Boxerpuppies

Question
Hello,
My boyfriend and i have recently taken home 2 adorable boxer puppies 1 and male the other a female from the same litter. We have just found out this was a bad move as boxers from the same litter tend to not socialize with other dogs as they are happy to play together, many of our friend have dogs and they will be around dogs and be taken to the beach everyday once old enough to do so, we have also been told that they may not socialize with humans as well cause they are happy to stay together. Is this all true and what should my boyfriend and i do to get through this?

Answer
While it will mean taking special care, I don't think this has to be a disaster.  Giving them plenty of attention should reduce the problem.  Start obedience training at once.  I was glad to see the comment on waiting until they were old enough to go to the beach.  They need as much contact as possible with other dogs, and as soon as possible, before 12 weeks old.  You need to be very careful about the other dogs.  One sniff where a sick dog relieved itself in the last 6 months is all it takes to develop a life threatening disease.  Shots may or may not be effective, for details on that, read  http://www.avma.org/communications/brochures/canine_parvo/parvo_brochure.asp  As long as you know your friends keep their dogs shots up to date, visits back and forth are fine.  It would help if some of their dogs are young enough to enjoy puppy play.  

Here are some things that will help bond them to you.  ''Elevation for small puppies:  Sit on the floor and gently put your hands around your pup's middle, below his front legs, and lift him up.  He is facing you.  Hold him for 15 seconds.  Repeat until he no longer struggles.  If he is past 10-12 weeks, lift his front feet off the ground, but don't pick him up.  

Cradling for small puppies:  Hold your puppy gently on his back, as you would cradle a small baby.  If he struggles, hold him firmly until he quiets for 10-15 seconds.  With larger pups, you can do this as your sit on the floor, with your pup between your legs.

Quiet lying down:  Place your pup on the floor on his side, with all 4 legs pointing away from you.  Use your hands on his neck/shoulder area and middle, to hold him in this position.  When he is quiet, praise him.  Lengthen the time that you keep him quietly in this position.  When he accepts this position well, handle his paws and muzzle, while keeping him quiet.''

The quotes mean this isn't my original work.  It is copied from my Puppy Raising Manual.  I have long used these or minor variations of them, and they are very effective.  You may want to give him a belly rub while he is on his back too.  Helps bonding.  There is a big difference between him rolling over and demanding a belly rub, and you choosing a time to roll him over and rub his belly.  The latter cements your place as pack leader.  

Some of the problems you may have heard about may be worse for the litter to have been left together past 12 weeks, and then the the 2 largely left to themselves after that.  It is posible it may be a bigger problem with Boxers, but other breeds have the same tendency to bond too strongly with each other, and interact less with people and other dogs.