Ive had a bit of a nightmare weekend with Mr B. If i say no he barks growls or nips my hands. If i ignore this behaviour and seperate me from him he barges at the door with such force he has broken the latch. If i put him in the garden he will hang off the washing line or barge at the fence. If I stay in the same room he will jump up and push me with all fours if i ignore him.
Yesterday he even went to the extent of jumping off the sofa at me when i walked in being 20kg he would knock my eight year old over. Has anyone got any suggestions on how to stop this?
regards
Emma

Hi, sorry not offering advice but would be interested if anyone passes you good advice on this. The same sort of thing happends all the time with our dog and 'the Mrs.' We are speaking to the vet later today about this as Roscco had an episode this morning where he went for Rachel and bit her a couple of times. Hopefully something can be sorted out. Anyway ill post any good advice i get from the Vet that might help you. Andy

Emma

How old is Bradley now and are you the one who has most to do with looking after him or is it someone else? I know you take him training but who feeds, grooms and walks him? Where does Bradley sleep, does he get free access to food? I know he's a real love and he gets lots of attention but is it when he comes looking to you for it or when you chose to call him to you and pet him?

I'm thinking he may be coming up to the age of maturity when he is challenging you on who is going to be leader but your answers should clarify.

Yes i take him training, feed him, share walking times between myself and the other half, i also groom him. Sometimes i call him for a tickle. He does have food on tap aswell im a little concerned he is thin vet says he is perfect 20kg.
Bradley is 6 months old we have an amazing relationship 98% of the time but when he is assertive he is very assertive.
My trainer says when asking him to do something he must do it and I should never ever give up until he has done so

When you ask him something - yes I agree, make sure he does it - but at the same time make sure you never ask him to do something you don't know he will do unless you are prepared to take measures (positive ofcourse - no manhandling or physical punishment) to ensure that he does do it.

I'd guess he's reached the stage where limits are now being set, and he's finding it hard - thus he's trying all the sorts of things that in the past have got him a reward and/or attention - they aren't working, so he's uping the ante..........

I'd start thinking about what you are doing, why, what response this is bringing from him, and how you can alter things to help him to accept the changes - this may mean doing NOTHING so he gets no reward - if he gets no reward the behaviour will stop, and if he's encouraged/shown alternative behaviours which DO get rewards, and if those behaviours are those which mean he can NOT do the things you don't want him to (ie - 'sit' excludes jumping up) he will learn all the quicker........

i don't want to sound dramatic but I love him to pieces (like we all do) and I want to nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand. Today he was back to his old self grinning and generally making me laugh. We went out this afternoon and his heal work was excellent.
emma
p.s He is worse when he is tired. Bradley does sleep upstairs in the hallway and he does have free access to food. Iwould appreciate any advice.

Hi Em

Just sounds like the 6 month stage in my house with Willis. Don't be too quick to assume your dog is trying to be dominant, he is just feeling his feet. Reinforce his training, ignore unwanted behaviour, praise and treat desired behaviour, and don't panic. He's a boy, they all try to challenge the dominant female at some point - they all learn :D

C :)

Hi Emma

I'm no expert but I would certainly stop the free access to food, doesn't mean he can't have a lot of it, just make him earn it, make him realise that all of heaven comes through you! (A wonderful statement borrowed from Sheila Booth). Equally with toys, wait for a desired behaviour then 'reward' him with a fave toy. I'm sure he will soon realise it pays to be a good boy to his Mum. It must be hard with such a strong dog, but do try to ignore the undesired behaviour, just ignore him and act busy, making sure he is not rewarded in any way, eg food, toys, placating voice.

Good Luck, as Chloe says, boys will be boys! My 4 yr old human is going through the same stage!

Hayley :)

You and me both (the 4 year old human thing). Mine is having "issues" over his idea of bedtime and mine :rolleyes:

You mayfind it helpful to have a long line on him when you are there, don't of course leave it on him when you go out. It may be easier to control him with this :)

Lindsay

Hi Emma,
do you ever punish him? If you do he could be acting defensively through fear.

