why is she scared, not firm or aggressive?

[psjr487]

Honey is somewhat scared. I want her to be more firm and not as friendly to everyone that comes into the house cause i would like her to be cautious just to be safe, any advice on what i should do? thankyou.

 

[harley03]

How old is your puppy?
I don't think you would REALLY want an aggressive dog.
If you mean barking and such as a warning signal, Harley started this around 9 months I think.
I varies from dog to dog though.

Boxers are a VERY friendly breed, people lovers.

 

[Layla's Mom]

Harley03 is exactly right--Boxers are lovers, not fighters!!! Layla will lick a burgler to death! They do go through a scared phase at around 4 months I think. They also go through a phase where their guarding insticts kick in. Layla's was around 9 or 10 months--she is 15 months now and always "guards" her momma very well. She will growl and bark out the window all the time if she hears someone or something. That in itself is a good deterrent and a good security measure!

Taryn and Layla

 

[VTbxrFan]

Your other post mentions that you've only had her for a week and that you got her a pet store. You already said you realize that was bad idea, so I'll try not to go into that too much except where it's relevant to your question. It sounds like Honey is a young puppy if you've only had her a week and got her at the pet store (since they don't usually adult dogs at pet stores) - so some of her behavior is just being a puppy - she's very young, and also still adjusting to her home. I do think it's quite likely that her background is contributing to that, though. If she came from a pet store, she probably did not get the early socialization that is so important. Good breeders will have pups living in the home with them from the very beginning so they get used to everyday sounds, sights, and smells. Your pup probably didn't get any of that - all of that is new to her, so it's natural that it's a bit scary. Over the next few months, it will be important for you to socialize her - get her out into the world and have people visit her so she gets used to things. (Certainly check with your vet about the health side and vaccinations before taking her to places where she might be exposed to illnesses, though - particulartly with other dogs or outside areas with dog wastes).

As far as wanting her to be more firm and cautious with strangers, a lot of that is really just personality. Like people, dogs all have their own individual personalities. We can't completely control that. Others are right that it would not be a good idea to try to encourage aggression, though. Dogs frequently will react to their humans, though. She will be picking up on your reaction when someone comes to the house and will very likely identify "friends" by the way you respond to people.

Just help her get familiar with the world, and love her for whatever type of dog she grows up to be!

 

[basak]

Originally posted by VTbxrFan
Just help her get familiar with the world, and love her for whatever type of dog she grows up to be!

Exactly!

Krose barks very seldomly.... I mean VERY seldomly. I didn't get him so that he would guard me and my house, if I did, I would look into another breed. But they do have guarding insticts too.
But remember, boxers are watch dogs, not guard dogs.
Krose watches everything very carefully. A leaf falling down, a stranger passing by, mom cooking dinner, dad cursing to his shoe where the laces got tangled again

basak