Expert: Lindsey - 1/12/2008

Question
hi, thanks for you time, i have a boxer bitch aged 17months, she is a rescue and was 8 months old when i got her, she has only been with one young family before me, they realized that she may be to wild around there young baby so gave her up,
my question is quite simple, in the park she is fine off the leed, she will come back, play with the ball everything, but when it comes to other dogs she is very unpredictable, she has never bitten another dog, but she does the stand over growling thing when ever another dog shows any sign of submission, if the dog is aggressive she cant get further away, but then there are a few dogs on the park she will tolerate and let jump all over her, because i cant pin point her problem i find it hard to train her not to jump on dogs! is this a dog behavior problem or normal, if normal how is the best way to train her out of it, she loves being out that much that she wont eat treats, not even best ham!! hope you can help or just have answers, many thanks, chris

Answer
It would probably be a good idea to skip the park for now.  While this is an excellent way to socialize your boxer, as they are high energy, your female is just not quite ready for this kind of situation.

By her showing aggression to the submissive dogs, she is asserting her dominance.  This can lead to fights, and is not good in a park type situation with other people’s dogs.  Especially since she seems to have never had any proper obedience training, I suggest starting some with her.  In the rescue I volunteer for, we make it mandatory that all adopted dogs have obedience training.  This is the best way to make sure your dog sees you as the pack leader, and will listen to you and your commands even when she feels like doing the opposite at the park.  Socialize her extensively on leash first; do not let her run free off lead when you can’t really predict what she will do at any given situation.  Take her to places where she can socialize with other dogs on leash: like long walks, friend’s houses, or even the pet store.  Once she has completed obedience and has learned proper manners, you should be able to incorporate these actions at the park.