Some issues with my boxer

Dave!

Hey folks,

I've got a ~11 month old boxer, and there's a few things that are bothering me about her... Some are medical and some just training, but maybe ye can help me out with both.

I've boldened the main concern, cos it's a bit wordy.

1. She doesn't like affection! If someone tries to rub her and stroke her, she usually walks away, and doesn't seem at all impressed. Most dogs love affection, but apparantly not her..
Someone mentioned to me before that they know someone with an autistic boxer. Now I've never heard of it personally, but is this sort of thing not a symptom of autism (ie. not liking people touching you)? The vet never noticed anything unusual, but then she wasn't looking for autism.

2. She doesn't pay attention to anyone unless (a) they've just come home, or (b) they have food. So she could be in the other room and see me, and I call her, and she just looks at me and doesn't move. If I had a piece of food, I could tell her to sit, stay, stay, stay, go in and sit down for a while, then call her and she comes. So she understands the command, but she just want to come. Any way to remedy this?

3. She always walks under people! It's terribly annoying, and bothers the rest of my family more so than me. She could be lying on the couch half asleep, and then I'd stand up from the chair (not the couch she's asleep on), and go inside, and she'll follow me, and stand looking at me, moving whenever I move.

4. She keeps taking things and eating them. I'd like to be able to leave her alone downstairs while I go up to the bathroom, but she has a habit of taking shoes, oven-mits, scarfs, etc., out the back garden and chewing them. She especially loves my mother's foundation brush thing, and my sister's lip-gloss -- she's one of the girls

5. She's always scratching!!! I'm beginning to feel really bad for her, cos I was itchy for a whole day due to sunburn, and I nearly killed myself, so being itchy for weeks must be torture We were concerned enough to take her to the vet about it, and she said that she doesn't have fleas, but gave us a thing to rub into the back of her neck as a preventative thing, just in case. She said that it's most likely the central heating in the house, and the heat, that's causing her to scratch so much, and she needs fresh air, as well as a capsule of cod liver oil daily. She's outside plenty, and the door's pretty much always open cos of the hot weather anyway, and we've been giving her the capsule too. Doesn't seem to be making a difference Can anyone recommend some sort of shampoo, or spray, or anything like that, that will give her some respite? I've read (I think on boards) that boxers should only be washed once or twice a year cos their coat is so short, so it'll only dry up natural oils if we wash her too often. We've washed her twice since we got her, but the last time was a few months ago. Do you think brushing her with a strong brush might help? Maybe it'd take the dead skin off her (she has flaky skin).

6. This isn't really an issues, but I'm sure one of you will be able to explain this... If we scratch her under her 'armpit' (dunno the anatomical name for the area on a dog), her hind leg starts to twitch and go wild! I presume it's just that there's a nerve under there that's connected to the hind leg, and it's quite common as far as I can tell. Is it of any concern? What's the purpose of it? Now that I think of it, another issue....

7. She has nightmares!!! :eek: This is a bit worrying alright... When she's asleep, she sometimes shakes all over, and convulses, then goes back to normal, then does it again. Sometimes she lets out whimpers like she's in distress, too. And she also might suddenly wake up, and look around all concerned, like she's lost something. It's funny sometimes, but I'd hate to think that she was genuinely in distress. Any help? thanks


I can't really think of the rest of them off-hand, but I'll edit them in or post a reply if I do think of them. Thanks for any help with these issues!

EGAR

Autism in dogs is a not very well documented phenomena and many even doubt that it exists in dogs. However, there appear to be some links between vaccine damage and the developement of repetitive and destructive behavior patterns (similar to vaccine-induced autism in children) after booster vaccines.

As for the rest, maybe she is just laid back and has you and our family trained ? At 11 months she's still a teenager. Make sure she is getting plenty of interactive exercise and lay off on the treats as reward but use toys instead .

Sarah

peasant

In a bit of a rush right now ...

but 6) and 7) are perfectly normal ...every dog does that.

Rogueish

My boxer baby Jackie does the same as 5 and 6 too.

I think all dogs have a favourite material that they like to take and chew. Jackie likes tea towels, any sort of plastic that will make noise and tear (my plant pots and seed trays are a favourite) and the best one is if she gets into the utility room she raids the potato bag. I'll come home to find a couple of half chewed raw potatoes in her basket. She also has a penchant for my boyfriends shinguards and football gloves. But I think it is more a thing that we aren't as strict with her as we should be

Jackie follows me around the house, under my feet, we call her my shadow. I think that it is just that she likes company. If I'm in the bedroom she will lie onthe bed and watch me. If I'm preparing food in the kitchen she will stand between me and the bench in case she would miss anything. She is getting better about getting out of our way or maybe she has trained us to be better at avoiding her:D

I don't know about the scratching thing, maybe she has mites or whatever the small microscopic insect type thing that buries itself into the upper layers of the skin. The VET would take a skin scraping to check it out.