Is it whenever you say 'no' or when you say no to something specific? It could be frustration at not being able to have something he wants, especially if he goes mad in the garden. He's not trying to be dominant there because he's on his own!
To help him deal with frustration, firstly make sure that there's nothing missing from his basic requirements (eg, if it always happens when you're stopping him from chewing something he may be bored and need more playtime) and then teach him that calm behaviour gets him what he wants.

Jo

I would definitely not allow the free access to food. Meals can be a 'reward' for complying with your commands (eg he has to sit and wait before his dish is put down).

What are you feeding? Some foods, or food additives, can contribute to behavioural problems. Equally, lack of certain vitamins/minerals can cause problems. Too much protein tends to cause hyperactivity. Vitamin B can help to quieten down a hyperactive dog, etc. etc.

Also, at 6 months your boy is testing the waters to see how much he can get away with. It is a very trying time for you but with patience, fairness, and consistency you will get through!

Today we are taking the food away from him putting it down and leaving it for 15 mins or until he walks away.
Jo C I have never punished Bradley with any physical force. I have just stopped playing tugg of war when he climbs up the rope and has teeth touching skin.
He gets ample playtime from 6-10am in the morning then 1-2pm then 3-12pm this obviously is combined with training walking and interactive play with myself my partner or supervised with my daughter.
If we tell him no we do try to distract him with a toy a game of hide and seek, but he is like a dog with a bone, he won't give it up.
Obviously this is early days 3 or 4 times a day for 3 days. I just want to do the right thing.
I had a conversation with a behaviourist yesterday whilst bradley sat with his paw on my lap with his head cocked to one side as if to listen. Im going to keep a diary of his activities during the day and when this behaviour is triggered of.

A diary is a good idea :) Its amazing how it can show things you would'n't normally notice.

I am sure you will get there Emma; most dogs go through a very "cheeky" stage and do eventually calm down so long as you are consistent. Make sure you continue your training and ask him to do lots of things for you in order to get what he wants - for example, sit before going out the back door, before lead on, before dinner, etc. All this helps with self control and coping with frustration (him not you :D )

Lindsay

Thank you all for the support. Bradley and myself are just starting out Ive never been responsible for a dog and he is obviously guided by me. He is such a lovely dog i just want to make sure we are both on the right road and im giving him the correct signals. I have alot of time to invest into him. I just do not want to stiffle his charector in any way at all.

hi

my boxer pup does this too,but only in the evenings! we'll be sat in the lounge with her then for no apparent reason she'll start barking at me and when i push her down she goes for my hands she looks and sounds quite vicious so get her and put her in the kitchen and ignore her ,when shes quiet she's allowed back in then the same thing happens again, we go on like this until she gives in and eventually falls asleep i lose count to how many times i put her back into the kitchen and then let her out again!! she's a little moo at the moment!

Ok its been awhile Ive tried all of the above he still behaving the same. If i say no he will lunge at me snapping his mouth milimetres away from my face or barging me. If I sperate myself from him he barges the door he has started taking the plaster off the wall. He also sits on me?
Has anyone got any suggetions
Regards emma

I'm probably going to get shot down here, but if my dog lunged and snapped at my face he'd have a smack and be put in his bed and he wouldn't dare come out! I'm not talking about beating the dog, but he'd get a slap round the chops, a good telling off, and out he'd go - purely because I'd be too savage to do anything else!

Its difficult to advise on here Em because so many situations are different, but I know that you and he have had a great time up till now and my feeling is probably that he is really trying his luck with you because he hasn't seen a sharp side of you yet. Willis and Phoebe will run for cover if I start yelling, and neither would dare challenge me...but I will admit that if Willis or Phoebe had ever snapped at my face then I would do whatever it took to stop that behaviour there and then!

Thats the way I'd play it, and after that, if he doesn't have a healthy respect for you, then I'd get professional help.

Totally agree with Chloe, the behaviour can reach a point where positive techniques stop working, he has to realise that when you say enough, it is enough. If my dogs step over the line and verbal admonishment is ignored they will get a quick slap on the behind or a quick scruff. At worst, when they were younger, they would be pinned to the ground until they submitted, doesn't look nice, but certainly doesn't hurt. Bear in mind, this is all that would happen in the wild.

Best of luck with Bradley, remember to keep on the praise and reward when he is being good, I'm sure the penny will drop eventually.

