Do Boxers remember??????

[loulou12571]

Do Boxers remember a dog if they didn't get along with it in the past?
Here's my scenario: I had just rescued my newly neutered 2 year old Boxer Cass around July 1 2002. He was getting along with my then 6.5 month old Boxer puppy Jake just fine.
My brother came to visit for the 4th of July with his 1 year old very passive and sweet (but intact) male German Sheperd. Cass went after him with every intention of eating him!!!! He was this way with him for the rest of the 4 days they were visiting (we just kept them apart and rotated who was out to play).
He has never been dog aggressive since...goes to the dog park and dog beach and is fine. We have adopted a 3rd Boxer and he loves her. He even likes my cat!!!
Here's the dilemma: My brother wants to go on a 3 month sailing excursion and asked if I would keep Damian (the Sheperd) while he's gone. He's willing to get him neutered first (it was a stipulation I had to even CONSIDER keeping him!!!).
I would love to have Damian here (he is my nephew ya know!!!!)and would love to be able to help my brother out!
But we are both wondering...will the 2 dogs remember each other and remember they didn't get along?
A couple of things to keep in mind...Cass was new to the house and had been neutered just days before; Damian was intact; Cass has been fine with other dogs since, even in his own house;
They were only together for a couple days and that was 6 months ago.
Do you think it was because of the new situation and the surgery? Will they remember each other and still fight? If so, is there anything we can do to re-introduce them so they get along?
I am anxiously awaiting your responses and ideas!!

Lisa, Cass, Jake, Daisy, Shay and Jackson

 

[Jan]

Originally posted by loulou12571
Do Boxers remember a dog if they didn't get along with it in the past?

Yes he probably would.

They may get along better though, as Cass would have been acting like and unneutered dog since the hormones would have still been in his system. If they are both neutered there is a posibility that they would get along.

I would definitely reintroduce them on neutral ground and do a trial run for a few days before your agree to it.

 

[DixieDiana]

As with any dog...it is best to slowly introduce the "new kid" on the block, so neither feels intimidated by the other. When put together all at once...many times you have one that is trying to show they are the alpha dog, and fights can erupt quickly.
They may decide that they "love" each other right away but it may take a few days or so, of slowly introducing them to each other to do the trick.

When my 2 boxers where about 2 1/2 yrs. old, I decided to get a Dalmatian puppy. One of the boxers...Dixie...was fascinated with him and welcomed him right away. On the other hand...the other boxer...Brittany...would rather have had him for supper, at first. She wanted to prove right away that she was "alpha". It took about a week of slowly letting them get to know each other before she decided, he could stay
Now they are the best of friends and romp and play together all the time.

Best wishes to you.....keep us posted!!

 

[Tulsa-Dan]

Dogs remember and make associations with other dogs.

I do think, in the present circumstance, given your dog's age, not feeling well at the time and you probably just brought the intact male into "his" territory without preparing for it, it could have been that was the major cause of the trouble between them.

I too recommend having the GSD neutered ASAP.

Start off by taking both dogs for a walk, some route OTHER than your regular route or the GSD's regular route. A new neighborhood. Pick a block and approach each other with your dogs on opposites sides of the street. If your dog shows no signs of aggression (other than his usual curiosity to meet other dogs), then go to the end of the block, do it again. Then if you are successful, walk them both on the same side of the street, passing one another with YOU and your friend BETWEEN the dogs. If there is no hostility, let them meet, greet and sniff. The INSTANT there is any signs of tension or trouble, each of you immediately turn and walk away with your dogs in opposite directions. No corrections, just turn and walk away.

When they can pass and greet without any signs of trouble, then take them both to the park, let them meet on neutral ground (a different park than the one your dog now goes to, say a school yard or someplace foreign to both of them) and test the waters with them. If they get along well, keep taking them to play with each other in that space for a few times, then take them both to "your dog's" dog park and let them play (if the GSD is socialized and trained well enough for dog parks).

Once you see they are getting along after several successful trips to the park, you can then take them back to YOUR home but don't take them in the house. First take them to the yard and let them play until they begin to tire, then bring them into the house, making sure YOUR DOG enters after you and BEFORE the GSD. Make sure your dog is attended to FIRST in all instances because it is YOUR JOB as Alpha to let her know that her position is still safe, regardless of the visiting dog.

Work slowly and carefully. Always supervise them closely and carefully when getting them accustomed to one another in a different and new situation, and as you continue these exercises.

If they don't begin to get along after a couple of tries in neutral territory, then I'm afraid your dogs may never get along and it is best to avoid any further confrontations by keeping the dogs apart. Might be best, in that instance, to have the GSD boarded rather than stay with you, or some other arrangement be made for the GSD.

Good luck.

 

[VTbxrFan]

If I were in your position, I would definitely want to try getting the dogs together a few times to see how they do before committing to 3 months.