Dave!

That's reassuring that Jackie does it too

Jessie (my dog) once took a full onion out of the vegetable rack and ate about half of it! :eek: And she once took a full bulb of garlic too!!!

Sigma Force

Sounds like it would be handy to have a few dog training sessions here's the link http://www.irishanimals.ie/care/behaviour.html

Maggs

With regard to following you everywhere, boxers love company. They are also quite nosey (well mine is anyway) and will always want to know what you're up to. So if I leave a room full of company, he will always follow me.

With regard to taking things, dont mean to sound harsh, but cant most of these things be put out of the dogs reach. Bruno has no access to anything he should not have. Simple!!

There is a shampoo you can get from the vets called Malaseb. Its antibacterial and antifungal. I got it for Bruno when he had teenage acne. Dont think it does anything for for fleas, mites, etc. It would be more for skin infections and the like. But I would try to get more info from vet as to why she is scratching.

I wouldnt worry about the armpit thing. Bruno does this too when I am brushing him. And the dreaming is natural.

I know of a boxer forum, mainly American but a boxer is a boxer . Not sure if Im allowed to post the name here tho? Hope this helps. Gotta love boxers.

Rogueish

Maggs the name of the boxer forum has been posted before so here it goes again www.boxerworld.com I have to say that it is a brilliant resource.

Yes I know that all non doggie friendly things should be kept out of reach but when she breaks into the utility room (usually cos the door hasn't latched properly - but I have my suspicions that she is learning to open doors, no proof yet tho ) you only find out after the deed has been done so what can you do? Try harder to make sure it is closed properly before you leave, but there is no use in giving out to the dog long after the incident.

From what I know raw potatoes are pretty harmless but Dave be careful onions can be toxic to dogs. And grapes or raisins can cause kidney failure even in small amounts.

hadook

We've changed all the doorhandles and added seperate old fashioned latches to all the doors in the house because the Danes can open "standard" ones - sometimes you just have to go that extra step to keep them out.

Ulrich took a plant off the roof of the car one day while I was unloading shopping. The first I knew of it was when the Danes ran past playing tug - one had the roots & the other one had the foliage. You don't have it that bad - my dogs can reach higher than me!

Maggs

Wasnt actually referring to boxerworld

boomer_ie

DaveMcG wrote:

Hey folks,

I've got a ~11 month old boxer, and there's a few things that are bothering me about her... Some are medical and some just training, but maybe ye can help me out with both.

Shared knowledge etc etc

DaveMcG wrote:

I've boldened the main concern, cos it's a bit wordy.

1. She doesn't like affection!
2. She doesn't pay attention to anyone

Dont know about the Autism thing but my experience with Tyson (not named by me!) is that he is terrified of new people and takes AGES to get used to them, but when he does hes jumping all over them. My Cubs, Scouts and Ventures have noticed this.

In fact one of the cubs parents is delighted Im bringing the dog with me as her son is afraid of dogs so the two of them are made for each other!

DaveMcG wrote:

3. She always walks under people!

Not really noticed that, mind you at the weekend one of the other cub leaders was nearly knocked over by him a few times, having said that it was near doors, confined spaces etc

DaveMcG wrote:

4. She keeps taking things and eating them.

Tyson used to be a lot worse, but lately hes settled on empty Plastic Bottles which I dont mind as it saves me crushing them. And yes its empty ones after a run in with a 3/4 full Coke bottle.....

DaveMcG wrote:

5. She's always scratching!!!

He scratches, hes flea free, no sign of skin problems etc. Guess its just a comfort thing. I do help him by scratching his nose and he loves it. I have noticed sometimes that he scratchs in mid air sometimes, ie the hind leg is moving back and forth as if scratching something.

DaveMcG wrote:

6. If we scratch her under her 'armpit'

Yep a common thing in dogs.

DaveMcG wrote:

7. She has nightmares!!! :eek: This is a bit worrying alright... When she's asleep, she sometimes shakes all over, and convulses, then goes back to normal, then does it again. Sometimes she lets out whimpers like she's in distress, too. And she also might suddenly wake up, and look around all concerned, like she's lost something. It's funny sometimes, but I'd hate to think that she was genuinely in distress. Any help? thanks

Yep this happens with tyson too i notice it regularly even more so when im sitting at the table working late into the night....

DaveMcG wrote:

I can't really think of the rest of them off-hand, but I'll edit them in or post a reply if I do think of them. Thanks for any help with these issues!

Dave!

Thanks for the replies, especially boomer_ie