Obedience training is important to both the dog and the owner because it’s establishing the right relationship right from the outset which is why it’s important to do it immediately. When we get a puppy they have come from an environment where there is pack order with their brothers and sisters and mom, and of course the breeder. When they come to live with us, if there are no other dogs already there, puppies look around and they go cool, we get to start all over. I think maybe I’ll be in charge. And they do try, so if we establish right away that humans are in charge and puppies aren’t then puppies are fine with that, because dogs by nature are either leaders or followers – and we don’t really want our dogs thinking they’re the leaders of the pack!
So if we start teaching them basic obedience commands, what’s okay, what’s not okay, guiding them out of trouble by using a leash in the house to keep them with us, using baby gates and crates to keep them confined when we can’t watch them, and also to keep them out of trouble, and most important – teaching them right away that we control the resources that are important to them. If you think about what’s most important to puppies and dogs it’s (in no particular order) attention and affection, food, treats, toys, going out to play, going out for walks. If we give them those things for free it’s pretty natural for them to say humans are my servants. But if we teach them actually that they have to work for the things they value, meaning we teach them to sit and then require them to sit before we give them their meals, before we give them treats, before we give them some petting and attention – then it’s kind of like teaching a little kid to say please, and it really does work. Not only does it teach them obedience commands but it teaches them how to use those commands to get the things they want from us in a way that we find enjoyable – rather than jumping on us and barking at us and biting us to get attention.
My boxer is a fawn one. Shes (Dannie) very good except when we come she jumps up and is just crazy. we were told to knee her in the chest is this true. I try to grab her collar and settle her, but she sometimes hard to command this… : )
I have never heard of kneeing boxers in the chest to stop jumping – I personally prefer positive training methods (rewards rather than punishments). If she is jumping up for attention (such as greeting you as you enter the house) then ignoring her until she is calmer and then rewarding that calmer behaviour you do want with the attention she wants may be a more positive way to encourage that.