Nipping question

Ladies,

My husband and I have had Max our Boxer for the past three years. He is our baby, was always a good boy, he is very smart and we have always allowed him on the bed and on the couches. He has grown really big and I just couldnt handle him in the bed with us (he always slept by my feet), and so we bought a baby fence to keep him out. Before we got the fence every morning was a drama with him bc I couldnt get him off the bed! He would growl at me and even showed his teeth a few times getting ready to nip at me. I thought maybe I was too abrupt in telling him to get off the bed (bc I was always in a hurry) so I began to talk to him calmly, which of course never worked. So I literally had to pull the covers off from underneath him to get him off the bed. Fine. By the way, my husband (whenever he was home late in the morning) never went through this. He always told me that the dog felt he had control over me anf blah bla blah.

Ever since we got the fence, we obviously never had to deal with this bc he was just not allowed into our bedroom, however, we have slacked off a few times (felt bad bc he would cry) and let him in to the bedroom and onto the bed. Well, this morning was one of those days again, and my husband was home. He just called me and told me that Max did that to him! He growled and went to nip at him! Also last night he was in our bedroom trying to get onto the bed and when I went near him to pull him off the bed he went to nip at me.

Im concerned about this nipping, and I understand that obviously we made a mistake of letting him in to the bedroom again and onto the bed. I know that it has probably confused him. He is a really good boy and I know he just wants to be near us all the time since we both work and dont spend much time with him, except for evenings and the weekends when he gets attention constantly. He never does this in other instances (except when I try to clean his ears)...

Im a little worried and was wondering if any of you have experienced something similar, especially those that have Boxers. Should we be really concerned?

Message edited 12/13/2006 10:06:09 AM.

Re: Nipping question

It's a dominance issue. You're dog has claimed your bed as his own. Once you establish that you and DH are the alpha male and female, the nipping should stop.

One thing- no more bed. Maybe, try letting him sleep in the room with you, but on the floor- get him his own bed. That's all it took for us (plus a few good midnight shoves when she'd make a play for the bed).

Also, one way dogs determine dominance is by forcing one dog to roll over and grabbing around the throat. My brother had dominance issues with his male dog. Every so often when they'd play, he force Ace onto his back and kind of lay across him (even pretended to bite his neck). Believe it or not- thatworked wondersa as it conveyed to Ace in his own language that he was not the alpha male.

Good luck!

Re: Nipping question

Re: Nipping question

I agree hes showing dominance.

I am taking this wonderful traing class (well me and puppy are in the class). She told us to get "bitter apple spray" Its sold in all pet store. When the dog bits, growls, barks AT YOU, you spray it directly into their mouth covering the eyes... its no harmful... they just hate the taste. IT HAS WORKED miricals in our house. Bailey is such a good boy... but has trouble with mouth when we play and when he wants to play. I think i have only used the spray 3 times and it already stopped. last night acutally he started pulling on my pant leg when i was on thephone... i reached for the spay... he saw the bottle and stopped. Its worth a try... Let me konw how it goes!!

GOOD LUCK!

Re: Nipping question

I agree with the others...and second getting Max his own bed in the bedroom.
Our older dog used to sleep in the bed with DH before we got married and whenever I would sleep over his apartment she would always try to sleep in the bed with us, usually sleeping ON me!
Now she will usually go upstairs to bed before we do, but she knows when mommy and daddy get in bed, she has to get off. I usually just tell her "go on your bed" and she goes...sometimes she even sleeps under the bed...
Our puppy on the other hand sleeps in a crate that we have in the bedroom as well

Good Luck