[Georgia Foreman the boxer]

Hello I am new to this forum and I’m very glad that I found it I would like to ask if anyone has had the issue I am going through or if anyone can please help me figure out how to stop this behavior. I have a female boxer she just turned 3 two days ago and whenever she sees another dog her level of excitement makes her hairs on her back stick up and she barks a lot but she just wants to play she really loves other dogs but she barks very loud and ignores me when I tell her to stop. Whenever she sees another dog it’s like I’m invisible and nothing that I do stops her from wanting to bark . If she is on a walk and she sees a dog she barks and does anything in her power to try to drag me in that direction even if it means she starts choking from pulling me hard . This has been going on for a year what can I do ? I avoid other dogs I don’t know interact with her as much as I can ( take different sidewalks or go at times when there aren’t as many dogs outside) because her behavior seems scary or off putting to other dog owners but I know she’s not being aggressive because she plays with 10 pound poodles but I know the dogs and the owners know this is her behavior when she is excited . Any advice or tips for me so I can correct this behavior ? How can I get her to listen to me and stop behaving that way . I have tried bringing her favorite treats with me but it isn’t effective .

 

[chip18]

Well the good news's first??? " I avoid other dogs I don’t know interact with her as much as I can , I take different sidewalks or go at times when there aren’t as many dogs outside ... )" Avoiding dogs you don't know?? Is an excellent practice anyway.

And even when you do get a grip here. That is an excellent particle! If you saw me me and at one time my American band Dawg, my Wl GSD and my Boxer. You'd have gotten "Zero Grief," from us. As I "would have seen you first. And "we," would have happily yield the "Right of Way!" We'd step way aside, or crossed the street ... well in advanced. And if my dog's saw her and they would. They would not "react!"

And that is not about you or your dog. I put a lot of time and effort into training my dogs. And I am not about to let some random encounter with some unknown dog, I do not know and will most likely never see again ... undo all my hard work! I don't know you?? I don't know your know your dog?? You keep your distance, I'll keep mine, "Thank You!"

So if you happen to see "real dogs and there owner's that stay clear?? That is what is going on. And with the littler dog owner's ... well they are little dog owner's!

I accidently scared the crap out of a Chi owner one time on a neighborhood walk with Rocky. My Blk, WL GSD (!113 lbs, )you would notice him, in daylight! Rocky walked "off leash," pretty much all the time. Across the street we came across a Chi owner walking her dog "off leash Chi???" Most impressive for a Chi, I must say!

As we got closer , I saw the Chi owner reach down and scoop her dog up?? I thought nothing of it for a second?? But a second or two later I I though about and I was horrified! She did not know "Rocky," she did not know me?? All she saw was a Hugh freaking GSD with no leash and her dog most likely looked like a snack!!

I stopped and "Rocky ," stopped and I shouted across the street to apologize for scaring her?? I assured her that my dog was "not an issue." But after that if I did see other dog's approaching at a distance ... siigh I would put a leash on Rock, to make other dog owner's more comfortable ... Rocky did not need one..

So while that little tale, does not help you directly ?? It does perhaps help explain, the overall scope of what is going on around you

It is what I do. I "try," and make folk's understand what they are dealing first. And see if I can try help them, form there?? Do no harm, is my moto. I feel if I can do it ... anyone can??

So I got more to say about your current issue's if you'd like?? And the "treat thing" and how you are using it right now?? Yeah just "No!" That is not going to work! But it seam's you already know that?? Welcome aboard and sorry your having issuesa at the moment. But it can get better with a slightly different approach.

 

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I think what may be happening here is she is trying to "protect:" you from other dogs. I had a female once that was similar but the only way to deal with this is to get a proper fitting collar, I had to resort to a prong collar which worked very well and I just kept at it walking her in different locations and seeing other dogs and people and correcting her each time if she starts pulling forward switch directions don't let her "focus" on the strange dog coming your way. She accepts other dog you let her play with because she knows them and doesn't consider them a threat but it sounds a lot like she is being protective of you as well as "territorial" of your usual walking spots so change up spots from time to time as well. You can overcome this you just have to keep working at it and make sure you have control over her and she is not dragging you anywhere. My female got better of this and she was pretty bad sometimes but in her later years she didn't do it at all anymore.

 

[Georgia Foreman the boxer]

Any training advice or tips would help , thank you so much for replying .

