help i need some ideas

[rockysmum]

Help,

I currently have a 4 year old, who's not well socialized. He even growled today at a 90 year old lady. But I wrote that off as being upset we were at the vet's and he just got his nail's clipped..which he wasn't to happy about. But I corrected him and made him "down". I need some ideas on how you go about socializing an adult dog??
I'm good at training, and have made some progess with him, but not enough. If someone gets too close also, he'll jump up at them. And i'm not an expert behavioralist/trainer. I'm not sure if he wants to play when he does this, or is it a form of aggression?? I still do a wide sweep around people and walk him at night, that way i can get him to focus better and less distractions. This way also he doesn't start jumping, or even lunging at someone. Sometimes when he plays he growls..which can intimidate people. When people come over I make them sit at my kitchen table and give rocky a few treats and make him do some tricks, especially if they're not dog people. I don't have alot of friends in this area, since we just moved here. So not alot of people come and go. I want a boxer what likes people, and not so leery of strangers?? HELP

 

[RentsOSketch]

Dog Parks!

If I were you, I would find a good dog park nearby. SUre...it is a DOG Park, but those dogs have owners too. It would be a good start, andif you are nervous about letting him off of his leash, keep him leashed when taking him around in the park. One good thing that worked for us was just taking him to PetSmart. I noticed people GRAVITATE toward boxers, and since you are allowed to bring him in there, it is a great place for him to get other people seeing him. Just my two cents worth.

RentsOSketch

 

[VTbxrFan]

Also consider enrolling in a training class - even if you feel like you already know how to train, it's a great socialization opportunity with dog-friendly people - same concept as the suggestion to go to a dog park, but maybe a little less chaotic environment, so it might be better initially. You might even find a specialty class that addresses the socialization problem you are having.

My boxer did not growl or lunge at people, but he was definitely scared and not well socialized when I first adopted him. I enrolled in a class with him and tried to make it a point to get him out. Like you, I didn't have many people coming to my house, so I tried to take him where people are - parks, community ball games, PetsMart, etc. One important thing to remember is to let your dog set the pace for increasing his interaction. Don't force him to greet people if he's not comfortable. Over time, he should get more comfortable walking closer to people, then perhaps stopping briefly, and then work up to actually greeting and allowing people to pet him. Remember that growling is your dog's way of telling people he's not comfortable. Do not scold him for growling - if he learns that growling is "bad", he might skip growling and go straight to biting if he's uncomfortable. Think of a growl as his way of saying "I'm not comfortable - get me out of this situation now." And it is then your responsibility to change the situation by either moving your dog away or asking an approaching person to step back. I know that can be hard - I can't tell you how many kids I've had to turn away who just wanted to come and say hi to my dog, but I know his problems would have become worse if I forced him into that before he was ready. I just tell people that he is scared of strangers and we keep walking.

After a lot of work, my dog has gotten to the point where he will usually greet strangers, but it has to be on his terms. I ask people to ignore him and let him approach them rather than them walking directly up to him.

 

[Adelle]

Neither of my boxers were very well socialized when I adopted them, when we encounter people that make them nervous I get them to sit, and give them lots of treats and praise so that they start to associate good things (treats) with strange people.

As already suggested I also think a group obedience class would really help, my female Nessa has become a lot more confident and social around strangers by going to classes, its a geat opportunity for socialization.

Good luck

Adelle, Finnegan, CGC & Nessa, CGC
Boxer Buddies Rescue & Adoption Inc.