[BrodyNoochie]

Hi
I have a boxer that is about 1.5 years old. I got him as a puppy and have done all the training myself. The one thing I have not been able to break him of is peeing in his kennel. He won't go anywhere in the house except in his kennel. He doesn't seem to mind toing it or laying in it. He is only in there for about 4-5 hours at a time. I know he can hold it longer than that because I never have to let him out in the middle of the night. I have asked the vet and he has no idea.

Anybody have any ideas on how to stop this?

[RubyPitbull]

If you purchased your dog from a pet store or a breeder who kept their puppies in a confined area, such as a crate, your dilemma is not unusual. Those pups have been trained to relieve themselves where they are because they don't have any choice. They aren't walked on a regular basis, so it just develops out of necessity and can stay with them. The older a puppy is when he/she is purchased, the harder it is to break them of the habit. Is your dog neutered? If not, your vet should have told you that this can be of help. An unneutered male is more likely to urinate to lay claim to something he views as his. In general most males do this. Your dog may feel it is necessary to keep reclaiming an area that he views as completely his.

How are you doing with your leadership role? Do you feel that he challenges you at any time or is he completely compliant and recognizes that you are the "leader" in his pack? Dogs view of the world is different from ours. They work with a pack rank mentality. There is a leader and there are followers. So, it might help us to find a solution if you explain whether he is neutered, and explain your training techniques. Do you allow him to claim an area on your couch or bed first, right before you sit down? Does he like to lie down on your pillow or near the top of your bed? Do you feed him first and then eat your food? Does he beg and do you feed him from your plate? Those are all things that can confuse a dog and lead them to believe that they may be the leader in a household. Both labman and I use this link to give a pet owner a good idea of what should be done. Please look at this link and see if you are following the advice laid out:
Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position, Letting your dog know you are the boss

Labman may have some additional tips for you when he has the time to post. In the meantime, if you want to talk about any of the things I have mentioned here, please post back and we will help as much as possible.

[labman]

As far as behavior modification, What RubyPitbull has suggested maybe as good as anything. It will not help tonight. What will, is a grid in the crate. See the sticky on housebreaking. I always use one for a short time before a puppy is reliable in its crate. https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...tml#post251809

[BrodyNoochie]

My puppy could definitely use some more training. And more dominance training. He challenges me at times.

He is neutered
I don't let him lay down or sit first on furniture
He does start sleeping on the floor but makes his way up to the bed throughout the night, usually across our legs. Then we push him down and he lays more towards the top of the bed between us.
Active training with him has fairly stopped since we got through the basics except he is still bad on a leash

I haven't had a chance to take a look at all the information you provided me (the links) but I will get to it soon and I hope it will help me. Any other ideas are appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

[labman]

One of the best techniques for a dog that pulls on leash is to just gently pull it backwards. Head collars are great too. The leading brands are Promise, Haltie, and Gentle Leader. They have a strap going around the dogs nose looking something like a muzzle. They work by pulling the dogs head around. No other way gives you such great control with so little force. The prong collar is now a
dangerous relic of value only for its macho looks. Do not consider using one
without hands on instruction from somebody with plenty of experience with them.

[RubyPitbull]

Labman, you might want to consider posting your Monks of New Skete link for brody here.
Brody, they sell a CD or DVD in which you can see how to apply leadership training with your dog. Should be very, very helpful to you.

The other thing I wanted to point out is that you may want to take a trip to your local library, or do an internet search for the first book that labman has on his suggested reading list, "The Culture Clash", by Jean Donaldson. I don't believe you can find it in a bookstore anymore but you might. That is one of the best books I have found that explains exactly how a dog views, interprets, and responds to the world around him. Once you have a good understanding of that, it is so much easier to correct unwanted behavior.

Once you have plowed through all the information, if you have any more questions or need a specific training technique or problem explained in greater detail, please post back.