Help!!!
 

:sad: Hello everyone, I've never been here before, so I don't even know what I'm doing. :confused: I own a female bulldog boxer cross, she's about 6 months old, and we are having a hard time training her. A friend of ours owns a boxer, and he said it took him 3 years to train his, I can't wait 3 years!! :yuck: My husbend won't stand for it, and is giving me 2 weeks to train her, or she's got to go. Someone please help me. :sad:

Anyways, my problem is with my 6 month old bulldog boxer cross puppy, we are having a very hard time training her t go out side, or even on the paper. My husbend has had as much as he can take, and has given me 2 weeks to train her or he wants to give her away, even though I know he probably bluffing, I need to get her trained regaurdless. She now is teathered to our front door nob amid a sea of newspaper. I could really use some help in this department, as I've never had to train a puppy before

Wow, two weeks isn't nearly enough time to train anything.... sorry about your decision. What kind of training are you talking about? House training? And how long have you had her?

still a puppy...
 

In what ways does your husband expect this puppy to be trained in 2 weeks.... Give examples of what the pup is doing and what you are trying to work on...

Please find this puppy a new home, with someone who has some knowledge of dogs and who understands that no puppies are trained in two weeks.

.

best read....
 

the other post. This dog is tied to a doorknob surrounded by newspaper.

I hate to say it but your husband is being unrealistic. Does he think that you can train a dog in two weeks? Sorry but this dog is going to end up in a shelter so do it a favour and either find it a new home or replace your husband who I don't even want to know how he would train a dog in two weeks. I apologize for being direct but I can see this one coming. Did your husband want a dog and did you do research breeds to get an idea of the energy level and ease of training? This sounds like a great mix and if you spend the time you will have a great dog. Have you considered obiedence training

You've had this dog since she was 6 weeks and she is not housetrained yet.

The first thing you must do is pick up the papers. A 6 month old large breed puppy should not be going on papers, and by doing this you are totally confusing her. First it's not okay to pee in the house, and now it is. She cannot possibly understand.

You need to get her on a strict schedule and never leave her loose to make mistakes in the house. Only have her loose when she is in the room with you and you can watch her closely for any signs that she needs to go - sniffing, circling around, look intent, etc.

HEre is a link on how to get her on a schedule and make houstraining easier. Consistancy and patience are necessary.

[URL=http://www.cuhumane.org/topics/housebr.html]Housetraining[/URL]

how many hours...
 

How many hours is this young pup left alone during the day? This might be a problem as well?

[QUOTE=LuckyRescue]Please find this puppy a new home, with someone who has some knowledge of dogs and who understands that no puppies are trained in two weeks.

.[/QUOTE]

:thumbs up I couldn't agree more!

Thanks for the help.
 

Well, first of all, my husbend is not really serious, the kids would be devestated to loose their puppy. He just is tired of the messes. :yuck: The only reason she is surrounded by a sea of newspaper is because that was the advise we were given by the breeder of Olivia's mommy. She is never alone in the house for more than 3 hours on ave. if that. We have never had to train a dog before, so yes we are a little on the stupid side. We did some research on the breeds that she is mixed with, and a friend of ours has a boxer, so we knew what we were getting into. Her energy is not a problem, we love that about her. We have twin 3 year old girls, so I know all about energy, and trust me this pup needs all her energy. :D
Our older dog buddy we resuced, and he came trained he is the perfect dog, so we have no idea what we are doing.
Our home has an open floor plan, and we've blocked off as much of it as possiable so that she stays within eyesight at all times. The olny problem is I have 3 years old girls that also demand attetion when they are hungrey or are in need of band-aids and loves and cuddles. :grouphug:
She is on a tight schedule, but we are just at a loss. I feel like I banging my head against the wall.
Our friend told us that it took him 3 years to fully train his boxer. I hope that he is crazy.
:sad: Sorry if I sound stupid and I don't know what I am doing. I am only here for help so please be gentel.
Thankyou :)

Not trying to bash you but you would be amazed at some of the things we hear on this board. I would most definitely get into an obedience class and work daily with the dog. There is a book one of those for dummies books which I think are quite good they explain everything in plain english you might want to check them out. I have to admit it has been awhile since I have had a pup but I do remeber consistency is the main thing and praise. Keep us posted but I would get into a class.

training aids
 

When do the messes occur? Are you using crate training? If she is going where she has gone before, it could be that the scent is still there. White vinegar and water are a good cleaning solution that also eliminates the scent so they will not go back there. Someone in another thread also mentioned a great product for that, something about kennel busters???? don't rely on my memory

SOX is also a good product to take stains and smell away.

If you can give us some more details about where and when the "accidents" are occuring, maybe we can give you some more tips.

Good luck, we are all here to help you :grouphug:

The link I gave you has clear and simple suggestions. The "breeder" who told you to start using papers is out to lunch. Pay no attention to that. Do you want an adult dog who thinks it's okay to eliminate in the house. Do not "try everthing". Choose one method and use that only.

