hi ,I have a 10 wk old female boxer i am a bit concerned as she snapped and growled at my 7yr old niece. She had been picking her up previously with no problems at all but on this occasion she was already on her lap she was lifting her slightly at the time ,it was a very aggressive snap. We put it down to litter nest behaviour but the same thing happened the next day with my older daughter while on her lap these are the only times it has happened she has nether been aggressive in any other situation yet!! she is confident and shows no signs of nervousness, do you think i have a dog which has a bad temperament pls give your opinion, as i am wondering if i should return her to the breeder.

hello jackie
i have 9wk old boxer who is very sure of himself he doesn't snap but talks back if you tell him off. i think he is trying to find out where the pecking order is. he thinks he is above my 8 year old daughter but we are trying to take steps to elliminate this.
em

At 10 wks she's still learning what is acceptable - and as she hasn't long been in your house - so is your neice and your daughter......... It may be that she lifted her in some way that was uncomfortable or hurt the puppy :(..... Maybe the puppy was tired? Maybe she was just fed up with all the attention?

Having a dog on your lap puts them very close to the face - I'd encourage the children to sit on the floor with the puppy beside them - not on the lap until she's learnt how to behave. I'd also get the children envolved in her feeding routine by putting half the meal in her bowl, and let the girls add the rest a little at a time....

When Star was that age she did not like being picked up. I dont know if someone hurt her or gave her a fright. I did not let the kids lift her onto their knees. If lifted she gave a growl. She is now 7 months and all this has stopped. She likes to sit on knees. She still thinks she is the 8 week old she was when we got her. Boxers are very vocal and like to make a lot of noise.

Star still makes high pitched growling noises when playing but this is different to the low growl when scared or annoyed.

thanks for your comments its always a help to hear of other peoples experiences i was told puppies are not born aggressive do you agree ? my last dog was never agressive as a puppy so its very worrying to see such a young dog being aggresive one minute shes a lovable pup next minute she snapped its a bit unnerving not knowing if it will hapen again.

Glad I am not the only one - we have a nine week Boxer puppy. (we have had five boxers over the years) so know what they are like - including puppies. Am a little shocked that this one has gone for me today. She was having fun in my ornamental grass when I said NO (admittedly she should not of been there but she had escaped so really it was my fault) but I picked her up to move her away as she was right under neath the grass as I lifted her she snapped at me she did not break the skin on the side of my face just lightly touched. I carried her by the scruff and put her on her bed and left her for five minutes I then went back to her she knew she had done wrong I went to stoke her and made a fuss and we are all ok again. maybe she thought I was another puppy iniitally and was sticking up for herself? We have had her a week and three days. I have a three year old that she adores, She is very vocal if i talk to her she answers back. I have decided to ignore bad behaviour as if I have to tell her no its probably because I have not been keeping an eye on her. I am going to reward good behaviour and ignore bad see how I get on.. umm.

Nope, puppies are not born aggressive.

However, as a survival tool, they rapidly learn to use whatever tools they have to keep themselves safe, ie a growl, snap and a bite.

Puppys cant bite hard, but they have pointy teeth. Most cant do a proper woof, but they can yell scream and growl from an early age. Its all to do with protecting themselves. Listen to your pup, and work out why he is doing what he is doing.

Em

Hi,
I have a male boxer and female boxer, both around the ages of 18 months and have not had this problem with them. I have looked this up though in a couple of my boxer books and it says in there that it is important to find out why your boxer is doing this. It also says aggression is a display of dominance and not to challenge an aggressive dog. It does say that your vet may be able to offer advice on what to do or to consult a behavioural specialist. Maybe training classes could help as someone there may be able to give advice to you. If you get in touch with your breeder you may be able to get advice from them too. Let us know how you get on. Louise.

hi
thanks for all your replys i've spoken to a couple of breeders and trainers and all said exactly the same thing that she was reacting as she would with her litter mates which has put my mind at ease,she is a fantastic little pup sits when you tell her ,never howled at night,and has deffernantly got the idea regarding toilet training. i have her booked into a puppy group when she has finished her vaccines. and there has been no other aggressive episodes so fingers crossed, big thanks again for taking the time to reply it really helped

jackie

Glad we could help, Jackie.
:)