Aggression Issues
- Thread starter Krikkit
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Bo's Parents
Boxer Pal
Agressive Pup
I have a 9 week old male who is exhibiting very agressive behavior to some dogs (adults and it appears to be mostly females) and he also has snapped at my 8 and 5 year old boys on more than one occassion.
I have also started working on the heel, come, sit and sit stay commands with him. Is it possible that I am working him too hard too soon and this is leading to his aggression?
I have a 9 week old male who is exhibiting very agressive behavior to some dogs (adults and it appears to be mostly females) and he also has snapped at my 8 and 5 year old boys on more than one occassion.
I have also started working on the heel, come, sit and sit stay commands with him. Is it possible that I am working him too hard too soon and this is leading to his aggression?
Actually, it sounds far more like your 9 week old is being a typically rambunctious boxer puppy. That is how most of them play, usually accompanied by lots of growling and barking. And well mannered adults will let them do it - they're babies 
Better standards of behaviour don't even start to get enforced for a month or two yet. So I really wouldn't worry that your 9 week old baby is in any way aggressive or even unusual.
Definitely keep up the training. That is a good thing for a puppy. But keep training sessions short and fun (5-10 minutes is plenty), and don't expect too much from one so young.
If he is biting and barking at people, that is his attempts at play. He does need to be taught different, more appropriate behaviour - but that takes time. The best way is to turn away and ignore him, or to redirect his attention to a toy or game of his own. If you do a search of the forums, there are hundreds of threads on puppy biting issues with some great advice that you could put to good use.
Better standards of behaviour don't even start to get enforced for a month or two yet. So I really wouldn't worry that your 9 week old baby is in any way aggressive or even unusual.Definitely keep up the training. That is a good thing for a puppy. But keep training sessions short and fun (5-10 minutes is plenty), and don't expect too much from one so young.
If he is biting and barking at people, that is his attempts at play. He does need to be taught different, more appropriate behaviour - but that takes time. The best way is to turn away and ignore him, or to redirect his attention to a toy or game of his own. If you do a search of the forums, there are hundreds of threads on puppy biting issues with some great advice that you could put to good use.
My Boys!
I have two furbaby boys an 8 1/2 yo boxer - Prince and a 7 1/2 yo staffy x cattle dog - Zeus. They were both as gentle as anything until about 18 months ago when we had to have Prince the boxer desexed because of the risk of cancer (he's had 4 operations - all successful!) He has been the most moody boy since but it is only towards his furbrother, still the most loving thing towards everyone else. Prince will sit barking and nipping at Zeus who is on his own sofa bed until he moves just so he can go to sleep there! I am at my wits ends with what to do. I have to say it is not a continuous thing and there has been no real harm done - just his attitude is in need of another adjustment.
I have two furbaby boys an 8 1/2 yo boxer - Prince and a 7 1/2 yo staffy x cattle dog - Zeus. They were both as gentle as anything until about 18 months ago when we had to have Prince the boxer desexed because of the risk of cancer (he's had 4 operations - all successful!) He has been the most moody boy since but it is only towards his furbrother, still the most loving thing towards everyone else. Prince will sit barking and nipping at Zeus who is on his own sofa bed until he moves just so he can go to sleep there! I am at my wits ends with what to do. I have to say it is not a continuous thing and there has been no real harm done - just his attitude is in need of another adjustment.
courtney323
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DXMorris
Boxer Pal
New Boxer in the Family - Minor Agression Issues
Hey Gang,
Since we've gotten our new guy (Petey), the other guy (Louis) occasionally snaps and growls at Petey, my wife (Melinda), and I under (so far) certain conditions and has also been a little aloof (although he's sound asleep with his head in my lap right now). The snaps have been gentle and seem to be intended as a warning with no intent to inflict harm. The conditions are when both Petey and Louis are in the back seat of the car at the same time or when Melinda or I get too close into his personal space. He was also recently in his first fight ever, at the doggie park, since Petey came to live with us (no injuries).
