stubborn

Question
Hi,
   I have a wonderful female boxer.  She is always the center of attention at
our home and we love her like a child.  However, I also have two male Pit
Bulls as well and they were extremely easy to train.  In fact, we really didn't
have to train them to do the right things.  They shake hands, come, stay,
heal and fetch.  Both are perfect gentlemen 95% of the time and I have no
complaints.  The boxer seem untrainable.  She's learned to be a good dog
citizen for the most part, and loves to jump high in the air when she's happy
or showing off, but that was an innate thing she displayed from the day we
got her, however, she won't fetch a ball or even shake hands.  She just
looks at me with her big brown eyes and all but tells me that she's not
going to do tricks.  Why is she so stubborn?  How can I teach her to shake
and fetch?  Why were my pit bulls so easy to train?  Are Boxers less
intelligent than pits?  Hope to hear from you soon.

Best Regards,

J.D.

Answer
J.D.,

You didn't mention her age. And training should begin when young.

To teach her to "shake" use one-word commands. "Shake" if you prefer.

Get some "treats" just for training only.

Sit on the floor in front of her and get her attention, facing her face to yours, getting her to look you in the face.

Command her to "shake." Then, use your right hand, pick up her right paw, and shake gently, repeating "shake."

Tell her good-girl and give her a treat. Repeat this for maybe 3 minutes and stop for awhile.

You don't want to loose her attention span or make it a chore- but short and brief and fun.

Try one thing at a time, and when she learns it, add another trick a few weeks later in same fashion.

And, Boxers are highly intelligent and known for learning fast!