Male Boxers and Agression

Question
Hello, I am so glad I found your website. I have been the "mom" of the most glorious male boxer, Harley, for 10 years. He is one of three dogs in my house; the other two being lab mixes (males). Harley has attacked one of my labs and continues to attack him sporadically. We will go months with harmony but then something triggers him. He has attacked my other lab but he submits to Harley and thus Harley and he get along fine now. Here's the issue. My husband and I are about to adopt a 4 year old male boxer. My husband works out of town and has his own place so he will be bringing our new "baby" with him most of the time. I am concerned that Harley may do the samething to the new boxer as they will be together on the weekends. What is the best way to handle the situation? Thank you so much!

Answer
My first concern is having 3 males in one household and adding another male.

Dogs will always vie for the "alpha" position.

What Harley is doing, is trying to become the alpha. He will dominate and attack any submissive, or what he views as a submissive, to keep them inline and to reprimand and punish them for what he views is non-submissive behavior. The alpha is the leader and demands all others in the pack submit to him and stay in their place.

Now, you want to bring in another male into the pack and Harley will view that as a threat to his alpha position and trespassing in his territory as well.

The 4 year old Boxer will not have a chance to a 10 year old alpha Boxer.

You first need to get Harley in check making you the alpha- not him.

First, at every feeding for one month, have the 3 dogs sit before you.

Place their feeding bowls on the counter or table full of their food. Place cookies or crackers (or whatever you want) on the table or counter BEHIND their food bowls.

Stand and eat the cookies or crackers without looking at the dogs- no eye contact.

When you are finished, place their food bowls down on the floor in front of them and tell them it is okay to eat.

What this is doing, is establishing YOU are the alpha because in the wild (and still their natural instinct) the alpha always eats first while the pack waits and the alpha tells them when they can eat (if anything is left) when the alpha is finished.

Once this is done, you should be the alpha. Have your husband do the same with the 4 year old Boxer at his place to establish he is the alpha with the new dog you will introduce into the pack.

Once you are ready to introduce him into the pack-- I suggest putting a collar and leash on Harley.

Bring the new Boxer in while Harley is leased and allow all dogs to smell the new dog and check him out. Their method of meeting and greeting is to sniff and smell and check the new dog out. Make sure none are posturing in an aggressive manner; tails should be up and out and ideally, wagging. Nubby tails (Boxers) still waggle even though nubby.

Allow this introduction, and if they walk away- they have accepted the new dog. They will offer to play or just walk away.

The new dog must allow the meet and greet without becoming defensive or aggressive to the pack. He should allow the sniffing and smelling and checking him out in a standing still fashion or smell them as he is being smelled.

Allow Harley to sniff and smell and check him out- but remain leashed.

Do not leave Harley unsupervised with the new Boxer for awhile.

Buy a whistle and blow it when Harley becomes aggressive- which will startle him to stop. When he does- push him down to the ground and hold him down until he submits to you. Alphas make submissive lie down and submit (legs up, tails under, belly up, etc.) when the alpha disciplines.

Let me know how it works out for you.