Hayley x

Its so difficult because one minute he is all loving and cuddling the next he is pushing bitting barging. Sunday morning he nearly had me in tears then in the afternoon he curled up around my tummy (bad cramps) and behaved very sweet and caring. Come the evening bang he is off again if we say no and try and put him in a different room or his crate he runs around the lounge then we have to physically push him into the garden or his crate. If you raise your voice it makes him worse.

Hi Emma
Don't know if this will help but .. We had a similar problem with our Akita when he was a pup. he was simply dreadful in the evenings. Completely wound up & wouldn't listen to anything. In the end, I decided he was simply overtired. You know how kids get when they are overtired - horrible, whiney, unresponsive, can't get any sense out of them - or completely hyper? Well, we started making him lie down. Took a while, but then he started falling asleep when we'd got him to stay down. He'd wake up & be a perfectly normal dog again - instead of the puppy from hell.
Your lad sounds as if he has a pretty full life, so he's not bored.
Difficult to be firm when you don't want to be confrontaional, you really need to be able to seperate yourself from him. Can you cage him? Once he realises he's not going to win, he should calm down.

You are right. On the occassion i have managed to get him into the crate he whines the sleeps then i let him out and off we go again. He is very much like a naughty 4 year old.

Hi Emma
I have two boxer boys. Charlie is 18 months and Harry is 5 months (both are little monkeys!!!)
Does Bradley get plently of exercise?
I know from personal experience that if my boys haven't had enough exercise they tend to go abit mad!!
The best form of exercise for a boxer in my opinion is running off the lead after a ball because it really tires them out. My boys get three long runs a day and it works a treat!
Yesterday i wasn't feeling very well so my boys only got one run and boy could you tell!
Charlie got so excited when he saw the field that he started doing little summersaults in the air and whining and crying!! (if you have boxers you know what i mean!!)

Try letting Bradley off his lead and really tire himself out and see if that has any effect on his behaviour!

Let me know how you get on!

Good luck
Jannine and the boys

Bradley gets two long walks both off leads chasing the ball and another pavement walk. Sometimes the pavement walk ends an off the lead sprint. (Im starting to get worried because as the evenings draw in the park we go to is a little isolated and have been advised not to walk on my own).
What i might try and do is do the afternoon walk a little later. Bradley is quite possesive over me and is a real stipler for routine. Such as my partner works in a restaurant and is rarely around int he evenings when he is bradley makes those whines and will sit on my lap trying to block my partner out. He gets very restfull and then off he goes with the attention seeking.

Some Boxer dogs (and even some bitches) are quite dominant and without realising sometimes
when a pup they are spoilt by their devoted human mum and become
a real handful, constantly wanting attention etc etc etc.
I know of 2 male dogs from the same litter that are completely the same real pains in the a**** :D
They are both attention seekers and they have a real high pitched YIP if ignored.
They are full of themselves...and constantly jump up to get any attention.
They are like youngsters with ADD! Perhaps fish oil (cod liver oil) would help the behaviour??
My friend does notice a difference if she gives her boxer cod liver oil..also might help to
look at Bradleys diet too, as it might also be making him hypo.
Keep taking him to classes and try not to laugh out loud at his antics in class (just inwardly laugh, harder but trust me!),
be firm and consistent and the message will eventually get through....honest (I just don't make any promises at what age though)
OH and the pain in the a*** that belongs to my friend is also called Bradley so perhaps it's the name, he's 2 1/2 yo!!
Time is on your side!
Kind Regards
Kirstine :)

Kristine thanks for your reply, last night he was a little better. Instead of doing an evening pavement walk. We went tearing around the park with his ball in the pitch dark (i think ive lost a few pounds) with a tourch which he loved. When we got home he sat and looked at me for a little while with his head cocked to one side and eventually lifted his paw. I took this as he wanted a treat, so we did a few training exercises which he was very eager to get right and looked like he was enjoying himself. Then he went off and chewed his bone (which im adopting as his quite time bone).
I have to admit i am a little devoted to him i do enjoy his company and im sure he enjoys mine (this morning he tried to join me in the bath bone and all).
I will also try him on a little cod liver oil. I think a little of the problem was that he was the only pup born and had constant attention from his breeder and from myself(guilty).
Im also starting agility classes with him next Sunday is there any other way i can chanel his brain and muscle something a little challenging.?
Emma

I hope you aren't too worried about him, it's very normal if very cheeky behaviour ;)

OK here's my experiences. My BSd bitch went through a very manky teenage stage, and would do flying leaps to grab hands if in the garden (she was excited by the long run up and space to be naughty in!) and indoors would show what i call "grab and nip" behaviour in the evenings.Had the same with my sister's JRT. It's really just attention seeking gone OTT.

