Ep 4. How to raise and train a happy boxer with breed expert Justyna Marszalek from Bombproof Boxer 

  📍 Welcome to the Yappy Hour powered by Yappily, the podcast for dog lovers who want to better understand and connect with their furry friends. I’m your host Nathan Dunleavy and in today’s episode we’re diving into the wonderful world of boxers with Justyna from Bomb Proof Boxer. Justyna is an expert on this amazing breed and is passionate about helping dog owners understand the unique needs and traits of boxers.

We talk about the importance of researching breeds before bringing a dog into your life, the joys and the challenges of living with a boxer, and tips for training and socialization, this high energy breed. If you’re a boxer owner or thinking about getting one, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

So settle in, get a cup of tea, and let’s get started.

 Welcome back to the Yappy Hour powered by Yappily. I’m your host, Nathan Dunleavy, and I’m so excited to bring you our fourth episode today. What makes it even more exciting is that we have our first breed specific guest expert joining me today on the podcast. So we have Justyna from Bomb Proof Boxer.

Justyna has a lot of expertise in the boxer breed, and she advocates for breed research. Her focus is on helping boxer owners understand the unique traits and needs of this very energetic and intelligent breed. So without further ado, Justyna, welcome to the Yappy Hour today. I’m so excited to have you as our third, as our first Pacific expert on the show.

How are you doing today?

very well. Thank you so much for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here.

It’s so great to have you on. Justyna, for those who may not know, please, could you tell us a little bit about Bomb Proof Boxer and how it’s all begun?

Oh, how far you want me to go?

You go as far as you like. I’d love to hear all about it.

So when I first started as a dog trainer, I was just regular dog trainer running classes webinars and, you know, seminars, one to ones, everything dog training related. And my Boxer Nella was always my demo dog in classes. She’s a brilliant demo dog, my little star.

Oh

I started having more and more boxer owners joining the classes. So,

Oh

they were Separated from the group because the dog was too excited and was distracting the class. There were People who were not actually felt welcome in classes.

No,

yeah. So at this point, and because I already had loads of people with boxers, I’ve created a class just breed specific. So we had six, eight

oh wow,

in a group and and you know, I always loved everything about Doc train and back. Those specific classes, they were my absolute favorites.

Oh wicked,

the way that actually boxer owners connect with each other and the relationships they create, the friendships, it was beautiful. Those people didn’t feel like they don’t belong there. They were, they

mm,

to those classes, not even mentioning

oh good, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

And then COVID happened and lockdown.

Oh yes. Oh, a certain pandemic. Yes. Okay.

this is where I obviously like everyone else had loads of time and I was scrolling through social media. And as a boxer owner, at this point, I had two boxers. and and I was going through some questions where people asking advice for you know, how to deal with lead pulling, jumping, etc. And sadly, the responses on social media were either outdated or not necessarily positive. And that was

Yes.

my heart because it really doesn’t need to be that way. We need to stop thinking about this, you know, way of dominating our dogs and correcting their

No,

behaviours, etc. So

absolutely.

well, maybe I will create a group where I will offer advice to boxer owners. this group still exists. It’s called Boneproof Boxer Dog Training Advice, people can

Oh, wow.

and ask questions. That group was it was growing so quickly. I think now we have 15, 000 members there.

Oh, oh my, oh my gosh.

you know, I had loads of time and I was posting some training videos with my boxers. I was giving people advice, et cetera.

And, and and it was helpful. People really enjoyed it. So.

Yeah.

I decided to start teaching online because

Okay. Yeah, you can,

I can help people all over the world, not just in my area.

yeah

you can meet, yeah. Further people further afield online. Yes.

this is where Bump Roof Boxer started. It’s actually called Bump Roof Boxer Training Club, which is a online platform with loads and loads of training videos. training plans lots of information about the breed and specific subjects on different things like adolescence you know castration, diet troubleshooting we literally cover everything boxer related in a training club. And again, we have,

wow.

Members from all over the world, New Zealand, Australia, England,

Really?

Poland Italy.

Yeah, so and people are

amazing.

great successes through the training. So, yeah, this is, this is why I left that general dog training ward. focused on

Yeah. Fully focused on boxers. Brilliant. And why do you think that the boxer breed holds such a special place in your heart?