 

[chip18]

Any training advice or tips would help , thank you so much for replying .

LOL, we have no shortage of advise. But advise without an understanding, does not seem to help as much as you would think??

The treat thing, right now won't work for you as you intent it to. You need to work on that first by "training something different," I'll explain later.

But for the basics of real tools, here you go.

Slip Lead leash

Finally getting around to doing this! As many know I advocate for the Slip Lead, pretty much all the time! I'll make this relatively brief by posting a few links of discussions and back ground here. The basics: http://www.boxerforums.com/1736170-post12.html Further discussions and many view...

www.boxerforums.com

 

[ZeusyZeus]

I have the same problem with my female boxer she’s very intimidating and loves to play. Ive tried all different kinds of correctional behavior tactics sucks as treats, prong collars, walking the other way, etc.. Honestly the only thing that’s seemed to work so far is a shock collar. I know it sounds inhumane but after a few initial shocks I use the vibration feature instead now and it works like a charm. I go on runs with her and she’s like a brand new dog now, before she would try and pull me to run after other dogs. She’s still a work in progress at almost 3 years old but she’s definitely improved since I used this training method. It’s tough love but I would rather some slight shocks than have people report my dog to animal services, or have my dog think she’s ok running after other dogs and then they get into a fight.
One last thing, try and take your dog to the dog park/beach. I find that helps her release all that built up tension of playing with other dogs. I like to look at it as we have very social dogs, they don’t know how to tell us they want to go run off and introduce themselves. My boxer Grace is the funniest, when we go to the dog beach she literally greets every dog that comes in and says goodbye to every dog on the way out. I’ve never seen anything like it. Hope this helps, best of luck!!

 

[Matt74]

I have the same problem with my female boxer she’s very intimidating and loves to play. Ive tried all different kinds of correctional behavior tactics sucks as treats, prong collars, walking the other way, etc.. Honestly the only thing that’s seemed to work so far is a shock collar. I know it sounds inhumane but after a few initial shocks I use the vibration feature instead now and it works like a charm. I go on runs with her and she’s like a brand new dog now, before she would try and pull me to run after other dogs. She’s still a work in progress at almost 3 years old but she’s definitely improved since I used this training method. It’s tough love but I would rather some slight shocks than have people report my dog to animal services, or have my dog think she’s ok running after other dogs and then they get into a fight.
One last thing, try and take your dog to the dog park/beach. I find that helps her release all that built up tension of playing with other dogs. I like to look at it as we have very social dogs, they don’t know how to tell us they want to go run off and introduce themselves. My boxer Grace is the funniest, when we go to the dog beach she literally greets every dog that comes in and says goodbye to every dog on the way out. I’ve never seen anything like it. Hope this helps, best of luck!!

E collars are a good tool as long as you know what you are doing and either contacting a trainer or doing a lot of research before you use it. You could actually make a dog worse. Just want to state that before anyone new reads it and thinks its a magical fix. lol

I used one as a last resort for recall. I tried everything for about 2 years with almost no improvement. I also think it was a hell of alot safer for the dog. I would rather use an ecollar as a last option than see these owners around me wrenching on their dogs necks with leashes. I only used the stim a couple times, mostly just vibration will do the job unless they are in high drive.

 

[chip18]

I have the same problem with my female boxer she’s very intimidating and loves to play. Ive tried all different kinds of correctional behavior tactics sucks as treats, prong collars, walking the other way, etc.. Honestly the only thing that’s seemed to work so far is a shock collar. I know it sounds inhumane but after a few initial shocks I use the vibration feature instead now and it works like a charm. I go on runs with her and she’s like a brand new dog now, before she would try and pull me to run after other dogs. She’s still a work in progress at almost 3 years old but she’s definitely improved since I used this training method. It’s tough love but I would rather some slight shocks than have people report my dog to animal services, or have my dog think she’s ok running after other dogs and then they get into a fight.
One last thing, try and take your dog to the dog park/beach. I find that helps her release all that built up tension of playing with other dogs. I like to look at it as we have very social dogs, they don’t know how to tell us they want to go run off and introduce themselves. My boxer Grace is the funniest, when we go to the dog beach she literally greets every dog that comes in and says goodbye to every dog on the way out. I’ve never seen anything like it. Hope this helps, best of luck!!

