Hi All,

Firstly a BIG thank you to everyone that helped and advised me a little while ago about getting our Boxer pup. He's been home with us now for a week and has settled really well. He's certainly not shy!! He had his first vaccination yesterday and had to have his ears cleaned, and even after all that he still tried to lick the vet to oblivion!! :-)

And to all those that said to only get one puppy..... THANK YOOOOOOOOOUUU!! Crikey he's hard work!! He's getting easier by the day and is already sitting and weeing on command... we'll work on the pooing on command a bit later.

He's getting better at night too, he didn't wake up at all on Friday night :-) and only woke up once last night, but wouldn't go back to sleep as he'd closed the door to his crate and couldn't get back in... WALLY!!!

Anyhooo.. on to my question!

The breeders have recommended that I soak his food in hot water for about half an hour before he eats it and that's fine, I don't mind that at all, but they have said that I need to do this with all of his food from now on. Now this is again fine, but what worries me a little is how is he going to get on with training treats and possible biscuits (when he's been real good)? I have tried giving him small round probiotic treats and he turned his nose up at them at first, I don't think he realised they were food at first... so anyway he now tries desperately to eat them but seems to struggle to chew them and they just fall out of his mouth again. So today I tried to give him a puppy tubo. and again he tried but just ddn't seem to have the jaw power to really make a dent in it?

Is this normal for an 8 week old boxer pup? Should I just keep trying and give him time to 'get it'?

He chews his toys (and our fingers) really well, that doesn't seem to be a problem.

Thanks as always

Max

he sounds like a beautiful little darling :)....he will get the hang on it soon ....i do soak food till about 9/10 weeks but it just depends on the breed ...your boy will be able to eat dry food now but he dont know how yet so over the next few weeks id add less and less water to it till its just semi soaked ..get some thing mosit for him as a treat or maybe a tiny bit of chicken to reward he will soon know right from wrong :) ..... good luck with him :) x

Thanks white lilly, we sure do like him!!

I spoke too soon about the weeing on command... I took him out on his lead earlier into the garden and wasn't having any of it! I don't think he was desperate enough and just pulled and fussed, so I just made him sit and then took his lead off. I think the treat suggestions you made are great, thanks. I'll try them tomorrow when I do some more lead traning, otherwise he'll see the lead as a negative thing and I certainly don't want that!

As for soaking the food, I think he'll always need it soaked to a degree as he's a Boxer and their prone to bloat, but I like the idea of using less and less water. I'll try that after about 10 or so weeks and see how he goes. He's a good lad and deserves the best! He's even taking himself off to the back door when he needs a poo!! Not quite got the hang of doing that when he needs a wee as he'll pee anywhere if you let him!! :-)

Thanks

I soak all my dogs' food, always, all their lives and would not consider anything else. I wonder if your pup maybe just don't like the training treats? So many dog treats are extremely boring. I use hot dogs and sausages for training. :)

I always soak the food, every meal. I do however give the occasional biccy as a treat, unsoaked (half a gravy bone - I'm such a meannie, LOL). I did use un-soaked kibble from Busters daily food ration as training treats to start with, but soon switched to cheese (cut into tiny, little cubes).

with my staffy, I soaked the food for a few months and then started putting some dry in with it and increasing the ratio of dry.  With my rottie, he has not had it soaked as went onto dry food a few days before he came to me.  I found the soaking a real hassle and if I wanted to feed my dog wet mush I would buy wet food.

Hi Marianne,

I think he does like them as he desperately tries to eat them, and he does 'follow' them too.

I think I'll keep up with the soaking for now and maybe use less and less water so he has to sort of chew his food. He's not a big drinker at the moment, so at least he's getting fluid from his food... her certainly wees a lot.

He loves cheese at the moment, but I didn't want to give him too much.

Thanks

I'm OK with the soaking for now, but I don't know how I'll feel about it in a few months time! Also first thing in the morning he's starving and not happy about having to wait half an hour for his breakfast!! :-) Bless him.

hi , when food is soaked they dodnt need much water ,as you use less water for soaking you will see him drinking alot more ,imo dried food is good for there teeth as i dont give bones very offten :)

That's what I thought as there is quite a lot of water in his food. I'm not sure about giving him his food completely dry as I've been advised by the breeder that it's not good for his belly.

