useful early.
PlayfulExuberantDevoted
What to work on first
Three things that matter more than the rest
Structured play beats free-for-all
Tug with clear start and stop cues teaches arousal control better than any sit-stay drill.
Mind the heat
A shortened muzzle means poor heat tolerance. Train and exercise in the cool part of the day and learn the early signs of overheating.
Where it usually goes wrong
Common challenges with the Boxer
- Jumping up
- Over-arousal in play
- Heat intolerance
Behaviour that involves biting, real fear, or a sudden change in an adult dog is not a training problem until a vet has ruled out a medical one.
Read next
Guides that apply to the Boxer
Life Skills
Teaching the Off Switch
High-drive breeds do not calm down on their own. Settling is a skill, and it can be trained like any other.
6 min read
Behaviour
Adolescence: Why Your Trained Dog Forgot Everything
Between roughly six and eighteen months, a well-trained dog will appear to lose the plot. It is normal, it is temporary, and how you handle it matters.
8 min read
Recommended equipment
What our guidance for this breed calls for
Chosen against the training plan above, not against a supplier's bestseller list.
Most recommended
Also in the Working group