Today was Lucy's fourth training class at Petsmart. She is naturally skiddish but she has done well and has been very social at every class. Today she growled and tried to advance toward two dogs in the store. She has never shown any type of aggression like this and it worried me. Today she was exceptionally nervous for some reason. We have had terrible weather here and she has not been able to romp and run like normal. Do you all think it may have been the inability to release all the energy? Or like Cesar says, it was me projecting the tension??? Help! I one thing is that she needs to build her confidence - any suggestions?
Sign of aggression????
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I know - the trainer said it could have been something with the dogs. One was a large male pit bull and the other was a male mixed terrier of some sort. My husband said I am way too tense in there but I am always so worried that an owner might not be able to control their animal. I guess I need to lighten up a bit...sumyasmom\";p=\"52265 said:
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Lol, I was going to suggest a wee drop of something before class myself 
Boxers are pretty intuitive and do pick up on our moods, feeling, anxieties so it very well could be that or it could have been the dogs....Hard to say, but I wouldn't worry too much unless it continued
Boxers are pretty intuitive and do pick up on our moods, feeling, anxieties so it very well could be that or it could have been the dogs....Hard to say, but I wouldn't worry too much unless it continued
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I agree, but I also wanted to add that dog aggression is not uncommon, nor is it the end of the world in our breed. Boxers are descended from a type of dog that was traditionally used for dog fighting, so there's no surprise that some dog aggression exists in our breed. Additionally, it is very unnatural for wild dogs to socialize with strange dogs outside of their packs.
Given this, even though dog aggression can be expected from time to time in some boxers, it is very inconvenient to us as owners so we try to do our best to raise our dogs sans-aggression by socializing them, training them and establishing ourselves as leaders. These things go a long way toward preventing unwanted tussles when meeting strange dogs in public, but as responsible owners, we always need to be aware that things can happen during these meetings and be aware of body language while they're interacting.
I guess that's my long winded way of saying that it's normal for her to act this way (don't get worked up), and that you should speak with your trainer about recognizing posturing and dominant behaviors as well as practicing the NILF method in your home. This will, in turn, help her build confidence and take some of the stress of not knowing quite where she fits in in your pack structure out of the equation.
Good luck!
Given this, even though dog aggression can be expected from time to time in some boxers, it is very inconvenient to us as owners so we try to do our best to raise our dogs sans-aggression by socializing them, training them and establishing ourselves as leaders. These things go a long way toward preventing unwanted tussles when meeting strange dogs in public, but as responsible owners, we always need to be aware that things can happen during these meetings and be aware of body language while they're interacting.
I guess that's my long winded way of saying that it's normal for her to act this way (don't get worked up), and that you should speak with your trainer about recognizing posturing and dominant behaviors as well as practicing the NILF method in your home. This will, in turn, help her build confidence and take some of the stress of not knowing quite where she fits in in your pack structure out of the equation.
Good luck!
Thanks for the info! The whole day started out weird when she didn't even want to get out of the car and she seemed extra nervous for some reason. Hopefully, it was an isolated incident and as she grows she will gain more confidence.
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