Is there anything other than bones that would be good for his teeth in the same way as feeding dry?

that can be a good thing tho , that gives you time to eat and have a drink so he know your pack leader  and your the boss not him :)

> that can be a good thing tho , that gives you time to eat and have a drink so he know your pack leader  and your the boss not him

I found making Buster wait for his food to soak really helped with him learning self-control/patience :)

a tooth brush lol lol lol ,;)
yes you can get toys that help :)

Yes that's true! I have my breakfast whilst I'm waiting for his to soak, he's asleep when we have our other meals at the moment so he doesn't know any different! Mind you saying that he did try and nip at me earlier when I pulled him out from behind the sofa! Didn't get me, but the intention was there... unless he is just being a puppy... so new to all this so I'm still going through as massive learning curve! As is he!

LOL :-D

He doesn't winge or whine, but he doesn't take his eyes of me for a second and it's a good opportunity to teach him the 'off ' command!! LOL :-D

> He doesn't winge or whine, but he doesn't take his eyes of me for a second and it's a good opportunity to teach him the 'off ' command!! LOL :-D

Bless him :)
I found the best time to teach my pup commands was in the time he was waiting for his food - he was so eager to please and do anything that would get his bowl put down so he'd really concentrate :)

> that gives you time to eat and have a drink so he know your pack leader and your the boss not him

  I thought that old chestnut died a death a long time ago. 

Dogs are dogs, they know they're dogs, they know WE are not dogs - why would they see us as 'pack leader' when we're not dogs?  Why would a dog try to be a 'boss' over us?  We're a different species - dogs ain't that thick, even pups!

My dogs eat when I feed them sometimes before us sometimes not, they go through doors and down stairs before me (when we're anywhere with stairs!) because I don't want them pushing behind me and I can see what they're doing.  Sometimes they're on the sofa and I'm on the floor - doesn't mean they've 'taken over' just that I'd sometimes rather lie on the floor and they almost always prefer the soft furnishings.

Dogs don't try to dominate anything other than their own species - just the same as every other species, with the exception of humans that is.  Mankind aside, one may be prey the other predator but not 'dominant' 

it is a puppy thing but this carnt be aloud you tell him no and mean it with your voice ,he will try it on , all puppies do !!! but you got to think when he big and still tring it on hes gunna hurt you , have you looked into puppy classes for him yet . ive had dogs for a very long time and i still take them to classes ,its good for them to interect with other pups , im sure you know all this :) x

> I'm OK with the soaking for now, but I don't know how I'll feel about it in a few months time! Also first thing in the morning he's starving and not happy about having to wait half an hour for his breakfast!! :-) Bless him.

I got fed up with that too and for a while soaked a whole days worth of food at a time and just scooped out enough of the mush for each meal time.

I thought that old chestnut died a death a long time ago.

no its not died ....one of our pups from last litter was being feed as soon as they got up and feed before they eat ...he was becoming very dominant ,i told her to try this and her training class leader said the same ,ater a week of this he calmed dowm , and i do believe this is true ....as for doors and stairs its manners i dont let my dogs push and do as they like ...

Hi littlemissdrago

> he did try and nip at me earlier when I pulled him out from behind the sofa! Didn't get me, but the intention was there... unless he is just being a puppy...

Yes, at 8 weeks and for quite some time yet it's safe to say your puppy is just being a puppy :)  Pups don't know that biting, growling, snarling etc isn't acceptable - they learn to 'fight' and 'defend' themselves and their food, toys, sleeping spot etc when with their litter mates so any behaviours along those lines are instinctive just now.  They are not under any circumstances a show of dominance over you or anyone else in the household.

Have a look at THIS ARTICLE by way of explanation - it's worth printing off a few copies for future ref purposes and also ensuring that everyone in the home follows the same guidelines :)

Enjoy your puppy - they grow up so quickly!
best wishes, Teri

I found the best time to teach my pup commands was in the time he was waiting for his food - he was so eager to please and do anything that would get his bowl put down so he'd really concentrate

Well he is a boy!!! LOL

it is a puppy thing but this carnt be aloud you tell him no and mean it with your voice

Oh don't worry, he certainly did get told off! He responds better to a throaty noise, rather than the word no at the moment, but the noise works just the same!!! For now at least!

Yes he's booked into puppy classes and will be starting at 12 weeks. I can't wait. He seems so willing to learn and he's a social little thing, so he sholud really enjoy being with some other puppies.

Ta

> I thought that old chestnut died a death a long time ago

>> no its not died ....

That's a great pity - I guess the longer such inaccuracies are perpetuated the more plausible they become :( 

Some dogs are bolder, more outgoing, overly confident at times by nature than others may be whether littermates or not - it doesn't mean they're dominating or attempting to dominate us.