Oh by and large your not gonna get a lot of E-Collar hate on here?? We have a more than a few Deaf Dog's on here and the only way you can let those dog's run free is with the "proper," use of an E-Collar??

It's just another tool and just like any other tool (including treat's) it has to be used properly or it can be abused. I almost used one myself with my new rescue Boxer/Pit one year old and no recall?? "An E-Collar (properly used) is the quickest and most humane way to train your dog." And that is a quote from one of my friend's on Germanshepardforum a former K9 Trainer.

But I am pig headed and stubborn and I taught Bella off leash recall by other mean's, tool free. And my number one is rule, "I don't know you, I don't know your dog?? You keep your distance, I'll keep mine, Thank You!" In twenty years, no one has gotten any grief from my dog's.

I spent way to much time on training my dog's, to let some random stranger's uncontrolled "A-Hole" dog, undo all my hard work in a few second's??

And a fearful dog surrounded by unknown dog's?? Good luck with that, I would say. But Bella we go off leash (now) every week. So much so that I have to take her to the big city for leash work?? Cuz of where I live and what I do "now," she does not need a leash, day to day. Her speed and distance exceeds a leash. But I call her and she comes back. And she does check in to see where I am. I have to work on "Proofing" more. But "The Place Command," has kept her safe on more than one occasion and in a "Crap Happens," incident with another off leash dog and an equally "surprised," owner with a loose dog, I did recall her and she returned!!

I should have met the guy but I did not have a leash and neither did he. But it worked out fine. But nope E-Collar here no big deal as long as you understand what your doing. And you seem to so welcome aboard.

 

[chip18]

Well the fact of the matter is you can't injury a dog with a regular harness? Unless it's one of the weird one
is that actually hobbles them? But with a regular harness you can't control them either?

But with a Head Harness, you can injury your dog, if the unexpected happens, and you try and snatch your dog (if he is out in front of you?) out of harm's way "if," a loose dog comes charging at him? And you know you can't tell me that an owner that uses a "Halti or a Gentle Leader," would not do that? No one expects the unexpected?

But hey being taken by surprise is the "issue," with those thing's. So you know don't do that (try and snatch them out of the way by the face!) and I suppose it's all good?

 

[cathyv]

Interesting reading all the POV on this, my rescue's recall sucks. We have found a few commands he learned really well after we changed the command to a different word - perhaps trauma associated with the typical "heel", "come" etc.

But to take him for a walk where others might be walking their dogs? I have one end of his leash clipped to the front of his harness (he can't help but turn toward me), another clipped to the back as normal, and another short leash on a pinch collar just in case as he knows he can overpower both of us. But I've never had an issue - he must sit and stay at my side and wait for the other dog to pass. then we may resume our walk. That is our deal for now until he ages out of the pure energy a bit its squirrels, rabbits and chipmunks that I fear, not other dogs. . A tracker was the best investment I ever made - two days after getting it, he got out, got on aan animal scent trail and was 3.7 miles away in a hurry. The only thing that made him turn around was encountering a ravine. I just sat on the last road he had crossed and waited for him to show up, knew from the tracker that he had picked up his own trial and was working his way back.

And intentional encounters with other dogs? I choose his dog friends carefully, match in size and strength that won't feel threatened by him. He has one friend that is also a rescue, smaller but VERY intense. The other is a boxer who does not have an off switch.. I was to discover that my boy actually does have an off switch when it comes to direct contact. He wrestles his playmate, then lays down like "OK, now you wrestle me!". That was a relief!

 

[chip18]

Interesting reading all the POV on this, my rescue's recall sucks. We have found a few commands he learned really well after we changed the command to a different word - perhaps trauma associated with the typical "heel", "come" etc.

If your having "issues," with "Recall?" I would guess that, your rescue was over one year old? There are alot of thing's people do with a puppy, to train recall, that they don't even think about?

With a puppy or a pup-ish rescue ... under a year? You kinda get to skate, unless one is "completely inept, they will come to you ... anyway?" But a year or more older, "Rescue Dog," is just a bit different?

My current girl (Boxer/Pit) is most differently not my best work? But that is on me! owner "baggage, that I put on her, cuz I wanted a "Boxer, Girl!" So my bad ...

But still, there were no issues associated with the "Commands Heel or Come??" I have never heard anyone make that kind of association before? And by anyone ... I mean Trainer's that know "what they are doing!" I don't know, all of them but I know alot of them!

