The dog musing/vent thread

I'll just sneak her home and when someone notices I'll gasp and exclaim "She must have multiplied!" :rofl1:

You may not need two, but I need my own Rigby.

At the county shelter.

Think I'm taking home a one year old Boxer. Because I heart chaos.

Do it.

Headed back to the shelter with Astro now. If they get along, it's over.

So exciting!! I can't wait to hear how it goes. I love boxers, such goofy happy DOGS

Hmm.

In a surprise turn of events, Astro - the dog who overwhelms so many other dogs with his back-pawing, play-bow-spazzing, whirling dervish play style - was overwhelmed. And kind of grumpy.

The boxer was very appropriate overall. Kept coming up to Astro from underneath, laying down and licking up at Astro's mouth, whining and crying. They played very well for about twenty minutes but it was HOT and Astro was done, we took them inside to see how they'd do there and that's where tension arose. The boxer wanted to keep playing and Astro wanted to lie down on the cool tile and recuperate (his heat tolerance is zero). Was the first time I've ever seen Astro get fed up, and it was fairly alarming - he went from "you bug me go away" to stiffening and walking directly up to the boxer in a straight, slow line for a face snap. No contact and the boxer reacted well (shook it off, left Astro alone for a bit) but I've never seen Astro act that way so I'm not sure it's the best fit. To be honest Astro is a terrier Pei mix, it's no surprise he doesn't approve of being challenged or feeling threatened. The boxer played the way boxers do, lots of chest slams, and I think Astro was flustered - he's always played well with dogs smaller than him if they can keep up, and dogs his size, but this is the first one that can and does knock him right over that he's encountered.

The shelter behaviorist said nothing looked outright alarming or enough to say they don't recommend I adopt him, it would just need careful monitoring. I have til tomorrow to think it over. Thoughts?

Go with your gut.

My dogs have always acted differently with dogs in the home versus dogs in a strange environment. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse, but always different.

It may not be "love at first sight" type of a deal, but it also doesn't sound like a horrible match.

So go with your gut.

While they were actually playing did Astro appear to enjoy himself? Did they ever get over aroused and have to be stopped? Did they take turns as far as who chased who? If the Boxer ran away or paused did Astro move towards him to continue playing?

You have said that you want an adolescent who will frequently play with Astro. So it's very likely, unless it's the sort of shelter/rescue that has frequent play groups with the dogs, that Astro is going to have to teach the young dog manners no matter who you get. So if the actual play, while it was happening, appeared to be enjoyed by both, and the Boxer did back off when Astro corrected him, AND Astro's correction was appropriate (both in what triggered it and in it's severity) then I wouldn't be super concerned. That said it's sooooo hard to say when you've only got one meeting to go off of. Can they meet again tomorrow? I'd also try to see how easily you can distract and redirect the Boxer from Astro, that will help you see how easy/difficult stopping the pestering will be once you're home. Realize you likely will have to help Astro out in teaching the boxer when to leave Astro alone.

The Boxer sounds fairly typical of the breed though, their play style can be alarming to other dogs so even normally friendly dogs don't always get along with them. Add to that the fact that the boxer may be under exercised and under stimulated, plus Astro was in an unfamiliar place in hot weather, it just was a lot for Astro to deal with.

Again, really hard to say. It depends just how annoying and persistent the boxer is and if Astro will be more or less tolerant at home.

Also, I checked over the post but couldn't find an answer, is the boxer a male or female?

See the thing is, I don't know what my gut is telling me...Astro's reaction threw me for such a loop. Going to order dinner and think it over.

They played very happily for the most part, but actually now that you've mentioned it I think the tension started earlier than I first thought - I think the lead up was the boxer bowling Astro over a couple times when they were playing in the yard. They took turns and chased reciprocally, but as Astro got tired it turned into the boxer following more often, and Astro looking for an escape route.

It was hard to judge even for the staff. Astro did initiate play again a few times indoors but it was so half-hearted, more like he was just giving in to the general tone of "this other galumph wants to play." I felt his corrections were a little unnecessarily harsh, they weren't violent but they were, in the words of the behaviorist, quite pushy. She said she didn't want to use the word dominant for its problematic/complex connotations, but honestly Astro did look a bit dominant to us. There were a few times where Astro marched up to the boxer when he was laying down trying to initiate play (in that kind of tense springy down) and stood over him staring directly at him like "you WILL knock that off," like he really meant business if the boxer didn't acquiesce. Honestly both were being so 100000% not-subtle but it was still hard to suss out somehow? The boxer seemed tractable but I think if he hadn't been, things might have escalated...I could see them being great together once the boxer learned to let up, but I could also see Astro over correcting him for doing what Astro himself always does! Apparently he can dish it but he can't take it

I definitely would have to help teach the boxer to leave when Astro is done. Was hard to gauge when I have no relationship to the boxer, and the dog has no training to speak of, not even name awareness.

