My Male Boxer puppy is 1 and 1/2 years old. HE is so hyper what can I do to calm him down

[demtenjeep]

when it is just us at home, he is so calm and fun but whenever anyone comes over he jumps, spins in the air, pushes off of people. HE weighs 65 lbs and the only thing I can do is push him outside or take him to his room.

Would getting him fixed help? Will he outgrow it?

HE is so fun and lovable, I just need him to calm down a bit.

[rocktivity]

1. I'm sure someone in the DU Pets forum could help.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1161


rocktivity

[demtenjeep]

7. I didn't even know there was a pets forum

thanks

[grasswire]

2. what Caesar would say about that

I believe that the Dog Whisperer would tell you to walk your dog with a calmer older dog alongside to get him in a calm mindset, and also to wear him out. Caesar sometimes uses a treadmill for doggies, too.

Do you walk him?

[surrealAmerican]

3. Is he getting enough exercise?

Dogs that don't, especially youngsters, are frequently "hyper" like that.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My dear demtenjeep!

I think fixing him would help, eventually...

And exercising him certainly would. Boxers need a lot of that.

[TlalocW]

5. Doggy Downers

And Puppy Uppers? (1970s SNL skit)

TlalocW

[demtenjeep]

6. hubby walks him every night

we also have a big fenced in back yard and my nephew plays ball with him frequently.

He also gets to go to the store often.

He just loves people.

[julian09]

10. Boxers really never grow up.. nt

[Major Nikon]

28. Dogs should be walked the correct way

Walking your dog is the single best thing you can do for dog obedience, but many people I see do it the wrong way. I see people putting harnesses on their dogs and allowing them to drag them all over the place. This actually reinforces bad behavior. The dog should be made to walk slightly behind the owner, and when you stop, the dog should sit. The dog should be looking to the owner for direction at all times. At no time should the dog be allowed to pull. If you're not walking the dog this way, learn how to do it the right way. Obedience training is a good approach which trains both the dog and the owner.

[Shoe Horn]

43. Also, no 'slack in the line', so to speak, right?

...been a long time, but I think I remember that from training my dog.

[Major Nikon]

49. Ideally the dog shouldn't be allowed to wander about

They should stay right on your leg. I don't have to keep a tight leash on my dogs because they will stay right on my leg no matter how much leash I give them. I've seen some people who can walk their dogs without a leash. The dog is so well trained they will stay on the owner's leg no matter what. That's kind of the ultimate in obedience training. I haven't trained my dogs to that level, but it is possible.

[TNDemo]

8. I have a Boston Terrier that is five and the same way.

He's a piece of furniture when it's just us but a total spaz when someone comes in. The thing that works best is a spray of water to the face. I will usually loom over and dominate him for added effect but just showing him the water bottle makes him back down. But it's a really difficult trait to train out. We got him fixed at a year old and it didn't seem to make a difference.

[baldguy]

9. Exercise is what he needs. Good for him. Good for you.

I need to walk my 65-lb baby at least an hour a day. And my back yard is fenced in, so she can run around like a nut to her heart's content.

[zanana1]

54. Gotta love those ears! nt

[Pab Sungenis]

11. My mother has had fourteen boxers over the past ten years.

Most effective way of calming them down was a two-by-four.

And, yes, fixing will help calm him down. But not by much. Find an obedience class near you and take him through it. It will do wonders. He may stay hyper but will behave himself better.

[guitar man]

12. He will probably outgrow a lot of it

At 18 months a boxer pup is usually a ball of energy. A lot of training is in order, and exercise the crap out of him. A lot of old dog trainers will tell you the 3 rules of dog training are "keep em tired, keep em tired and keep em tired "

Good luck

PS: if he's not neutered, get him neutered, it will help

[one_voice]

13. I currently have two...

Boxers. I've had three. Of the three, my Sugar--one of my current ones--is nuts. LOL She was just like that when people came over, I had to put her in her room or outside. What helped me...another dog.

At first the puppy started doing what Sug was doing, but in correcting the puppy Sug learned. That's not to say they don't get excited still when people come over..but the jumping is minimal..they sit on your feet instead. Izzie-is more laid back than Sug in the house but she runs the hell outta Sug out side. That helps with the excess energy.

I think getting him fixed will help too.

My first Boxer used to get excited when people came over and try and jump--but she was very well trained. One word and she stopped.

Try watching either Cesars show or The chick from "It's me or the dog" Victoria something. Both very good advice.

