I am in need of some advice! We have had Harry now for about 8 months. He will be 2 in June. We recently adopted Lady, 2 yo female fawn boxer who is just adorable. They get along like they have known each other their whole lives. The rescue informed us that they might have some problems with one another because that usually happens for the first couple of weeks, in regards to sharing toys and mainly Harry being protective of us. But they have yet to get in an argument over anything! Harry has had some dominance issues in the past. He is neutered but still seems to show that male dominance side with some dogs, this is before we got Lady. Now that we have Lady, when we go for walks, if there is another dog the hair on Harry's back raises up and he growls like he is trying to protect both me and her. Like I said earlier, this would happen before we got Lady occasionally but now it seems that he is trying to be way to overprotective. Does anyone have any suggestions? I just hate for my Harry to look like the mean dog when I know that he is so sweet. It is almost like Harry and Lady have communicated and he knows what kind of past Lady had and he never wants to let her get hurt again. I know this might sound crazy but they have developed a really close bond but I fear that it has made Harry a bit more aggressive.
Overprotective Brother
- Thread starter semccart
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beausmommy
Boxer Insane
My boys are very protective of one another. The only time Beau has ever been aggressive toward a child was when a little girl reached under him to pet Bailey. The only time I have EVER seen Bailey get in the water at the dog park was when another dog started growling at Beau. He jumped between the two of them and began barking at the dog (Bailey is a 10lb. mini-dachshund and he was up against a 60+lb. lab mix). Harry obviously cares a lot for his sis and wants to protect her. I'm not exactly how you should go about "correcting" Harry's overprotective nature. I talk to my boys in a very soothing voice when they become aggitated and it usually calms them down. Once they realize that I'm okay, they are fine. Hopefully, someone will have some good advice for you!
apollosdad
Boxer Insane
semccart-
when your dog shows this behavior when on a walk, invite the person that has disturbed him to come over and offer your dog a treat, that is assuming that they would want to. it sounds as if your dogs need to be taken to socialize more with other dogs and to get to know that they can be around other dogs and people without having to worry about anything.
when your dog shows this behavior when on a walk, invite the person that has disturbed him to come over and offer your dog a treat, that is assuming that they would want to. it sounds as if your dogs need to be taken to socialize more with other dogs and to get to know that they can be around other dogs and people without having to worry about anything.
I want to thank everyone for their suggestions.
Apollos dad-Harry has gone to daycare for as long as we have had him. He goes about once a week and has done well. This past week was the first time that Lady went to daycare and they said that both of my children behaved and played well with the other dogs. I am taking both of them to obedience school this summer. So I hope that helps. It is almost like I am having to socialize him all over again. We had a few problems with some of the dogs in our old neighborhood when we first got Harry and he eventually adapted to the situation and his aggressive acts were few and far between. Like I said before, we got Harry when he was already 14 months so I am not sure if he had a bad experience with other dogs with his previous owner. I do know that they lived in the country and the only time Harry left the house was to go to the vet. So we have really bent over backwards to socialize him and for awhile it worked. But now that we have Lady, we are having to go back to the basics and I guess that that is the best thing. Just apply what worked before.
Sorry that this has become so long.
Apollos dad-Harry has gone to daycare for as long as we have had him. He goes about once a week and has done well. This past week was the first time that Lady went to daycare and they said that both of my children behaved and played well with the other dogs. I am taking both of them to obedience school this summer. So I hope that helps. It is almost like I am having to socialize him all over again. We had a few problems with some of the dogs in our old neighborhood when we first got Harry and he eventually adapted to the situation and his aggressive acts were few and far between. Like I said before, we got Harry when he was already 14 months so I am not sure if he had a bad experience with other dogs with his previous owner. I do know that they lived in the country and the only time Harry left the house was to go to the vet. So we have really bent over backwards to socialize him and for awhile it worked. But now that we have Lady, we are having to go back to the basics and I guess that that is the best thing. Just apply what worked before.