Here, in a nutshell, is what the link says:

1 - Choose one or two areas where you want your pet to eliminate. The odor left at this place will remind your pet to eliminate when you take him there.

2 - [b]Take your pet to the area on a leash[/b]. While he eliminates, praise him profusely. DO NOT put your pet out in the yard by himself! You must be there to help focus his attention and to praise within seconds of elimination.

3 -Stick to a schedule for feeding and walking so your pet can anticipate being taken out.

4 -Confine your pet to a small area, such as a dog crate or part of a tiled room when you can not watch it. Dogs naturally avoid soiling their den or bed area. Close confinement helps to motivate your pet to wait to be taken outside and prevents damage to your home. If you must confine your pet longer than it can wait to eliminate, give it ex tra space to eliminate away from its bed.

5 -When your pet soils inside, clean the area with vinegar or an odor eliminator. Do not use ammonia. On carpets, soak up as much urine as possible with towels, then soak the carpet and padding with odor eliminator. Unless all odor is destroyed, the pet will be attracted to eliminate there again. Punishing your pet in any way will do more harm than good, especially if punishment occurs more than a few seconds after elimination. [b]You must anticipate your pet's need to eliminate and provide it the opportunity to eliminate in the appropriate place[/b]. Adjust the schedule or watch your pet more closely. Call CCHS for help if "accidents" occur frequently.
Tips for setting the housebreaking schedule
Plan to take the pet outside 10-30 minutes after feeding, first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and whenever the pet gets excited.

In general, you should plan to take your pet out in hourly intervals equal to your pets age in months. e.g. a 2 month old pup should go out at least every 2 hours, a 4 month old every 4 hours, etc. Re gardless of age or previous training, start with a maximum interval of 4 hours.

Although pups younger than 6 months may understand that you want them to go only outside, their performance is still limited physically by the size of their bladder. Some dogs, once housebroken, can wait over 8 hours at a time, but others, like most people, can't. It may be necessary to hire a dog walker if your schedule can't accommodate your pet's physical needs.

:sorry: ] I shouldn't jump to conclusions without knowing the whole story first!! :sorry:


Puppies need to poop and pee after they eat/drink, sleep and play. As SOON as they wake up, the first thing to do is put them outside to go pee. Stay with her and make sure she goes. And when she does....give her alot of praise. Make it a big deal for her so she knows she did something good. Dogs like to please their owners and she will catch on that peeing outside pleases you. Talk to her while she is sniffing around and say things like " Go pee baby" and "Good pee oh what a good girl u went pee" She will catch on! Make sure to put her out for a pee before you go to bed! Even if she is already sleeping!

Never scold her for an accident in the house UNLESS you catch her in the ACT. If she pees somewhere and you find it two minutes later you cannot scold her. She won't have a clue of why she is in trouble or why you are displeased with her.

Pups need to pee every two or three hours OR after they wake up or eat/drink or had a good play session.

If I'm not mistaken(someone correct me if I am!) I think boxers are a hyper breed to begin with(I think I read this somewhere). My pit bull didn't settle down till he was around three years old. Some dogs mature a little later than others I guess. Tell your husband he'll have to take the good with the bad! My boy was neutered right at six months and retained his puppy characteristics! He will be 4 next month and now behaves appropriately.............most of the time!!


Good Luck and I 'm almost positive these steps will work for you. Be consistent and be patient. If you screw up, so will your dog!(I don't mean to be harsh!!)

no offense but...
 

after having our 12 week old pup for a week, i'll never understand why people with small children get a puppy. with the amount of time and attention our guy requires, i couldn't imagine taking care of human babies as well.

What if?
 

:confused: What if she doesn't go while she's outside? Alot of the time expecially when it is cold outside, she won't go, but the moment I have my back turned, like as I'm takeing off my coat, she'll go on the rug, right beside me. :evil: What do I do then. that is my biggest problem. When she goes outside, all is good, it's just when she's to lazy or something to go outside.
As too the puppy and kids comment, I love my dogs, I love my kids, and the kids love the dogs, and the dogs love the kids. We are very happy, and I couldn't imagine my home without any of them, it would no longer be complete. :sad: My kids are old enough to know what is going on and help out with the training as much as possible. Puppies are a big responsibility yes, and so are kids, but once this training issue is finished, everything will be happy. :D

My neighbor has a boxer (6months old) who is fully trained.
But she noticed when it was cold he did not want to go outside to do his business (he prefered the nice warm carpet!) So she went out and bought him a coat right away and this completely solved the problem :) !
Might work for Olivia to!