I agree you do need to be firm. What worked with my girl?

I kept a long line on her in the house, (whilst i was home) and each and every time she grabbed, i said a very sharp "ah ah" and took her out the room by the long line. No eye contact after the Ah ah, no speaking. Ignore, ignore, ignore.

This is an immediate consequence dogs understand - expulsion/ostracisation from the pack. Because of the long lead, the dog cannot turn it into a game of chase. Because i don't nag, there is no confusion. The "ah ah" gets through as a sharper and less confrontational version of "NO" ;)

LOts of people say NO and don't mean it, or say No and point fingers and lean towards the dog with an angry expression. IMHO this can lead to more confrontation, growling, stress reactions and/or excitement. That's why i tend to not recommend it. I use Ah ah myself and it's more like communication than telling off.

I kept her out for up to 2 minutes max - if you leave the youngster out for more, they will forget :rolleyes: Then in they come, and repeat, repeat, and repeat. They may get worse, beforethey get better: this is known as the "extinction burst" and in fact means that you are getting somewhere, the dog is losing control and knows it,and is trying harder and pulling out all the stops to get you to respond on his terms.

The other things that helped, (apart from her growing up LOL) was to teach a Settle.I think someone has mentioned this above. I use a lead and get the dog to lie down, and put my foot on the lead near the collar, so that the dog can lie down but not sit up comfortably. So he stays down. Give a chew, and keep him there for a few minutes, up to 5 if you can. Calmly praise when he is good. Then release him. Repeat and lengthen/vary the Settle times.

This will start him coping better with frustration and get him into more of a habit of resting in the evenings :)

Maybe check his food too, although i doubt if it is the cause of his madness!

I'd also recommend getting "Your Dog" magazine, it has some good training articles in and a few months ago had a great one in about owner body language with photos,very revealing as was the dog's response to the person being photographed. You need to remain calm, upright and in control at all times LOL - easy eh!!! :D ;)

Best wishes

Lindsay

Thank you for your advice i have been getting to my wits end. The usual time for his attention seeking is around 7.30pm so im usually ready with a stuffed kong (i really mean stuffed) then off he goes for a couple of hours until he gets all the food out then bang is off on one.
So im going to try and put into practice the advise you all have given men
Regards from an incredibly thankfull emma

Good luck Emma :)

Don't forget, if things seem bad, we all have bad days with our dogs :( and there will be better ones and even ecstatic ones to follow and look forward to :) :) :)

Lindsay
X

Hi Emma
Let us know how you get on with the classes, I wanted to take my boys to one but the trainer dosen't accept boxers in her class!! (miserable bugger!!)
I know that they are hard work but they really are worth it because they are such wonderful dogs, with great little characters!!

Janine, thats shocking our trainer is so pleased with Bradley in class (she said he was a credit to his breed with how well he interacted with the other dogs/pups and children). We have been welcomed on the advanced training and agility. She introduced bradley to the tube a few weeks ago, he had a good sniff a little reluctant to go through threw but once he was threw there was no stopping him.
Try and find an agility group that will take him because it would be bags of fun for you and your boxer.
The trainer is also trying to help with his attention seeking as she is also a fully qualified behavourist. Its probably my fault that he is the way he is.

Emma we all make mistakes with our first dogs and our first Boxers :D
But all your hard work and effort that you are putting in now
you will reap the rewards as Bradley gets older honest!!