Some background info and some random neural firings:
* Louis, male, 9 months old, fixed, been with us for 6 months since we got him from a breeder.
* Petey, male, 18 months old, fixed, been with us for 3 weeks since we got him from rescue.
* Louis has been to basic obiedience training, doggie parks since he was 4 months old, and a few times, doggie day care.
* No incidents at all pre-Petey. Perfect puppy.
* Petey's a perfect gentleman. Was fostered in doggie daycare for a few weeks before we got him. No observed or reported incidents. Fit right into the family.
* Petey and Louis play for hours and seem to be best buds except for when they're in the back seat together. We've watched them very closely at (almost) all times initially and less so after the first two weeks.
* Louis sometimes mounts Petey who does nothing or walks away.
* Petey is about 4 inches and 20 lbs bigger than Louis.
* Louis seems to be the "bratty kid brother" who is constantly trying to get Petey to wrestle. Petey ignores him, takes the bait, or walks away but is always nice.
* Both were recently given a clean bill of health from a good vet.
* We've slacked off with Louis' training but not on giving him attention.
* We've paid more attention to Petey recently to ease his transition into our family but have still given Louis plenty.
* The snaps have been at Melinda and I and everyone has gotten the growls. Snaps usually very closely follow the growl.
* Louis occasionally mounts and is mounted at the dog park. When he has been mounted, it has been without incident (not sure about pre/post Petey). In all cases, it's quickly broken up.
* When they wrestle, Petey is very much the bigger, stronger, faster of the two although Louis is no slouch.
* Pre-Petey, Louis was very much spolied in every way imiagineable (aren't they all?) but dicipline maintained.
* Louis still goes to his crate when told (with a little coaxing), responds to "leave it's", is tethered during meals, and so on. All at about the pre-Petey rate.
My best guesses as to what's going on:
* General "new family member" issues (anxiety, needs space, ...) resulting in a lower threshold of annoyance.
* Louis is unsure of his place in the heirarchy because of us slacking off on training and the arrival of the Petey. Testing the waters of dominance.
What we've done:
* A loud "NO!", angry glare, and walk away.
What (else) we should do:
* More training.
* ????
Other stuff:
* We'll possibly be moving soon and won't be able to spend too much time on this for the next few months unless it turns out to be a symptom of something serious or becomes more pervasive or intense.
Apologies for the deluge of bullet points. Many, many thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Dave
Hey Gang,
Since we've gotten our new guy (Petey), the other guy (Louis) occasionally snaps and growls at Petey, my wife (Melinda), and I under (so far) certain conditions and has also been a little aloof (although he's sound asleep with his head in my lap right now). The snaps have been gentle and seem to be intended as a warning with no intent to inflict harm. The conditions are when both Petey and Louis are in the back seat of the car at the same time or when Melinda or I get too close into his personal space. He was also recently in his first fight ever, at the doggie park, since Petey came to live with us (no injuries).
Some background info and some random neural firings:
* Louis, male, 9 months old, fixed, been with us for 6 months since we got him from a breeder.
* Petey, male, 18 months old, fixed, been with us for 3 weeks since we got him from rescue.
* Louis has been to basic obiedience training, doggie parks since he was 4 months old, and a few times, doggie day care.
* No incidents at all pre-Petey. Perfect puppy.
* Petey's a perfect gentleman. Was fostered in doggie daycare for a few weeks before we got him. No observed or reported incidents. Fit right into the family.
* Petey and Louis play for hours and seem to be best buds except for when they're in the back seat together. We've watched them very closely at (almost) all times initially and less so after the first two weeks.
* Louis sometimes mounts Petey who does nothing or walks away.
* Petey is about 4 inches and 20 lbs bigger than Louis.
* Louis seems to be the "bratty kid brother" who is constantly trying to get Petey to wrestle. Petey ignores him, takes the bait, or walks away but is always nice.
