Need Help!!! Plays too Aggressively...(long)

[newbxrmom1]

Thanks...

Thank you everyone for your responses...I am feeling a little better knowing that it could just be "teen angst"...I am going to work with him more on his obedience and will try the ignoring and walking into another room. He is definately getting the response he is looking for when I scream and shout commands at him. I will let you know how it goes...thanks again!!!

 

[kassa]

>When our boy, who's 14 months presents similar behavior to get us to play with him we say, "go get your toy" and try to redirect him to something that's ok to bark at, bite and jump on. Have we been causing him to form the wrong association?

Maybe. Think of the obnoxious behavior of a 3 year old hanging on his mother in the store. "Mom, mom mom mom mom mom mom!" And there you are, wishing she'd respond and shut him up and Mom is just totally oblivious until finally she says "What?"

That behavior probably started in their life when Mom didn't answer to "Mom!" Then Mom didn't answer to "Mom, mom!" Then Mom decided to try to wait out the obnoxious kid and didn't answer until the 5th "Mom!"

That's not teaching the kid to wait, it's teaching the kid that it may take 5 "Mom!"s or 10 "Mom!"s but eventually she'll answer if you just keep whining.

With your dog, I'd try to teach an acceptable behavior that indicates that the dog wants to play -- a behavior that you can acknowledge and respond to, or deny. For example, many have trained their dogs to go to some bells and ring them to go outside. You could train your dog to do something similar to initiate a wrestling/tug session. Try to initiate play before the dog does, and before you go get the toy, have the dog do something, like ring bells (if you don't already do that) or perhaps lie down by the toy box.

So when you want to play, take the dog to the toybox and put him on a down. Then say "wanna play?" and take out a toy and play. It's tedious at first, but eventually the dog's going to experiment and go lie down by the toybox, at which point you respons "Wanna play?" and immediately play.

You will have given the dog an appropriate way to request the activity. Now that doesn't mean you have to jump and play when the dog wants to (especially in the beginning, you have to do all the initiating and you will need to jump if the dog "gets it" or else you'll confuse him). However, later on, sometimes the dog will lie down (or do whatever behavior you planned) and you can say "no, go to bed" or call him to you for a sit and cuddle.

it gives the dog a way to request attention that's low key, and leaves the ball in your court as to whether to grant the request or not.

 

[myrocky]

THe is definately getting the response he is looking for when I scream and shout commands at him.

Screaming and shouting at a dog will get you no where and fast. I know that it's easy to lose patience but when that happens try to just walk away till you calm down. It does no good to end up yelling.

 

[haleyandmark]

>When our boy, who's 14 months presents similar behavior to get us to play with him we say, "go get your toy" and try to redirect him to something that's ok to bark at, bite and jump on. Have we been causing him to form the wrong association?

Maybe.

I'm not really understanding why it would be wrong to re-direct the behavior of a mischevious puppy? For example, with Asia, if she was chewing on something she shouldn't (which luckily she doesn't do anymore), say, a shoe, we would take the shoe away from her, give a firm 'No' and finger point, and give her one of her toys. This totally eliminated all problems we had with her and Mark's shoes : although, it was pretty funny to watch Mark to put his foot into a pool of slober)!

I was just always told that was what you are supposed to do: when they are doing something bad, re-direct their behavior to something that they should be doing.

I guess I am confused, but the "re-direction method" has really worked for us regarding Asia and her biting habits.

As for the OP, I have no advice to offer you because I have never experienced agression (knock on wood), but it does sound like your baby is probably just bored. As for forgetting the obedience training, it is something you will need to go over with them daily. Like, for Asia, we make her sit before she gets anything at all (a treat, to go outside, to put the leash on, etc...), and sometimes I will practice leaving the door open and me standing outside while using the 'stay' and 'wait' commands. It has really helped, she has improved even since our Basic training class because we have worked with her every day since then! Good luck

 

[DB Tyson]

Boy can I relate!!!

Tyson does that exactly the same. I am having a very difficult time training him to play gentle. Tyson is now 7.5 months old. He is doing well with tricks and being housebroken, but the biting has got to go. I am starting to get results if I say " Im gonna go bye bye " and time out does work, if I can get him to the time out. He even throws himself down to the floor to keep me from moving him to the time out. I was told by the vet to make him do something for everything he gets from me, even a hug. She said that is the key to obedience. whether it be give paw, sit, speak etc. I am trying this to see if I get results. I wish you the best of luck, I know I sure need it.

 

[miken]

I also want to ask one question: why is he forgetting what he learned at obedience?

You should work on the commands and his training everyday for a little for the rest of his life.

basak

I agree your training never ends. It becomes a way of life for you and your pet. I have let off training as Ruby went throught her cycle and then we had her spayed. It shows and we need to get back on a program. When I get home in the evening if we spend just 15 minutes training we both are happier.

 

[lisabethshaw]

Whenever Brutus or Shiva wanted to play rough with us, we always said "No. Go get your toy!" and it got to the point with both of them that bringing the toy to us and sitting or resting their head on the couch with those pathetic eyes means "Wanna play?". (Then when my husband wants to wrestle, they are unwilling without the toy in their mouths! You could try only play-wrestling when he's holding a toy for a while and see how it goes.)

We have definately experienced that teen attitude (when I say no, they bark back) and winter stir-craziness (doing more crazy boxer laps around the house than usual and wanting to play a bit more often). Like everyone said, I think training is the way to go. Re-training works both by reinforcing what they've learned, reminding them that you're the one with the treats, and staving off boredom.

Hang in there and good luck. I don't think boxer teen angst lasts anywhere near as long as human teen angst!

 

[presley]

Whos the boss?

I hate to sound like the Dog Whisperer, but whos in charge? Dogs just want to run around and play without having the extra stress of being in charge. I have a boxer who used to be pretty rough when I first got her. Shes extremely good and will horse around but the minute she sees my body language of a stern "no, I dont like it" she backs of. Youre the pack leader and reward your dog and love on him only when they are calm and playing nice. But as soon as it escalates, let him know its unnaceptable. They want to please you because in return they get lots of love. Be the firm dominant pack leader and youll see. Its not just about learning commands in obidience school, its also about taking control.

 

[Burton'sMa]

I had this problem too. Except when I would do the ignore and walk away.....my boxer would run at me and bite me (playfully) in the behind I found it works best if you give a sit command or kneel on one knee and with a stern look say "no" and give the sit command. As your boxer gets older this should improve greatly.....my boy used to do it a lot when he was 1 yr. old now going on 3 it happens maybe two to three times a year.....I agree with the moderator's comments....i just thought I would assist with my experience with the walk away strategy in case you have a similar experience Good Luck....