Good luck.

edited to add: they do grow out of some of the energy as well.

[Demoiselle]

26. I love and respect Cesar Milan..But the "Me or the Dog Lady" is, imo, really wrong on training.

All the suggestions in this thread are good...neutering, tiring him out (LOOOOOOONG walks!) and really good obedience training. High energy dogs are certainly a challenge, but worth it for those who love them. (We, on the other have had nothing but Great Pyrenees for the past many years. Their specialty is rug impersonation. And although they bark when visitors arrive, I swear not one has every jumped up on anyone. Really. No great credit to us...they're big enough to perform a thorough inspection without jumping. It's a trade-off we make for the clouds of lovely white fur that feel the house.

[one_voice]

27. I prefer Cesar to...

the "Me or the Dog Lady" as well. A lot of people think he's wrong--I've used many of his techniques with my dogs and they always work. I used to have Rotties, and I never had issues with them jumping--my daughter has 2 pits--both rescues--and neither of them jump. She uses Cesar's techniques too.

Boxers can be a little high strung--and they NEED training, no question about it. But they're great dogs! I love them, then again I love all dogs. LOL!

[demtenjeep]

14. thanks. WE had been debating about getting him fixed

he is a beautiful color and comes from good stock and thought he might make a good "stud" but hubby says he really doesn't want to deal with all of that. The vet also said that male boxers get testical cancer more frequent so I think before he is 2 we will have him fixed.

WE love his spirit and don't want to break it, we just want to not have to send him outside or to his room when we have company.


There is also a pet store that runs classes not far from where we live so we will check into that.

[LeftyMom]

15. Oh boy.

First, you need to get him fixed ASAP. It should have been done a year ago.

Second, if he's got that much energy, one walk a day isn't doing it. A second walk, or a game that gets him running around the yard (if you've got enough room to get him up to top speed) like fetch or frisbee might help.

Third, having been through the exact same issue with a goofy male boxer (for some reason the females tend to be much better behaved) I've found that making them sit first, then letting people meet him helps. Just telling him no doesn't work, telling him what to do, namely to sit, helps. I give him a lot of praise and treats for sitting while he meets new people, then I let him up once he's wound down a bit.

[southernyankeebelle]

16. I would try getting him fixed. It will calm him down some. Also you may want to try

putting some coins in a can and when he starts doing a behavior you don't like shake it and tell him bad. My brother-in-law tried that and it worked. But when all fails just wait age will slow him down. I bet he isn't around alot of people.

[MissDeeds]

17. I agree that you should have the dog fixed, but

you might want to look into getting a 'calming wrap' to help him feel more secure and less anxious. A friend of ours had a party a few weeks ago and one of her dogs was wearing a wrap. She said that without it, he goes nuts with strangers around. A lot of people use them for dogs that are afraid of thunderstorm, too.

They are available online, but you probably can find them at pet supply stores too.

Good luck!

[cyglet]

18. I have 2 boxers

One is a firecracker, the other is a mellow leaner. They chase each other and wear themselves out. If you don't want 2, find a dog park (they don't like to walk, they want to run).

[Seedersandleechers]

19. Feed him food without any carbs?

I dunno, I have never had a dog but a carb free diet sure works great with my 4 cats.

[Major Nikon]

30. Most dog food will have some carbs in it

You can buy raw meat, which is an expensive option. The food I give my dogs is 80% protein, which is about the highest it gets with dry dog food (also not cheap). This is better than cheap dog foods which are mostly grains. My dogs (border collies) are still very active on a high protein diet.

[Seedersandleechers]

33. Actually no

raw meat can be a cheap option actually. After deer season I used to go to the meat processors and pick up free processed deer that the hunters didn't pick up. It's all my 4 cats used to eat and they loved it. It was a messy process but well worth it.

[Major Nikon]

34. Good deal if you can find it

Even if you could, it would be a tough option for most dogs. Raw meat is about 75% moisture vs dry dog food which is about 10% moisture. So you need about 3 times more, by weight to get the same protein content as 80% protein dry food. My two dogs, which are about the same size as boxers, eat 1.5 lbs of dry dog food per day total. So for a 45 lb dog that's very active, you'd need about 2.5 lbs of raw meat per day. That's almost half a ton for a year's supply.

[Seedersandleechers]

35. I was picking up about 80# of processed deer. I had a list of 12 different processors who would

have meat to give away or charge for the processing. It's against the law to sell deer meat but you could charge just for the processing which was cheap. I live in Missouri and Kansas is just across the street so maybe that is why I had so much access. I also bought a freezer for the meat. Dogs evolved eating raw meat so I would think that would be the best diet for them.

[Brickbat]

20. Why are you not getting him fixed?

[ellie]

21. I miss my dog

I used to love hugging him. My arms are so empty now.

[flvegan]

22. Didn't research the breed, did you?

No bother. Get him fixed. Many benefits to go with calming him down a bit. Punishing him for what he does naturally is a mistake. Make sure he gets plenty of play time, toys, etc. When he's 9, you might see a bit of a difference.

Enjoy having a dog that is a puppy almost forever. That's a bit of an alternative.

[LeftyMom]

23. Seriously, this.

Boxers are awesome. But they're goofy, excitable, and well... not generally real bright. In terms of their ability to be trained? Their enthusiasm to please you is going to fail in the face of their general enthusiasm about absolutely everything, especially for a young male.

You can do a lot to channel that energy into better behaviors, but he's probably always going to be a great big excited dork around people he doesn't know. Because he's a big dumb dog who loves everybody. That's what boxers are. They're also great if you have any inanimate objects that need barked at, sofas held down so they don't float away, or clean things that need muddy paw prints.

Personally, I love them to pieces (I grew up with the breed- my family's always had adopted boxers) but if you want a dog whose good manners are going to overpower their enthusiasm, this is not the breed for you. Or, at the very least, you should adopt an adult female. Way, way mellower.

[dixiegrrrrl]

53. Seriously, you are so right.

And neutering a dog by age of 1 if not earlier is SO important.

[HopeHoops]

24. Benzodiazapines.

Just kidding. Use duct tape.

[Cal33]

25. Maybee he has an over-active thyroid. You could have him checked by a veterinarian.

[Lionessa]

29. Immediate solution HERE.

Put an old style leash on his choke collar, by old style I mean on that can drag around on the ground, not one with the whole recoil assembly on it.

Now, leave this on him when he's indoors. When someone comes to the house before you open the door, have the dog sit, and then firmly step on the leash with no slack, just the length from floor to his sitting neck/collar position. Now open the door. Anytime he tries to jump, your foot will assure he doesn't get any higher than a sitting position, and he will choke himself just enough he should quit in short order.

[targetpractice]

38. Interesting...

I have a rescued mini pin... Whenever I put her leash on in the house and let it drop to the floor... She'll just sit and stay there until I take it off... no matter what's going on around her... I didn't teach her this behavior, but as soon as I noticed, I began rewarding her to reinforce the behavior. It comes in handy sometimes.

[nadine_mn]

31. Fix him and exercise him and some fun training

Just having a backyard to run around in is not enough - he needs to work his mind too. Training him (esp with some willing volunteers) will help. When he is tired (or at least had a good walk so the initial energy has wound down) start training him to be around people - making him sit and wait.

I think people forget that thinking can tire a dog too - dogs want to learn and please you and learning new behavior to be more social will be fun for you both.


Also he is still a pup - most large breeds start to calm a little after 2. My mom had a large german shepherd who was about 100 pounds and was all energy all the time, when he hit 2 it was like a switch turned off and he settled a bit more.

Good luck to you!

[Curmudgeoness]

32. I have a friend who found doggy day care worked wonders.

It seems that her boxer was bored and lonely, so now goes twice a week to day care. He plays with all the other dogs, wears himself out, and doesn't feel the need for so much social time when people come over now.

And good lord, GET HIM FIXED. What are you thinking?!?!?!?!

[demtenjeep]

37. hubby doesn't want to "take his balls away" and I thought he would make very cute puppies

yes we researched the breed, had one before and my FIL had one for 15 years. He was NEVER this happy.

We don't want to break his spirit, we love it. It is just a bit much when I am home alone and we get company.

He is a LOT of fun and so loving. He sits, shakes, catches things in the air, when we ask "who do you love" he puts his paw on our leg.

Hubby walks him and I used to think he was kind of strict when walking him but now I see he has been doing a good thing.



I think we are going to pick a class tho.

thanks for all the help!

[roguevalley]

40. unless he adds to the breed, dont breed

An intact dog with an assertive personality is a fight waiting to happen. Neuter him and get a better dog. Unless you want to show him he doesn't need his balls.

[Curmudgeoness]

41. Honey, men NEVER want to take their balls!

The dog will not care as much as your hubby. I guarantee. My cat is fixed, but it doesn't look like it. Testicles removed but there is still a lot of junk back there. And I think that they have implants if it would make hubby feel better.