Sorry that this has become so long.
dagney's mom
Boxer Booster
I completely understand your situation... I am having the same issues myself...my male dagney is 13 months and my female Lilah is 7 months old... since we got lilah, dagney's hair would go up and he would lunge and growl at other dogs when lilah was around... both of my dogs have completed two obedience classes... we saw a behaviorist and she said that part of it is anxiety, part growing pains (adolescence) part leash aggression and a little bit of protectiveness... our dogs also go to a doggy day care and are fine when they are there (they play separately)
we were told to always have a treat with you outside and when you see another dog or person, say your dog's name and show him the treat and make them look at YOU.... with regards to the dog park, dagney doesn't go when there are alot of dogs around (too many dogs will always cause a problem)...I would bring them separately... we have done that now and it is working out much better...
also, i would not have a stranger walk up to your dog on leash and hand him a treat yet... i think that's a bad idea without having your dog seen by a trainer or behaviorist... first, get your dog on a gentle leader.... it has worked miracles for us...second, make sure your dog doesn;t have any fear agression/ anxiety when on the leash (why you should have the dog look at you, not other people/ dogs when on walk)... last, you may have to walk your dogs separately for a while...
I would consult a behaviorist... you need to stop the behavior before it gets worse and before your other dog starts to mimic it...
apollo's dad: not everything is attributed to socialization and i don't think that this is a case where a dog has not been properly socialized
we were told to always have a treat with you outside and when you see another dog or person, say your dog's name and show him the treat and make them look at YOU.... with regards to the dog park, dagney doesn't go when there are alot of dogs around (too many dogs will always cause a problem)...I would bring them separately... we have done that now and it is working out much better...
also, i would not have a stranger walk up to your dog on leash and hand him a treat yet... i think that's a bad idea without having your dog seen by a trainer or behaviorist... first, get your dog on a gentle leader.... it has worked miracles for us...second, make sure your dog doesn;t have any fear agression/ anxiety when on the leash (why you should have the dog look at you, not other people/ dogs when on walk)... last, you may have to walk your dogs separately for a while...
I would consult a behaviorist... you need to stop the behavior before it gets worse and before your other dog starts to mimic it...
apollo's dad: not everything is attributed to socialization and i don't think that this is a case where a dog has not been properly socialized
apollosdad
Boxer Insane
dagney's mom-
i disagree with the fact that you mention going to a behaviorist. a behaviorist is best for aggression and problem situations that seem to be beyond regular training methods. many people make the false prediction of aggression when dealing with behaviors they are umfamiliar with. the proper socialization of a dog goes a long way.
semccart-
glad to to hear that your pups get along well at daycare and have been going there for a while. it does sounds as if harry might have to go through the basics once again. sometimes the addition of another pet into their home and environment triggers their natural animal instincts and they just need a good refresher course. i'm sure the obedience classes will do you some good. good luck.
i disagree with the fact that you mention going to a behaviorist. a behaviorist is best for aggression and problem situations that seem to be beyond regular training methods. many people make the false prediction of aggression when dealing with behaviors they are umfamiliar with. the proper socialization of a dog goes a long way.
semccart-
glad to to hear that your pups get along well at daycare and have been going there for a while. it does sounds as if harry might have to go through the basics once again. sometimes the addition of another pet into their home and environment triggers their natural animal instincts and they just need a good refresher course. i'm sure the obedience classes will do you some good. good luck.
dagney's mom
Boxer Booster
apollo's dad- you can disagree with me all you want.. that's what this site is for, to people can get different opinions in order to help them make an informed decision that works best for their pet...
in any event, alot of dogs have problems on the leash, which may be the case here... a behaviorist can be a wonderful addition to a dog's training to help them overcome some problems before they get out of control... and most behaviorists also do dog training, which is ideal for many pet owners...
i understand exactly what this dog owner is going through and it can be very frustrating... I should add that many people on this site told me to seek help from a behaviorist when i posted almost the exact problem with my dog months ago, which i may add, was a great experience...
in any event, alot of dogs have problems on the leash, which may be the case here... a behaviorist can be a wonderful addition to a dog's training to help them overcome some problems before they get out of control... and most behaviorists also do dog training, which is ideal for many pet owners...
i understand exactly what this dog owner is going through and it can be very frustrating... I should add that many people on this site told me to seek help from a behaviorist when i posted almost the exact problem with my dog months ago, which i may add, was a great experience...
apollosdad
Boxer Insane
well you can disagree all you want as well, however, your situation (from what you posted above) is completely different based upon what you wrote. you mentioned your dog lunged while on leash, while semccart did not mention any of that. and she goes on to metnion that her dogs are well behaved. it's those little differences that can make a big difference when trying to solve a dog's behavioral problems. i know that it is sometimes hard to remain objective when feeling as if you have experienced a similar situation.
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