[cedlin]

Hi guys, we originally had two Boxers, but after our losing our female we decided to get a friend for my male Boxer. We saw a posting at our local SPCA for a Boxer mix 2 year old female and decided to pick her up. She was really friendly towards my older Boxer and they hit it off great. After a couple of months, we decided to get a third dog...an 8 week year old Border Collie. All pups get along great, but Molly our Boxer mix has grown really close to Abby, the young border collie. Our old boy Kovu, who's now 8, doesn't really play much with them...he loves the company, but the other two are now at a point where the rough housing can get a little out of hand. We also noticed that Molly is becoming more aggressive towards other dogs. Abby the young one is following in her footsteps which we don't really like. We were hoping that they would kinda follow Kovu's lead...he's so mellow with everyone and any dog. We're wondering if a dog park is a good way to get Abby and Molly more friendly towards other dogs. At the moment, they tend to start barking at anything and everything that comes near our yard.

[suebgone]

the rough housing is only getting out of hand because you are allowing it too.

are they all getting at least one 20 - 30 minute walk daily? they are getting aggressive from bordom & the need for exercise that walks provide. you will need to take the older one seperately as the others will want to go much faster & be a handful. this makes for a good bonding & training time too.

do not use those ridiculous flexileads.

you said the BC was 8 weeks year old, so I'm guessing you meant weeks. if she has not completed ALL series of shots ( 16 wks ) she should not be going anywhere at all.

no a dog park is not a good place to take 2 dog aggressive dogs. matter of fact most of them are not a good place to go period. YOU need to provide these dogs with individual attention, exercise & training.

you can google NILIF for instant help in becoming the leader/alpha dog & check on reputable obedience classes - your local shelter or kennel club should be able to guide you there

[cedlin]

thanks for the reply....yes, they're getting daily exercise, however, we tend to go on a trail and let them loose...is this a good thing or should we be walking them on a leash instead? Thanks for the info on the dog park...
Actually, the Border Collie is now 5 months old and has all her shots...she and the 2 year old Boxer mix have really bonded, but I hate the fact that she growls and hair stands up anytime something passes by the yard. We're telling her "No" when she does it and definitely don't pet her when she's like that.

[suebgone]

how does she react if you are out on the trail & another dog should come upon you? can you guarantee she will come back to you?

does she stop when you tell her no? if you see something before she does tell her no before she sees it

these are the things I think you need to consider but I would never put them into a dog park. there's always the squirt bottle too

[cedlin]

If we're out on the trail, i have to tie her up as soon as we see another dog. The hair on her back stands up and she starts to growl...i tell her "NO" and even put her on her back until she calms down. She seems to be getting a little better, but i thought by having her around other dogs would make her a bit more sociable.

[fearfuldogs.com]

Dog parks are not always good places for a shy or reactive dog to be. You need to be sure that this dog only has wonderful experiences with other dogs. Being overwhelmed at a dog park, or even bullied is not going to help the situation any. You need to understand that forcing this dog to deal with things that scare her can make her behavior worse. Please learn about triggers, thresholds, counter conditioning and desensitization. You need to work on making sure that this dog has only positive associations with other dogs. Go to a puppy class where interactions can be controlled, make some play dates.
This site has information about how to help dog feel more confident.

Working with a fearful, scared or shy dog

[fearfuldogs.com]

Do not punish this dog for its behavior. Doing a rollover is just plain wrong! The dog is afraid and saying so. You say you roll the dog over until it is calm. A roll over is an extremely aggressive thing to do to a dog. Dogs rarely do it to each other, a dog chooses to roll over to show that it means no harm. What you may be seeing is a dog that is shutting down. Your dog is also losing trust in you. Even a verbal reprimand is not appropriate. The dog is doing what it thinks it needs to do to protect itself. If you stop the dog from growling and keeping dogs away it may escalate its behavior. YOU need to keep other dogs away from it so that the dog is subthreshold in regard to its triggers. You NEED to work on counter conditioning, not just exposing the dog to scary things. You really need to understand how dogs learn new behaviors and how to change how dogs feel about things. This roll over business is dangerous and totally inappropriate.

Consider reading Click To Calm or Feisty Fido or The Cautious Canine.

You can find a list of good books to help with a scared dog here

Working with a fearful dog