Just as dogs which are naturally quieter and less confident don't need to be put onto Prozac, dogs which are bolder don't need a 'pack leader' - guidance, training and consistency, yes!

No cure is effected by us eating first - even in the unlikely event that a dog was so psychologically screwed up it mistook a human for a canine.  In the wild pups eat before the adults as only if their health and wellbeing is ensured can the next generation continue.  Exactly the opposite of the theory you're recommending.

:) we took our 16week gsd to her 1st class today she loved it :)

Yes, at 8 weeks and for quite some time yet it's safe to say your puppy is just being a puppy

It's all so new to us! We're learing all the time and are so appreciative of all your help.... thanks for the article. All good stuff.

Enjoy your puppy - they grow up so quickly!

Don't they just, he's grown so much in the last week! He's such a little love and just so much fun! We can't wait to take him out for a walk!! Watching him run around the garden with my Son is such a delight... doesn't matter what mood you are in, that sight is sure to bring a smile to anyone's face!

> :-) we took our 16week gsd to her 1st class today she loved it

Aaaah bless... I can't wait!

they go through doors and down stairs before me (when we're anywhere with stairs!) because I don't want them pushing behind me and I can see what they're doing.  Sometimes they're on the sofa and I'm on the floor - doesn't mean they've 'taken over' just that I'd sometimes rather lie on the floor and they almost always prefer the soft furnishings.

.....if a dog is TRAINED well they not going to push behind you ..they are told to sit and wait , and then let in after any of us in our home
my dogs have soft furnishing too ...dog bed :)

white lilly

I'm not remotely interested in arguing training techniques with you - clearly you go by an outmoded method of how to 'dominate' your dog whereas myself and many others have for decades worked with understanding canine behaviour and how best to mould innate traits into desired ones.

I'd just rather not see someone who is seeking advice make the mistake of going down the route of seeing their clearly much loved, happy and very normal little puppy as a threat to world domination if not swiftly kept in check - 8 weeks and counting after all

> .....if a dog is TRAINED well they not going to push behind you ..they are told to sit and wait , and then let in after any of us in our home
> my dogs have soft furnishing too ...dog bed :-)

This made me smile a little.  My youngest (19 months) has lovely manners and will attempt to do whatever he is asked but coming down the stairs is still a bit beyond him :)  He often manages to trip over the usual stair garbage like shoes and books and, more often than one would expect of an otherwise very bright dog, he manages to make his back legs move whilst leaving his front ones in place.  Delightfully daft behaviour but not one I want falling into the back of my knees!!  As Teri says, it can often be much safer for you if your dog goes down first OR waits until you've arrived at the bottom before starting...

To the OP: I found that warm water speeds up the soaking process a bit, mine also found food more palatable warm.  Always an enthusiastic eater as a small pup he would take longer to eat it if it was cold - something I also found useful when I needed him to ease up a bit on the speed!

hi teri
if you read anything ive ever wrote you would see i never argue :) .....i also try to understand why dogs do what they do , we all want the best from our much love dogs ...i train my dogs with love and respect .the same way you would
so just because you have your way and other too ....doesnt mean my way and others way is wrong :) like you say each dog is different and i aproch each dog different when training them ,
just because ive had my say about how i do thing and you try to put me down !!! doesnt mean im arguing

x

> i also try to understand why dogs do what they do

Then why would you think a puppy is likely to attempt to dominate anyone?  

IMO that's a pretty basic and sweeping assessment based on flawed theory of yesteryear (yet one which in fairness you stand by) but as yet have failed to back up the reasoning of why when a dog is fed in relation to the household it has any bearing on the dog's demeanour (other than drooling that is!).

hi dogs a babe lol i do agree about the stairs :) our older dogs are good with the stairs ...havnt started with the pups yet but like everything it all takes time :) ....its me that falls on ours lol the kids dont know how to put things away .....its easy to train my dogs then my kids lol lol :)

Hi dogs a babe

my pup (pretty much now full height, and 14 months!) takes to going downstairs like a wallaby ...... rather ungainly and definitely one to be avoided LOL.  I've always found the boys worse than the girls on stairs (bit like school really ;) )

> I found that warm water speeds up the soaking process a bit, mine also found food more palatable warm.

Yes this is what we do too. Although I use a pirex jug for the soaking and so it takes a while to cool down too, which means he has to wait even longer for his dinner!! LOL :-D

I really appreciate all the advice I am given by everyone, no matter how 'contravertial' ;-). I take on board everything I read and use it with my little chap to the best of my ability, whilst staying consistent with him. It seems to be working and he is definitely a work in progress! But he's also so much fun and we adore his little foibles, but are keeping him in check at the same time. His play-biting just seems to be a puppy thing at the moment, but I have read the wonderful article I was given and we are going to put the 4 step process into place!

