aggressive toward people

Question
I have a 7yr. old boxer "Dempsey". He is very loving and loyal. Since we have moved into an apartment he has become very aggressive toward people. He perks up and starts barking when he see someone. He tries to shake his collar and get at them. But if i take him to petsmart he is the lovable, lapdog that i know. His behavior also subsides when someone enters the apartment and i restrain him till he calmes down.  I am tired of Dempsey being a bully. Help!

Answer
Generally moving to an apartment will cause a big decrease in the amount of exercise a dog gets.  There are also many more noises that you may not even notice or hear that he perceives as a threat.  That can cause pent up frustration and lead to behavior problems.  Also, being a boxer he will tend toward guarding behavior-barking, growling, try to "scare" people away.  His "territory" is also much smaller.  Now it is the inside of the apartment vs. the whole yard.

One of the things I suggest, and use in my home, is the command enough.  When your dog barks at the door tell him good dog-he IS doing his job.  He needs to know you are in control of the situation, which is where the "enough" comes in.  Keep a leash on him, and have someone come to the door.  When Dempsey barks tell him good boy.  Then use the leash to back him from the door, make him sit and tell him enough-and make sure you use treats to reward as soon as he is quiet....even for a second.  The reward has to be VERY good though to overcome the desire to keep guarding.  As you are able to get Dempsey to hold his sit, start opening the door.  You will most likely have to repeat the sequence with every progression.  First someone at the door, then opening the door, then person coming into the apartment.  At no point should the visitor interact with Dempsey if he is not holding a sit and quiet-that will only reinforce the negative behavior.

Also look into different ways to expend Dempsey's energy.  While walking is excellent and easy, that is not enough.  You would be looking at 2-3 BRISK 1 hour walks a day.  Investigate areas for him to run loose safely, if you are a runner that is much better than just walking and if not see about a neighbor that is-many times local teens are happy to earn some extra money that way.  You may find some classes in your area in agility, flyball, weight pull-all these things will exercise him in different manners, and challenge his mind as well.

Best of luck,
Erica Slomka
Jumpin JACS Dog Training
We Train YOU To Train Your Dog

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