GROWL!! (Long)

[NuBoxer Fan]

Okay, I have to vent. I know I have to just get over this, but I must vent in order to do that, and I know that if anyone could understand it would be all the lovely folks here at BW.

Took Zuzu to puppy kindergarten tonight and was all excited that she would get some good playtime in. It was cold and rainy today so she did not get a lot of outside time. So, we get there first and then in comes one of the other puppies, a younger (11/12 wk old) Golden Retriever. This is the fourth time that the class has met. Zuzu and this puppy have always played kind of rough, trying to figure out 'top dog' between the two of them. The owner has always been very protective of her puppy, b/c at first Zuzu was much bigger than her. And, of course, Zuzu is extremely vocal. So, when the owner was nervous the first time they met I could totally understand. Long story short, Zuzu has not hurt any of the other puppies at all (not that I would expect her to) in the 3 times prior to this evening. She is just REALLY VOCAL and sounds like she is about to kill everyone in the room when she plays. The trainer has assured all of us that this is normal Boxer behavior (thank goodness for us that she owns her own Boxer) and she has done a really nice job of monitoring their playtime. Anyway, back to tonight. Other dog comes in on her leash. The dogs go to greet one another, owner is pulling her dog away from Zuzu. Then both dogs start to paw at one another, playfully, and Zuzu starts to get vocal. Finally, owner picks her puppy up and says, "I am REALLY not comfortable with this. I am sorry, I am just too protective of my pup." Trainer explains to us, again, that they were playing as only puppies can and that all was well. Then the owner says, "I just don't want my dog to get aggressive from playing with this one." OMG it took every single ounce of decency that I had in my body to not call her a complete you-know-what and tell her that she was doing her dog a disservice by not allowing it to play with a puppy that may be bigger or stronger than her. ARRRGH!! Thinking about this now makes me so angry.

It gets worse for me though... Next thing I know, another puppy comes in and off the other two pups go playing on the other end of the room. Meanwhile, Zuzu is pulling on her leash, scrambling to get to them and straining against her collar. She kept looking over her shoulder at me with those eyes, as if to say, "What did I do? Why am I being punished?" My heart just broke for her. She is NOT a bad dog, and I DID pay to be a part of that class. UGH! I just wanted to beat that lady over the head with my bag of hot dogs!!! LOL

The trainer asked me and Zuzu to stay after class so she could wait for the older dogs to come in. So, Zuzu DID wind up getting some good play time in which made me feel better about the evening. Overall, I am very happy with how the trainer handled things, but I just am FURIOUS with the other dog owner. Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[Steven Menk]

Golden Retrievers are probably the best play mate for a Boxers (other then other Boxers of course!). They like to wrestle and play rough. They also use their front paws like a Boxer. They rarely "take it the wrong way". I love Goldens.

Cosworth has an unoffical* morning play date with the golden puppy down the street. Loyla LOVES Cosworth. She gets so excited that she drags her owner down the street to meet us. They play, wrestle, bite, cuddle, and repeat.

I can understand the other owner being protective, but its a shame they don't understand their dog better. I'd bet its their first.


* We take our morning walks at about the same time and almost always run into each other. Cosworth is always on the look out for Loyla and so is she. Its very sweet that my boy has a girl friend. :D

 

[zvinzonz]

i understand your frustration. when Nitro was small he didn't get a chance to play with another puppy because most owners don't understand how boxer play. he ended up playing with older small breed dog at the dog park. he's now 8 months and 60 lbs so he can't play anymore with small breed dog so he always end up playing with big dogs at the park. there's only few dogs that i have seen that can match with boxer when it comes to playing golden retriever is one and an english bulldog is another one that can match up with boxer. the owner of the english bulldog previously owned a boxer so she understand completely how boxer play and was kind enough to set up a playdate on weekends with her bulldog.

