Rescue boxer advise: aggressive behavior and lack of playfulness

[cadkids]

I have seen Un neutered males act VERY protectively over ANY female dog they get around I thing the neuter will make a large change in his behavior / aggression
Both Buster and Brandi were Rescues and each had their own issues Brandi was a puppy mill puppy bought to breed and taken from her momma way to young very hard to house break and very clingy even 4 years later and had separation issues she was afraid to come out of her shell for the first few months she also slept alot and preferred the company of our other Dog Roxi over spending time with us not playful nor hyper all that came later with her and now is the sweetest girl ever always a cuddle bug but is a "wild child" too always looking for a new game
Buster was not horribly abused but was a teething toy for 4 male pitt pups to this day he is more comfortable around girls than boys he has had issues on being over protective of not my girlys but my Daughter(she is 16 now and raised with all boys and a good kid but a tomboy ) I couldn't swat her when she was onrey when she was younger if he was around he would grab my arm and growl and wrestling is still not allowed around him if she is involved, but we did get thru the my yelling at her which he didnt like either he would growl at me and show teeth, time, training, patients, consistency is what helped he no longer considers me a rival which he did for a while I would see how he is behaving after a round of training classes and a neuter I am NOT an advocate to have ALL males "fixed" I dont think they are broken LOL but when they get aggresive over a female dog towards people I am all for the neuter when they are distracted by a bitch in heat during training I'm not! to me the neuter depends on the dog and his behavior not the fact he is a male dog! good luck and give him some time to get to know you

[winnie]

I agree with Cadkids on the neuter. My last boy kept his boys all 12 years of his life. My current (just turned one) still has 'em too. The vet says that if behavior/agression isn't an issue there is not REAL medical benefit (which is a lot diff than a lot of vets would say). Looks like Porter is keeping his boys as well. However, your boy seems to be aggressive over a female, so the neuter is probably a good idea. By the way, from the photo you provided I'd say your boy is 100% boxer

[tguinter]

Deco is cute. I say give him time. The neuter may help with some issues. Continue to give love but remember he needs to know ur the boss. When our little girl Dually is over whelmed she goes and rests by herself


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[Amos'Papa]

Try to remember, he does not understand "rescue" or "adoption". To him, you're just a new bunch of strangers.

My Dani is a rescue, and has really only started to come out of her shell in the last month or so (I've had her 4 months). Trust and love are built on history, so give it some time, soon enough he will get it through his thick skull that you are family.

[Laneysmom]

Best wishes to you and Deco! He is beautiful! The poor guy is trying to adjust right now. I cannot imagine being stabbed 3 times and still trusting humans!! Be patient and consistent with him, but, let him know you are the alpha. I'm sure the neutering will help calm him down too.

[WholeLottaBoxers]

the lack of playfulness will most likely change over time. it takes a full six months or so for most rescues to really settle in to where you see their real personality. also, you're dealing with an unneutered adolescent male. yikes! i'll let someone else give you advice on that one. my question is what rescue did you get him from? honestly, any reputable rescue will NOT adopt out a dog that is still intact. (did NO ONE else pick up on that fact?) that's kinda the whole point of rescue. i'm actually a bit mortified to hear that. if you don't want to post the info here, please send it to me in a PM. i network to several boxer rescues in that area, and i will certainly NOT be networking to one that adopts out intact dogs.

[Kschnute]

I really appreciate all the feedback. After reading your posts, I feel much more confident that he just needs time, training, and TLC. My last dog was a rescue too, but that was 12 years ago when he came into my life and he was issue free (guess I was lucky) so this is a new experience to me.

I think the rescue group typically neuters/spays their animals prior to adoption. My guy was still recovering from his stabbing so they didn't do it right away. He was being boarded at the vets office and was very stressed being around all the barking dogs & in a cage so getting him into a home ASAP was their priority. Given the circumstances, I agree with that decision. I don't think it was the rescue groups intention to mislead me about his temperament. I just think, they were giving him the benefit of the doubt. And he really is a sweetheart 95% of the time.

[Kschnute]

I know a lot of people search old threads for advise so I wanted to post a follow up. After being neutered, Deco got along great with my parents dog and didn't guard her anymore. We waited about 2 weeks to reintroduce them. Unfortunately, he started guarding everything else as time went on, such as people (mainly me), toys, bones, his personal space, all areas of the house. Bones and toys we could deal with, but the fact that my husband couldn't get within 5ft of me anymore was becoming an issue.

We ended up hiring a trainer to help us figure out the best way to overcome Deco's aggression and guarding. Prior to choosing a trainer, I spoke with 3 different trainers. 2 of the 3 said a dog with his behavior should never be in a house that is going to have children. The third who is the one we hired said that it wasn't black & white and you never really know how a dog is going to respond to the training. We liked that attitude so that is the trainer we chose. We took all the feedback/advise from the trainer, however the aggression kept getting worse. After multiple bites and at the advise of our trainer, we decided he needed an owner without children and who has experience with this type of behavior.

This was a very difficult decision as I'm a huge advocate of animal rescue. On the other hand, this situation made me realize now more than ever how important it is to place rescue dogs in the right home.

We went on to be foster parents to a 1 year old boxer, Sandy, and recently adopted her. She is the perfect dog for us.

[af_wx_wife]

So sorry to hear about Deco but I agree that you did the right thing. You tried to make things work but in the end you needed to do what was not only right for you but for Deco as well. Glad to hear about Sandy, can't wait to see some pictures.

[winnie]

So sorry to hear that things didn't work out with Deco. It sounds like you are right about him needing a child free home. Hopefully Deco will find the right fit. Also, I am very glad you found your Sandy! Congrats on Sandy and, yes, we need pictures.