Calling all dog-walkers and trainers! This is long - sorry

nigguysmom

little leary of allowing the boxers to rub their faces at all

The boxers rubbing their faces on the ground isn't hurting any one is it?

Maybe when the boxer rubbed on the ground Nigel thought there was a treat or some sort of food there that he wasn't getting too?? 

 @ Tiffy, for the most part I wouldn't think that the rubbing would be hurting anyone, but it has triggered one dog twice.  Once to grumble and once to fight and I would definitely not want it to be a trigger that would upset another dog and cause a reaction. 

 @ Willowchow, I don't know that they would be looking for food.  I don't bring it on the walks, only water.  We aren't walking in parks or anything like that where you would expect to find food, mostly just on the sidewalks, down streets and on some grassy areas when I can find some.  But, I have been wrong before.

Does anyone know about face rubbing as a dominant or territorial marking behavior?

nigguysmom

Does anyone know about face rubbing as a dominant or territorial marking behavior?

 I don't know. Maybe its something simple, like they're face itches.

Just another thought.  When the grumbling started (in the beginning before the face rubbing) you corrected them and made them lay down so you basically did not allow your older dog to use his voice in telling you he didn't like those guys.  I am not an expert but I remember the animal behaviorist telling us that when my older girl grumbled about the younger newer dog that we should not shut her up.  In doing so it creates fustration and the next step would be she would snap.  Instead we needed to remove the problem and work on her tolerance level but without scolding her when she was telling us the younger was too close or in her personal space.  We needed to listen to her and let her know we were listening, does that make sense?  As leaders we needed to take away her irritation, not just insist she put up with it.  It has worked and her tolerance is much higher now...

 So perhaps your older boy was feeling fustrated, no one is listening to him grumble just scolding him for it yet the source of irritation remains (to close to him) and wham, he stopped grumbling (telling you) and went into more serious actions....

Rexy loves to rub her face on the ground. Particularly if she is wearing her gentle leader or it has just been removed.

She will also do this whenever we are in snow or long, wet grass. She propels herself along on her face and chest by pushing with her back legs. Our house-hold term for this is "otter sliding".

Maybe this will help. 

http://www.youtube.com/user/PerfectPawsStudios

 Tiffy, very interesting thoughts!  Sounds as if you are also teaching the younger dog boundaries and manners.  Is that correct?  So, how did you proceed with this?  How effective has it been, meaning how much grumbling on the part of the older dog and how about the younger dog?

Rexy ~ That is exactly the same thing that Nigel used to like to do when he got his GL off...."otter slide" is the most appropriate description I've heard!!  hahahaaa  He can't do that anymore, arthritis won't let him get down like that anymore (and the 2 knee surgeries don't help that either).  But this is what the boxers do, but I never really thought that the dogs were very close together when it was happening, but what I think is too close for comfort may not be the same as what the dogs think (the dogs were usually at least 2 feet away from each other when they started rubbing and Nigel grumbled). 

Jackie ~ I clicked on that link and the first thing that popped up was the video of the dog humping her leg.  I thought to myself, "ummm.....ok, what does this have to do with anything"....hahahahaa  Then I realized that there was a ton of other stuff on that site that I haven't had a chance to sit down and watch.  Thank you for the link, and the giggle after I understood what you were sending!

nigguysmom

Jackie ~ I clicked on that link and the first thing that popped up was the video of the dog humping her leg.  I thought to myself, "ummm.....ok, what does this have to do with anything"....hahahahaa 

LOL, I can see why you might have been taken aback when you saw that featured video.  :)