Boxers and Dependence

Thats great sounds like you love your dog, I don't know if it is normal or not I've never had a boxer but i did have a pit bull and have had a couple other dogs. They all seemed that way to me especially the bigger ones, possibly cause they get bored faster and need to get out more, but I don't know ... sounds normal to me, I guess you could train it if you don't like that behavior.

Our boxer is very dependent as well and a little jumpy too. She follows me around as I clean, take care of the baby, whatever. She isn't so bad when we leave to go places but we have two other dogs to keep her company. I think this is interesting too (note she has never been trained to do this) you can take her outside and she (as long as it's just her) will not run away she will only wonder so far away before coming back to you or when you call she listens. She is very loyal, all around a good dog and great with kids!

The exact same thing happens with my boxer aswell.He is like tearing the fence down when I come back home.

our boxer is like that...he hates missing out on things and has to have his nose in everything!!! he will follow everyone around until someone gets annoyed and has a terrible habit of leaning on you or sitting on your feet. My boyfriend says that its because we havent trained him properly - dont know if thats true, but he certainly isnt trained properly! hes lovely and playful still at 7 years old, I guess like most boxers. And yeh, you could pop out to put the rubbish out and come back in two minutes later, and hes jumping all over you like hes not seen oyu for months on end! ive uploaded a picture for the boxer section, hes the one looking up into the camera, called Lennox x

Boxers as a rule do like to be around their people! :) Having said that it sounds a bit as though your boy may have a bit of separation anxiety. There are a few things you can do to help this situation. 1. Ignore him. What I mean is simply do not speak to him, look at him, pet him or in any way acknowledge him for 10 minutes before you leave or 10 - 15 minutes after you come back into the house. The reason for this is that when we make a big deal out of leaving or returning it convinces the dog that there is reason for concern. Otherwise we wouldn't be making a bit deal out of the event, you've got to approach from a dogs point of view. lol When you ignore him, prior to leaving and immediately upon returning it reinforces to your dog that your coming and going is completely natural, no cause for concern. You an help your dog adjust to your comings and goings by practicing. Simply leave for a minute or two. Ignoring him before you walk out the door and again when you return. After 10 minutes or so, pet him, and do what you normally would do. Build up these small absences from 1-2 minutes to 15, then 30, etc. I'm sure you get the idea. 2. Exercise. If your boy has a good walk or play session prior to you leaving he is much less likely to get worked up while you are gone. There is a saying that a tired dog is a good dog and there's good reason for that. If he has walked or exercised he is more likely to sleep and be relaxed in your absence. 3. Toy or kong. You might want to keep some special toy or fill a kong with yogurt or peanut butter and then freeze. Give this to him only when you are gone. He will associate you leaving with something good and the toy and/or kong will keep him occupied for a time while you are gone. 4. Classes. Obedience classes, manners class, agility classes. Classes aren't just about the dog learning something new. They remind us how to teach our dog, what to reasonable expect from our dog and give us a great opportunity to bond with them. They also give the dogs the opportunity to socialize with other dogs, very important with boxers, and they are just plain fun. My boxer Indy is 4 years old, we continue to take classes together even though he is extremely well behaved, in fact has earned his CGC (Canine Good Citizen). We both really enjoy it and it is another way of wearing him out a bit. 5. Mental stimulation and training. Spend a bit of time everyday, it can be as little as 5 or 10 minutes training. Work on commands he has down pat and then on commands or tricks you would like him to learn. Always end up with a quick play session or a command that he knows easily. It ends the session on a good note and makes him eager to participate in another. Hide and seek is a great way to reinforce his recall command and make him think as well. All of these things build the self confidence in your dog, help to remedy separation issues. Good luck, Sandy

Both my boxers follow me everywhere. If I go outside they wait for me at the door crying and barking. If I put them outside they bark and cry for me from there. If I leave to go to work or anything I haft to put them out in the garage because they will tear the house up because they where left. If I leave them outside in the yard they bark and cry and hurt them selves trying to find ways to escape. The male escapes a lot and always runs next door to my in laws and begs to go in. They are really good dogs. But they are misreable when we leave. And they act like we where gone forever.