Agressive Boxer

Question
QUESTION: I have a 12 week boxer that does not like us to tell her NO.  She will growl and snap at my husband and I when we tell her NO.  Is this something I should be concerned about or can this be corrected?  She is also a bitter and we have really been working on that.  


ANSWER: Hi Andrea,

It is not normal for a puppy to growl and snap when spoken to. If you could give me a better idea of the situations in which this happens, I can perhaps tell you what you are doing wrong or what you could be doing to help her out.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: We know she has a 20-30 minute spell early evening were she gets very rambunctious, she'll be playing with her toys then start biting the next thing nere weather its an arm or piece of furniture or our other boxer.We tell her no and differ her attention with another toy. Then she will start running around the house. But its not just early evening. During the day she just has to be doing something. She will go from playing with a toy to walking and chewing/biting anything in her path.

Answer
Hi Andrea,

Thanks for the extra information, it's helpful.

At four months old, she may be at the beginning stages of teething which could explain some of the behavior.  Especially the walking and chewing.  Her mouth is sore.  

To explain the rest, she's a puppy.  :)  Very simple answer, but very normal.

Boxers, if you aren't familiar with them outside of your two, are a pretty vocal breed.  They growl, 'talk' and grumble when they play.  It's unlikely that she's growling aggressively at her age.

First step is to get the word 'no' out of your vocabulary.  People overuse the word with their dogs and begin to be ignored.  Save 'no' for when you really need it!  Running into the road for example.  Learn to use a short, sharp correction like 'eh-eh'.  It will distract her and give you time to correct.

Next, leave one toy down for her.  You want her to learn what's hers and what's acceptable for her mouth to be around.  Leaving dozens of toys out only confuses a puppy.  She doesn't know what 'toys' are, if that makes sense.  She only knows 'hers'.  Eventually, if you call them 'toys' long enough, she'll get the picture but right now, she has no clue.  So it's confusing for puppies.  I can have this but not this, this but not this, this but not this.  Where if you leave one toy down, she knows she can have THIS.  If she has a couple of favorites, go ahead and rotate them.

Thirdly, Boxers are a very energetic breed.  Very.  You are correct, she just has to be doing something.  That's because she's bored.  You can luck out and get an absurdly calm Boxer puppy but most times it just doesn't happen.

It sounds as though she isn't being given enough activity that is draining her energy.  What type of exercise are you doing with her?  She should be getting two 15-20 minute power walks a day.  (The rule of thumb is 5 minutes per month of age until they are physically mature).

If she is getting her two walks, she's old enough to start obedience training.  If you don't want to take a formal class, although I recommend it for socialization purposes, that's fine.  Teach her at home.  Learning commands is mentally stimulating and tiring.

When she does get a case of the crazies, and she's biting YOU or another human in the house, use 'eh-eh' and don't distract her, stand up and ignore her until she calms down.  Cross your arms and turn your back.  Don't speak to her, look at her or touch her.  Anything else you do will be keeping the game going.  Biting stops attention and biting stops play.  Period.  When she calms down, sit, and call her to you for a BRIEF cuddle and quiet praise 'good settle'.  Remember to always praise behavior you desire, even if you didn't ask for it.

When she's biting objects, give her the 'eh-eh' and use the replacement toy.  When she has her attention on the toy, quietly praise with 'good toy' or 'good chew'.  

Giving her frozen washcloths or rope toys will help numb her mouth if teething is part of the culprit as well.