* Both were recently given a clean bill of health from a good vet.
* We've slacked off with Louis' training but not on giving him attention.
* We've paid more attention to Petey recently to ease his transition into our family but have still given Louis plenty.
* The snaps have been at Melinda and I and everyone has gotten the growls. Snaps usually very closely follow the growl.
* Louis occasionally mounts and is mounted at the dog park. When he has been mounted, it has been without incident (not sure about pre/post Petey). In all cases, it's quickly broken up.
* When they wrestle, Petey is very much the bigger, stronger, faster of the two although Louis is no slouch.
* Pre-Petey, Louis was very much spolied in every way imiagineable (aren't they all?) but dicipline maintained.
* Louis still goes to his crate when told (with a little coaxing), responds to "leave it's", is tethered during meals, and so on. All at about the pre-Petey rate.
My best guesses as to what's going on:
* General "new family member" issues (anxiety, needs space, ...) resulting in a lower threshold of annoyance.
* Louis is unsure of his place in the heirarchy because of us slacking off on training and the arrival of the Petey. Testing the waters of dominance.
What we've done:
* A loud "NO!", angry glare, and walk away.
What (else) we should do:
* More training.
* ????
Other stuff:
* We'll possibly be moving soon and won't be able to spend too much time on this for the next few months unless it turns out to be a symptom of something serious or becomes more pervasive or intense.
Apologies for the deluge of bullet points. Many, many thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Dave
WyldeChylde
Boxer Pal
wyldechylde
Thank you for posting the links, I am having a hard time with my beloved 4 y/o male. I was searching the telephone directory looking for help in redirecting the escalating aggression. I was unaware that there are credentialed indivduals.
This behaviour is a few months old and the vet has not identified anything other than the dogs discomfort due to arthritis and dermatalogical problems (arthritis following knee surgery and seasonal alapicia) which he stated might account for some changes.
I hope to get some professional help with this.
Thank you for posting the links, I am having a hard time with my beloved 4 y/o male. I was searching the telephone directory looking for help in redirecting the escalating aggression. I was unaware that there are credentialed indivduals.
This behaviour is a few months old and the vet has not identified anything other than the dogs discomfort due to arthritis and dermatalogical problems (arthritis following knee surgery and seasonal alapicia) which he stated might account for some changes.
I hope to get some professional help with this.
My Boxer
Boxer Insane
How does one decide if it is aggression or alpha behavior? I was told my baby was and alpha female. I am alpha over her. But heaven help any dog that attempts to be her equal. If the other dog is submissive, its ok, but war if not. She does obedience beautifully, but we don't go to the dog park anymore because I don't trust her off leash.
quintopozoso
Boxer Pal
Problems with adopted baby girl
Hello!
I've been reading this thread with much interest. We just adopted a 5 y.o. female from a Boxer rescue place and she is showing serious aggression to our 4 y.o. male. It has only happened sporadically, but she gets extremely vicious when it happens.
They initially played very well together when they met at the rescue place. Got along very well on the car ride home and during 2 walks together. Huicho (the male) then tried to hump Lola and she snapped and barked. Then , I foolishly tried to feed them together (even though they told me not to - Lola wasn't eating, so I thought it was because I put her in her crate). She went ballistic on Huicho, and we all realized very quickly that it was a very stupid idea to try the group feeding. She then snapped at him at what seemed no provocation. I thought maybe she was over-stimulated for the first day.
I kept them apart for the next 2 days. After that, they were able to walk together again, but Lola snapped at Huicho again over a treat. They have been mostly fine since then, and they have even become comfortable playing with each other and tugging on the same toys. However, sometimes they appear to act cautious around each other.