So it all started with my very first, not mine, it was a family box across Great Dane. I was a child, I was, I don’t remember, five, six years old when my dad, got this puppy and I remember this dog as, I only have positive memories and very happy memories about this dog. He was a

Oh, that’s lovely.

us for all the family adventures in the winter where we were running in the snow in the summer where we were swimming in the lake. This dog actually saved my life. He saved my family’s life. He saved lives of

Oh, wow.

whole building full of 30 flats. So this dog was my

Wow.

I

Oh, wow.

when I started thinking about getting a dog, there was no other breed in my mind. Even though I had other

Like,

my childhood teenager, et cetera, it had to be a boxer.

So, this is where I got Nella.

yeah.

Then I got now I have three boxers, Nella, Mia, and Kalitsi.

Oh, okay.

plus a foster boxer.

Oh, okay.

And it’s not only, you know, Ara is the dog I had when I was a child. It’s not only my girls that are me to be so close to the breed, but actually all my clients boxers, I get connected, connected with those people. And I, and we’re like a family. So when they

That’s lovely.

I’m so proud of them, you know,

yes.

people struggle and we, we’re helping them, this is just, I feel like it’s a magic, magical world, being around boxers. So, don’t get me wrong, I

Oh wow.

I have, I have six dogs, so three are boxers, three are other breeds.

You’ve got six, I’ve got seven, so yeah, I’m a multi dog household.

So yeah but

So what other breeds of dog do you have?

Pomeranian, Mini American

Yeah, Pomeranian.

and Malinois. Yeah,

wow, that’s the right handful.

he can be, for sure, for sure. No,

but yeah, but like you say, the boxers just hold that special place in your heart from, from when you were younger and you, you had no doubt had to be a boxer, so.

no. I, you know, I never planned to be a boxer trainer. It was never my intention. It just came naturally. It came from people who actually where coming to me, yeah, there, there is something absolutely special for me in boxers and I will always have

that’s lovely. So do you only specifically train Boxer breeds now? Do you train other dogs breeds?

I only train boxers. I mean, you know, I’ve got clients from all over the world. It can be, it can be quite a

Yeah. Yeah.

way I can stretch myself and it more. Obviously I train my own dogs. I eat

Yeah,

mini Aussie. So there is no way

that’s fair enough.

unfortunately.

No, that’s fair enough. You’ve got your, you’ve got your niche now as that specific breed and that’s what works for you. When I was doing in person training, I think I’ve only ever worked, actually, no, I’ve worked with three boxers. So I worked with a puppy boxer for initial puppy training face to face and it was a new the owners were new puppy owners.

So obviously that was important to get the training started from the outset. And then I did work with a two couple of rescue boxes that a lady had got from abroad. I can’t remember where. So, yeah, so I had, I had actually worked with a couple of boxes when I was doing in person training. And yeah, they’re such lovely, lovely dogs.

So brilliant. So just moving on just. Dina then to our next section the importance of researching breeds before boxes are such a distinctive breed. What are some of the key traits that make them so special, but also sometimes that little bit challenging for owners.

Yeah.

I can see you smiling there.

I’m smiling because first of all, you’re using the right words, when you

Oh good, I’m pleased,

thank

I’m so pleased.

that. What makes them special? And what is important to know when when getting a boxer? Well, first of all breed characteristic. It’s something that those days people don’t think about when they get a dog. and I It’s not only when it comes to boxers. I think it comes to all working breeds because let’s not forget that boxers are working breed. And

Yeah,

don’t see them in a working world that much. I hope will change with time. but

yeah,

working dogs and they used to have very specific jobs. When we’re not

okay.

those jobs, we don’t know what What might come out of this breed characteristics? So, not sure how much you know about boxers, but to start with, they were Mm

I don’t, I don’t know a lot if I’m honest, so please feel free.

first of all they were bred to help hunters to hunt large animals like deer, wild

Oh,

bear. So boxer’s job was not, not to track the animal, but once the animal was tracked, they had to run and pin the animal, hold it until the hunter came and finished the job. So if you

oh right,

they actually had to run really fast from the moment they saw the animal, jump, grab and hold.

wow.

then Not like many working dogs, their jobs was changed a lot. They were used for cart pulling. They were used for herding. They were used for protection of the either animals or house, etc.

So they actually had loads of jobs throughout the breed development. So it’s not. I’m going to use a collie example here. Collies were always bred for one thing,

Yes.

were bred for many things. But

Okay.

main thing was to use their strength, their ability to be athletic, and fast. So this is what we see still in boxers those days, after so many years.

