Thanks for all the replies.

I am going to try ignoring with the family and guests the down-stay or place command, whichever he/she knows at the time. As for the guests either they comply or they are not going to see the dog.

I was also questioning if I was asking too much of a very engergetic/people person dog to be able to stay in a down or place command within reason---given the pups age--level of understanding, or should I look at a more aloof breed of dog even though my understanding is that each pup has some slight variance in temperment..from the same litter or from different bloodlines ie. East German boxers vrs. West German boxers.

 Quote: Mark Rundle

I was also questioning if I was asking too much of a very engergetic/people person dog to be able to stay in a down or place command within reason---given the pups age--level of understanding, or should I look at a more aloof breed of dog even though my understanding is that each pup has some slight variance in temperment..from the same litter or from different bloodlines ie. East German boxers vrs. West German boxers.

OK I am going to admit, I had a couple of drinks earlier but quote above makes zero sense to me.

I read it twice but still can't make out the question??

Just crate your dog or puppy in another room if it can't handle the excitement. No biggie. My dogs are rarely loose when lots of people are over.

Peter.. to make it clear.

I was wondering how much is too much to ask for a pup/dog to be in a down/place command regarding duration. Obviously I would not expect a 8 week old pup to be able to hold a down for one hour.

I was also wondering if another breed that is not as excitable/people oriented would be better suited for me as I do not like the boisterous behavior when guests are over.

If you are referring to the East/West German Boxer remark I forget which is which but I do know that when Germany was split there were differences in the boxers on either side of the wall, ie. the "sharpness" of I believe associated with the the West.

Hope that clears up any sort of confusion you may have had.

Mark - what is your purpose for the next dog? Pet? Sport? Active companion? From the sounds of your posts it seems like a primary concern is calmness when guests are over. If you're just looking for a mellow pet then, yes, I would suggest getting a different breed.

Mark, if you're considering getting a more laid back dog because it fits your expectations better, that is asolutely your best move. Why try to fit a square peg into a round hole? Kudos to you for having enough sense to realize this.

It sounds like you have time to make an informed decision. Use it wisely.

Good looking out.

If you like the Boxer personality but not their rambunctiousness as pups I would look into getting an older dog. Most Boxers mellow out a bit starting between 3-5 years. There's plenty of them sitting in shelters/rescues that have gained some maturity but just need the training to utilize it. You might need to wait for the specific lines you're looking for to pop up but some very well bred Boxers wind up in the rescue system.

If you are not sure about Boxers in general many rescues have a small kennel or section within a kennel where they have dogs. Most often they are looking for people to walk these dogs and get them some exercise. It would let you interact with a bunch of Boxers of all ages and temperaments. You might find that they aren't for you or they're perfect for you.

I know my boy would have been a handful in his younger years but now as a mature adult he's wonderful. He still needed training of course but that was the fault of the prior owners encouraging the jumping. It would be perfectly reasonable to expect him to stay on his "place" for guests and he does exactly that when workers are coming in and out. I think the longest he's been on his place was a few hours while my new washer/dryer was being installed. I would not expect him to stay that long on tile but I find it perfectly reasonable on a nice comfy bed.

+ 1, save a dog's life, get a mature ie rescue. more chance of getting what you want.

I think you know this but are asking for a push.

some great dog to fit your needs is waiting in a cage just to start loving you.

We had Boxers when I was living at home, I adore the breed and they are real clowns, happy and utterly loyal, but the male was bloody bonkers until he was so old that he couldn't physically BE bonkers anymore!

Looking back, my father didn't 'get' what he needed as an energetic and stubborn dog, and therefore did more firefighting than should have been necessary, consequently he was a bit of a liability, especially with other dogs, and strangers coming to the house, he once flew down the stairs in a one leap, straight through a plate glass door after the postman, and continued to go nuts at the poor bloke while gushing blood, half in and half out of the glass.

Lovely, lovely breed, but definitely in need of proper handling!

 Quote: tracey holden

We had Boxers when I was living at home, I adore the breed and they are real clowns, happy and utterly loyal, but the male was bloody bonkers until he was so old that he couldn't physically BE bonkers anymore!

Looking back, my father didn't 'get' what he needed as an energetic and stubborn dog, and therefore did more firefighting than should have been necessary, consequently he was a bit of a liability, especially with other dogs, and strangers coming to the house, he once flew down the stairs in a one leap, straight through a plate glass door after the postman, and continued to go nuts at the poor bloke while gushing blood, half in and half out of the glass.

Lovely, lovely breed, but definitely in need of proper handling!

Not sure about across the pond but over here there is a high percentage of cancer in the Boxer as a breed.

How about there?