Boxers are active dogs. They want to run, play, and jump. In addition, they

Bonus 1 Getting Active with Your Boxer Boxers are active dogs. They want to run, play, and jump. In addition, they are very bright and were bred to work for people. This combination can make for a wonderful working partner and family pet. But if they are left alone for too many hours, or made to live in the backyard without close human companionship, Boxers will develop behavior problems. The dog may bark incessantly, dig up the lawn, uproot small trees, or try to escape from the yard. Boxers need human companionship as well as physical activity and mental challenges. Hopefully, you added a Boxer to your family because you wanted a companion who could do things with you: go hiking, camping, and swimming. A Boxer is a great exercise buddy. He can motivate you to keep a daily exercise schedule because if you decide to be lazy one day, your Boxer will nudge you, push you, and even bring you his leash until you both get out of the house. A Boxer can do so much more, though, than just exercise with you. With his intelligent, active mind, he is capable of amazing things. He can do canine sports with you (such as agility, flyball, and obedience), but he can also learn tricks, do therapy dog work, or even help you around the house. Teach him how to bring in the morning newspaper and how to pick up the damp towels in the bathroom and carry them to the dirty clothes hamper. He really can learn to do that! The more you do with your Boxer, the better your relationship will be. You will learn the real meaning of a canine companion. You will learn what to expect from your dog in certain situations and you ll learn what he s thinking. Because of that, you ll be able to control him better. And your dog will get to know you in the same way. People call their dog their best friend for a very good reason. 1

2 Boxer: Your Happy Healthy Pet Just Get Moving Always start slowly with a new exercise. Sore muscles are no fun for people or dogs, and although Boxers are athletic dogs, their muscles can still be damaged. So if you have a Boxer puppy, a senior, or if you and your dog have been couch potatoes for awhile, begin your exercise plan slowly so you can both get into shape without hurting yourselves. Be aware that Boxers are sensitive to extremes of heat and cold, and can overheat easily in hot weather. Use common sense when exercising your dog. Stay home in hot or freezing weather! In the warm months, plan to exercise your dog in the morning or evening, when it s cooler. Walking Walking your dog can accomplish several things. First of all, as you begin your exercise routine, walking slowly enables you to begin your activity plan gradually, building up some muscles, toughening foot pads, and developing an exercise routine. Once you ve been walking for a few days, you can begin increasing your pace if you have a healthy adult dog although for puppies and senior dogs, you will want to keep the walking pace comfortable for the dog. Walking is also a good time to practice training skills. Make sure your Boxer walks nicely on the leash without pulling. Pulling is a very bad habit, not just because it s hard on your arms, shoulders, and back, but because it puts your Boxer in charge. Psychologically that s not good. Think about the dogs you ve seen walking with their owners. The calm dogs are walking nicely on leash, right? The dogs who lunge at your dog, bark hysterically, and act like horrible creatures are the ones pulling on the leash. That s because they think they re in charge of the world. If you need some help with the pulling (and other obedience issues), call your local dog trainer. Walking is also an excellent way to keep your Boxer well socialized to the world around him. Carry some treats in your pocket and when you encounter someone on your walk who smiles at your dog, ask if they would like to visit with him. Give them a treat to give your dog and have him sit for the treat and for their petting. This is also great public relations for the breed. Jogging If you like to go jogging or running for exercise, a Boxer can be a great running partner. The breed was bred to cover ground quickly. Very few people can keep up with a Boxer moving at his natural trot, so he will have to slow down for you. But he will be able to run as long and as far as you would like to go just do not overtax your dog or yourself. Remember, dogs do not normally trot for any