Yeah. Silence. Yeah. Silence.

because boxers are really curious dogs, they don’t like to miss an opportunity to have fun. Then,

They are very, yeah, they are like that, aren’t they?

Play, playful. That’s the word I was trying to go for.

They are very playful, but also they are quite sensitive dogs, and I see it more and more those days where they Why are their abilities being so strong and playful and connected with their owners? In many situations they are struggling emotionally. So, when it comes to, always say when it comes to training boxers and creating that boxer that you want to adjust to your lifestyle.

There are of puzzles that need to con, we need to connect together. It’s not just one thing we focus on. We need to focus on their confidence. We need to focus on impulse control. We need to focus on making sure that their brief needs are met physically and mentally.

Yes, that’s important. Yeah. Okay, brilliant. Why is it so important for potential owners, potential dog owners, to thoroughly research a breed before deciding to bring one into their lives?

Mainly because every breed is different. So it really depends what we, why we are looking for a dog and where the dog will live, what we can provide for this dog. I think. People see a cute puppy and they’re just

Yes. It’s always the way.

And then, especially if they don’t,

It’s gonna grow soon. Mm.

So, having a boxer puppy, I mean, they are absolutely gorgeous, right? You said you walked with a puppy. Like, you just

I did. Yeah,

and your heart melts.

it’s just so cute and you just want to like

Exactly. And when they are so sweet, we let them to, would say, get away with Some traits that, further on, once the puppy is growing, are actually not doing us any favours. So,

Mm.

the cute puppy to jump at us when it’s looking for attention. We will allow the cute puppy to chase butterflies in a field. We will allow the cute puppy to steal something and shake it around and, you know, run around doing zoomies. Because it’s cute. But in six months time, it’s not so cute anymore.

When this puppy is 30 kilos and jumps at you when you are carrying a shopping bag that’s not fun. On

not fun. That’s not

No it’s actually, it can be harmful, you know, it can be dangerous.

Yeah.

Yes.

I actually have many people who get injuries because of their dog. They’re either been jumped on or they’ve been pulled by I actually had some injuries with my very first boxer because she was pulling

Yeah.

So. Yeah, we need to think about this when we are getting a puppy, that this dog will actually grow. And we need to think about how we want this dog to be like when it’s an adult. puppyhood is

Yeah. Yeah.

don’t look for advice they, before they get a puppy or at the very first beginning. only when problems start, which

That’s right.

unwanted behaviour developed already where

Yeah.

with the training right away from day one, there are so many things we can prevent. There are so many headaches we can avoid. so yeah, it’s very important to look into a breed before we get a dog. But also it’s not only looking into a breed, it’s also finding the right breed up.

Yeah, the right breed is Paramount, yeah. Yeah. I’m really big on people doing their research beforehand and having a session like this with a, a qualified dog trainer or breed specialist, even before they’ve even decided on like what breeds if they’re doing, if they can’t make their mind up and there’s a few dogs that they like is, is to do your research into that specific breed, find out what it was originally bred for.

Is that going to fit into your family life? You know, longer, longer term, you know, up to 15 years or, or longer. So I’m really big on sort of like owners, you know, making sure they do do their grade research. And like you say, starting from day one, because there’s just so much that you could stop from happening if they.

if they started it from day one. What would you say are some of the biggest misconceptions you’ve encountered about boxes and how do you address those?

So many. So

Oh bless!

Do you know, I used to get crossed when people called boxers clouds because

Clowns.

because they

Oh.

always, it always sounds in the content like they’re just stupid. And I think it, it really depends what sort of picture of a clown you picture in your head you paint in your head. So, if I think clown, that it’s a vibrant performer that brings joy and happiness. Yes, that will

yeah

if

yeah.

about a clown who is very smart, because they need to learn some clever tricks so they can turn this ordinary moment into something special. Yes, we

Yeah.

clowns, because they are clever. And they can definitely

Oh,

is that people say that boxers are untrainable. It’s just not possible to train them. This is a boxer for you.

Okay. Yeah.

Yeah. So when people ask for advice, what can I do to stop this behaviour or something and people say, oh, this is boxer.

You cannot stop this, which is absolutely

oh no, it’s just,

I,

it’s such a fairway comment.

So yeah, the main thing is that they are stupid and not trainable and they just silly clowns which

Yeah.

disagree with. I mean. Like, all the boxers I work with, they are so, so smart. Sometimes when I

Yes.

clients training videos, how much they achieved, I will say it with pride, some of my clients boxers are better trained than mine.

Wow.