It sounds like you have a fab trainer!!
There are alot of clubs that won't take Boxers as they can't face
trying to train a Boxer :D
I have a club that it's trainers like my Boxer :)

Kind Regards
Kirstine

hi

my boxer is the same brilliant in the day but naughty in the evenings she too mouths hard on your hands thens continously barks at you when you tell her NO! and she will not give up when i stand up angry she rushes round and round the settee i have to pick her up and put her out ,i have tried every way to deal with it but its not working shes not agressive in any other way it almost like she wants me to get on the floor and wrestle with her!! but if i stroke her under her chest and talk to her quietly she does calm down but only for a bit ,my sisters boxer was worse he is a male he use to reduce her to dears but he grew out of it now you could'nt wish for a better house guest ,i think in general boxers play hard and love a good wrestle whether its with you or another dog ,dogs will bark in each others faces when they play i don't think he's agressive and if you use physical punishment you might make a rod for your own back because he may challenge you !

Emma, I have just been reading about your plight with Bradley - I have a 10month rottie and he is becoming unbearable to be around in the evenings...have you a number for the behavourist you have spoken to? Many thanks

Emma, sorry to hear that Bradley's behaviour has not improved.

I am not in favour of physically chastising any dog but, I agree with Chloe, lunging and snapping at your face and hands is not to be tolerated and I think you must now consider it seriously. I am not suggesting that you beat your dog but, in your position, the next time he goes for you I would grab him with hands either side of his neck, raising his front feet off the floor , stare into his eyes and give him a good shaking whist yelling at him enough to make him think the world is falling in and is about to bite him on the bum.

In a pack situation his behaviour to an alpha dog or bitch would earn him a severe mauling so a good shake and scare from you is not as harsh as it may sound. Also, do not 'make up' immediately. Ignore him for at least half an hour, no talking, no eye contact, to allow him to consider the error of his ways.

I would also cut out the snuggles and cuddles when he is demanding them. He should get attention only when you decide to give it and only on your terms. Call him to you for a pet, do not go to him, and walk away without a word or glance if he starts pushing to get your attention.

He is going to grow into a big, powerful dog so this behaviour has to stop and stop now. He must learn that he is the low figure on the totem pole and that what you say goes every time, whenever and whatever it is.

By the way, I was shocked to hear that some trainers in the UK refuse to take on Boxers! They are exremely intelligent and trainable (why else would they be so popular with the military). It is sad that they seem to have become stereotyped in some countries as clowns and buffoons. I have owned, loved, and trained Boxers for more years than I care to remember and am constantly amazed at how quickly they learn.

I very rarely post on this board but I have to intervene and say that what you have suggested is potentially extremely dangerous for the owner. Confrontational techniques like this should be avoided wherever possible especially with a powerful male dog. IMHO Emma should get professional help immediately as it is difficult to pinpoint what exactly IS happening via remote. What an owner says is happening and how behaviour is interpreted may not necessarily be what IS actually going on.

There are other non-confrontational methods which can achieve the effect you are looking for without using this high risk behaviour. As for "pack" behaviour, ABH is very rarely used, most disputes are solved by a great deal of body language and air snapping NOT a sever mauling.

Oh puuuuulease. The suggestion is that Bradley gets a short sharp shock when he snaps at his owner. Its been done on thousands of dogs if we are all completely honest! If Willis (a VERY powerful male dog - a dane) snapped at my face he would get a slap and be thrown out the house, literally - I don't care how big he is. And because he knows I'm not scared of him - he doesn't do it.

Seriously, there are times to pussyfoot around and there are times when a bit of old fashioned dog training comes into play. He is still a pup - I am sure if Em shows him just how much he has p*ssed her off then he will back off a bit. If its any more serious than she has described, or he doesn't back down the way a dog should, then yes, professional help is in order. But, IMO, he's trying his luck. He loves the cuddles and the fuss, but he is showing normal adolescent behavior when he wants something and it needs nipping in the bud.

No-one is advocating beating or excessive force.

I was not suggesting that the owner would use excessive force or beating; what I AM concerned about is that the owner gets bitten. It has happened a great deal with inexperienced owners using this method advocated by dog trainers and IMHO should ONLY be used by competent handlers who can read the dog.

It is not a question of pussyfooting around at all and yes it does need nipping in the bud however one of the reasons GOOD behaviourists refuse to give advice over the net, etc is precisely because you cannot diagnose a problem via remote. Physical confrontation of the kind advocated on here to a person that you have not met for the size of dog that you have not seen is, IMHO, potentially dangerous.

