giving up on them

[thirdXisacharm]

I have a 13 year old Brindle girl I rescued in 1994. Now I have also a 16 month old I have had since he was 8 weeks. I got him from a reputable breeder. I did all the homework. I KNOW boxers.....but for some reason he started getting aggressive at 5 months old. He was neutered. We went to puppy kindergarten- but he turned on my 6 yr old male bulldog and even attacked my old girl. I was at my wits end and nearly surrendered him. Finally I hooked up with an awesome woman who explained that I had to change MY behavior; I had basically turned him into a spoiled brat. I treated him like he was the ONLY dog and he started believing it. She said passing him off to someone else only increased the possibility he would get bumped from home to home. If he doesn't have a faulty personality which is rare, then the problems can be fixed. My point is; sometimes people give up too soon- they (me) do not want to admit WE are often the cause of the problem. It is lazy and selfish to give up but those unfamiliar with and uneducated about boxers could easily do just that.

I am so glad I kept him..the hard work is worth it- most of the time!!

 

[Adelle]

Thats great to hear, we see so many dogs coming into rescue because their owners are just not prepared to put in the extra effort to work on their issues. I wish there were more people out there as willing to make that effort like you

 

[Claudia807]

Wow, what a great attitude! It just goes to show you can raise one dog and the next one will present you with a whole new set of challenges. And you're right - some people do give up way too soon. We get a lot of surrenders when dogs hit around 10-16 months of age.

Right now on the front page of our web site (Green Acres Boxer Rescue of WI ) we have a gorgeous photo of a great young dog named Marley. Marley was dumped at a shelter. Then he was adopted out and his family returned him because they said he behaved so badly. And yet they wouldn't take him to training classes because they said a breeder told them that there was no way to train a dog once the dog had reached the age of one. Finally, we found adoptive parents that were willing to put in the time and energy (and patience!) to raise an energetic, sassy young Boxer boy. Marley recently passed obedience class with flying colors and he is doing great. But what it took was for someone to make an investment in him and help him succeed.

Claudia
Green Acres Boxer Rescue of WI

 

[Kysha]

Originally posted by Claudia807
It just goes to show you can raise one dog and the next one will present you with a whole new set of challenges.

That is SO true. I have had both Tegan and Owen since they were 8 weeks old. Tegan is now 7 years old and Owen is 4 years old. They are both great dogs, but COMPLETLY different dogs. They are related too!

Good for you for sticking by your dog during the tough times, you know he would do the same for you

 

[Krikkit]

What a wonderful post! Thank you for taking the time to write this and for having the courage to stick with your boy and to do something about the issues you were having We have been owned by seven Boxers over the years and they have all been very different and challenging in their own ways.

... had to change MY behavior
... they (me) do not want to admit WE are often the cause of the problem

I really wish more people would take the time to think about their role in their dogs behaviour

We have a rule here that our dogs are never, ever wrong or badly behaved etc - anything that we do not like, or that they do that annoys us, is totally our problem and our fault. Because it is our fault, it's our responsibility to learn how to be better trainers. It's not our Boxers responsibility to become better dogs! :rolleyes:

I love this point at this website:
http://www.clickerdogs.com/trainingreminders.htm

9. Whenever frustration sets in remind yourself that “YOUR DOG IS A MIRROR IMAGE OF YOUR ABILITIES AS A TRAINER”. Only when you take ownership of your dog’s shortcomings will you be able to turn them into attributes.

Sharon

 

[dukie's mom]

Way to go!! I hope someone who is thinking about giving up a dog can read your story.
We have a 7 yr old boy, and brought home a new puppy which he did not welcome at all. My family and I were committed to making this work and knew it would take work. I even let my teenage daughter not get a job so she could be home all day every day this summer after we brought the puppy home. It took a month, during which I asked a lot of questions of folks here, and got the book "THE Dog Listener" which gave me a new perspective on the dogs point of view.
We now have 2 happy dogs that play together and can't bear to be out of each others sights. Sure, the puppy is a brat and annoys the older boy, and he has to assert his superiority occasionally, but for the most part it is fine. Good things are worth working and waiting for!

 

[thirdXisacharm]

I wish I could say my situation turned out the same.

We now have 2 happy dogs that play together and can't bear to be out of each others sights.

Unfortunatley, I could not stop my boys from fighting no matter how hard I tried. I did gain enough control with training to stop the fights before they start as long as we are in the room- but they will never be able to be together. We have baby gates in the kitchen and we switch them out every 2 hours- or we put a gate up on either side of the couch- it is a MAJOR hassle, but oh well!! We love them both and cannot risk either getting hurt. So goes the plight of being owned by 4 bully breed dogs (2 boxers and 2 bulldogs). No wonder I dont have human kids!!

 

[TracyLynn]

I am so happy for you and your boy! What a great story. However, what I am about to write I do not intend to be upsetting to anyone. I agree with all of you who have rescue stories about how some people give up too soon, but not ALL dog behavior is a reflection of the owner. My Rita has had lots of problems with aggression, and altough she is a lot better, it is a constant battle. Some dogs DO have problems that cannot be solved and that do not mean they were raised irresponsibly or foolishly. When people say things like this is does tend to go straight to my heart (eventhough I know none of you mean it as something personal toward anyone). I have had many people, including family, friends, and vets look down on me not only for raising Rita, but for keeping her. I guess my point is this - please do not automatically see an animal with agression problems and think that it is solely a problem of poor ownership. We love of girl very much and after thousands of dollars in training and too many hours to count spent reading and training she still misbehaves around small children. I am 26 and have put off having the kids I want until this problem changes or she dies a natural death. I will never give up, but the only thing that makes me want to give up are the comments, stares, and attitudes I put up with by some people who think that *I* have a problem.
Again, I am truly happy for you and your puppy. Maybe you can send of you your luck my way!

 

[dukie's mom]

Tracylynn, I totally agree. Dukie's mom was a B***H! SHe had a nasty vindictive streak that I have seen in few dogs. SHe could be the sweetest girl, but she couls be a little she-devil also. She would not let Dukie have toys to play with, she would steal them. She was conctantly stealing stuff and trashing it...eyeglasses, tv remotes. shoes. SHe would get under our bed and snap and snarl. I have a couple of scars on my hands from her, the brat.
Like you, we worked around to and made accomidations. We did not give up and get rid of her. It just wasn't an option.
She had severe arthritis and I could tell when it was bothering her..that was when she was meaner. We had her on pain meds, but she was still uncomfortable.

 

[thirdXisacharm]

I also agree- however, I did cause the problem because I allowed Brutus to behave like a brat and spoiled him; gave him privileges he should not have had and blurred the heirchy/pack leader roles. Sometimes I still wonder if he really understands I am the boss! It is a DAILY project- boxers need a job and Brutus' job is to mind every single command without question- boy is it tough when they look so CUTE (I just posted a picture on fawn boxers to prove the point). That is when it becomes my responsibility.

I cannot have my boxer and bulldog together; we simply use baby gates and switch off each night. That is what we have to do. What a hassle- but it stops the fights and keeps them safe from each other. Ahh, the things we do for our "kids."