You know,

It’s always the way.

everyone’s lifestyle is different, I think, because like me or you, we know so much about boxers. We understand dog, not boxers, dogs. We understand that this is a dog behaviour and sometimes we just allow it because we allow our dogs to be dogs.

Yeah.

pet owners they are not being so, they have maybe been a bit more strict in terms of their roles. So

Yeah.

why I say some of my clients, boxers are better trained than mine because there are things where I’m like, yeah, maybe I shouldn’t let my dog to do this, but whatever. So yeah. But definitely they can be trained. The problem is that the more. a dog experience or practice the behaviour we don’t like, the harder it is to overcome it. And it is definitely a harder with boxers. Because as I said, they’re quite sensitive dogs in general. So all of the sudden when we change something, they lose a little bit of confidence. And also when When, how do I say it? How do I word it? So, example,

Mm.

that cause reactivity in boxers. And if a boxer practiced reactivity behaviours for a few years, then it’s not going to be a quick fix to overcome those problems with a boxer, because

Mm.

have their brain connections And changing

Yeah.

pathways in their brain requires a lot of work and consistency.

Yeah, definitely. Yeah. And like you say, it is all about consistency. You have to, like with all training, you get out what you put in and you know, it sounds like the people you’re working with are really committed to, to, to, to that as well,

Absolutely

which is great. I do have a little bonus question here that was popped in from Kelly at Yappily.

Just that well, the, the boxer breed seems to be rising in popularity again over the last few years. Why do you think this is and what should potential owners keep in mind when considering the boxer breed? Oh, oh,

very popular a few years ago with Christmas art. don’t know if you remember the boxer jumping on a trampoline.

Vaguely. Yes, vaguely. Yeah. Absolutely.

So that was the

We played.

where all of the sudden everyone were getting a boxer because the way that I

Ah,

them was like a family dog, which It’s fine.

Yeah.

the dog was just making everyone laugh and was very cute. And, you know, it was it was, it was very good at, and don’t get me wrong. I know the owner of the boxer who actually took a part in that app. And I know how much training actually went

Oh

into making this app. So it’s not like,

oh, okay.

it’s not that they just. let a boxer jump on a trampoline and, you know, just bounce up, up and down, up and down.

That’s good to know.

actually, there was loads of training put into it. I think that was the very first moment where they actually became so popular.

I see. So we can blame one of the supermarkets then, like, or one of the adverts. That always happens, doesn’t it? People see them, and then they want to go out and get one.

see a specific breed in a movie that is popular Then all of the sudden you see that many people are getting this breed So yeah, that’s That’s the commercial world we live in any influences by it, but another reason why boxers are getting more and popular is think it’s like with any other breed. There is just more dogs in general. So

Particularly since lockdown. More, more copies since lockdown.

But sadly there is also lots of dogs in shelters. Like the

Yes.

That

It’s a shame.

they are full, they constantly full, constantly full. Which, which means there’s just been More and more boxers being born which is why I think breeding should be regulated. But obviously that’s another

Yes. That’s a whole nother episode.

Yeah, probably.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, yeah, unfortunately like you say a lot, well, most shelters, not just breed specific ones for, but I, I think if we go back to if owners were more prepared and they did their research more because a lot of people don’t. I think then hopefully that.

That would help the problem. But I mean, obviously you’re fostering a dog, a boxer dog as well. So, you know, you’re, you’re doing your bit as well. So, you know, that’s great. So life of a boxer or boxers is our next discussion point. So the challenges. and joys of living with a boxer. So they’re so well known for their energy, their enthusiasm.

What advice do you have for owners to keep up with their boxer’s physical and mental needs?

So,

Variety.

So, first of all, we need to understand that the more we exercise our boxers, the more we are preparing them for, hold on, how do I word this? So,

That’s okay. Don’t worry. Yeah.

them, we are creating this expectation of being exercised, right? So, if someone

Yeah.

their boxer, five miles every day and all of the sudden they cannot go for a walk because I don’t know the weather is horrific and you cannot go outside or something, you’re not feeling well, then a boxer will really, really struggle without that.

It’s like, you know, we’re building muscle memory when it comes to exercising. It’s the same as when someone goes to a gym, right? You constantly work out, work out, work out and you build

Yes. Yes. Wow. Yes.

exercise, right? This is how you train your body. It’s exactly the same with boxers. So while meeting the physical needs is obviously very important. We also need to focus more on enriching their brain and giving them some jobs to do where they have to think and they have to practice calming exercises because all of the problems that people have with

Silence.

been pre programmed in their brain. It’s our job to teach them.

