Rupert P
Boxer Pal
Hi. It's been awhile since I posted here, but I read a lot of the forums. Lots of great info. :o)
I'm having what I consider a big, heartbreaking problem. Sorry this post is soooo long.
I have two boxers: an almost 2-year-old neutered male fawn named Rupert who was given to us when he was about 10 weeks old, and Izzy, an almost 1-year-old white spayed female whom we adopted when she was 4 months old.
We've lately seen some aggressiveness in Rupert that we don't like. We have an appointment with a behaviorist recommended by a vet who knows a lot about boxers, but I thought some of you might have some boxer-specific insight.
Rupert has always been very laid-back as far as boxers go. He's a total lover. He has always been extremely dog friendly and LOVED the dog park more than anything. He lived to play with other dogs, and would find any other boxers at the park and play with them happily until we had to leave. He's always been great with kids and all people. His love of dogs and boxers in particular inspired us to get him a companion. He’s always been a very good boy.
Izzy had been living with some folks who kept her chained up in the backyard all day before we got her in August. She started escaping, chewing through chains, leashes and cable leads so she could dig her way out of the yard. She is an amazingly affectionate, very bouncy and super mischievous, but she's smart and is learning. She has never tried to escape our yard. :o) She’s pretty dominant, and tries to boss Rupert around quite a bit. He gets fed up now and then, but in general, he takes it in stride. When he gets annoyed, he body blocks her so she’ll back off. It’s like he’s trying to train her. Generally, they get along very well and play alot.
Rupert has gotten very intolerant of (aggressive toward) other dogs. When we take him to the dog park, he plays fine for awhile, but if any dog mounts him or plays too rough or sniffs him too much, he snarls, growls and snorts like a crazed beast and immediately gets the other dog on its back, holding it there until we pull him off. (When he's in this state, he doesn't respond to voice commands.)
He's now very bossy with other puppies. He doesn't do the growling and snarling, but he gets pretty vocal and has on occasion made puppies submit to him.
He hasn't ever bitten a dog or seemed like he was about to, but I worry about how other dogs might react to him, so we quit the dog park. This makes me so sad, because he used to love it.
On one occasion, the neighbor’s male dog (a cute, small, fluffy bedroom slipper thing) came over to our yard in a friendly manner while we were preparing for our walk. Rupert was on leash, but he pulled, snarled and growled like he was going to KILL the other dog. A few weeks ago, we were on a trail walk, and a friendly off-leash (why? why? why?) dog approached Rupert and Izzy. Rupert got tense but seemed OK. Izzy did her usual boxer puppy thing, trying to jump up and box the other dog. When Rupert saw this, he immediately growled, snarled and lunged toward the other dog, pulling me with him. He got the other dog on its back and held it there until I could yank him off.
This is not the Rupert we have known for so long. He has always been very tolerant of other dogs and in the past has gone out of his way to avoid any and all dog scuffles he sees at the park. I've always been so proud of how much he loves to play with other dogs. :o(
One other thing: We moved from San Diego to Portland, OR, last year. We don't go to the dog park or dog beach as often as we used to due to some schedule changes, but we were managing to take him there a few times a week until he became the beast.
Someone told me it’s because he feels the need to assert himself with the new dog in the house, but someone else told me it’s because he’s not a puppy anymore and adult male boxers, even neutered ones, are very aggressive. Yet another person mentioned the possibility that he comes from a bad bloodline.
Our dogs are part of our family, and I can’t bear the thought of Rupert being miserable, but I’m not willing to rehome Izzy. I miss going to the dog park with Rupert and taking him everywhere. I’m so sad that Rupert can’t enjoy that activity anymore. :o(
Any advice or insight will be very much appreciated.
If you made it this far, thank you so, so much for reading.
I'm having what I consider a big, heartbreaking problem. Sorry this post is soooo long.
I have two boxers: an almost 2-year-old neutered male fawn named Rupert who was given to us when he was about 10 weeks old, and Izzy, an almost 1-year-old white spayed female whom we adopted when she was 4 months old.
We've lately seen some aggressiveness in Rupert that we don't like. We have an appointment with a behaviorist recommended by a vet who knows a lot about boxers, but I thought some of you might have some boxer-specific insight.
Rupert has always been very laid-back as far as boxers go. He's a total lover. He has always been extremely dog friendly and LOVED the dog park more than anything. He lived to play with other dogs, and would find any other boxers at the park and play with them happily until we had to leave. He's always been great with kids and all people. His love of dogs and boxers in particular inspired us to get him a companion. He’s always been a very good boy.
Izzy had been living with some folks who kept her chained up in the backyard all day before we got her in August. She started escaping, chewing through chains, leashes and cable leads so she could dig her way out of the yard. She is an amazingly affectionate, very bouncy and super mischievous, but she's smart and is learning. She has never tried to escape our yard. :o) She’s pretty dominant, and tries to boss Rupert around quite a bit. He gets fed up now and then, but in general, he takes it in stride. When he gets annoyed, he body blocks her so she’ll back off. It’s like he’s trying to train her. Generally, they get along very well and play alot.
Rupert has gotten very intolerant of (aggressive toward) other dogs. When we take him to the dog park, he plays fine for awhile, but if any dog mounts him or plays too rough or sniffs him too much, he snarls, growls and snorts like a crazed beast and immediately gets the other dog on its back, holding it there until we pull him off. (When he's in this state, he doesn't respond to voice commands.)
He's now very bossy with other puppies. He doesn't do the growling and snarling, but he gets pretty vocal and has on occasion made puppies submit to him.
He hasn't ever bitten a dog or seemed like he was about to, but I worry about how other dogs might react to him, so we quit the dog park. This makes me so sad, because he used to love it.
On one occasion, the neighbor’s male dog (a cute, small, fluffy bedroom slipper thing) came over to our yard in a friendly manner while we were preparing for our walk. Rupert was on leash, but he pulled, snarled and growled like he was going to KILL the other dog. A few weeks ago, we were on a trail walk, and a friendly off-leash (why? why? why?) dog approached Rupert and Izzy. Rupert got tense but seemed OK. Izzy did her usual boxer puppy thing, trying to jump up and box the other dog. When Rupert saw this, he immediately growled, snarled and lunged toward the other dog, pulling me with him. He got the other dog on its back and held it there until I could yank him off.
This is not the Rupert we have known for so long. He has always been very tolerant of other dogs and in the past has gone out of his way to avoid any and all dog scuffles he sees at the park. I've always been so proud of how much he loves to play with other dogs. :o(
One other thing: We moved from San Diego to Portland, OR, last year. We don't go to the dog park or dog beach as often as we used to due to some schedule changes, but we were managing to take him there a few times a week until he became the beast.
Someone told me it’s because he feels the need to assert himself with the new dog in the house, but someone else told me it’s because he’s not a puppy anymore and adult male boxers, even neutered ones, are very aggressive. Yet another person mentioned the possibility that he comes from a bad bloodline.
Our dogs are part of our family, and I can’t bear the thought of Rupert being miserable, but I’m not willing to rehome Izzy. I miss going to the dog park with Rupert and taking him everywhere. I’m so sad that Rupert can’t enjoy that activity anymore. :o(
Any advice or insight will be very much appreciated.
If you made it this far, thank you so, so much for reading.