Just because something has been done a thousand times does not a) make it right or b) suitable for EVERYONE and EVERY dog.

Are you seriously suggesting that a 6 month old puppy who is trying his luck needs a behaviourist before the owner gives him a smack and puts him out the way? If so, then I really wonder which country you are living and working in - because personally, I could ONLY afford to get in a behaviourist if I was extremely concerned about an adult dogs behaviour being dangerous - personally, I don't have that kind of disposable income for a start!

I am delighted that GOOD behaviourists don't give advice over then net. Having recently had a couple of GOOD behaviourists come to my house for tv I'd be delighted if I never set eyes on any behaviourists again frankly. Emma is getting the benefit of other DOG OWNERS experience on here, not behaviourists. Whether she chooses to take ANY advice is up to her.

I have had dogs all my life, and I have never had a dog snap at my face. Pups have tried it on yes, but either my dad has given them a smack and put them out or I have, as I have grown older and owned my own dogs. Snapping at anyones face is NOT to be tolerated, not even while awaiting the advice of a behaviourist.

Edit - remember, no-one is advocating this technique with an older dog

No; I did not see anywhere in my post where I said that I "seriously suggested" that a six month old puppy who is "trying his luck" needs a behaviourist before the owner gives him a smack. Perhaps you could point that bit out.

What I DID say is that using the confrontational method of grabbing a dog by either side of its face/neck and giving it a good shake is potentially dangerous. This owner obviously IS concerned about her dog's behaviour and has come on this site to seek advice on how to handle it. Those of us who have experience in strong/difficult dogs will not need to do this as you have indicated because we do not allow this behaviour to develop in the first place, for as you rightly state, snapping in anyone's face is NOT to be tolerated.

Not all dog owners have the same experiences or knowledge and therefore to reach a balanced decision anyone seeking advice would sensibly want to research the pros and cons of the choices available and placed before them by a variety of owners with varying degrees of expertise.

I am sorry that you have had a less than positive experience with some GOOD behaviourists. There are some excellent ones out there, who also happen to be dog owners and experienced and successful competitors in many fields. There are, however, some that have lots of bits of paper but no empirical knowledge over a wide variety of dogs in a wide variety of environements. Just as there are dog trainers who could not train clematis up a trellis :)

Everyone is entitled not only to have an opinion but hopefully, to express it (as long as it is constructive) and as you rightly say everyone has a choice on whether or not to take advice and from whom :)

Fair comment - I saw your post as a response to mine, suggesting a quick smack...whereas it appears your response was more aimed toward the poster who suggested scruffing? So ok, I apologise for jumping to conclusions :)

Personally, I have never grabbed a dog either side of the face and shook it...and I have to be honest and say I wouldn't - so, I will totally agree with you there. It is dangerous, and I wouldn't put my face so close to a dog who has tried snapping before.

I'm afraid I do get defensive over a couple of methods that I firmly agree with. I hate smacking anything and I never smack my kids, but I do sometimes feel people are made to feel guilty over giving their dog a quick smack (even though most people do it) when the boundries are pushed too far. Lots of people come on here, seemingly worried about totally normal behaviour, and its totally ruining their enjoyment of their puppies. For example, so many people are worried that their pup is going to grow into a nightmare dominant male who rules the house, just because it tries to get on the sofa at ten weeks.

I'll get off my soapbox now... :)

Know just what you mean Chloe !

I agree with the smacking concept; of course we don't want physical punishment to become a way of life but occasionally, and in an emergency, a smack is worth a thousand words and can bring the message home more quickly.

The trouble with the board is that you are not always sure that your reply "matches" the one to which you are responding. I think I shall have to be more precise in future :)

Sofa scenario, so scarily familiar......:)

;)

Tohme

How I agree with you!! Sometimes I read what is suggested on here as a 'remedy' for a problem which one owner is experiencing and I cringe. Someone else will read it and try in on their dog or suggest it to a friend, and the consequences can be catastrophic. It does take a qualified/experienced handler to be able to correctly 'read' a dog, it's temperament, what it's doing and why. And yes, dog owners are looking for advise and solutions but some suggestions are downright dangerous. Grabbing a truly dominant dog around the scruff, staring into it's eyes and shaking it is openly challenging that dog and it's likely to retaliate, doing it to a nervously aggressive dog is likely to have it bite you, doing it to a fearful dog is likely to have it cowering everytime the owner goes near it etc. etc. It should only be done to a dog with a certain personality type - there is no one solution that can or should be used willy nilly regardless of the character of the dog.