Okay. Mm. Yes. Mm. Mm. Yeah. Good. Okay. Okay.

the same and the same, the same thing over and over again. or they get mentally tired and they, they cannot think anymore. When they get overtired, they start practicing unwanted behaviours. So, and I see it so many times where people practice loosely walking, where they just In a boring way, feed their dog next to their leg. And do this for 15 20 minutes. And one, the dog is already fed up with the food. The dog doesn’t get opportunity to be a dog. And all of the sudden, the dog gets bored, and there is nothing interesting in this specific exercise. this is where we get the element of frustration, and they start jumping on the owner and biting the lead. because that, training was really not fun for them. so for example, in a training club, have a lucid walking plan and it’s full of different exercises. So it’s not just feeding the dog next to us, right? We are adding little bits to break this Boring exercise, but also there are different games that are just make it unpredictable and make it fun because That way the more we surprise Boxers with something different the more they want to engage with us it’s

Yeah,

It’s fun

yeah,

another thing that is very important when it comes to enrichment and mental stimulation is also teaching calmness. Because as I said, when they are tired, they make the wrong choices. And again

yeah, yeah, yeah, just,

energy into something, but they don’t really understand that they can just sleep and enjoy it as well. So this yeah, this

just,

we need to teach them. But

yeah,

living with a boxer, it’s really not that difficult. I feel like my boxers are easiest than my other three dogs.

Wow, okay,

forget that, I’ve done loads of training with them. And I, like, the

you have,

it’s not, it’s not difficult.

It’s something that comes out of habit, you know, you just do something in the garden, you grab a toy and you do a little bit of training with the toy. It’s not like

yeah.

long training sessions. So yeah, keeping it short, variety and teaching those important concepts as calmness and impulse control. And if you cover

Yeah.

you’re going to have a dream boxer.

Sorted. Yeah, I’m all about how like promoting calmness, relaxation. Cause it’s like having a little child, like they’re over tired. They just don’t know when to switch off. What I took from that is that variety is the spice of life, which is in every aspect of life. And I’m a big advocate in less is more, you know, you don’t have to.

Walk your dog twice a day for an hour each day. And, you know, you don’t have to do like an hour’s training session, just little bite sized chunks breaking it down, keeping it fun and exciting and keeping them engaged. So definitely less is more. So they’re so intelligent boxers and that intelligent poly does impact their training and daily life.

Are there any specific challenges or benefits at all?

Sorry, can you repeat the question?

Yeah, so how does a boxer’s intelligence impact their training

Okay.

and daily life? Are there any sort of specific challenges or benefits of that?

yeah, as I said, they’re very curious. So they, when they see something unusual, they want to investigate. When they see something fun, they want to be a part of it. When they get super excited, really struggle to bring that energy down. So sorry, I forgot your question again, the last part.

No, that’s, that’s absolutely fine. So obviously they’re, they’re very intelligent. How does that intelligent impact their training and daily life? So the specific challenges and benefits. So you mentioned obviously they’re curious. What what what other things does they’re intelligent?

from the breed characteristics, really, because

Yes.

when they don’t know what to do, So, when they are tired, when they are frustrated, when they simply don’t understand what we want from them, or maybe when they’re overwhelmed by the environment, they would choose a behaviour that is very natural for them. in

Yes.

be jumping. So,

Yeah.

you know, I, It is a kind of clever way of how their brain and body is working because then it got straight to the roots of what they were bred to do. but

Hmm.

it can be very challenging. I always say to boxer owners, try not to kill their energy, but use it in appropriate way. It’s very important.

Hmm. Yeah.

come to me with a struggle I always ask, to give me the perfect scenario, the dream scenario. How would you want your boxer to be in that situation? When we have this picture,

Yeah.

very intelligent, but as I said, because they get so easily frustrated and overexcited, it doesn’t it doesn’t pay in their favour, unfortunately.

Yeah.

So we really need to be mindful that that energy can put them in trouble.

Yeah. And it just goes back to being your dog’s advocate again. Being, being the advocate, being your dog’s superhero, you know, they need us to look out for them.

Yes.

Brilliant. So their boxes are incredible, incredibly loyal and family orientated. How does this bond shape their behaviour and what should owners keep in mind?

When welcoming a boxer into their family.

