Hi, I have a Boxer X with an English Bull Mastiff (very handsome) and I wonder if you are able to provide me with some advise.  My dog is 3yrs old and has discovered how much fun water is.  He used to be afraid of water, but now he isn't.  The problem I'm having is that although I have no problems with recall in any other situation, nothing is working when it comes to water, so I think his behaviour is obsessive due to the fact that he will run half way accross a field to jump into a dyke or river and he paws at the water and eats the splashes and nothing will get him out until he decides to and no amount of recall training is working when he decides to run for it.  He is of course having loads of fun and I often think I should jump in there and join him.  Do boxers have an obsessive behaviour traite and if so, any idea as to how to break it so there is a balance?

Hi Guest,

The characters of each breed which your dog is crossed from are exceptionally different and your boy will have inherited different traits from each side of his parentage plus all manner of unknown quantities just from the individual dogs themselves so it is not as straightforward for others who have not seen him and observed his antics to offer a remedy for them ;)

The obvious solution is to never let him off lead around water unless you have LOTS of spare time on your hands and towels to dry him off with :D  Perhaps you could join and provide more info about his behaviour in general, your own experiences with training, etc. etc. etc and then through a some interactive exchanges there will be more assistance available.

Best wishes, Teri :P