HELP!!! Rocky's Adolescent Behavior...Is it aggressive? Need some advice

[barbiedoll]

Hi all,

We love our Rocky dearly, but sometimes..... ....I get a little worried about his behaviour.  He is 8 mos. and around 115 pounds.

Here are some of the things he does that are of concern:

1.  He has recently started to try and jump up on people as a greeting.  He is about 115 pounds and has knocked my six year old over a couple of times now.  I am not exactly sure how to handle this outside of scolding him.

2.  My son decided to have a staring contest with him and Rocky lunged at him.  He wasn't growling or anything I think it was more of a play thing.  I have also noticed that Rocky will sometimes try to engage me in a staring contest. 

3.  When he wants to play....he wants to play and will keep bugging and not listen to any commands.

4.  If there is food on the table, counter etc.  he will keep trying to get at it until I pull him away.  He doesn't listen!!!

It is as if he does things only when he is ready. If I say "out" when he goes into an off limits room (my kids' rooms I am afraid he will choke on their little toys) He won't leave until I grab his collar. He seems to be challenging me alot. I feel as if he doesn't respect me!!!!!!

Any suggestions?  I am worried that this is the start of aggressive/dominant behaviour.

Barb


 

[navarre1316]

Ahhhhh, adolescence... ...you just have to be consistent, it's like your kids trying a babysitter the first time they keep them to see how far they can go!  You also need to make sure that your kids are giving him the same commands that you are.  The staring, sounds like a play thing.  My 6yr old boxer still does it, and when I don't want to play, I don't look at her, no matter how long she sits in front of me staring.  But you must be consistent and patient or yes this will turn into a problem.

Try putting him on a sit/stay when people come in, and the only time he gets love is when he's sitting and still.  This will definitely NOT work at first, but keep trying!!  Good luck.

[Anakalia]

OMG!  That sounds like Koby when he was 8 months old.  I wouldn't say it's aggressive behavior although he is trying to test you.  We took the tough love approach with Koby and we let him know that we are the alpha not him.  It took awhile and lots of training with a strict schedule but the good news is they do grow out of that stage.  I know how frustrating it can be. 

[Kermit]

It doesn't sound like aggression to me, it just sounds like typical behaviour for a dog who hasn't been given a lot of boundaries. Also sounds like he needs more exercise, as an outlet for all the enrgy he has. Do you walk him every day?

Sounds like you need the ol' "Nothing In Life Is Free" approach, starting right now. You will find plenty of info on it if you search for NILIF on this site or the internet.

[barbiedoll]

Hi there,

I do walk him everyday.  I wonder if I am walking him long enough?  How long should I be walking him at this point? 

Barb

[Kermit]

If you are walking him every day that is great. :) I wouldn't necessarily aim for longer walks because he is still a puppy and you don't want to stress those growing bones too much.

How does he do on the leash? Does he pay attention to you as you walk, or is he all over the place? The walk is a great time to establish yourself as the leader of your dog. He needs to be polite on the leash, walk by your side, and not pull you. If he is well-behaved on the walks it shows that he respects you. If he is "naughty" on walks, it is a sign that he doesn't respect you. Respect is what you want- it is going to keep him from doing all the behaviors you described in your original post.

Here is the NILIF I was talking about, hopefully this link will work for you. If you haven't heard of it before, it is a whole new way of approaching your dog, and I think it is a must with large breeds like Danes. He might just outweigh you someday... so you want to be prepared! ;)

http://www.boxerrescue.com/Forms/Nothing%20In%20Life%20Is%20Free.doc