hi I have a 18week old boxer lab x that we got from a rescue kennel at 12 weeks old.She is a sweet heart to me and is train well. except she is  very aggressive to my children at first I thought she was just rough playing  and it would get better but the other day she bit onto my 9year old daughters pants and start thrashing back and forth my husband try to stop her and it took every thing to get her to let go then she snapped harshly at him. i can't amagine what would have happened if we didn't stop her ,and there have been many other thing she has done but this was the worst .I have been read lots about it and feel I am trying everything taking all aggressive play away (tug a war ect....)and more.I have 5 kids and run a daycare so I a'm very worried about what she could do to some one.my husband thinks we should take her back to the kennel because he doesn't trust her at all . and thinks because she is still a pup they may be able to find her a more suitable home.but I just love her to pieces ! Would she be better off not being around kids. help what should i do !   p.s  I am now so worried i have her on leash 24/7. please help!!

Hi Kaleena, have you attended any form of training classes with her since you first got her from the rescue centre?

It is impossible to accurately diagnose this type of behaviour over the internet :(  It really needs someone very experienced in canine behaviour to physically be there to assess why she is behaving the way she is and conclude whether this is actual aggression - which although very unusual at such a young age is not impossible - or whether it is simply over zealous play and she has not learned bite inhibition (ie. that her teeth hurt others and so she should never use them with any force) coupled with lack of basic manners (which could also account for her snapping at your husband).  Try visiting this link and see if it helps you understand how puppy biting can actually be viewed positively and incorporated into normal every day training
http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm

Without doubt you do need help and I'd recommend contacting the rescue centre which she came from and asking if they have someone on staff or who they could recommend that could assess your puppy - she is after all very young still ;)  Also speak to your vet and ask can he/she recommend a reputable behaviourist.  In the meantime it is clearly not advisable to have her around children, even when supervised, particularly in view of your professional contact with them.

Should it be determined that she really only requires a structured training regime this need not mean that you have to give her up - sometimes solutions are not nearly as complex as we imagine.  However if it is determined that there is a temperament issue it is clearly safer to return her to the centre and hope they can find her a suitably experienced home with no children.  Good luck and keep us posted.  Teri :)

Have sent you a private message kaleena.