The truth is, I have seen the behavior starting to develop in Miles. He has always shown aggression towards strangers through barking (although test him and he would never bite), and recently he has even shown aggression towards Mila on walks when we come across other dogs. Now normally, Miles is a fantastic dog. He barks only when strangers come over, he has never had food aggression, he plays gently, he doesn't chew up furniture, he's smart as can be, and he listens to me most of the time. But now that I have seen him go after a dog, who at one point he loved, I know it's time to address the behavior.
I know it doesn't help that he feeds off of Mila's energy, and that energy comes from Mila being a full Boxer, which are notorious for high amounts of energy. Because of this reason, I have decided to start with Mila. Miles becomes an unrecognizable dog when Mila gets over excited.
Anyway, while my friend was over with her dogs, I couldn't help but notice how well behaved they were, not to mention how well they listened to her. Granted, she constantly had to stay on top of what they were doing, but they really were well behaved. Her dogs are both older than mine, so she has definitely had time to work with them, whereas Mila is still only 10 months old and has a long way to go. After talking to my friend about what I do, she agreed that I'm doing the right things, but we both agreed that I can't be afraid, or embarrassed, to discipline them in front of company, which is where my mistake falls.
John and I both enjoy watching "The Dog Whisperer." We have picked up some really great tips that have helped us, especially with Mila.
First, we recognize that Mila needs exercise first, discipline second and love third. This is hard sometimes because we literally both have busy schedules. John has two jobs and I have one job that requires a lot of my time some weeks. There are some days that I literally do not get to see the sun because I have been at work that early, and that long. That's where having two dogs come in handy, they really do wear each other out. On the days I do have available I try to get them on 1-2 mile walks in the morning and then another .5-1 mile walk at night. Those are the days Mila seems to do the best.
Second, I try Cesar's technique that requires us to hold her on her side for however long it takes for her to completely relax. This takes major patience! I have been on the ground holding her down for as long as 10 minutes before. That may not seem long, but please, you try it and tell me that it doesn't feel like forever. Sometimes, it becomes very difficult to stay "calm and assertive," which prolongs the process and tests my patience even more so. However, once I get her completely calm, she is a whole new dog. Cesar must know something.
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| Here is a great example of a dog showing submissive behavior |
Next, I realize that I need to look into some training classes. This is hard, because again, my schedule is inconsistent so it would be hard to watch me waste my money on training classes that I ultimately would not be able to attend. The next best thing would be to look into a dog trainer that would come to your house. I know there are some in my area, as I see it advertised all the time. But to be honest, I have seen enough dog trainers on Cesar Millan's show that need help to know that there are a lot of dog trainers out there that only know enough to get them by. Again, I would hate to waste my money on someone who only knows the bare minimum.
For now, I'm trying this solo. So far it has been working, although slowly. We have friends and family who swear Mila gets better and better with each visit. For this reason I am going to continue to do what I have been doing, just more consistent and strict. Once I get Mila and her energy under control, I can then move to Miles and work on his aggression.
If anyone has any advice on a well behaved dog, I would love to hear it! Or, if you also have a dog that has difficulty behaving, share your story as well!
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