Bonus 1 Getting Active with Your Boxer 3 length of time without stopping to sniff and investigate the natural world around them. Puppies under 1 year old should not be allowed to run strenuously. Although they need the exercise, the repetitive pounding on a hard surface such as concrete or asphalt can damage growing bones and joints. Senior Boxers should have a veterinary examination before beginning a running program. Begin a running program by walking first. When you and your Boxer can walk two to three miles briskly, begin alternating walking and jogging. Walk briskly for 100 yards, then jog for 100 yards, then walk again. By alternating the walking and jogging, you can build muscles (including your breathing muscles and lung capacity) without hurting yourselves. As you begin your exercise program and during it, watch your Boxer for signs of stress. Many Boxers will go until they drop, literally, because they don t want to fail you. If your dog begins panting heavily, his skin is twitching, his eyes look glazed, or worse yet, he stops panting, stop immediately. Cool him off, offer him small drinks of water, and walk him slowly as he cools off. It s also best to exercise when it s cool in the morning or evening. Your Boxer can get very warm in the heat of the day. If the day warms up when you re exercising, check the temperature of the concrete, asphalt, or sand with your hand. If it s hot on your hand, it s hot on his pads and you need to move him to some grass and some shade. Boxers are susceptible to heatstroke so always use common sense when you are exercising with your dog. Biking If you have a healthy young adult Boxer (2 to 7 years of age), taking him jogging with you does not need to be his only exercise. If your dog is always antsy, ready to play, and won t settle down in the house, you may want to introduce him to running alongside your bicycle. If you have a sturdy bicycle, like a mountain bike, that has good tire contact with the road, you can bike with your Boxer to exercise him. But don t grab your Boxer s leash and get on your bike and go. If you re holding the leash with your hands on the handlebars and he makes a dash or swerves to the side, you and your bike will be down and you can hurt yourself. Instead, get one of the contraptions made specifically for biking dogs. Personally, I like the one that fastens to the pole that supports the rider s seat. With this one, the dog runs beside the bike where you can see him, and yet he s far enough back that you can make turns without running into the dog. I do not like the contraptions that have the TIP Always bring water for both you and your dog when you exercise.

4 Boxer: Your Happy Healthy Pet dog run behind the biker, because you can t watch your dog. If he hurts himself or gets tired, you cannot see him. Once you have the contraption that connects your dog to the bike, hook him up and just go for a walk as you push your bike. Let him get used to the sight, sound, and feel of the bike. When you can walk the bike over bumps, curbs, grass, and other normal obstacles and your dog is comfortable with it, begin riding. Start riding slowly, using your dog s obedience commands to guide him. You can also teach him the meanings of the words left, right, slow, fast, easy, and stop. Go for slow, short rides in the beginning, so he can toughen his pads and build muscles. As your riding skills and your dog s physical abilities improve, you can increase the distance and speed of the rides. But remember not to overdo. Use your common sense. Retrieving Games Retrieving games are another great way to use up excess energy and most Boxers love to play them. The rules of retrieving games are easy: You throw the ball or toy, your dog goes to get it, and he brings it back to you sometimes! Boxers also naturally love to play keep-away, and do not always reliably give up their toy. They may dance around you with their prize just out of reach. If you train your dog to give the ball or toy to you, he may want to play tug of war with it. Boxers enjoy using their strength against you. Although some dogs may play tug of war with no negative repercussions, Boxers are too strong and too smart to allow this behavior to go unchecked. Train him to let go on command. If your dog wants to play tug, you can teach him to give up the toy fairly easily. Just trade a treat for the toy. When he brings the toy back, offer him a treat to spit out the toy as you tell him, Casey, give! If he doesn t drop the toy, he doesn t get the treat and the game is over you re going to go inside the house and leave him out in the backyard. He s not dumb; after several repetitions, he ll figure it out. Fun Training There are many different ways to have fun with your dog and his training. It all depends upon your interests and skills as a dog trainer. Trick training is great fun and can be easy or very complicated. Trick training is also a good way to challenge your dog s mental abilities something that s very important for Boxers.

Bonus 1 Getting Active with Your Boxer 5 Your Boxer may also enjoy agility training. You don t have to compete to have fun with this sport. Many trainers have a noncompetitive agility course where dogs can jump, climb, run, and use their physical and mental muscles. Carting is also great fun. When your Boxer learns to pull a wagon you can put the toddler inside and let the dog haul him around the yard supervised, of course! Many dog training groups walk in their local community parades to show off well-trained dogs. You can also teach your dog to do directed retrieves, scent discrimination, tracking, herding, and much more. Talk to your dog s trainer and ask for some guidance in continuing your dog s training after he s completed his basic obedience. Permanent Identification Your dog s collar should have a tag listing your name, address, and phone number. A permanent form of identification may soon be required by the American Kennel Club for all puppies. A tiny coded microchip has become very popular as a form of permanent identification. These chips are designed to help locate your dog if he becomes lost, because they can be scanned by electronic devices that will disclose ownership information to veterinarians and shelter personnel. Many veterinarians and most good animal shelters have these scanners. They are also a way to prevent unscrupulous breeders from falsifying records. Your dog s breeder or veterinarian can give you more information. Lost and Found The AKC founded Companion Animal Recovery (CAR) in 1995. CAR provides 24-hour services and has been instrumental in recovering hundreds of thousands of lost or stolen dogs enrolled in the CAR program. For more information, see www.akccar.org. You, Your Boxer, and Your Community Step outside your home with your Boxer and you are no longer just a family you are both a part of your community. This is where the phrase responsible dog ownership takes on serious implications, especially for the larger, more