The boxer is male, which is also something I'm thinking about...Astro has been great with both genders thus far, but this interaction makes me wonder. The boxer was being so appeasing (in a boxer-y way - he was still gunning for play) and Astro was peeved nevertheless. I don't know when the boxer was neutered exactly but it was recently. Astro was a pediatric neuter, he was done by the time I adopted him as a baby puppy.

I can't let them meet again tomorrow unfortunately.

It's a hard situation to judge. Juno tends to come on REALLY strongly when she's let loose with a dog for the first time. She's just... well, a boxer. Kind of obnoxious and in your face. I referee for a bit so that the other dog isn't completely assaulted by her happiness, but she always tones it down once the initial excitement wears off.

This happened when I first brought Happy home and I was totally like OMG Juno this geriatric grandma does not want you all over her trying to wrestle. After a little bit of time (we're talking a couple hours, not days or weeks) she was over it and Happy wasn't a big deal anymore.

On the flip side, Juno and Cajun had a PERFECT first meeting, but things started to go south a bit once we actually brought Cajun home! So, I don't have concrete advice for you... just that it's really hard to know how things are going to be actually be from 1 meeting.

Yeah that's part of what I love about boxers actually, their gung-ho attitude!

It is really difficult. My fear is that the boxer would retaliate instead of listening to the corrections, because Astro's demeanor (and breed mix) suggest that he would not back down. But then, nothing about the boxer watching this interaction suggested he couldn't be taught to listen - he was just a dope trying to play with someone who was tired.

Can you do another "playdate"?

I never judge by the first meeting who my dogs will end up liking and getting along with because so far, it seems that the ones that have had an initial spat become best friends while the" instant friends" wore on each other.

It's hard though when you are adopting and just don't know

I think boxers are the dog equivalent of that grabby kid at preschool who touches everybody way too much. At daycare they come on way too strong to all the other dogs, and are most likely to get into fights with other boxers because, at the same time, they don't tolerate rudeness well. For some reason "I don't like being slapped in the head with a paw" never translates to "I should not slap other dogs in the head with my paw".

Baby boxers at daycare all follow the same pattern: Little babies sit on the feet of whoever is attending the yard, occasionally venture out to do something incredibly rude to another dog, and then flee in terror back to sit on feet again. Eventually they gain the confidence they need to be incredibly rude full-time and no longer need human reassurance when other dogs get offended and try to squish them.

I love them on an individual basis, they're all delightful happy dogs, but I can't imagine trying to live with that. I'm kind of assuming they sort of get a clue eventually in less chaotic environments.

I can't, unfortunately. I am going to call and see if I could do a trial period. I suspect they'll say no but I want to check.

See this is Astro, annoyingly happy and rude. What's aggravating about this whole thing is that the reason I like the boxer, is that he's like Astro! Bouncy, pushy - but apparently Astro can't deal with another dog acting the exact same way he is, he is the only one allowed to be obnoxious.

Put in an application, I'll deliver her to you myself



^^ This

Cobain was not impressed with Rigby on their first meeting, when she ran up and greeted him by jumping on his face....and was visibly upset that she was coming home with us.
Yet after a few hours of being home together I found them cuddled together in the same dog bed - to this day, Rigby is still the only dog that he will allow to lie that close to him.

First impressions are hard for all species

Yeah, dogs are weird. Josefina and Yumi, the two who HATES each other are now getting along like nothing happened :/, of course they are not left alone unsupervised outside yet, but their last scrap seemed (I guess???) Seems to have settled whatever rift they had BTW them.

My friend has a short question about targeting. She hasn't found any new threads where she could ask about it so she thought she could ask her question in this thread, if it's ok?

She tried to teach Lotta to touch her hand with her snout. However, Lotta started to lick it instead. :rofl1: She did also other silly things. We made a video about it but we couldn't upload it (because my phones internet connection didn't work ). So, how could my friend get Lotta to do it without licking her hand? It shouldn't be a part of the behavior.

If she EVER touches the hand without licking click and treat right away. Do not reward for licking, you can even pull your hand away when she licks then offer your hand again a second later to try again. You can try waiting her out to see if she eventually stops and once she does work from there. She's just confused. Once she stops licking she may be a little clueless as to what you want so you may need to start by rewarding her for looking at your hand or moving towards your hand but not actually touching it yet.

You could also try using your fist or a pointer finger to start if you think she's less likely to lick when you hold your hand that way. Then transition to an open palm once she understand what you want.

You could also teach her to touch an object with her nose first. She will be less likely to lick an object than a human hand. After she's learned to touch a few different objects try teaching with your hand again. Even if she starts by licking she should figure out to try touching when licking isn't rewarded because touching stuff with her nose usually gets her rewarded.

I'm surprised I don't have a black eye today. I was sitting on the floor doing some tricks with Cajun and she legit decided to just use my FACE as a launch pad. Dear God what am I getting myself into with this dog. :rofl1: