For several years, my husband and I lived with three adult male Boxers in our home. One dog was the sire of the other two; he was four years older than the eldest and six years older than the younger brother. These dogs were inseparable companions. They slept in a happy pile together; they ate side by side in the same room together; they ran in the same paddock. They were compatible in every way. All three were actively used at stud, and their amours did not seem to have any effect on their relationship. The dogs were loose in the house at all times, even when we weren't home. There was never a cross "word" between them. I never worried.
Eventually, after several years, the oldest dog died. The remaining two did not pine for him. In fact, they barely seemed to take note of his departure for about two weeks. Then, in a flash of anger and rage, the two siblings quarreled over a toy they had played with forever. The quarrel escalated into a serious fight, which we finally stopped with difficulty.
To condense what was a difficult chapter in my life, these two dogs could never be together again. They began to fight the instant they were put together and seemingly without provocation.
In retrospect, it was clear that the deceased sire had exercised some kind of quiet dominance over his sons; they had deferred to him, subtly. When he died, a struggle for dominance between the two brothers ensued and neither dog would give in. Until the eldest son died, we lived with these dogs separated by locked doors. There could be no contact between them, and in the interests of their health we would not allow them to "fight it out," as some advised. I fear we would have lost one or both of them if they had ever been allowed together again.
With the benefit of hindsight, adult patterns of behavior were probably predictable in these animals as puppies. Since the complex relationships that our dogs establish with each other have profound effects on our human enjoyment of their company, it may be helpful to assess puppy personality with some clinical objectivity.
Aggression is but one behavior characteristic that may lead to unpleasant consequences for owners. If we are choosing a puppy as a show prospect, for example, we might be wise to look not only for the physically beautiful pup, but also for the one that has a bold presence that may be translated into self assurance and showmanship in the ring. We might choose the quiet, more mellow puppy for the household that requests a very tractable pet. Those searching for an obedience prospect will also be searching out that rare combination of brains and trainability-all characteristics that are evident in a normal litter of puppies as they develop. Shyness, too, is apparent at an early age.
Sometimes the personalities of particular dogs only show themselves when some outside influence catalyzes them into actions that might otherwise not occur.
Recently, a 4 month old Boxer puppy we had sold came back to us to stay for a week while its owners vacationed. Neither its dam nor the other dogs in the house took particular note of the pup's return. But suddenly, while the 40-pound Boxer was happily playing with the 18-pound Cavalier King Charles Spaniel adult, the pup's mother perceived that the game was too rough and instantly placed herself between the spaniel and the puppy ears back and lips curled, so that the poor spaniel got the message and retreated to a far corner and stayed there. Clearly, the dam's protective instincts were still very close to the surface of her personality, and it only took the perception of danger for those instincts to be brought to the surface.
I am not an animal behaviorist. I am also aware that it is not scientifically acceptable to anthropomorphize the behavior patterns of our dogs with regard to aggression, protectiveness jealousy and so on. But as breeders, it behooves us all to try to better understand why our dogs do what they do. Only then may we attempt to influence either their actions to better suit us, or adapt to them in ways that promote harmony in the house or kennel, country road or city street, show ring or backyard.
A REMINDER
The American Boxer Club's 50th Anniversary National Specialty will be held at the Holiday Inn North in Newark, New Jersey, during the week of May 10 through 14. All are welcome.
Stephanie Abraham
P. O. Box 346
Scotland, CT 06264
