Expert: Renee Cox - 5/31/2008

Question
hi, i live in a family with 3 kids ( 16, 12, 10 years old). Our boxer is 7 months
old today. He is a chriptorchid (both of his testicles haven't dropped). He is a
great and sweet dog most of the time. The problem is that he will sometimes
jump up at us and have a very mean growl. He doesn't necessarily bite, but it
is like we are being attacked. We are very frightened and don't want to give
him away. It has happened on walks and in the house. He even did it to my
husband who the dog usually respects. We don't know what we are doing
wrong. please help us. Thanks

Answer
Hi! The best thing that you can do for your dog is to find an obedience class and take him to it. It will teach you and your dog. He should not be doing this. I'm not saying that anything is wrong with your dog, just that he should not be allowed to do this, especially if it scares you guys. 7 months can be a trying time. That's why it's so important that he gets the proper training now, and teach him what is or isn't acceptable. A trainer is the best thing that you can do for him right now. A trainer will show you exactly how to handle this, and how to teach your dog not to do this behavior. You can contact your vet, or local dog club to find out about classes. A lot of times the classes are low cost, or even free. Good luck!