2 year old Boxer and new baby - new behavior issues...

[emb3901]

Looking for some guidance...two year old girl who has been my baby since we brought her home at 8 weeks. We've been through chewing (she's eaten eyeglasses, my couch, her crate, and 7 pairs of shoes...the list goes on), manners, and obedience issues and come through just fine. We never made it to classes, but an experienced dog trainer friend took the time to work with us one-on-one at home and she's done wonderfully ever since.

While I was having the baby three weeks ago, my mother and husband cared for my Boxer (and 5 lb. pomeranian) - letting her outside (she is kenneled during the day, but never for more than a few hours at a time), and playing with her. When we returned home, she was very attentive to the baby and always gets up with me for late night feedings. She is devoted and I adore her.

We have maintained her regular schedule like clockwork. Lately, however, when I let her outside, she refuses to come back in. She will jump on the door (will have to buy a new one) and drool all over the place, but she will not come in. I have water outside for her, but in the summertime heat, it's dangerous when she is out for 2+ hours. I've had to chase her down and carry her in twice now - once when I was 9+ months pregnant, and the other night, post c-section. (She spent two hours in the rain at 2 AM)

She minds my husband beautifully, but he travels so much that he is hardly home. For the first time ever, she snapped at me when I scolded her for jumping up on the dinner table. I am concerned that despite the attention and love she still gets, she will begin to resent the baby and might snap at her someday.

I adore this girl - she has been my friend and ally - there is nothing like a boxer. But when I return to work, I will not have the time to wait for her to come in and decide to behave like normal. I made a committment when I purchased her and I want desperately to keep it. My husband wants to purchase a sonic shock collar, but I am against it. He thinks we need to consider surrender, but I am not ready to give up yet.

Any and all suggestions are welcome - I am sure my behavior is triggering hers, but I am too close to the situation to see what it is...

 

[gmacleod]

I would make 2 suggestions: the first is that it couldn't hurt for a vet to give her a good thorough physical. Probably there's nothing wrong there, but a dog snapping suddenly can be the result of feeling unwell or pain. You never know, and it's worth checking out.

Second, I'd suggest a behaviourist to come and see you and the dog. This isn't because I think you have any serious problem there (I don't) nor anything that's insurmountable at all. But as you note, it's probably something in her new environment (possibly your behaviour) that is triggering it. And a behaviourist can be there to see what it is (whereas we, on the internet, cannot). They can give you suggestions on how to deal with it, how to change the behaviour, and most importantly of all, feedback on your own reactions and progress. It's always a lot easier to do things with a little help than to battle on blindly on your own getting frustrated

There is a sticky thread at the top of this forum entitiled "Aggression issues". You don't have an aggression problem - however, the thread is an excellent one that contains a lot of links that can help you to find a suitable person to come and help you. So take a look there, and see if you can find someone to help. If there's absolutely nobody anywhere near you, then a trainer is the next best thing. But do be sure to choose one that uses positive reinforcement methods only. A good place to find one is www.apdt.com Everyone listed there should be using soley positive methods (though of course, you still need to check yourself). Good luck!

 

[pmari3]

Don't Give Up Yet!

I'm still waiting for my boxer baby, so I can't speak for the breed. However, when I had my first son, my Rottweiler who had been my sole baby for 2+ years, totally regressed. Things she hadn't done since she was a little puppy, like chewing everything in sight, became an issue again. I think it was stress brought on by the change in her environment. She never showed any aggression, just became kind of bratty.

So when she acted like a puppy, we went back to treating her like a puppy. Instead of giving her the same amount of space, we went back to limiting her space to within our supervision and leashed her when going outside. We had to reward her with treats for every good thing she did. It was like retraining. It was demanding when we didn't really have the extra time with the new baby and it was annoying because you really felt like you had just gotten her where you wanted her and now you are back to square one!

BUT, it was all worth it. Within a few months, she was back to her old self and she loved the new baby - especially when he began eating Cheerios Word of caution - she again regressed 4 years later when his sister came along, but, she bounced back much quicker. We were fortunate enough to have her with us for 10 years and the effort was worth it so don't give up!!!!!

 

[Ranvan]

I agree with pmari. Your dog will probably mellow out with time, but I also sense a different issue than the new baby. Your dog will not listen to you. As obvious as this sounds, it may be her way of getting you to spend time with her. It also may be her way of testing your authority.

Do a search for NILF training. Basically if I understand it correctly, your dog must do something to earn his way in life. For instance, every time you give her her food, have her sit. Yes, this works. Your dog needs to realize that she MUST listen to you as she does your husband. She needs to learn over again that you are also a leader of the pack. And as your baby grows, she must learn that children are also ahead of her in the pack.

I have not had your fears realized with regards to snapping at children. Both of my boxers have been good with children. My last boxer, Annie, was raised with our boys. She was excellent with babies and toddlers. She knew that they were "fragile" and must be treated with care. In fact, she made it her duty many times to watch over them. I have pictures of my then two year old sleeping on her with blankets covering her. (When I made a coment to her, she only wagged her tail as if to say that she couldn't move right now). Anytime she became sick of them, she got up and moved out of their reach....or she licked them to death. She could be trusted alone with them. Not once do I ever remember her growling or biting them. In fact, whenever they went outdoors, my wife and I only felt comfortable with her out with them. Nobody would have dared enter the yard. let alone touch the boys with her there. This one, Emma, has had to learn...and is still learning that children are not equals. She is learning to sit and come for them. However, for the most part she treats them gently and playfully.

My thinking is that if you deal with the disobedience issue, the rest will fall into place. Yes, she will need to learn what babies are, but from my experience with boxers (mine and others) your dog will learn exactly how to deal with your baby.