Agression

Question
Jannie,  I have a AKC registered 2 year old male boxer that I have owned since he was 17 weeks old.  He has only lived with me and has never been mistreated or abused. Until a few days ago he has been a joy to have.  He lives with my husband and I, our 3 children and our 2 min-pin dogs.  He is very smart and has always been gentle with our other dogs and children.  On Monday he attacked and sent a friend of mine to the hospital with severe bite wounds. This is what happened:  My friend and I were outside in the yard and my boxer was inside the house in his kennel.  We keep him inside during bad weather or if it is too hot or cold.  My other two dogs could see me through the window and were barking a lot as usual.  Before I left I decided since it was no longer raining to let the boxer go outside for the rest of the day in his fenced in backyard. When I went inside the house I opened his kennel and he charged the door, ran into the yard and attacked my friend.  I do not know what caused this.  My friend was not being loud or did he have anything in his hand that would have made the dog feel threatened.  I have noticed that his personality changes around men when my husband is not home. He has never bit anyone until now. He has always obeyed my husband a lot better than me and he doesn't seem to be bothered by strangers coming into the home if my husband is there.  We took him to the vet to be put to sleep, but they are holding him for 10 days.  My friend did not tell anyone who the dog belonged to, and is not going to press charges. My children are very upset that he may have to be put to sleep and do not understand the danger.  Our vet feels that since my husband was not at home, that he was being territorial and protecting me. He suggested that we castrate him and that I start showing him more authority.  I admit that I am not the disciplinarian with any of the animals and he does get away with behavior that my husband will not allow. I just don't understand why he did this.  Since we have owned him we have walked him around the neighborhood, brought him to ballparks around men, women and children and have never had any trouble. He doesn't have any food aggression and I have never even heard him growl. Even when he attacked my friend he never barked or growled, he just attacked .When we finally got him to let go he walked off and went back into the backyard. I do not know about the mother and father of my boxer.  I did see both of them, but I am not aware of there behavioral background.  I did notice that when I went to get him from the breader that he was the only one that backed away from me. I was not going to get him for that reason, but he was the largest and had the best markings. In your experience is this a behavior that can be changed, or is it something that he will always do?  I do not want to end his life if this was an isolated incident, but on the other hand I don't want anyone else to get hurt because I wanted to keep him with us.  Do you have any advice or insight to this problem? Please help!!!!

Answer
Your vet is absolutely right. He is protecting you because your husband was not home.

You can not kill him for doing what he perceives as his job and duty.

It is the owners fault for not being a disciplinary to their dog- as all owners in the household, all family members, must be an alpha and have control.

This is a common problem, as usually only one person is and does control the dog.

Do not allow male visitors over without your husband present, and in the meantime, consider obedience classes with you. You need to become an alpha and in control.

Or, give him to a family that will take him to obedience classes and establish the alpha and get him over the "male" aggression.

You must leash him, with your husband home and present, allow a male visitor to come in, and keep control of the dog while the visitor is there.

Yank the leash, verbal reprimand him in a stern voice in easy to understand simple commands and be consistent.

Put him in his crate when he is aggressive, and reprimand him.

Let him out on a leash in the house, and keep control of him with visitors present, and reassure him the visitor is alright and accepted.

He must become familiar with male visitors. Once this is accomplished, allow the male visitor to visit with you, with him on the leash, and your husband outside as if gone, but ready to assist you if aggression arises.

Obedience classes with you are a necessity though.

Do not kill him for protecting you.