Hello everyone,
New here and need advise. My sister has a Boxer named Buster. She loves him alot but doesn't have time for him. I've asked for him
and she said yes. Problem, he's not really trained and I have 8 daycare children in my home. Advise please.
Hello and welcome I would advise starting to work with him asap on acceptable behavior. Boxers are high strung dogs he is going to need exercised ALOT so he is tired out. I would suggest some doggie obedience classes to help him with manners since you have so many children in the home. Kids high pitched voices and movements can get dogs excited and they can be to rough so youll need to work with him on trying to stay as calm as possible so things dont get out of hand, but alot of exercise will help. Exercise then discipline then affection.
Welcome to the site. I do not really have much advice to give since I do not have any dogs but I am sure that the dog owners will come through for you.
Hello, welcome to the site. I do not know much about boxers so others will be able to offer more specific help. I just wanted to tell you that my son's childminder re-homed a boxer while she had a number of children in her care. The dog was lovely, but very strong and excitable. There were a number of little accidents with him knocking children over and scratching them accidentally. You may need a separate area for your dog so that he can be out of the way of the children most of the time.
We recently got a 6 month old boxer & I have 4 & 6 year olds. Here's what I've learned so far in regards to children & boxers:
1 - Teach the boxer not to play roughly with the kids. It is especially important to teach him some type of release command. Our boxer is still working on this.
2 - Get an outdoor kennel or something so that he has an area all to himself if you have outside toys for your daycare children. I don't think their parents would like the idea of them possibly stepping in poo while playing, even if they have dogs at home.
3 - Walk him for a minimum of 45 minutes every morning before the kids get there. If you can, give him another 45 min walk around lunch time if your daycare kids nap & you have a helper.
4 - Obedience classes are a must he is your first dog. I have trained several dogs before (my parents bred dogs a few times) and I'm still having issues with Rocky. Boxers are about the most stubborn dogs I've ever encountered, at least Rocky is & I've trained Rotts & Dobies before.
5 - If he isn't house-trained, then definitely make sure you have an outdoor kennel for him, preferably one with a covering. This way he isn't inside during the day, making messes & you have to worry about dog messes & kid messes at the same time.
That's all I can think of right now & it's time for Rocky's walk. I'll post again if I think of anything new.
Thank you for giving Buster a loving home. Supervision is the most important thing with any new dog in the home. You should also get the two of you in a training class as soon as possible. If that is not an option for you and you have to train him yourself, the 2 best books are: It's Me or the Dog, by Victoria Stilwell & Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor. Both teach positive reinforcement training and will help you and Buster live together happily. With any dog, you have to be patient not only with the dog, but also with yourself during the training process... it can be challenging.
Just to add to what I have already said, keep in mind that children can be rough with dogs sometimes and they can behave unpredictably. As you have day care kids who may not be used to dogs you need to be extra careful. It may be that Buster will need a bit of time to himself where the kids can not pester him.