Why is our boxer dog Thai so demanding?

 Question:
We got our Boxer dog, Thai, as a nine-week-old puppy. He was quite vocal and at first he sounded cute. We observed his behavior as _ an invitation to play. He gradually became louder and now barks if we need to check him for any inappropriate dog behaviorI
attend classes to socialize him and was advised to ignore him as he was attention seeking. I've also tried the water pistol method and startling him with a tin of pebbles to no avail. I have two young sons whom Thai adores, but he barks at them if they are not giving him any attention, for example when they are playing or watching TV.

He still mouths a lot at the children's hands and if firmly told 'No' or 'Leave' he begins to grumble. If we put him in another room or outside {which seems unfair on him} he protests and seems confused at our actions.

He is almost five months old now and I am getting anxious about this behavior. He's clever in other ways so why can't he grasp that it's not appropriate to bark at us and mouth at the children? Is he showing signs of aggression or dominant characteristics? He doesn't appear timid in any situation and reacts well to new experiences.

Answer:
Boxers dogs are extroverts and great family dogs but they do need a lot of training and handling to shape them into well-behaved pets. Thai is still very much a puppy and so you are going to have to teach him what is required, as well as curb everyone's urge to give him so much attention when he demands it.

Have a closed container with food in it handy, so that you or one of the boys can randomly reward Thai when he's calmly sitting or lying down watching TV with you.

Giving him a Kong with treats stuffed inside it will also help to keep him occupied. If necessary, withhold his breakfast or lunch to motivate him into using and playing with the Kong.

Concentrate on getting him used to and enjoying being handled all over by people. This is a vital key to having a well-behaved dog because if he enjoys and is calm about being handled by lots of people you will see improved results in his behavior.

Teach him that only relaxed behavior earns attention from you, so ignore him when he's seeking attention, or distract him with an activity toy as mentioned previously. Have a DAP diffuser on in the house as this will help to keep him calmer and more relaxed.

Make sure that your sons don't approach Thai to fuss him; they should ignore him if he comes to them unbidden. Get them feeding the dog and controlling him over food, as this will help promote them in Thai's eyes.

Where the mouthing habit is concerned, try using an anti-chew spray on hands so that if he mouths them he gets an unpleasant taste.

 Keep up the training classes and remember, too, that good socializing does not simply stop at six months of age.

_{source Your Dog Mag.}