The latest problem is that we have been taking them to a new daycare. Long story. My partner and I live in different cities and shuttle back and forth. He has the dogs this week and took them to our doggie daycare where he lives. They keep all the dogs in the same play group, and apparently Lola was being very rough with Huicho. So much so that they called my partner twice today to report their concerns. The owner said that Lola once went for Huicho's throat. She says Lola looked like she wanted to kill Huicho and she was extremely worried for Huicho. All the attacks seemed to be unprovoked and seemed to happen when the caretakers were temporarily turned away or helping a customer. This is all second-hand reporting, but it sounded like the owner had never seen behavior like this. Lola is apparently fine with the other dogs. It's only with Huicho that she is like this.
The doggie daycare where I live has different play groups, so Lola and Huicho do not interact during their stay there, so there are no problems.
Any advice? The daycare where they are going this week is still willing to take them, but they will probably put Lola all by herself in another area, which is definitely better than her attacking Huicho, but I wish she didn't have to be all by herself. I think it is curious (but perhaps it makes sense) that Lola does not display this behavior at home or when we are around or on walks together. I wonder if she knows that we (her humans) will not tolerate it but she feels that she can get away with it when she's with "strangers"?
I've been reading some of the other materials but few seem to address the specific question of dog-on-dog aggression within the same household. We are willing to try a trainer, but again this seems to be a problem only when we're not around or when they're not at the house, so I don't know how much a training program would be able to replicate the conditions. In any case, we would love to have some advice on what we could do right away to minimize the confrontations when the kids have to go to daycare again.
Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for the tips!
Hello!
I've been reading this thread with much interest. We just adopted a 5 y.o. female from a Boxer rescue place and she is showing serious aggression to our 4 y.o. male. It has only happened sporadically, but she gets extremely vicious when it happens.
They initially played very well together when they met at the rescue place. Got along very well on the car ride home and during 2 walks together. Huicho (the male) then tried to hump Lola and she snapped and barked. Then , I foolishly tried to feed them together (even though they told me not to - Lola wasn't eating, so I thought it was because I put her in her crate). She went ballistic on Huicho, and we all realized very quickly that it was a very stupid idea to try the group feeding. She then snapped at him at what seemed no provocation. I thought maybe she was over-stimulated for the first day.
I kept them apart for the next 2 days. After that, they were able to walk together again, but Lola snapped at Huicho again over a treat. They have been mostly fine since then, and they have even become comfortable playing with each other and tugging on the same toys. However, sometimes they appear to act cautious around each other.
The latest problem is that we have been taking them to a new daycare. Long story. My partner and I live in different cities and shuttle back and forth. He has the dogs this week and took them to our doggie daycare where he lives. They keep all the dogs in the same play group, and apparently Lola was being very rough with Huicho. So much so that they called my partner twice today to report their concerns. The owner said that Lola once went for Huicho's throat. She says Lola looked like she wanted to kill Huicho and she was extremely worried for Huicho. All the attacks seemed to be unprovoked and seemed to happen when the caretakers were temporarily turned away or helping a customer. This is all second-hand reporting, but it sounded like the owner had never seen behavior like this. Lola is apparently fine with the other dogs. It's only with Huicho that she is like this.
The doggie daycare where I live has different play groups, so Lola and Huicho do not interact during their stay there, so there are no problems.
Any advice? The daycare where they are going this week is still willing to take them, but they will probably put Lola all by herself in another area, which is definitely better than her attacking Huicho, but I wish she didn't have to be all by herself. I think it is curious (but perhaps it makes sense) that Lola does not display this behavior at home or when we are around or on walks together. I wonder if she knows that we (her humans) will not tolerate it but she feels that she can get away with it when she's with "strangers"?
I've been reading some of the other materials but few seem to address the specific question of dog-on-dog aggression within the same household. We are willing to try a trainer, but again this seems to be a problem only when we're not around or when they're not at the house, so I don't know how much a training program would be able to replicate the conditions. In any case, we would love to have some advice on what we could do right away to minimize the confrontations when the kids have to go to daycare again.
Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for the tips!
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