6 Boxer: Your Happy Healthy Pet Identifying Your Dog Always put a tag on your dog s collar. Choose a tag that s not so big that it will annoy your dog. Many pet-supply stores will engrave a sturdy metal one for you, and pet-food companies often also do this if you send in a few labels. Put your name and phone number on the tag. When you travel, use a tag that has a replaceable paper insert, so you can update your contact information at every stop. Write your name and cell phone number, your veterinarian s name and number, and the name and number of the place you are staying on the paper insert. A microchip is a form of permanent identification, in case your dog s tag falls off or is taken off. A microchip is a tiny transponder, about the size of a grain of rice, encased in sterile glass. It is placed under the skin on your dog s shoulder by the veterinarian, and remains there forever. Each chip has a unique number. When a microchip reader is passed over the transponder, it reads the chip s number. That information is useless by itself, though, which is why you must register the number with a microchip recovery service. When you register (for a fee), the number is stored in a database with your contact information and pertinent information about the dog. Make sure you keep your dog s registration, and your contact information, up to date. protective breeds such as the Boxer. The best thing you can do for your dog, others of his breed, and for all dogs and dog owners in your community, is to provide a good example to all who see you and your dog. For starters, make sure you train your dog. He should know basic obedience at the minimum and be able to sit, down, stay, come, and walk nicely on a leash even with the distractions of being out in public. He should know not to jump on people when he greets them, not to paw at people, and of course, he should never put his mouth on people, even in play.

Bonus 1 Getting Active with Your Boxer 7 You should always pick up after your dog. Keep a little bag in your pocket when you go for walks and keep several in your car. Never leave a Boxer pile for someone else to find or worse yet, step in. Your responsibility extends to your neighbors, too. Don t let your Boxer bark annoyingly. He shouldn t chase their cat, either, or their kids. He shouldn t relieve himself on their front lawn or bark at them when they come out of their house. A responsible dog owner also obeys community laws. Make sure your Boxer is licensed and wears his license tag and his identification tag when out for a stroll. If your city, county, or state has leash laws requiring dogs to be leashed, please obey those, too. They are in place to protect everyone dog owners and people without dogs. Canine Good Citizen The American Kennel Club s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program was instituted to promote good dogs and responsible dog owners. This is especially important today, when dogs seem to cause more horrible headlines in the news than good ones. The CGC is open to all dogs, purebred or mixed breed, registered with the AKC or not. The program is hosted by many kennel clubs, dog obedience clubs, dog trainers, and other dog groups. Here are the ten exercises the dog must do willingly to pass the test: 1. Accept a stranger stopping to talk with you. 2. Sit still and accept petting by a stranger. 3. Allow someone to handle him as a groomer or veterinarian would. 4. Walk nicely on a loose leash. 5. Walk nicely through a crowd. 6. Sit and down on command, and stay in a sit or down position as you walk away. 7. Come when called. 8. Remain calm in the presence of another dog. 9. React confidently in the presence of distractions. 10. Accept being left alone with someone else without becoming overly anxious or nervous. Dogs who pass all ten tests earn the title CGC. Contact a local trainer to find out if the CGC test is going to be held locally.

8 Boxer: Your Happy Healthy Pet Therapy Dogs Therapy dogs go with their owners to visit people in nursing homes, hospitals, day-care centers, schools, and even libraries to give people warmth, affection, and distraction. Therapy dogs can visit AIDS patients, special education children, seniors in assisted living situations, and much more. Boxers are naturals at therapy work. Most therapy dog organizations require the dog to pass the CGC prior to certification, but that isn t the only training needed. The dog needs to get used to wheelchairs and walkers, canes and crutches, sounds that he ll hear in a facility, and even smells. Many dog trainers offer therapy dog classes where you and your dog learn the skills necessary for certification and for doing this job most effectively. Spaying and Neutering The pet population explosion is rampant. We have all been assailed in the media by sad photos of unwanted pets and the harsh statistics that indicate so many thousands being euthanized every year. Unless you have specifically purchased your Boxer for breeding, you will undoubtedly want to spay her or neuter him. Not only will the procedure prevent your female from coming into season and attracting all the neighborhood canine lotharios, but it may also make your male more of a homebody and will curb his interest in the opposite sex. In addition, there is considerable medical evidence that certain kinds of reproductive cancers are virtually eliminated in dogs who have been spayed or neutered. Always consult your veterinarian about the timing of the spay/neuter surgery.