 

[megan313]

I too had a problem at the dog park with a golden's owner. the puppy was almost the same age as my baxter. When baxter was young he used to GROWL like crazy as if he was going to attack anything and everything in sight. The owner of the golden would get really offended (eventhough her dog would bite baxters neck til he cried). for some reason baxter's vocal-ness was intimidating the owners more than the other dogs. JEEZ...

i'm really glad you have such a great instructor though, it could be worse if she did not understand boxer puppy antics.

 

[Gruntsmom]

I can identify with you oh so well - only, we didn't have an understanding trainer :( We started out with a puppy class, which was so much fun for Grunt because there were puppies about his size that he could play with - no boxers, though - I was hoping there would be another boxer. Not all the owners were thrilled with the way he played with their pups, but some were, because they had known boxers. But that was OK. He did very well with that class. A month later, we enrolled him in the Canine Good Citizenship class because we wanted him to be around some older dogs, and he was on a roll with the training - he seemed to enjoy it. It turned out to be a fiasco. The trainer said we had to keep him on leash at all times because some of the owners did not want him running loose and possibly hurting their dogs. When we would walk into the class, imagine the Red Sea parting!! Poor little guy, he would be beaning and nub going like crazy, wanting to play, and not one dog was allowed to get close. None of his playmates from the puppy class were there. My heart hurt for him. Long story short, we did not complete that class. The trainer did not understand him at all, and I didn't want him in that kind of environment. I wish we had had a trainer like yours.

 

[NuBoxer Fan]

I feel better knowing that I am not alone in my frustration. It is so sad that people are "afraid" of these dogs when they are PUPPIES!! Most people I meet think that Zuzu (and it was the same with Butterbean) is the cutest puppy ever. They are just so expressive and fun...I just don't get it.

My trainer even offered to bring her Boxer to our next class so Zuzu could actually play during playtime. I am very happy with her, and I am sorry to hear about the bad experience that Grunt had :(

Someone mentioned in an earlier post that the golden's owners must be first time dog owners. Nope. They had a golden for many years and this is their newest addition to the family. Oh well. I guess I have to develop a thicker skin because I am sure that as Zuzu gets older and bigger I will encounter more people like this.

 

[BeckyNC]

NuBoxer--I totally understand how you feel! I find myself constantly explaining that Tae is ONLY playing when she growls at the dog park. It's gotten to where I don't like to go anymore b/c people give me these looks.

I would have to agree that the Golden's owner was doing a great disservice to the dog by not allowing it to play with Zuzu and by tightening the leash--dog might realize she is nervous. Thank gosh your trainer understands and is able to explain "the Boxer" to others in your class. That is doing a service to all of us who have vocal Boxers!

I've been told Labs are great playmates for Boxers as well, as they understand rough play!

 

[megan313]

NuBoxer FanMy trainer even offered to bring her Boxer to our next class so Zuzu could actually play during playtime. I am very happy with her, and I am sorry to hear about the bad experience that Grunt had :(

The reason we ended up getting Baxter so quickly was so Roxie would have a playmate that understood her. I was sick of trying to explain her. There's something about Boxers...


I give it 9 months before you have another one!

 

[Mac67]

I have a boxer and a golden and they play well together. Sure its rough play and LC(boxer) makes loud, dog fighting noises, but all is well. My neighbors were worried the first time they saw the two of them playing together, they thought I was a dog fighter.

 

[Jade010103]

I also have a boxer and a golden and I just don't understand the lady at your class with her golden, being that this is not her first she should know that they can hold their own with an excited dog. My golden and boxer are so funny together, they bite each others legs tripping one another and of course my boxer can get very vocal during play time, it just makes playing more fun. I'm glad to hear that your instructor was so good about it all but it's too bad that some dog owners are just brain dead. When my boxer met a german shephard puppy of my friends she played like boxers play and I kept having to tell my friend that she wasn't going to hurt his boy, he was so nervous it was driving me nuts.

If I were you, I'd let my dog loose to play and make that lady keep her dog from playing, it's not fair that your baby has to always be the one held back.