She's a beauty by the way, and I love her name!

Star growls when she plays, but boxers are very vocal dogs, even when playing with other dogs.

Star has a warning low growl which she uses if threatened, and a play growl which she uses when playing, we can tell the difference. She sounds like Chewbacca out of Star Wars she is that loud If we tell her to stop growling when playing tug she stops playing and licks your face. We tried to stop Star when she was a pup but it did not work and we know she is not being aggressive.

I really doubt that there is anything nasty in the growling, mine all do it when we play tug of war, seems to me they just enjoy the game a lot, so doesn't really need correcting. It would only be a problem if you stopped playing, and asked for the toy and then he growled, ie. he was being possesive of the toy and not allowing you to take it, which would be a problem and would need correcting. He probably growls less with you because you have told him off for it.

Does he know the 'out'/'drop it' command? If I want to end a game, and for whatever reason I don't just let the dog have the toy, I make the dog sit and drop it. Is actually good practice to do that and then give the toy back, you don't end up with the problems you would if you were doing the same with food.

Thanks for the help. I guess I'm being over cautious with him! He really is as good as gold tho, loves the kids, his tail starts to wag as soon as we get down my mums (where he always gets treats!) and hes good in the car as well now... hes moved onto the back seat now as theres more space there (his choice!).

The only other thing he does is when we run in the garden he likes to do two things... 1) is to run alongside you but when you get to the end of the garden he goes to 'nip' your hand and 2) sometimes he likes being chased or trys to 'pass' you if you are 'blocking' his way (ie. stood in front of him) he goes down and barks and growls at you, but then I say NO and walk towards him and he runs off! Again is he jus playing? I'm trying to 'stay on top' of him as all the scaremongerers out there will hav eyo ubelieve large bull-breeds will take over if you dont show them you are alpah...

Sorry cant help but go with your instincts on Rocky, you know him more than anyone

gosh my spelling is atroucious! (see!) i really should slow down!!

Sounds like play behaviour. Does he get to play with any other dogs? Lia does exactly what you describe, she runs past Luath or Sally, crouches down and then launches herself at him! (Sometimes she'll bark, but she doesn't really make much noise when playing, but I s'pose dogs are better are reading one anothers body language, you are obviously a dumb-ass and not getting it, so Rocky has to shout )

Lia would be a nightmare if she didn't have the other 2 to play with, they get soo rough, but it tires her out which is handy! She has just come into her first season, so it is a bit of a pain having to keep her and Luath apart. We are getting a taster of how she'd be without him to play with- he runs up and down the garden with her, which is more tiring than playfighting with Sally!

Pleeeeeaaaaaaaase don't try to over dominate him. It doesn't sound as though you are, but you do seem to be worrying a bit too much! He will almost certainly go through a difficult phase when he is around a year old, so you need to have him as obedient as possible by then. You need to prove you are the alpha by making him be obedient to you, by not letting him sleep where you sleep, or sit where you sit (not all the time at least, coming onto the sofa for a cuddle is fine, but not always sitting on it if there may be a time when you want him to stay on the floor), eat where or when you eat etcetc. You don't need to keep over correcting him.

I wouldn't allow him to nip your hands or feet in play. He'll end up getting too rough and hurting you without meaning to. Lia will get hold of my hand to get my attention, but in a controlled manner, not when she is playing. They do like to get hold of extremities, ie. hands and feet, as they were bred to hold things, not kill them, so I am not surprised he nips at your hands.

It is true that large bull breeds, esp working breeds like the Presa, will try to take over if they think that the top spot is up for the taking. But so long as he knows where he is in the pack, and he doesn't get muddled up thinking he's equal to you (eg. if you let him sleep in same place, eat before/at same time as you...) you shouldn't have too much trouble.

Thanks Lizzy! I do most of the things you say and hopefully Im not over correcting him either (I dont think so anyway...). As Carole says you get to know them and I'm pretty sure he's just playing with the growls but I just want to be 100% as I really would hate any type of incident with any of the children even if he was just playing.

Today I was down my mums and I kept Rocky out of their living room as it is carpeted and I didnt want him making a mess, he was in the dinning room with two of the kids (youngest who is four) and I was standing in the doorway to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't get in and was chatting with my sis at the same time, Rocky barked at me like he does when he wants my attention but it was the first time my nephews heard him bark, needless to say they got a little scared (bless em) and wanted to come into the lounge! Sily story I know but I hate seeing my neices or nephews frightened in anyway! I told them that that is his language and he was trying to tell me he wanted to come in too, I think they bought it... just!

I wouldn't chance it if I were you. My AB wags her tail and so does my dogo when chasing prey. My AB has cornered cats and she wags her tail and dances around but will kill the cat in the blink of an eye, she is just "dancing" around to get an opportunistic shot in for the kill! I watched her and my dogo do it to a groundhog out in my backyard. One grab and shake and that was it, broke every bone in its body. It was over in the blink of an eye, so don't chance it!

Azz I have just been noticing all my typo's from yesterday

Nipping at a human's hand is dominate behavior, check out the Leerburg link for Dealing With the Dominant Dog:http://leerburg.com/dominac2.htm
(Ooops the above should be prey drive)
I find it is good reading.