Lenny is just past three and a half months, he's usually very well behaved, but occasionally when at the off leash park he has thrown himself in what appears to a genuinely aggressive manner at another older male boxer pup, making really loud snarly, growly voices and acting intent on being the big dog. He's acted this way with two different male boxers and I've intervened and not trusted them to work it out. It simply sounded too agressive to me. Lenny was much smaller and my firsr concern is that he might really anger an older dog, and he might not back down if he did. My other concern is that he learn how to play approriately , so my thinking is that it is correct to stop him if his play seems truley aggressive. I.m just not sure where the line is drawn and I'm looking for feedback.
extreme growly talk, play or dominance?
- Thread starter charlette
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This sounds like a question for Tulsa-Dan as he has given me lots of advice in the past. But I have read a few books and Trudy is slightly older than your guy. I had the same concerns as you did with my girl and I have come to believe there growl sounds alot worse than it really is, that is how they play, the dogs body language of course is very important. When Trudy is playing with other dogs she usually has her front paws down bum and nub up in the air wiggling around, but the sounds that come out of ther sometimes do sound quite ferocious!! But I have chalked it up to the fact that she is vocal.....If he seems stiff and is truely snarling aggressively, then maybe when he exhibits such behavior you need to leash him and take a little time out. Also it has helped me alot to teach Trudy the command "enough"...When her and I are playing or even when she is playing with other dogs she knows that enough means stop what you are doing sit and chill for a little bit. This command is fairly easy to teach, easier than i thought it would be....
Also I have learned that the best way for a puppy to learn how to play appropriately is from another dog. They have their very own language one that us humans do not understand....I know sometimes it could make you a little unnerved but I wouldn't be too worried, a big dog will put him in his place, he will learn very quickly what is appropriate and not appropriate.
So I wouldn't ban him from playtime with other pups just yet! He's just a wild man!!
I wish you lived closer I would let Trudy and your guy play together and you would see you don't have the only little 20lb dog who thinks he's a tiger!
Also I have learned that the best way for a puppy to learn how to play appropriately is from another dog. They have their very own language one that us humans do not understand....I know sometimes it could make you a little unnerved but I wouldn't be too worried, a big dog will put him in his place, he will learn very quickly what is appropriate and not appropriate.
So I wouldn't ban him from playtime with other pups just yet! He's just a wild man!!
I wish you lived closer I would let Trudy and your guy play together and you would see you don't have the only little 20lb dog who thinks he's a tiger!
vasha
Boxer Pal
a 20lb tiger!! yep, i have one of those! luckily his "frens" are big labs and goldens that tolerate his tauntings! he's only played with a boxer once, and he was a youngin (six weeks) but hopefully we'll have a boxer bash soon (hint hint all you dallas folks) so that i can see how he interacts with the big boxer babies 
VaSHa
VaSHa
I wouldn't worry too much. Our puppy Buster is extremly vocal and has gotten Roxy into the habit as well. Our house sounds like the devil lives there half the time with all the growling that goes on. Buster is the same way with other dogs we meet but he has never gotten into a fight. I watch them close but dogs do seem to have their own ways of playing and communicating.
i have had my pup for about 2 weeks now. she is a crazy lunatic when she plays with my 3 year old. it sounds so funny. i have noticed that when she gets too rough he "yells" at her and pushes her away, then she looks at him for a little bit, then goes over and gives him a kiss. then it starts all over again. adult dogs know what a puppy is doing when it plays and usually they tolerate it until they have had enough and give the pup a warning and the pup will get the point soon enough. just keep an eye on them and make sure nothing gets out of hand. you probably have nothing to worry about.
Rowdy's Dad
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Vasha,
Kaiser did great with the big boxers. He got beat up a lot, but he kept coming back. Rowdy almost ignored him. I think Rowdy wore himself out chasing a couple of whippets before you arrived. Rowdy likes to pin the puppies down and "nibble" on them. I noticed that Niko and Barclay liked to do the same to poor little Kaiser. Maybe in about 6 months, Kaiser will be able to return the favor.
Charlotte,
Vasha's dog Kaiser took all kinds of playful abuse from adult boxers and kept coming back for more. Be sure to check with their owners before letting Lenny attack them and even then be careful. But Kaiser sure had a blast.
P.S. My new avatar is a picture of Kaiser nipping at Rowdy's lower lip.
Kaiser did great with the big boxers. He got beat up a lot, but he kept coming back. Rowdy almost ignored him. I think Rowdy wore himself out chasing a couple of whippets before you arrived. Rowdy likes to pin the puppies down and "nibble" on them. I noticed that Niko and Barclay liked to do the same to poor little Kaiser. Maybe in about 6 months, Kaiser will be able to return the favor.
Charlotte,
Vasha's dog Kaiser took all kinds of playful abuse from adult boxers and kept coming back for more. Be sure to check with their owners before letting Lenny attack them and even then be careful. But Kaiser sure had a blast.
P.S. My new avatar is a picture of Kaiser nipping at Rowdy's lower lip.
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