Bradley and Emma have had a brilliant relationship up to now. Doing the wrong thing now could spoil that relationship and result in a loss of trust between either one or both of them.

Bradley probably does need to realise that his current behaviour is not acceptable but great care needs to be taken with regards to what method of teaching him is used so that no permanent damage is done.

"Grabbing a truly dominant dog around the scruff, staring into its eyes and shaking it is openly challenging that dog and it's likely to retaliate ...." I have seen the results and live with a dog that I rehomed last year who would do serious damage to anyone who treated him this way; that is why he is now with me and not anyone else :)

Tohme

If I had spent enough time on learning how to do smiley faces I'd give you a row!!!

I've come across a few myself along the way and those who cowered at their owners and wouldn't allow themselves to be picked up, much to the owners' despair 'cos they wanted a dog they could cuddle. They never associated their own actions of smacking their baby pup across the face with a rolled up newspaper for 'play-biting' and the resulting timid youngster they ended up with. I'd do a row of unhappy faces now!!

All the best!

My first Boxer was smacked on the nose with a paper (not by us I hasten to add)
when she was a baby puppy (now sadly at Rainbow bridge)
Whenever she saw anyone rolling up anything like a newspaper/magazine she
would snatch it out of their hands and rip the newspaper/magazine into shreds
She hated rolled up newspapers with avengance.
If ever anyone came to our house and started rolling their newspapers in their hands
I always had to explain to them to stop or else have to put up with Trudi barking and
then snatching their newspaper....they soon learned not to do so in Trudi's presence.

Can i just say I understand exactly what you both are saying and why. At the moment i give the attention when i want to give it. Food down for ten minutes only and he has to work for it. Also I have slightly adjusted his walking time in the evening to 7pm were its alot of ball games and chase (fun in the dark I can tell you). When he is settled i reward him with a very juicey bone and say settle down.
Im also trying to adopt the 'all four paws rule' where all four paws stay on the ground no going on the sofa, bed, or jumping up.
Alot to remember but he seems to thrive on consistency and routine.
With a little help from our CD freinds, we will get through the spotty teenage era together.
From a very greatfull Emma and Bradley

Hi Emma Can I just say that years ago I had a german Sheppard x dog and like you and Bradley I had a fantastic relationship with him. We were inseperable, we were absolute best buddies just like you two!!! Until he reached his teenage years! then he started challenging me, he began growling at me, barging, ignoring, snapping etc I got to the stage I was getting scared of him and he was definately spoiling our very easy relationship until one day in the car he started barking and I turned round to tell him to stop and he snarled at me with his teeth and the whites of his eyes showing and I just snapped so I stopped the car and I don`t know where I got the strength from and hoiked him from the car by the scruff of the neck and pinned him to the path by the scruff of the neck and kept shaking him screaming no, no, no, no. I then pulled him back in the car and ignored him all the way home and ignored him for the rest of the morning and then was very strict but kind for a few days afterwards. I stood above him with him under me and linked my arms under his chest and lifted his front feet off the floor on many occasions to reinforce that I was the boss.
After this incident he couldn`t do enough to please me which I praised him for. He lived to be 16 years old and was the most loyal faithful boy after this. This good shaking really did him a world of good and scared the living daylights out of him.(and me)

Well ive tried a couple of things the first was to nacker him out in the evenings his behaviour is improving. We adopted a bone which he can get in the evening when he is having a quite moment and only then which seems to be working.
He is getting back to his old self in the evenings we have implement the food stays down for ten minutes and he has to work for it. Also he has a lead on in the house just in case. This morning before I went to work we had a kiss and a cuddle like we used to when i left and he rolled onto his back giving me an upside down grin with both jowls flat on the floor.