bruce growling at unknown children

agaither · #1 09-10-2009, 02:44 PM

Our 8 month old male boxer, bruce lee, went camping with us a few weeks ago and growled everytime children walked by the site, this suprised me because he has NEVER done anything but love on children. Also he was at our home the other day when a boy around 8 yrs old got out of the vehicle he bowed up and growled so i grabbed ahold of him and pushed him away..he doesn't do this to adults only children. any suggestions or thougths appreciated. thank you!

IluvLucy · #2 09-13-2009, 05:21 PM

I can't help but wonder if a child hasn't done something to him at some point. About all you can do is some training with him and some children to get him to understand that he has nothing to fear from children. It may be best to do this under the direction of a good behaviorist though.

Indieboy · #3 09-28-2009, 02:59 PM

My 13 month old male boxer Indie has also growled three times at kids. Once, at a kid in a stroller while hiking in a state park (the owner claimed it was probably the stroller). Then again at a girl in a bathing suit (8 yrs?) alone playing on a beach and a third time at a kid in a park. He also has never growled at an adult.

All three times I was horrified by the growling but thankfully was never close enough to see if it would have escalated into something more. He has played with all sorts of kids in a group and one at a time without a single issue. He is also a "make love, not war" kinda guy. So, what am I missing?

Good post, hopefully somebody can offer some advice.

LILYLARUE · #4 09-29-2009, 07:41 AM

I think some dogs react to the energy of the child. Some kids are really high energy types. Just like other dogs, they like living things to be balanced and calm. Lily doesn't like kids that show fear. I also noticed that kids that stand there and appear calm, really aren't. There is a fear scent that the dogs pick up. If they aren't secure dogs, then they react with the same, fear.

As for being in a strange place like a campground......they may go into protective mode. Everything around them is strange. So they do get protective not only to themselves, but to what is around them. Overcoming this takes time and earning the trust from the dog that YOU are there to protect THEM. Not the other way around. They have to gain self-confidence in themselves and the confidence in you that you will take care of the pack so they don't have to.

If I were in that situation with Lily, who would react to the kids as well, I would have stood up and make her sit to my side but a bit behind me. I would stand self-assured and calm. Just my confidence would show her that I can take care of things if need be. Then I would casually sit down and give her a treat for not reacting. This has helped quite a bit with other people coming around us. She just had to learn that I control the situation and she needs to sit by and have my back when needed.

A lot of this is just insecurities. The older they get, the more things they are exposed to, the more they will gain the confidence. There also seems to be a stage common between 8mos and 1-1/2 years they get this 'fake confidence' and get all smack-down on the security job. With good training, they grow out of it. Ignore it, and you got an insecure, reactive dog.

ELubas · #5 09-29-2009, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agaither

Our 8 month old male boxer, bruce lee, went camping with us a few weeks ago and growled everytime children walked by the site, this suprised me because he has NEVER done anything but love on children. Also he was at our home the other day when a boy around 8 yrs old got out of the vehicle he bowed up and growled so i grabbed ahold of him and pushed him away..he doesn't do this to adults only children. any suggestions or thougths appreciated. thank you!

How much exposure has he had to kids? When he "bowed up and growled" do you mean lunged at the child or bowed down? I ask because my girl will throw her head back, arch her back, and do a deep throated "woo-woo" that sounds like a growl but is actually an invitation to play. At any rate, children can be an acquired taste and not all dogs, even boxers, are crazy about them...

ehayes21 · #6 09-29-2009, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ELubas

How much exposure has he had to kids?

This is my question also. Also, at 8 months your pup might be going through the second fear imprint period. During this time, things that would normally not cause a reaction in your dog can cause a fearful response - hense the growling.

So is this behavior a new thing or has he always been a little shy of kids?

agaither · #7 10-02-2009, 01:49 PM

he's been around children all his life from newborns all the way up..he absolutly loves children that we know but if we seem to have no interaction with them that is when he growls and when i said "bowed up" i ment his hair on his back stood up and he put his head low and growled..sorry for the wording.. bruce wants to play with ANY adult that comes his way but an unknown child just gets him upset. He's never been left unsupervised with any child so i don't think a child has ever hurt him. seems this may just be a normal part of "growing up" as long as is handled correctly, thanks so much for the answers and thoughts!

ELubas · #8 10-02-2009, 06:10 PM

It sounds like kids in your "territory" are fine but dogs do not generalize so kids in a new environmwnt may get his hackles up for a bit- as you say fur across his back is up and body low and wary-very normal and also a very appropriate warning-"danger! danger!" With mine, like LilyLarue said, I took the lead and stood in front and if the parents were willing broke out the treats and had the kids meet and greet. Do not forget that the boxer breed is a guarding breed and they will guard you if anything strange comes along-you need to let them know that most of the world is A-OK

Boxer wiggles to your brave boy