How to Crate Train a Boxer Dog
Boxers are popular dogs in Europe and America, partly because their willingness to please makes them easy to train. Crate training helps housebreak boxers and gets them used to a travelling crate. Since they can be easily stressed, they should be trained to see the crate as a comfortable, safe place.
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Things You'll Need
- Home dog crate or traveling dog crate Upraised food bowls Toys Chew treat Soft bed or cushion Blanket (optional)
Instructions
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The Crate is Great
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1
Prepare a dog crate. According to the Humane Society, a dog crate needs to be large enough for the boxer to stand up, turn around and lie down. Placing a blanket over the top and sides of crates can make them look more inviting -- like a den rather than a cage. Place a dog bed or soft blanket and dog toys inside.
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Leave the crate open and place it in the living room or an area where the family is. Let the boxer go in and out on his own. Praise him when he goes in. Put small treats in the crate to encourage him.
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3
Get upright food bowls that can fit in the crate so the boxer can eat while standing up. It is important that boxers have upraised food bowls because they are prone to bloat (similar to colic in horses). Keep an eye on his behavior for a half hour after eating to be sure he doesn't have bloat: symptoms include retching, panting heavily, drooling, whining, a distended abdomen and restlessness.
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4
Close the crate for five minutes with the boxer inside after he has voluntarily walked in and settled down. Over the next few days, gradually increase the time to a half hour. When the boxer can quietly tolerate a half hour, try leaving him alone as the family goes out on a quick errand. Leaving a bone or chew toy helps to occupy the boxer's time while the family is gone.
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Gradually lengthen the time the dog is in the crate unsupervised.
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Tips & Warnings
Leave the crate in the centre of the room when you cannot supervise the boxer. According to the Greater Ohio Boxer Rescue, bored boxers will reach out with a paw to pull objects over and destroy them. Sudden bladder or bowel accidents in the crate after a long period without accidents indicate that the boxer is ill and needs to be taken to a vet. Leaving a radio or television on can help keep a boxer quiet. Leave a piece of old, unwashed clothing in the crate with the boxer. The smell of a human family member can be comforting.
Don't force a boxer into a crate or use it as punishment. The boxer should see the crate as a good thing, not be afraid of it.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image from Wikimedia Commons.