As for my original worry about him and solid food... my Son has just been doing 'sit' with him and he seems to be getting the hang of chewing. Although at this rate the training classes may take a while!! LOL!! He'll get there in the end... in the mean time he's enjoying practicing on my fingers!!

> I really appreciate all the advice I am given by everyone, no matter how 'contravertial'

LOL - it gets a little bit like that at times :-p  No harm meant nor intention to hijack your original query :)  Your puppy sounds gorgeous and I'm sure you'll all have great fun learning together.

best wishes, Teri

> going downstairs like a wallaby

Hahaha that made me laugh!!

Our little one isn't allowed upstairs, so hopefully I won't have the problem of triping over him on the way down. I intend on teaching him about stairs when we're out for walks... more space! LOL :-)

> No harm meant nor intention to hijack your original query

No worries, everyone has good intentions and that's all that matters! What type of people would we be if we all did things the same way??? It's wonderful to hear all the techniques and ways of doing things and then work out which works best for Boomer.

That said, he's now having his "Funny Hour" and is booming around like a... well... Boomer! Hehe! You gotta love him!

Boomer - great name but that's just asking for it LOL.  One of mine is called Mayhem - you can probably guess how she behaves from that :-p

Wait until the snoring starts....:)  Boy can boxers snore!!
I soaked Georges food when he was a puppy but then stopped but have no idea why.  He doesn't hoover his food down at all and eats in a controlled manner (well, as much as a dog with jowls can!).  There are arguments for and against soaking food and some foods swell up much more than others, depending on the grain content.

> I intend on teaching him about stairs when we're out for walks... more space! LOL :-)

My pup was never allowed up/down stairs so when he first encountered steps out on a walk it was quite a challenge for him! Even now at 18 months old he's not sussed it (still not allowed up stairs at home), he'll get to a set of 4 steps during our walk, he'll carefully reach out to put 1 front paw on the top step, then the other front paw and ends up stood spread-eagled (front feet on top step, back feet on ground) with a confused expression - looking like Bambi on the ice! He'll then take a big leap and jump to the top. Bless him, he's not the sharpest tool in the box!!! He much prefers to go around the steps where he can (they're in a path-way through a field).

Puppies are so much fun, it sounds like you're really enjoying your pup :)

> Boomer <IMG alt=eek src="/images/eek.gif"> - great name but that's just asking for it LOL

I know!!! They do say that dogs live up to their names and he's no exception... it sure does suit him!

Mayhem... excellent!

a pup of 6/8/week pup grows up to be a adult so as a pup we start to train it easy to train good habits and harder to train out  bad haits,like i said about 1 of our bred pups in this thread already ,plus a pup/dog will learn by habit ,so the dogs knows when i and my family have eaten then the dogs will be fed ,a dog likes and does well with consistency, if theres more then 1 dog in the home there will allway be a dog that wants to be  the leader but the dogs also know im the leader of them all . im finding it hard to write what i want to as you must be able to tell my spelling is poor so i find it very hard to get out what i mean and i dont have spell check ....but thats my problem not yours ,and i try not to let it hold me back so i put things as simple as i can :)
x

I think we'll agree to differ on dominance theory - as far as acceptable manners go I guess we're pretty much on the same wave length.

(psst I don't have spell check either - just lots of late edits ;) )

> Wait until the snoring starts....:-)&nbsp; Boy can boxers snore!!
>

I've just put him to bed and I can hear him snoring from here!! I quite like it at the moment though as I'm still in the "is he ok" stage and if I can hear him snoring, I know he's OK!! So funny!! Boxers can also clear a room from the other end!!! Peuuh

> ends up stood spread-eagled (front feet on top step, back feet on ground) with a confused expression - looking like Bambi on the ice

Hahaha... soooo much to look forward to!! We really are enjoying him... he's hard work, but worth every moment of it. He just has to give me one of those multitude of expressions and all the puddles I have cleared up are all forgotten!!

> (psst I don't have spell check either - just lots of late edits ;-) )

Phew... I'm pleased I'm not the only one!!

My puppies are 5weeks old I soak Harringtons puppy dry food for them . When do I stop soaking and let them crunch

At 6 weeks I will often give thern a bowl of dry overnight, but I go from thorough soaking, to warm water just before serving, to a splash of cold water, to stop them scattering it all over. 

I still use a splash of water until 8 weeks, but from then feed it dry.