The Specific Aspects of Defence Training with Boxers
Defence Training is a process in which we try to encourage and develop the predatory instinct. We differentiate between practical and sports defence. In the case of sports defence, the dog is controllable and it isn’t headless stimulation of aggression against its surroundings. Such defence training can be good for any breed regardless its size. Dogs usually think it’s fun and they are happy with it in most cases. Any training, and it applies to defence training even more, should, however, be adjusted to the given breed. It will be easier for some dogs than for others. What are German Boxer dogs like with regard to this? What are the specific aspects of defence training with this breed?
Start with training only after the teeth are changed
“When it comes to defence which takes place in an organized way in a cynological organization or with the supervision of an expert, there’s no better funny activity for a boxer dog. I, myself, regularly go for trainings with my dogs approximately from three months of age. At first, it’s only about observing, and later, based on the dog’s behaviour, I continue with defence training, if possible. You need to wait for the active participation of the dog until the dog’s teeth change which is at around five months of age,” describes the beginning of a boxer’s defence training long-time breeder and trainer Michaela Martinů.
The ground rules of training
Even though any generalization, even when focusing only on one breed, is tricky, some tips and tricks for defence training and what to avoid can be summarized.
Precise performance of tasks The first very important aspect is that you should pay attention to properly and precisely performed tasks from the beginning, because any mistakes will be worse over time in boxers and it will be very difficult to correct and remove them later.
A firm bite “I recommend paying particular attention to developing a full, firm bite. It means getting to the level of the training when a dog is able to do a few perfect bites during a short intense defence session on a leash, and only then you can start with bites without the leash. It’s necessary to realize that it is physically demanding for the dog when the muzzle is blocked with the sleeve which leads to more difficult breathing and thermoregulation” says Michaela Martinů. Focusing on a full bite is also important because when it is not done properly, boxers have a problem to hold on to the sleeve and they only use a part of their short jaws.
Appropriate demands for the dog You cannot have extensive demands, which means demands that are not appropriate for the dog’s age, physical and mental maturity. This applies generally to all breeds, dogs develop over time and so do their muscles and bones and extensive demands can cause harm (even physical) to the puppy it will have to deal with for its whole life and these changes cannot be reversed.
A step-by-step approach With defence, as well as with any other discipline, it’s important to always take one step at a time, not to add 2 or more new things to the training. This applies even to a new training space, a new decoy, people present during the training, a new sleeve and similar things. Every change is demanding for the dog’s psyche, especially for young animals. Older and more experienced ones usually handle them better.
The responsibility is on us It is always necessary to remember that we are the ones responsible if the dog doesn’t succeed. It’s not the decoy’s fault because it is always up to us who we invite to our training. We should agree on the course of the training in advance and set it up depending on the current condition, preparedness, experience and physical maturity of the trained dog. If we don’t know how the decoy works, we should at first watch his/her training and then we should decide if we want to cooperate or not. The dog cannot be blamed for our mistakes, its mistakes are always our mistakes.
The conclusion
The success of the defence training is also greatly influenced by the regularity of the training and sensitive working with burdens. Boxers generally have worse thermoregulation, something is therefore more demanding for them to perform and you need to take it into account when guiding the training, especially in summer. On the contrary, in winter, you need to warm the dog up before the defence training, so its muscles cannot get hurt which is common for all athletes.
A necessary part of defence training should be the controllability training. “Controllability can be trained without getting into conflict with the dog. The dog’s aim is to catch the prey in a way we taught it to do that. We should make it clear and comprehensible that it will get this only when it’s controllable. With this, it won’t take long and the dog will fulfill the task happily. And I would like to paraphrase an older quote: every stable dog is a result of a stable owner – and that’s the key” concludes Ing. Michaela Martinů.
Heroparkour is a great sport for problem dogs. Since a great part of problem behaviour has roots directly in timidity. Such dog is unable to handle more complex situations of ordinary life due to fear. It doesn’t believe non-standard conditions.
The use of dogs in search and rescue (the so-called SAR) is an integral part of natural disasters, mass accidents or, for example, when search for missing people. Do you know, when the first dog rescuers appeared?
Every dog has its individuality and is unique in its own way, so even the period of growing up can differ significantly in every individual. I know dog owners, who didn’t know what to do with puberty excesses of their otherwise loved four-legged...
A handy assistant not only for dog owners, who need to work on training with their dog, but also for sport cynologists who, on the other hand, are refining the discipline called the “track” with their dogs. The original purpose of the long cord with a...
One dog isn’t enough for you and you’re looking for an excuse that will help you vindicate having a whole pack at home? One option is to become a musher - a dog sled racer. For adrenaline lovers, who’d love to ride through the landscape on a sled using...
Of course there are more apps, we chose only the ones for you that intrigued us the most. Have you tried an app or have you got a favourite one that you could recommend to others?
It’s like a rollercoaster ride with outside temperatures this winter, once you’re up and then back down. All the more attention should we pay to the care for our dogs. Since it’s not only us, people, who don’t take well to the changing temperatures.
Unfortunately, in the life of dog owners, even unpleasant situations occur, which aren’t only an intervention in the life of your dog partner, but also affect your wallet. For example, if the dog gets hit by a car or it is otherwise injured and the...
With changes of the temperatures accompanying the autumn, higher demands are put on the organism and thus its immune system. That’s why it’s not unreasonable to start and boost the immunity already now. Remember, that prevention is always better and...
Before we get to winter sports that you can do with your four-legged buddies it’s good to remember the care that you shouldn’t forget about in this period.
If you’re planning to go abroad, even just for a few days, then definitely don’t forget about the animal’s passport. When you’re packing this dog passport, make sure that you check off-hand, that your four-legged friend has all its vaccinations valid....
Kittens, as well as a number of other animal offspring, are born blind. Their eyes open around the tenth day of their life and only after another week, they are fully functional. Even though the sight in a cat belongs among the best-developed senses,...