Expert: Jannie Balliett - 3/12/2011

Question
We have a 6 mth old male boxer that gets over excited and jumps on us and bites our hands arms and clothes.
He does this when we come home and when he comes into the house (every time)after being let outside for a short time.
He has had obedience training but had problems focusing with the other dogs there.  The trainer tried seperating him with a turned over table with little success.
We know boxers are excitable as our last boy did get excited when we came home but settled down after a bit of acknowledgement.
We have lots of dog training books but nothing seems to work.
The dog will not listen in this state and barks and growls at us when we try to address his actions verbally or by physically removing him from the room.
Do you have any suggestions?

Answer
Unfortunately, puppies learn how to be "big, bad Boxers" from their mothers, and play by biting and nipping and locking mouths, and even "boxing."

He is still a puppy and regards you all as his play buddies as he did with his litter mates. It is the only way he knows how to play.

You will have to teach him what is acceptable behavior and what is not acceptable.

This is a job because he is not regarding you and any adults as alphas, but as play mates.

In order to help establish the alpha position, you and anyone else in the household (older children and adults) can try this:

Place his food dish on the counter or table filled with his food (the amount he is fed) and place cookies or crackers on the counter or table behind his food dish.

Have him watch you, and stand and eat the cookies or crackers without looking at him. When finished, place his food dish down on the floor and tell him it is okay to eat.

In the wild, the alpha eats first and eats all he wants and allows the pack to eat when he is finished if there is anything left over for them to eat.

Do this for a few weeks as you practice putting him in a submissive position.

When he plays rough like that, force him down into a laying position and hold him there with no verbal commands, but simply the holding him down into a submissive position. He will eventually be submissive, arms and paws up, belly up, something such as that.

When he submits, let him go and you can give him a treat for his submission and obedience.

Practice those and let me know how it has worked for you in a follow-up. You should be the alpha in his eyes by then.