[QUOTE=BullboxLover]:confused: What if she doesn't go while she's outside? Alot of the time expecially when it is cold outside, she won't go, but the moment I have my back turned, like as I'm takeing off my coat, she'll go on the rug, right beside me. :evil: What do I do then. that is my biggest problem. When she goes outside, all is good, it's just when she's to lazy or something to go outside.[/QUOTE]

PATIENCE and PERSISTANCE!! This is the hardest part!! I know, I know who wants to stand outside for 20-30minutes?? When you are out with her, don't let her play when its pee time. Take notice of where she pees. Always go to that area for her "duties." She'll smell that she's been there before and probably go again. It's also easier for you to clean up poop in a small area rather than all over the yard!! I used to try tickling Copper's tummy when he wouldn't go pee. Some dogs this works for, some it doesn't.

Keep us posted!!

Absolutely. Wait it out, as long as it takes until she goes. Wear warm clothes and totally ignore her, no playing, no patting, nothing. When she goes - oh boy make it the most exciting thing, make a big fuss, lots of pats and cuddles, lots of praise and treats would help.

When she is in the house, I'd toss the paper as suggested, and tether her to YOU, not the door. That way you are forced to keep an eye on her and watch for signs she has to go. I know you're trying, most training is training the owners, you're not the only one so don't feel bad, just get cracking on it.
[QUOTE=Copper'sMom]PATIENCE and PERSISTANCE!! This is the hardest part!! I know, I know who wants to stand outside for 20-30minutes?? When you are out with her, don't let her play when its pee time. [/QUOTE]

What do you do when you walk her? Doesn't she have a coat to wear in the cold?

sometimes cordoning off an area of the house isn't enough. you should consider buying a crate (a large cage). A dog will never go pi or poo in his bed. crate-training takes advantage of this instinct. Whenever the dog can't be supervised, and when I say supervised, I mean you're looking at his every move -- you put him in his crate. you should have a strict feeding and watering schedule (always feed at the same times). This way, you'll get a good idea of how long after he drinks and eats he'll need to go potty.
Take him out after every nap and every time he has had a good romp. dogs often need to go after exercising and after sleeping. Always take him outside when you take him out of his crate. When he does go potty outside, as he's going tell him something like 'hurry up' or 'bananas' or anything, and he'll learn to associate the word with going. This will help later on, when you say that magic word he'll have to go! Also, when he goes outside, make a really big deal out of it. Give lots of praise, maybe even a treat!
I agree you should probably get him a coat, bull-boxers get cold fast and this can be a problem. It's a problem that's so easily remedied!!
Might I recomend a good house-breaking book : 'How to House-break your dog in seven days' by Shirlee Kalstone -- this'll give some good pointers.
Good luck! :thumbs up
From what I've read, bull-boxers are amazing dogs...I hope you guys won't give up on him!!!
Keep us posted!

I would suggest a coat for the cold, take her out after a hard play, eating, running, drinking, sleeping. When the puppy goes to squat on the floor pick her up - she will stop peeing and carry her outside. Even if you JUST walked in the door and she squats as you take off your coat. Pick her up and out you go. Try using words like "hurry up" or "go pee" AS she is going... she will learn that they are commands to go...

As for training, the amount of time and effort you put into training the dog determines the amount of training they will retain. If your friend took 3 years to train his dog he obvioulsy was not spending enough time at it, doing it incorrectly, or not at all... OBDEIDENCE TRAINING is a MUST! There are classes that last 8 - 10 weeks and your puppy will learn a LOT!! Boxers are not that stubborn or dumb... they need encouragement and love... only positive reinforcement will help.

If your dog does go to the washroom in the house DO NOT rub her nose in it. It's not her fault and she won't understand. You, as the owner need to watch her and take responsiblility for her actions. Have her on a leash indoors and with you at all times... she goes with you to get band aids!

Hope that helps a little!

Love and Cookies!!!
 

Well everyone, I am happy to report that things are starting off very well. As soon as I got home from work I pulled up the papers and removed her water. :p
She had no accidents through the night, but she's usually very good for that anyway. All day I watched her like a hawk :cool: and put her out as soon as she started sniffing her favorite peice of carpet and she went! So it was lots of praise and cookies, for Buddy to cause he was feeling left out. Even the cat got in on the cookies. :p There was only one accident today, and it was my fault, she was out of eyesight. :( When I took her out today before I came to work, she pulled back on the lead when I tried to take her in, and then she walked around and made a poop!! I was so happy!! Needless to say, it's time to by another box of cookies!! :D
As for the crate training, we tried that when we first got her, and she would just freak out, she would just get herself all worked up and she would loose her voice from howling so much and she would exhaust herself and I worried about her, but in the room, she's much better and doesn't feel so left I geuss.
Does anybody know anyone that owns a bullboxer, I would really like to know someone that has one and know more than I do OBVIOUSLY.
Thanks again everyone, and I'll keep ya posted. :ca:

There is a breed called a Valley Bulldog and if you do a search you might be very surprised. It is a mix of Bulldog (English) and Boxer there is a breeder in Nova Scotia

Valley Bulldog
 

Well, I did the search, it was very interesting, and informative. However, how am I to know if my Olivia is a Valley Bulldog? Do I try to register her? I'm confussed now. :confused: