My cockapoo girl, Willow, is 4 months old and my parents Boxer male, Buster, is 5 months old.
They have played/walked together once-twice a week since they were tiny.
Buster is obsessed with her and can't leave her alone. He has always been very bouncy and full-on with her and has a habit of wanting to stand over her and knock her over. We would separate them if it got too much, but Willow would generally happily go back to him for more play.
Over the past month Willow has become a lot tougher and we have had to break a few 'strong' play fights up that have escalated. Then they'll tootle off, have a drink together and begin playing again.
On Friday night, I took Willow to my parents house and the two of them broke into a crazy play-fight as usual, (we had to break them up a little) which tends to die-down a bit after 10-15 mins. We them took them out for a 45 min walk on the leads. When we came home, Willow decided she didn't want to play anymore and wanted to chew on some toys instead. Buster was trying his best to make her play and kept stealing the toy and running off with it. If Willow didn't follow, he would come back to check her, then go get the toy and bring it back to her. After a while she started growling when he took it, yet this got Buster more excited (any attention from Willow, be it good or bad, is better than none).
However Willow then found a marrow-bone toy and when Buster went near her she really growled this time, as to protect 'her' bone. So I decided neither of them were to have it and took it off her. Then Willow launched at Buster in what can only be described as a rage. I immediately grabbed her by the collar and pushed her away, she looked at me and I shouted no, but as soon as I looked away she legged it after Buster, so then my mum grabbed her by the ear, pulled her towards her and hit her repeatably. Willow then coward into the corner. After 10 minutes cooling off time Buster was then itching to get to her again.
She had drew blood on Busters ear so I felt terrible, but also terrible that my mum had dragged my 4 month old puppy by the ear and hit her. My mum proceeded to say Willow is showing very dominant behaviour and I'm going to need to be a lot tougher with her. My dad then said that because she's a bitch and she has poodle in her, it makes her snappy (ahh stereotypical). I'll admit, I felt a little ganged up on.
I cannot stress enough how well behaved Willow is at home. She's friendly to all dogs/people/small children, comes back when you call her name on walks. She can get a little hardy with our cat when they're playing, but she knows the command "too rough" means to be gentler. She jumps up at people, which we're working on and has little separation anxiety which is improving with age. She doesn't show any possessive qualities, she will let us take her toys away and mess with her food. She doesn't respond well to shouting, rather more your vibe, eye-contact and low voice.
We took the puppies for a walk the day after and let them off the lead on a dog trail. Fetch did not work out, as Willow would try and get it out of Buster mouth. Every now and again one of them would barge the other or go for a playful nip. My mum would shout "stop that young lady" and grab her ruff neck, yet if Buster instigated it, she didn't bat an eye lid. At one point my dad pointed out that it was Buster who instigated it and so she shouted at Buster. I can't help but think Willow is being scrutinised for every little thing since the 'incident'. All this shouting etc is pretty full on for me, so I can't imagine how the dogs must feel.
In the end, I put Willow back on her lead and said it was because I was sick of her getting shouted at, to which my mum went a bit softer on her.
She then rang me this morning and suggested Willow is coming into heat early and showing hormonal tendencies. I can't help but think my mum is now trying to find problems with her. Is this possible? Or perhaps I am too soft or blind to it as I love her.
I'm unsure after writing this whether it is a question or just me rambling about my feelings, but I guess if anyone has been in a similar situation or has any advice on dominating behaviour/aggression in puppies I would be very appreciative.
Thank you (especially if you managed to read this entire essay lol)
They have played/walked together once-twice a week since they were tiny.
Buster is obsessed with her and can't leave her alone. He has always been very bouncy and full-on with her and has a habit of wanting to stand over her and knock her over. We would separate them if it got too much, but Willow would generally happily go back to him for more play.
Over the past month Willow has become a lot tougher and we have had to break a few 'strong' play fights up that have escalated. Then they'll tootle off, have a drink together and begin playing again.
On Friday night, I took Willow to my parents house and the two of them broke into a crazy play-fight as usual, (we had to break them up a little) which tends to die-down a bit after 10-15 mins. We them took them out for a 45 min walk on the leads. When we came home, Willow decided she didn't want to play anymore and wanted to chew on some toys instead. Buster was trying his best to make her play and kept stealing the toy and running off with it. If Willow didn't follow, he would come back to check her, then go get the toy and bring it back to her. After a while she started growling when he took it, yet this got Buster more excited (any attention from Willow, be it good or bad, is better than none).
However Willow then found a marrow-bone toy and when Buster went near her she really growled this time, as to protect 'her' bone. So I decided neither of them were to have it and took it off her. Then Willow launched at Buster in what can only be described as a rage. I immediately grabbed her by the collar and pushed her away, she looked at me and I shouted no, but as soon as I looked away she legged it after Buster, so then my mum grabbed her by the ear, pulled her towards her and hit her repeatably. Willow then coward into the corner. After 10 minutes cooling off time Buster was then itching to get to her again.
She had drew blood on Busters ear so I felt terrible, but also terrible that my mum had dragged my 4 month old puppy by the ear and hit her. My mum proceeded to say Willow is showing very dominant behaviour and I'm going to need to be a lot tougher with her. My dad then said that because she's a bitch and she has poodle in her, it makes her snappy (ahh stereotypical). I'll admit, I felt a little ganged up on.
I cannot stress enough how well behaved Willow is at home. She's friendly to all dogs/people/small children, comes back when you call her name on walks. She can get a little hardy with our cat when they're playing, but she knows the command "too rough" means to be gentler. She jumps up at people, which we're working on and has little separation anxiety which is improving with age. She doesn't show any possessive qualities, she will let us take her toys away and mess with her food. She doesn't respond well to shouting, rather more your vibe, eye-contact and low voice.
We took the puppies for a walk the day after and let them off the lead on a dog trail. Fetch did not work out, as Willow would try and get it out of Buster mouth. Every now and again one of them would barge the other or go for a playful nip. My mum would shout "stop that young lady" and grab her ruff neck, yet if Buster instigated it, she didn't bat an eye lid. At one point my dad pointed out that it was Buster who instigated it and so she shouted at Buster. I can't help but think Willow is being scrutinised for every little thing since the 'incident'. All this shouting etc is pretty full on for me, so I can't imagine how the dogs must feel.
In the end, I put Willow back on her lead and said it was because I was sick of her getting shouted at, to which my mum went a bit softer on her.
She then rang me this morning and suggested Willow is coming into heat early and showing hormonal tendencies. I can't help but think my mum is now trying to find problems with her. Is this possible? Or perhaps I am too soft or blind to it as I love her.
I'm unsure after writing this whether it is a question or just me rambling about my feelings, but I guess if anyone has been in a similar situation or has any advice on dominating behaviour/aggression in puppies I would be very appreciative.
Thank you (especially if you managed to read this entire essay lol)