Beau almost got us booted from Petco!

[Thomas Liggin]

I agree, dogs like humans, are not always predictable.

In June, I drove my wife into Boston to take a certification test. She had to be there for 8:00 am. I dropped her off at Suffolk University which is adjacent to the State House, and convenient to the Boston Common and the Public Gardens.

Because the test would take most of the morning, we brought Indy and Ava. So the dogs and I drove the few blocks to the Common and Garden which are separated by a thoroughfare.

I had my choice of any parking place since they were all vacant at that time of the morning. Indy, Ava and I entered the Public Gardens. There were some early morning walkers and joggers, and a few people taking their dogs out for a morning stroll.

It was an entirely different environment. Ava barked at all the squirrels and pigeons. Indy who was walking behind me as we strolled along the edge of the Swan Boat pond, either jumped or fell into the pond. I heard a splash, turned around, and Indy was wading back to shore.

A couple of people approached us with their dogs, and Ava went berserk. She wanted to say hello, but those not familiar with Boxers would think she wanted to fight. So I just hauled back on her lead, scolded her, and apologized to the person.

We walked the sidewalk around the gardens, and they paid little or no attention to the passersby. However when Ava saw someone with a dog she'd start vocalizing with her high pitched yelps. I did a 180 and hauled her away from the stimuli.

I fed them in the Pulic Gardens, gave them water, and we had a great time.

They met several people without dogs and could not have been much better. They were quiet, stood still while being petted and rubbed, and allowed me to converse without demanding attention.

I could see them calming down once they got past the initial sensory overload.

I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.


Tom

 

[bucca]

Having a rottweiler background gives me a different perspective perhaps.

i was just curious on what you meant, i have a rottweiler maxi and before maxi we had bruiser- his name should have been lover, he passed on- maxi is the most gentle animal there is and so was bruiser, the only time i have seen maxi growl is when chloe wont leave her alone- chloe is my bully dog- and even after a low growl her little nub is going 100 mph. maxi loves all dogs and people as did bruiser and i never had one complaint about her. in fact when i walk the girls there is a house that has two of the biggest rotties ive seen and they come over to the girls when they are out and give us all kisses .

 

[LilacDragon]

i was just curious on what you meant, i have a rottweiler maxi and before maxi we had bruiser- his name should have been lover, he passed on- maxi is the most gentle animal there is and so was bruiser, the only time i have seen maxi growl is when chloe wont leave her alone- chloe is my bully dog- and even after a low growl her little nub is going 100 mph. maxi loves all dogs and people as did bruiser and i never had one complaint about her. in fact when i walk the girls there is a house that has two of the biggest rotties ive seen and they come over to the girls when they are out and give us all kisses .

What I meant was simply that, as a rottweiler enthusiast and knowing many rottweiler owners, I am constantly aware of my dog and his surroundings and the many things that can and do happen. Rottweilers are the number two breed of dog banned and restricted in many cities. If a rottweiler bites a child, it is front page news and it is my job as a rottweiler owner to make sure that MY dog is not in the paper!

The answer is training. Constantly. I guess that I am a bit surprised that after an incident like the OP posted on, I am a bit surprised that no one has said anything about training Beau or how to teach him to get past his leash aggression.

Oh, and I lost my rottie just a few short months ago. The apartment I now live in does not allow rottweilers (although the manager did admit that she would let me have one) so I opted to go with something else for now. We rescued her from animal control just before I found out I was pregnant with my son. She was the best dog I have ever had and she was his companion.

 

[beausmommy]

The answer is training. Constantly. I guess that I am a bit surprised that after an incident like the OP posted on, I am a bit surprised that no one has said anything about training Beau or how to teach him to get past his leash aggression.

Actually, a lot of people DID offer suggestions on how to help Beau overcome his leash aggression and the #1 thing they said was to continue to allow him in public on his leash. Not taking an otherwise well-behaved dog in public out of fear that he might bark at someone seems rather ridiculous to me. Yes, Beau needs to overcome this problem, but I believe that taking him in public is the best "training" that I can give him. He will never learn that it is not acceptable behavior if he isn't corrected when he misbehaves.

 

[LilacDragon]

I wouldn't keep him locked up in the house either, but I wouldn't take him any place where children are common, at least until you know, without a doubt that you weren't going to have a repeat performance.

 

[LilygirlCO]

I still would let Beau be around children because the more he's away from them, the more the problem will grow. Avoiding children will make Beau think children are bad or even something to be afraid of according to our trainer. And it's not like Beau attacked the child or even attempted to bite the child. Lily lunges at children all the time because she wants to play with them and if I'm not careful, she will plow them over out of excitement. So, I don't go around avoiding children, I make her meet as many as possible during our walks because she has more chances of breaking her lunging sooner than later.