My girl is by my standards ... not that "Good?" Still (because of where I live ... ) her day in day out life is "Off Leash," with Recall, not great .. but more than "Good Enough!"

But to take him for a walk where others might be walking their dogs? I have one end of his leash clipped to the front of his harness (he can't help but turn toward me), another clipped to the back as normal, and another short leash on a pinch collar just in case as he knows he can overpower both of us. But I've never had an issue - he must sit and stay at my side and wait for the other dog to pass. then we may resume our walk. That is our deal for now until he ages out of the pure energy a bit its squirrels, rabbits and chipmunks that I fear, not other dogs. . A tracker was the best investment I ever made - two days after getting it, he got out, got on aan animal scent trail and was 3.7 miles away in a hurry. The only thing that made him turn around was encountering a ravine. I just sat on the last road he had crossed and waited for him to show up, knew from the tracker that he had picked up his own trial and was working his way back.

Well I have to say, if the "Tracking Collar," got your dog back to you? That is most impressive!

It should not be necessary but "Hey Crap Happens! And I am glad you got you dog your dog back!:

And intentional encounters with other dogs? I choose his dog friends carefully, match in size and strength that won't feel threatened by him. He has one friend that is also a rescue, smaller but VERY intense. The other is a boxer who does not have an off switch.. I was to discover that my boy actually does have an off switch when it comes to direct contact. He wrestles his playmate, then lays down like "OK, now you wrestle me!". That was a relief!

Now here it sounds like, you have no idea "what a loose dog encounter mean's?" It does not mean, walking pass another owner with owner present and said dog on a leash? And the only requirement for you dog ... is to not be a "Tool?"

"No One," that understands ... what that means, would put there dog on a "Front Clip Harness?" Loose Dog Encounter, means Loose Dog Encounter. There is no owner present the other Dog is not on a leash, and they "Charge Your Dog With Entente, To Do Harm!" Your not out there ... "trying to make friend's? Your goal is to try and keep your dog from getting hurt or you know killed?

All that "Stuff," you use means that "IF," your dog gets blind side by an "aggressive (maybe) lose dog?" The front clip harness will do what it does "with a poorly trained," and if the "Crap hit's the fan" ... it will flip your dog and expose his back! To said "loose Dog," because to him, your dog is now running and that means, I got him! No one that knows what they are doing ... uses those.

And now ...unless you drop all of your leashes? Wish your dog luck, scream and run away? Your involved in breaking up a dog fight! In a "loose Dog," encounter ... you have 10th's of seconds to react! To stop crap from going "sideways!"

And the best "Defense," is having a "Well Trained Dog!" You do seem to have a very good understanding of "Dog to Dog Introductions?" I can't do that myself? I will cross the street or step well aside and let the other dog and people pass and my dog(S) do nothing!

Any Dog, I do not know is a threat? I could not be a "Dog Show Guy?" Being around that many dog's (I don't know) would give me a "Panic Attack!" Bella, Boxer/Pitt was the first dog I took to the "Dog Park," uh kinda? While working on recall, at midnight ... "nother," story and well it worked.

She has "functional recall," so her walk's, means she runs free! I load her in the car and we go to "Dog Free," areas so she can run! I am just done with year's of urban ... "Dogbat?" As it were, look ahead, look back, head on a swivel and eyes and ears alert, look for front yard gathering's? Open garage door's ... people working on car's gathering, door's slamming open etc, etc. I am just done! But I do have to say ... that from my 113 lb Working Line GSD, to a client's 10 lb Pick a Chi! If we got a rushed by a Loose charging dog ... "they did the same thing. "Nothing!" Let Dad deal with this "Crap!"

When "Queeenie," and I got charged by a "sigh, loose pit," I did not have to put myself at risk by reaching down to "pick her up?" She said ... "F," this let "Daddy Deal!" I stepped in front and she went behind me! I never said a word. And we got that dog back in his yard! I was most impressed! t

And I did not "Train," her to do that. She was not my dog but I had been working with her. Using a Slip Lead Lead Leash. And when crap went down, she knew ... I had her back! Just ... stay out of the way and let me deal. Dog's get that!

I don't talk about "owner present, on leash dog situations?" I never had those issues? I cross the street, or step aside and my dog's do "nothing!" No commands or tool's required ..."my dog's doing nothing," is expected! No one has "issues," with my dog's.