[demtenjeep]

42. hahaha

He is a beautiful brindle with the cool white strip down his forehead. We had thought about breeding him. He could be a show dog if one was into that kind of thing. He comes from good stock. His daddy is 80 lbs of pure muscle and his granddaddy was 100 lbs of pure dog.


Hubby doesn't think he wants to hassle with breeding him out tho.

I thought it would be cool. Find 12 females and once a month get Angus to go for a ride in the jeep and have a little fun, while we make a car payment. Hubby says it is too much to hassle with.

[Curmudgeoness]

45. I have a friend who shows dogs, and

if the stud is not also a well-placed show dog, it doesn't really matter. No one with a good show dog will use him as a stud, well, unless maybe his dad was a grand champion.

I will not try to guilt you into the operation, but it really would be better for the dog's behavior as well as his health. Just consider it.

[demtenjeep]

47. at this point We will be doing it

probably after Christmas

[targetpractice]

48. Allowing a good companion dog to breed is not necessarily bad idea...

Generations of breeding for show dogs is the reason that there are so many genetic illnesses and temperament issues within breeds. Cross breeding allows for genetic variation... Breeding for temperament and companion qualities is probably what we should be doing, because most people want dogs for companions or pets.

I think it may be a disservice to domestic dogs to continue to breed for physical show characteristics that only benefit a handful of owners or breeders who profit from the practice... when we could be breeding for smarter and more social traits.

I'm not advocating allowing dogs to breed when there are so many that can be adopted, but there is nothing wrong with allowing your companion dog with smarts and a great personality to have puppies that you can give to a good home.

[Curmudgeoness]

50. I couldn't agree more about the problems with purebreds

and the obsession to have the "perfect" dog, but I stand firm that there is no reason, in our society as it is now, to breed dogs at all. Shelters are full, rescue groups can't keep up, and too many very good animals are euthanized for lack of room. If there was a shortage of good, well-behaved mutts, I would agree with you.

[targetpractice]

52. Agreed...

Whenever I can, I try to evangelize the following...

Priority #1 should be to rescue and adopt. I'm in my 40's and I rescued my girl a year ago. It's the best thing I've done in many many years. I haven't had a dog as an adult, and I truly believe they are pure souls looking for a soulmate... She's taught how wonderful it can be to give, observe, and live in the moment. Rescue dogs are easy to please and easy to fall in love with. Buying a dog from a breeder is truly unnecessary when looking for a companion dog... unless you are looking for a pure breed for vanity reasons. Rescuing a dog is so rewarding, IMHO.

Priority #2 is a long term issue... Convince society that dogs should be bred for companionship qualities not AKC standards... Who knows what wonderful qualities will unfold over time if we select for behavior over looks.. Right now we are spaying and neutering the rescued mutts and suppressing the genetic diversity that resulted in the range of domestic dog breeds we have today... After a few thousand years of amazing progress in domestication, we've shut down canine evolution in the last 150 years or so, by focusing on inbreeding in order to achieve arbitrary "breed standards."

My point in my post... Sometimes, if your family has a beloved mutt, and you are a responsible lifetime owner... It may be okay to want Fido's grand pups. But, generally I agree with you.

[bluedigger]

36. Sounds more like a behavioral issue than a lack of exercise issue.

Find friend(s) who can come over and help you train the dog. Strangers are probably better. Have them come to the door and practice with the dog. Make it sit before you will answer the door, etc... It will probably take several sessions with different people. Then go help them with their dogs! (Mine gets crazy, too, when the doorbell rings, but she just barks and runs around, no jumping, lol.)

[roguevalley]

39. exercise and discipline. goto cesarmillan.com

For puppy advice

[Shoe Horn]

44. Got any cheap beer handy?

[img][/img]
Not lite beer though, I wouldn't give that to a dog.

[femmocrat]

46. 1. Yes, he should be neutered. 2. He should be obedience trained.

ASAP

Neutering him won't calm him down, but will prevent him from breeding, marking territory, and prevent health problems as he ages.

All dogs should be obedience trained. If you cannot take him to a class, buy a book or watch a video. Then practice, practice, practice with him every day.

He probably does need more exercise, too. At least a long walk every day, and some vigorous play such as fetching a ball or toy. He has tons of energy to work off!

[Scuba]

51. Exercise. Lots and lots of exercise. n/t