 

[AmyV1]

I agree that you should still take him out in public, and not lock him up the house (which I don't think that was what LilacDragon was implying) however, he needs to know that behavior isn't acceptable, under any circumstance.

And if you know he is aggressive on leash, and not used to being on leash, I would not use a Flexi, for the simple fact that they're flimsy, and if its not locked at most times (or, unless your dog is the best behaved thing and never EVER lunges/pulls) they're quite dangerous. I also notice that you didn't mention if beau got a correction for this display? I assume not.

I have a similar story actually.. We had one dog, who would lunge if people touched him (or one of the other dogs if they were together) without our okay and I have to say that he tried that once in front of my mother, and got a stern correction (since obviously its never appropriate for a dog to growl & lunge at anymore, much less a small child) and never did it again.

However, the child was also in the wrong since she never *asked* to pet the dog. Which, was quite stupid. People have done that with my chi/jrt, for the simple fact that hes tiny.. however, he *is* leash aggressive, and just an all-around weak nerved dog, so I have to tell most people not to touch him, because i realize that he snarls, and there is a chance he will bite...

 

[TheBoxerCrew]

So, what did you do when you dog barked and lunged at the little girl? Why on earth would you take a leash aggressive dog to a public place on a flexi-lead? Sorry, but it sounds to me like Beau needs to attend a training class.

But, yes, children need to learn not to approach animals that they don't know.

Had you read the entire post.....she had not taken him there in a while. One day our dog can be docile and a "pet-me" fiend.....the next, something in the crowd hits them wrong and they feel the need to be protective. Unless you can read dogs' minds, you don't know how a dog will react to a situation.

Please, tell me how the dog going to a training class will eliminate some strange, unattended child from touching the dog? You put far too much emphasis on the dog owner, and far too little on the irresponsible parents of the child.

I believe there is something in the rules you agreed to when you joined about not attacking other BW members. Your post has come across to me and I am sure many others as such. Please remember this is cyberspace, and without hearing the tone in which a person says things will often lead to misinterpretation.

We are here to support, help and share our experiences with others who are owned by or love the breed. Some of us have years of hands-on Boxer experiences, some of us have absolutely none. We live and learn - this is life. These forums are meant to be a learning experience and a positive atmosphere.

 

[MeganMK]

I also think that beausmommy is a loving responsible boxer owner. I think you should continue to take beau in public and expose him to different stimuli, there is no other way for him to over come it!

And I also believe that parents should have a better watch over their children. I get very angry when kids just start manhandling my dog without asking. He is still a puppy and is a bit skittish, so I would prefer people ask so I can make sure he is approached correctly. But, knowing he is skittish doesn't mean Im going to keep him home either, I want him to become as socialized as possible!

Hang in there beausmommy, I'm with you!

 

[beausmommy]

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS SITE! Thank you again for all of your support. I feel like I can come to BW to get an honest answer and not be made to feel like a bad person because my dog misbehaved.

Beau is not just leash aggressive with children. He LOVES children. At the dog park, he tries desperately to play with them, but he's just too big and rough. He also barked at an ADULT at Petco when she wasn't paying attention to him while in line behind us. I think his "aggression" is a call for attention rather than his trying to be mean. I think this because when he was barking at the little girl, I reached down to grab his collar and he turned and my hand ended up in his mouth. He just closed his mouth...no biting or gnawing on my hand. I think more than anything he was trying to tell the little girl and the woman "Pet me! Pet me!" He also does the same thing if he sees another dog in the apartment complex and I won't let him near it as well as when he sees a person out of his reach walking and I won't let him approach him/her. I think he just gets frustrated when he's not allowed to explore new things.

I did correct him when he misbehaved. I pulled back on his collar, made him sit and said, "No sir. That is not nice." I then led him down another aisle to distract him. He's learning the command "Be nice" for when he's being too rough. I've used a flexi-leash on every dog I've ever had (we had labs and dalmatians growing up) without a problem. They actually aren't that flimsy and are ALWAYS locked on a short lead when we are in public.

Sadly, children aren't the only ones that don't ask before petting a dog. There are several uneducated adults that also pet Beau without asking and he does the EXACT same thing when they stop. Like I said, I think he's just telling them that he wants more attention. I just have to figure out how to get him to understand that barking isn't going to make them pet him more...it's actually going to scare them away.

Thanks again for all your support and wonderful suggestions. I'll keep you updated on Beau's progress. I have great faith that he will overcome this and be the wonderful (even more than he already is) dog that I know he can be!