Last Updated on 2022-02-03 by Admin
Boxers are an amazing breed of Dogs. Two to Three Year Old Boxers have an incredible amount of energy. We spend lots of time at the dog park since Annie was old enough to go to dog parks. We were keen to have a well-socialized dog. Being Socialized among dogs and people meant a more integrated life for Annie.
Not All Dogs Do Well In A Dog Park
Initially, Annie was doing very well at the dog park but eventually got bossy. In time, it got to the point that when two dogs were fighting, Annie would go between them and acting as she was the police. I was disappointed in Annie’s behaviour. That incident made me reflect on how Annie behaved in the dog park over the year. My wife was not happy about the situation either, so we decided to cut out the dog park.
Why Does My Dog Misbehave At The Dog Park?
When experiencing changes with Annie, we try to understand what is going on with her. Often my wife knows the answer. She had many Boxers in the past. This time Annies behaviour was something new for both of us. Boxers generally are not aggressive dogs. They are more clowns and lovers than fighters.
While looking for and answering Annie’s behaviour, I came across a PowerPoint presentation called “what is my dog saying at the dog park.” The presentation is dated but packed full of information. And what I learned is there are signs of how stimulated\exited a dog is. There are stages of excitement. When the peak is reached, dogs get aggressive. What seems to happen to Annie is that she gets overstimulated in the dog park. The presentation uses the term arousal instead of stimulated or excited.
Its The Dog, Not The Dog Park
Instead of going to the dog park with Annie, we walked in the field with here and let her run. She played one on one with other dogs she knows just fine. Annie starts to bark intensely when multiple dogs are playing, and the signs from the dog park behaviour started to show. One on one, Annie does well, but when more than one dog play, Annie gets over-excited. We keep an eye on Annie when she plays with multiple dogs.
Interestingly, Annie went to doggy daycare, not once were we told that Annie misbehaves. We made a point of asking every time Annie goes to Doggy daycare. And every time we hear, she was no different than the other dogs. Something we have a hard time believing, based on Annie’s past behaviour with multiple dogs.
Two To Three Year Old Boxer, Stubborn, But Maturing
Boxer starts at around two years of age to mature. They become more independent and are more forceful in communicating what they want. Going for walks with Annie meant that she would be acting more like a mule than a dog on several occasions. She is super determined to get here way, and at times ignored use.
But by the end of two years old, Annie starts to amaze us. She listened better and generally was more mature. Still stubborn. Annie has always been that way. But not to the extent that she was like a mule.
Our play in the morning was much more enjoyable. Annie and I were much more in tune with one another. And she comes when I call her.
The Bonding Game
Annie and I had a game going in one of the fields we frequent. We would walk to the middle of the area, where I let Annie off-leash. Then I kick a children’s football as far as I could in the direction of a big human-made hill. While Annie as running after the ball. I ran the opposite direction towards the edge of the field, where massive rock blocks were laying. When I reached the rocks, I would turn and see Annie sitting on the hill, watching me. We are looking at one another from afar. Then I open my arms and whistle. That’s when Annie comes running at full speed towards me with her football in her mouth. How can you not love a two to three year old Boxer when playing?
Early Morning Training To Be Proud Of
At age two and a half, I also spent months working on Annies recall in the early mornings. At first, it was a bit hit and miss. But then she got excellent at coming back. I remember one morning in the fall, we just entered the field, and I had kicked the children football when I noticed a skunk walking across the area. Annie had also seen the Skunk and headed towards it. That’s when I yelled, “Leaf it.” And to my total surprise, she ran with the ball to the top of the human-made hill and waited. Wow, was I impressed. At my position by the rocks, I waited for the Skunk to disappear under the fence. Then I called Annie, and she came running like usual. That was a proud moment. At home, I told my wife what happened. She was also surprised and proud of Annie for not running after the Skunk. Our training was going well.
I Spoke Too Soon
The next morning we did our routine and went to the field. I scanned the area for skunks. Everything was clear. I let Annie loose, and we started our game. Annie is on top of the hill, and I’m by the large rocks. I open my arms and whistle. Annie starts running towards me. Annie drops her ball and starts running in a different direction. As I scan where she is running to, I see a skunk.
Getting Skunked
Right away, I Yell, “Leave it.” Annie hesitates, I call her to come. Annie starts coming towards my direction, then suddenly changes her mind and chases the Skunk. I run after her, trying to reach her. At this point, she got sprayed by the Skunk. For a second, Annie tried to rub her face in the grass in front of her. Then she went after the Skunk again. Annie was right at the skunks rear, ready to bite when she got resprayed. Still, Annie had not enough and was going after the Skunk a third time and got sprayed. That is when I was able to grab Annie and put her on the leash.
A Stinky Situation
At this point, You would think, even Annie had enough. No, she wanted to go after the Skunk again, but no chance of that with her on the leash. I turned away from the Skunk and pulled Annie in my direction. That is when Annie was trying to rub her face in the grass.
If a skunk has never sprayed you, please note. It does not smell like Skunk initially. It smells something like burned rubber. After it wears off a bit, it smells like Skunk.
On the way home, Annie was not happy at all. She got sprayed right in her face, probably also in her nose. I took her home. Then I went straight to the balcony with her. There I washed Annie with a mix of water and 3 % hydrogen peroxide. I was making sure not to get anything on her eyes. And after each clean, I use water to make sure to wash off any trace of hydrogen peroxide.
On the bright side, I got a lasting memory from my two to three year old Boxer girl.
Conclusion
Annie, as a two to three-year-old Boxer, was memorable. For the good and not so good experiences. But it was when Annie was between two and three years old that a strong bond developed. We were in tune with one another. It was then that I bought the video “Intro to relationship centred training” by Suzanne Clothier. It is about utilizing the bond that we have with our Dog to train them. The title alone was already pointing to what I had experienced with Annie. It is the way to teach Annie. The video was informative, and I was happy to see how great dogs can interact with humans. That is if the human decides to also focus on the Dog.
Building a relationship with a dog is a fantastic thing. On many mornings while I’m out for a walk with Annie. I wonder if dogs can read minds. Just incredible, the connection one can have with a dog. They are so intuitive and have tremendous observation power. Without having experienced it, I probably would not believe how in tune one can be with a dog. It is incredibly rewarding to have a great relationship with a two to three year old Boxer.
I one of my earlier posts called Wanting a Boxer Puppy, I did mention that a two-year-old boxer instead of a puppy in an excellent choice.
Products
Please note that I have purchased and own the PowerPoint presentation and video mentioned in this article. I don’t particularly appreciate being interrupted while reading. For that reason, the products are at the bottom of the post.
Disclaimer: I like to make you aware the I’m in affiliation with Dogwise. Should you decide to purchase one of the products through the links below, it would give me a chance to earn a commission at no extra cost to You.
What is my dog saying at the dog park
Intro to relationship centred training
Resources:
Suzanne Clothier web siste – https://suzanneclothier.com/