Again, what do you want the dog to be as a part of family? So, you

Yeah. Mm. Mm.

it really depends what sort of household it is. But the very important things when it comes to training puppies are making us as the best thing in the world. Because if we skip the very first important parts of building a relationship then the dog will, will not be interested in us out and about, because everything else is more interesting. so building relationship and the correct socialization. So many people get socialization wrong. And socialization

Yeah.

is so important.

Yeah,

I don’t know if you want me to talk about socialization here in Boxer.

yeah, well, actually, it leads nicely into our next section of training and socialization. So yeah, I mean, really, it leads lovely into it. So, you know, the importance of early socialization for boxers what is the most important thing new boxer owners should focus on when it comes to training and socialization?

So you mentioned about the relationship building, making sure you’re the most important person. But yeah, how, how, how does that then impact socialization?

So still, many people think socialization is about taking the puppy to many places, let the puppy to

I know.

to so many people and say hello to 20 different breeds a day and different sizes, different colors, et cetera. Please don’t do this

Yes.

Please don’t.

No,

don’t do it with

there you have it.

So, right, socialization is exposure, and this is super important for puppies. Puppies brain works differently than adults dog brain, okay? We have this massive sponge that is going to take everything in, and that will create, and that will create,

Yeah.

situations, puppies go through fear stages. There might be situations where they are so comfortable in some environments. So we need to be mindful of this. But most of the time, walks with a puppy will be Very attached to you because you are the only person that they actually know like there was lots of changes recently They’ve been taken away from there The only place they knew from their mom from their siblings from the noises and smells that they were familiar from the day They were born into your house.

So now You are their protector and they see you that way. People should take opportunity of that every single moment of a puppy life, especially out and about. So in my puppy course, every single exercise that I filmed with my puppy was out and about in different situations. You can start training puppy out and about around distractions. You don’t have to start this at home. that will be a massively beneficial for Voxer because in those early stages they learn whatever is around them is none of their business because they’re having so much fun with mum right now in this moment.

Exactly. Mm. Mm.

run to this kids. It was my opportunity to create bond and put this training routine into into environment. And the

Mm. Yeah.

there needs to be a toy involved every single time.

Interactive play not, not really playing fetch because that’s not really beneficial for dogs. But you know, teaching a puppy that, Staying around us in this close proximity is a really good place.

Yep.

any anything that they experience during puppyhood with something nice. So, I often talk about ditching the ball.

Just take your puppy foot with you out and about. Use this foot, put it into something that will really make a difference in their life. So, yeah.

Yeah. Brilliant. Yeah. And yeah, it’s just about making you, making you more fun to hang out with then, you know, the dog across the road or whatever, you know, making it fun and making them want to say

100%.

you and stuff with,

lots of people are a bit worried about actually taking a puppy out from the house before a first vaccinations, etc. And

yeah.

need to be aware that they can catch some nasty diseases or bugs, etc. Should they stop us from exposing the puppy to different environments with boxer puppies are quite

Absolutely.

We can carry them around. We can take them for a car to travel so they can watch through a window. We can avoid the. where there is loads of dogs, so they’re not going to

Yeah.

anything nasty, but we can still take them. For example when the very first days I had Khaleesia, I took her to my friend’s gym.

Oh, wow. It’s something different.

was, you know, no problem to, to worry about anything that she will catch, but it was a great socialization training experience for her.

Yeah, definitely. Different sounds and smiles. You can get those puppy slings now because obviously there’s such a key window of opportunity, isn’t there? When the puppy first comes home, like their main sensitive period. So get get them out in a sling, get them out experience in different sort of sight, sound, smiles and environments.

Yeah,

but also socialization, it’s not just related to puppies. We can still socialize dogs throughout their whole life. It’s just a different process. But it doesn’t mean that we cannot socialize them later on. Especially people who rescue boxers, take them from some situations where they maybe never, ever seen the outside world. so we

yeah.

socialize them. We have not missed this opportunity. It is just. a bit slower and we need to be a bit more, be more mindful of the dog’s feelings.

Yeah, exactly. Definitely. So are there any boxer specific behaviours or quirks that owners should be aware of during training?

Yeah, frustration is probably, frustration and boredom, like, people say that boxers are stubborn. It’s not stubbornness.

I’ve heard that, I’ve heard that before. Oh, gosh.

no stubbornness. It’s if a boxer doesn’t do a behaviour that you asked for, there are reasons behind it. It could be because there is too much going on in an environment. It could be that your boxer is simply not feeling well, so performing this position is going to make them feel uncomfortable. It could be that the dog actually doesn’t understand what you want,

Mm.

if they don’t do what people want. Will often disengage, move away, or they will actually feel like they failed and they are not so committed into doing anything more, which we obviously don’t want. So we need to keep the training sessions short.

We always need to work with the dog in front of us.

Yes. Definitely.

of games, making it fun, using different rewards as well.

So again, if boxers, as we said, boxers are not stupid. If they know what we have for them and it’s not better than what is going on in the environment, will make the choice that is going to make them feel better. So yeah, they might run away rather than coming back to us.

Yeah.

it’s

Thank you.

variety of training exercises, but also variety of different rewards. Yeah,

Yeah, high value rewards and,

It’s

you know,

what,

things like that. Yeah. Yeah.

with my youngest boxer when we do obedience training, because obedience training, especially when you do a whole round, it can be a bit boring. So I want her to remember that when we finish this round she is going to do what she absolutely loves and we’ll both will be jumping and it will be a crazy party. So, but you know for some dogs it will be a specific toy, for some boxers it will be specific type of food, for some boxers it will be cuddles, for some boxers it will be digging, you know. Rewards are not just food. This is again, something that people often mistake when it comes to training, reward based training.

Yeah, definitely. And I think a tip from that is about adaptability as well. You know, you may have a plan in mind, but you are going to have to adapt that and mix it up a little bit to keep things, you know, exciting.

Yeah. Yeah. Well with boxers, you know, they, they love doing lots of different things and we kind of need to be like, we need to be, we need to be,

We could all be more boxer.

We need to, we need to think about how to have more fun.

Are there any, that leads us nicely onto my next question. Are there any fun training or enrichment activities that you think boxers particularly enjoy?

Anything movement related. Boxers absolutely love movement.

Oh, movement. Yes. Yep.

love to move. So of the, one of the things that most dog owners teach their dogs is sit stay or down stay. And I’m not saying you cannot teach a boxer to do this. You absolutely can, but it would not be my very first behaviours to teach. It’s not how I would start training. Movement helps with so many things. It helps to that stress bucket. It helps them to be less reactive. It helps them to move away from a situation without. Too much arousal. They absolutely love moving. That’s why all the games in a training club. Most of the games are movement related so because that when we ask them to stand still or do nothing It’s boring.

They don’t want to do boring. so

hmm.

for sure when it comes to enrichment we can go back to what boxers were bred for so

Yes.

anything that will involve grabbing something and pulling. That’s why I really like interactive play, because we are meeting the breed needs at the same time as we’re building

Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Yeah.

They love shredding things. I mean, so many boxers owners ask how to stop their boxer to rip all the Expensive bets or all the new toys just clearly tells you that you boxer loves shredding So give them something to shred. They love digging.

Yeah.

up a little digging area and all the enrichment games like things that will help with calmness so licking or chewing but also something

Oh, wow.

think because

Okay.

faced, their nose might not be working as well, but it’s absolutely not true. Man trailing, scent work, even simple games where we’re hiding treats around the house for them to find. They absolutely love it.

Thank you so much for that. Yeah, I mean, there’s so much information there. Thank you. We’re going to start to sort of wrap up this episode over the next sort of five or so minutes and bring it to a close, but I, I just some final questions that I just wanted to ask you Justyna.

If there’s one message you’d like boxer owners or anyone considering a boxer to take away from this conversation, what would it be?

boxers are party dogs. So play, play, play, play, play, and play again.

I love that. Party dogs. What’s the one piece of advice you would give to someone who’s just bought a boxer puppy home and is feeling a little bit overwhelmed?

Well obviously join the Bumper Boxer Training Club.

There we go. Nice plug there.

the, all the information for puppy owners are there, including the six weeks puppy course. There are information on our website for puppy owners. people can reach to me through the free Facebook group, Pompidou Box Adopt Training Advice. But feeling overwhelmed is normal. So

Think

yes.

need to understand that Yes. It’s a big change in the house. It’s big responsibility. So often this overwhelming feeling comes because we understand how much responsibility we’ve got on our hands. And I think this is actually a good thing because this is what makes people to do more research and and try to do the best for their boxer. But yeah. Rather than, I would always advise to look for professional advice rather than asking on social media. I mean, I know I’ve got this very

Okay.

free social media group where I offer advice, but you get the advice from me. I don’t allow people from everywhere to say what they want to say. Because that

Exactly. It has to be from a professional,

so

has to be from a qualified professional.

Yes.

Yeah. Brilliant. I’m going to put you on the spot here slightly, but obviously we’ve got lots of different guests that are appearing. Oh, I’m so sorry. And you’ve coped so well. You can, you can have a, you can have a breather in a minute.

We’ve covered so much as well. The time’s gone really quickly. So. Obviously, I’ve, I’ve got lots of guests that I’m looking to have on to the, the yappy hour. Is there anyone within the industry that you think that we should look to invite on? Anyone that, is there just one person that stands out at all that you think we should get on?

people in the dog training world. So,

So do I.

so many. I mean, I’m going to start with Craig Ogilvie because he

Yes. Craig. Yeah,

amazing. His knowledge is absolutely brilliant. He’s, He’s been someone that was mentoring me for a while. I absolutely love this guy and his knowledge and how he is working with dogs. I’m sure people can learn a lot from him.

Absolutely.

for someone who also specialised in a breed someone for Border Collies, that will be Sarah Heatherley. She is absolutely amazing. oh, I love Michael Shikasha with his aggression work.

Yeah. Do you know of Mike?

There’s lots of people.

Nick Thompson, who is brilliant when it comes to nutrition.

nutrition. Yeah.

people.

So there was more than one there. So you, you, you will double.

choose just one. It wouldn’t be fair. I probably could go on and

That’s no, that’s fine. Brilliant. So yeah, we do have lots of guests planned from vets, groomers, other breed specific trainers and people as well. Justyna, I know you mentioned some of your touch points just now, but if our listeners want to be able to get hold of yourself, what is the best way to reach out to you?

We, social media, Facebook Instagram and TikTok. We also got YouTube channel. My website is bombproof box.com and the free Facebook group, bombproof box trainer advice, so people really can find me through different sources, whatever they are using those days.

Yeah, just type in Bomb Proof Boxer, basically, and up you come. Do you do any in person training now, or is it all just online stuff?

So our training club members, they get opportunity to come to a yearly camp in a summer, which takes

Oh, oh, lovely.

a full

Oh, wow. Oh,

Yes, it’s absolutely my one of the favorite events of the year.

That sounds great.

can work one to ones with me and depending where they are obviously if someone is local to me, I will meet with them. I’m, I’m traveling quite a lot. So every time if I travel somewhere, I let my clients know in advance that I will be here. I will be here if they want to meet

Oh, that’s good. It

So, yeah, there is possibility to do in person training. Sometimes I run workshops, but not so many anymore because again, Bonfro Boxer is growing and growing.

Wow.

and as I said, I’ve got six dogs.

I know. Justyna, thank you so much for joining me today. It is been fantastic. Like I, you know, you think you know stuff, but I’ve learned so much and I know that our listeners are gonna take away so much from this conversation, you know, research and the breed is so important. I know you, you’ve been very busy, so I, I do appreciate you taking the time.

Just to meet with me today your passion just shines through your, your face just lights up when you’re talking about the boxer breed and your own dogs and, you know, you advocate for the breed and it’s just been so lovely. I’m just having the time to have a chat today. So thank you so much for coming on to the, the.

I absolutely love talking about boxers. So, it’s been a pleasure and it’s been really fun. So, thank you so much for having me.

Thank you for joining me on the yappy hour today.

Before I get started on today’s key takeaways, I just want to do a shout out to Hounds and Hooves who correctly guessed on social media that Justyna from Bomb Proof Boxer was going to be our guest today. What a fantastic conversation with Justyna. Her passion for boxers and her dedication to helping owners better understand this amazing breed is truly inspiring.

Here are a few key takeaways Researching a breed before bringing the dog into your life is essential. As Justyna highlighted, understanding a box’s unique traits like their energy, intelligence and loyalty can make all the difference in creating a happy home for both you and your dog. Living with a boxer is a joyful experience, but it comes with responsibilities.

Meeting their exercise and enrichment needs, while embracing their strong family bonds, is a key to a successful relationship. Number three. Training and socialization are critical for boxers and tailoring your approach to their personality can help you overcome challenges and build a stronger bond.

Justyna, thank you so much for sharing your expertise and your love for the boxer grade with us and to our listeners. If you’re considering a boxer or already have one in your life, I encourage you to check out Bomb Proof Boxer for resources and support. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review or sharing it with a fellow dog parent.

Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of the Yappy Hour. Thanks for listening and I’ll see you next time.

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