serious agression

[mx394]

i just got my new puppy 2 weeks ago(his name is diesel), at first he was biting a little which i expected, and he would play with my other dog but nothin too rough, but just a couple days ago he started getting real bad. he's no longer playbiting he has started growling and trting to bit me and my family members, he has also started to almost attack my other dog which is a jack russel mix, it's starting to get scary, i've been keeping my calm but i don't know how much more i can take. i really don't want to have to give him up cuz i've completely fallen in love. i am in the process of getting a trainer, but i'm just looking for any advice until then.

thanks,
damian & diesel

 

[hanley]

How old is your puppy, I would have to say,this is typical Boxer puppy play,& if you have never been exposed,then you would think agression.He just needs some basic training,like sit,stay,down & no. They have to be taught these things & really, they love the 1 on1 attention & will do anything for praise,they will work cheap & love it! It will suprise you how fast they learn, it just takes time.You have to be the leader of the pack,not him & it can be done in a positive way. LOL, Hanley

 

[Vela]

Boxers don't play like any other dog you'll ever meet. Honestly when my two are playing I have had people freak out thinking they were trying to kill each other. They snarl like angry wolves but love each other to death. They never hurt each other. When my puppy was little he used to sometimes draw a little blood on my older dog because their teeth are to sharp as puppies. They do the growling play biting and just need to learn how not to bite hard. If he bites hard immediately say OW OW or NO and get up an walk away from him ignoring him. You can also redirect biting to a toy that is his. He will (should) eventually learn bite inhibition this way if he is biting hard but honestly it just sounds like he is playing. My boy now wouldn't bite you if you tried to make him. He still "play bites" but he NEVER ever puts any pressure. He might put his mouth on you while playing but usually he only plays like he is going to and he just doesn't bite and he only does this with certain people he plays with like this (mostly my husband and once in a while me but heplays differently with each family member) not to everyone. I think he'd rather die first. He played just like you are describing when he was little. Good luck with your baby! Don't give up on him.

 

[mx394]

he's 11 weeks, but when he and my other dog are playing his hair starts to stand and he gets nasty, i know this isn't playing.and i've been doing all the things you said like ignoring and stuff but it doesn't seem to be getting any better

 

[mancin]

I have two male pups and they can get nasty over certain things - ie treats, toys, etc. Most of the time they are fine, but once in awhile they do start fighting to the point where I have to separate them. When I do get them separated, they both go to their crate (with no drama) for a 10 minute time out. If I don't feel like they are calm enough by then (which usually they are), they will stay in for 5 - 10 minutes longer. I'm hoping this will teach them if they fight, whatever they were doing prior to the fight, playing, eating, etc. stops immediately when their behavior turns sour.
In what situations does the puppy growl and bite at you? Is it when you are playing? Are you trying to take something from him? I make sure to frequently "bug" my dogs when they eat and play. I pet them, put my hand in their bowl, etc. when they are eating. I want them to learn that if someone comes near them, they are not a threat. I also take toys away from my dogs while they are playing, and then give them back. If they bark or try and bite at me, they don't get the toy back. I want them to know that *I* control their play time and *I* choose what toys they can play with and when.
11 weeks is a perfect age to start this type of "training". I highly recommend that you pick up "The Culture Clash" and "The Dog Listener". Your dog needs to respect you.

 

[paula carter]

I know this is going to sound really crazy but our Bruce is 11 months old now and we have noticed that when our Bruce is play gfighting and when he gets excited.His hairs will stand up on end and he can still play quite rough but he is still like a cuddly teddy bear.

 

[brwneyesk8]

Not having two dogs I can't help a whole lot but I will reinforce the fact that boxers play differently. My friend has 2 wonderful females that are very vocal when they play. If you don't know better you'd think they were killing eachother or another dog but it's just not so. Now the hair standing up could be nerves or showing off to the older, bigger dog...trying to find it's place in the chain of command. Puppies push the envelope and I'd imagine they'd do the same with an older dog. One day the elder will put the youngin' in his place. While growing puppies need to relieve the tension in their jaws and the only way to do that is by chewing on something. If there are not enough toys around (or they are toys not for hard chewing like kongs or they are not liked by the pooch) they will bite other things, like you, when they play. You'll find what works best...crating him or ignoring him. I tried hard to not punish Porter by putting him in his crate b/c I did not want him to think that every time he went in there it was b/c he was bad (like when I had to leave the house). Good Luck with things!!

 

[mx394]

thanks for all your help, my older dog is starting to lay down some rules, but it still might take a while, and i have been ignoring him when he bites, and he is starting to get better. now the onlt problem is trying to get him to stop eating my other dog's food. but again thanks for all the help.

 

[sherri0121]

With the puppy you may also want to start bite inhibition. I did started it when Jasmine was a small puppy. I would let her bite on me, but it she bit down too hard I'd yelp and STOP play. This way if the puppy feels threatened and lunges to bit it will never break skin! It would only be a soft bite. Just a thought.

 

[Cami]

I know exactly how you feel. When my girl was around that same age she (I thought) was turning into a vicious/aggressive dog. Little did I know how vocal that Boxers were. I spent many a night crying myself to sleep knowing that I didn't know how to handle an aggressive dog. After reading everything that I could get my hands on concerning boxers and asking questions here at BW I realized that she wasn't aggressive at all, just being a typical boxer baby.

She has always been quite loud when playing and only after turning about 8-9 months did she give a "real" warning growl. It's much lower and controlled than a play growl. And now I always know when something is outside because that real growl is made and I just go and investigate.