Hey everyone... I am a new member and am having some concerns with my boxer pup. He is 3 months old and is very wary of strangers- even children... especially children! I got him from a breeder with 3 kids when he was 7 wks old, maybe too young. She told me he was the shy pup. Well whenever he meets strangers he is very shy and does not want to be pet. Children are quite boistrous and scare him so he nips if they try to touch him. I have been taking him to the park on a daily basis and having people and children give him treats. He seems to be warming up to them but just today I was playing with him in a field and 3 young children approached us. He immediately assumed a protective stance and barked at the children. Is this a red flag behavior? Can anyone offer advice? I am confused b/c the Boxer is supposed to be very friendly, escpecially with children!
Hi & welcome to the board...Your pup is still very young, everything is new to him. It's good that you are socializing him,,meeting new people & dogs, and I agree with that, but please keep in mind, he is only 3 months old, has not had all of his shots and rabies shot. He should not be around other dogs or dog parks, or parks until he has had all of his shots, which is 4 months old...Once he has had all of his shots, puppy OB classes will be a great place to start, plus it's fun for both of you.
Thanks for your reply. I have been keeping him away from the dog parks at least but I guess the public park can still be risky. He gets his last shots in 2 weeks and then it's off to puppy training! I appreciate your advice and hopefully you're right in that he's just young and a bit unsure of the big wide world out there...
