biting habit !!

[legendkiller248]

hey guys !!
i recently bought a boxer pup !! he is around 2 months old !! he has this bad habit of biting my hand whenever i pat him !! he runs behind me and tries biting my jeans !! what should i do ??

[Bill]

This is typical puppy play. This is how puppies play. They don't have fingers or hands so how else is he to play? He's going to do this for a while. Several months to a year or more. He needs a lot of exercise. Play with him a lot. Let him chase a ball. Wear him out.

You can walk off and ignore him for 3 or 4 minutes when he bites you and soon he will learn what got him ignored.

[legendkiller248]

thnx for the info. !! but since he is too small he loves to eat and mostly sleep !!!! plays only when he wants to (he never chases a ball) otherwise keeps sniffing all the plants in my garden or licks d soil !!
few important questions i want to ask are-
1. by what age can i take him for walks on leash ?? (he will be getting his first injection in few days just deworming done )
2. by what age should i start bathing him ??
3. by what age can i start teaching him basic commands like sit,come, etc and most importantly his name as he never reacts to his name !!
4. what i think is he is a little thin !! how can i make him a little muscular ?? ( i have seen pics of many other boxer pups on google they appeared more muscular and fat !! ( attaching my dog's pic )

waiting for your reply !! thanks a lot in advance !!

[Bill]

1. by what age can i take him for walks on leash ?? (he will be getting his first injection in few days just deworming done )

Take him on SHORT walks after is first shots. Its preferable to walk of grass or soft ground to begin with.

2. by what age should i start bathing him ??

Bathe him when he gets dirty or smells

3. by what age can i start teaching him basic commands like sit,come, etc and most importantly his name as he never reacts to his name !!

Get a book on clicker training and begin training him now.

4. what i think is he is a little thin !! how can i make him a little muscular ?? ( i have seen pics of many other boxer pups on google they appeared more muscular and fat !!

Dont worry about his build. He looks great. Thin is healthier.

[legendkiller248]

thnx a lot !! the vet told me i shouldnt bath him untill his 1-2 injections are given !! and will he understand the commands i give him if i train him ??? because he doesnt even recognize his name and i cant even give him biscuits to appreciate him as he cant chew it properly !!

[Bill]

Vets don't always understand vaccines as great strides have been made in the last 5 years or so but few vets keep up. Vaccines should have nothing to do with when you bathe him though. Why do you feel the need to bathe him? My 2 Great Danes haven't had a bath in years. Treats shouldn't be biscuits, they should be tiny tiney bits of soft stuff. They should be small enough so the pup doesn't have to chew. Authority little liver treats work well as do Biljac liver treats. They are both soft and one little "kibble" of them makes about 10 or 15 tiney treats. I've already told you how to teach him his name.

[RubyRoo]

I too don't bath my dog's, unless it really is necessary, like them rolling in particularly awful filth. Then it would usually only be the bit that was soiled on them. Keep bathing them, and you will remove all the healthy oils in their coat. Brush your dog regularly, let it swim or play in water if you are lucky enough to have any near your walks and when it is old enough to do so. doing this will keep your dog clean, and there will be no need to keep bathing.

You don't want a puppy being muscalar at the moment. Too much muscle being built too early can damage the bone, bones are still softish and easily damaged, so let this be built up gradually as exercise increases as your pupy grows. Exercise recommended in UK is generally 1 minute exercise for every week of age per walk. Not a lot of road walking, just a gentle stroll. Also don't encourage puppy to race around, as this can also damage bones and joints.

To teach your puppy it's name is easy, especially as your puppy loves food. When your puppy is looking at you, say it's name and praise reward/click and treat. It's as simple as that. Before too many goes, as you say your puppy's name, it will look at you then praise and reward/click and treat. Always use your pups name for anything positive like coming for it's food, then this will help with using pups name for a recall, which could be pup's name and come or here, then praise and reward/click and treat. Don't use puppy's name if you are going to tell it off, like if it's mouthing your hand. Just say 'ouch' quite loudly, or squeal like another puppy would, hold your hand as though it really hurts and turn your back or walk off and ignore for a few moments. This has got to be instantaneous though, so that puppy associates the bite with your reaction to it.

Enjoy your puppy, they are such fun, I'm so envious as my hubby won't let me have another dog at the moment.

Regards Jan

[Pauline]

Hi
1) you can start walking him on his leash a soon as you wish but befor he has had his shots start in your garden. but carry him around to meet people and learn about everyday things in lifr like trafic ect:

2) only bath him when he is smelly or very dirty give him a good groom with a soft cloth or brush.

3) basic comand can be learned with play and treats from day one.

4)He dosn't look to thin dont forget he is very young so dont make him grow to fast its not good for him sloew and steady is the right way .

hope this is helpful to you x

[Stephanie]

4. what i think is he is a little thin !! how can i make him a little muscular ?? ( i have seen pics of many other boxer pups on google they appeared more muscular and fat !! ( attaching my dog's pic )

Others have answered the your other questions really well and so I have nothing more to add to them, but I will say that boxers are quite slim as puppies & young dogs, they go through an almost skeletal looking phase around the 1 year mark - this is natural and normal for the breed. The breed only tends to fill out when they hit the 3 year mark......... Looking at the pictures [he is gorgeous btw!] he looks absolutely fine to me.

[legendkiller248]

thnku all !! ur replies really helped !!