3 month old french mastiff

[versedakid]

hey i have a 3 month old french mastiff which i just bought a month and a half ago ..
im having a few problems that id really like for you guys to give me advice on
ok . for some reason she is really nervous about everything .. like when i try to pet her at times she'll like look the other way or like flinch as if im going to hit her , i cant walk her with a leash because she wont move when i pull her so when i do walk her with out the leash she'll wonder off and i literaly have to yell at the top of my lungs for her to come to me ..
she isnt as playfull as other french mastiffs that ive seen .. shes not hyper at all
now a friend of mine told me she may have like anti-social problems and that i should take her to a dog park because if she doesnt get over it it will be very dangerous since that breed is humongous .. do you guys think that'll work ? im just afraid of her running away and me having to chase her all over the dog park ..

alsoo another problem im having with her ..
when i bought her i also bought a blue nose pitbull and they spent the past month and a half together .. they slept together , played together and got along so well .. the blue nose recently ran away and my f.m hasnt been eating .. she wont eat her dry food .. she wont eat pedigree .. ive tried everything and the only thing that works sometimes is human food .. i was thinking that it might be seperation anxiety ..

if you please could take the time out to give me some advice id really appreciatte it .. its my first dog and i love her so much
i really dont want her to have any problems or die of hunger
also can you guys give me some training tips ..
thanks i really appreciate it

 

[Ellen Sneve]

I am so glad you found this site, because mastiffs are so different from other breeds of dog. There are a lot of people on here who can help you.

 

[Sabrina]

Has she always been fearful or is this a new thing you are noticing? What kind of people food are you giving her-I caution you to stop this or she will start becoming bratty about her food- maybe add a little chicken broth to her kibble and see how that goes...how long has the pit bull been gone? Usually an adjustment period like that would only last a few days and she's back to her old self- sorry about your pit bull

 

[Dogue Lover]

Please keep her on a leash until her recall is perfected or else you might lose her also. I suggest you read about nilif. Google Nilif and read it. It will help your dog realize that your top dog no matter what and has to eat when you want her to eat etc...

ddbs do go thru fear periods. You need to be able to distinguish the difference of when shes comfy and when shes not. They either get over their fears or can become fear biters. Please look into some training classes of any kind for both of you which will help for socialization and benefit you both for trust and happiness.

 

[versedakid]

thank you so muchh

---------- Post added at 09:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:43 PM ----------

hey shes honestly been like that since i bought her .. she has like an ackward personality .. thats the best example .. like when i call her she'll walk the other way , when other ppl go to pet her she runs under the nearest table .. and she wont look me in the face she looks away ..
i got her from the pet store so i know she hasnt been abuse or anything u know? also shes not aggressive or anythingg if shes scared to bite
and i give her chicken but i mix it with her kebble

 

[versedakid]

hey shes honestly been like that since i bought her .. she has like an ackward personality .. thats the best example .. like when i call her she'll walk the other way , when other ppl go to pet her she runs under the nearest table .. and she wont look me in the face she looks away ..
i got her from the pet store so i know she hasnt been abuse or anything u know? also shes not aggressive or anythingg if shes scared to bite
and i give her chicken but i mix it with her kebble

 

[PuppyPaws]

I'm sorry about your pitbull also. I hope she returns. Do you think she went back home to the previous owners? Are they nearby?

Regarding your DDB, I think you should try googling NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) also. She could be going thru a fear period, but either way, do NOT coddle her. Do NOT give in to her fears. That will more likely reinforce to her that you AGREE that there actually is something to be afraid of (when there really isn't).

Please do not allow her off leash until you have established a good recall (or come command) with her. BTW a "good" recall takes LOTS of work and time to establish. If you want to familiarize her with the leash and let her get used to wearing one, try this....

Get a very short leash or piece of rope and attach it to her collar in the house while you are there and able to supervise her.
Start with a short length say, 4ft or so..
Just have her walk around the house with it on. Don't leave her unattended with it on as it could get stuck on something.
She may act scared or freeze at first with it on. Don't pay any attention to her. Just act like it's no big deal.
If you want, you can keep some treats on you. Treat her when you hook her up. Call her to you with it hanging on her and treat. Don't make her walk far at first. Do that a few times then walk away and leave her. As she loosens up and starts walking around calmly with it, praise her for her calm, confident behavior and every now and then treat her for it.
Take the Leash off for awhile. You can do this several times a day. It should help relieve her stress about it and may also give you a little extra help/control with her in the house

I would stay away from dog parks until she has some obedience on her. Actually, I'm not a fan of dog parks. For dogs that are already fearful or going thru a fear period, it's an easy way to do more damage than good. If there is one dog there that causes a problem for your dog, it's just another fear for them to overcome. Also, not all dog owners are very savy or have good control over their dogs and the potential for an incident is just too high. That's not to say that you shouldn't socialize her, you absolutely should. Just not at a dog park. Socialize her with other dogs and people/owners that you know are safer.

Good Luck!

 

[versedakid]

thank you another question i have is why isnt she playfull or hyper?
like all day she lays down sleeps and when i walk her she doesnt seem excited to be walked ... she doesnt like jump around or run around like normal puppys .. she doesnt lick me .. no expressions or feelings . any opinions guys/

 

[AKBull]

I agree with what everyone here is saying so far.
In terms of not wanting to play. Does she have toys? If so what type? Do you play or love on her?

And I'm not trying to say anything when I say that getting her from a pet store doesn't guarantee she wasn't abused. It's really not. You never know what went on for that month and half. Again, not saying anything. I can't say anything because I bought my first boy from a pet store, before I really read how most operate. It could have been a tramatic experience.

I hope she comes out of her shell and starts enjoying herself.

 

[Sabrina]

Coming from a pet store leaves a good chance she started out a puppy mill with little to no socialization with people, as well as possible helath problems. Has she seen the vet for her check-up?

 

[PuppyPaws]

In addition to what Sabrina and AKBull shared, she could be grieving the loss of her friend. If they were closely bonded then that would be tough to go through on top of the recent transition into you home. Just a thought. Just keep on loving her and doing some training with her. It may take a little longer and a little extra work on your part, but she should come around. If you feel it starts taking too long, seek professional assistance. Good Luck!

 

[lolisnme]

thank you so muchh

---------- Post added at 09:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:43 PM ----------

hey shes honestly been like that since i bought her .. she has like an ackward personality .. thats the best example .. like when i call her she'll walk the other way , when other ppl go to pet her she runs under the nearest table .. and she wont look me in the face she looks away ..
i got her from the pet store so i know she hasnt been abuse or anything u know? also shes not aggressive or anythingg if shes scared to bite
and i give her chicken but i mix it with her kebble

My DDB was a little on the shy side too but if you give her time she should come around.
First of all, when you want her to play and you raise your voice "excitedly" that could be off putting to her because in the pet store everyone probably talked to her that way, so it is more like a frustrating event.

I hope she has gotten better as I see a few months have passed since you posted this..

 

[Dogue]

DogueLover and PuppyPaws gave really good advice regarding your DDB. I suggest you read as much as you can and read previous posts on the forum by DDB owners. There are some really good ones. I have a two year old female DDB that went through a series of fearful stages. She is now an awesome dogue and is an active member of our family. She's pretty much an inside dog but goes in and out of the doggy door as she pleases. She's also an awesome guard and guards the property fanatically. There is a book (A Complete Guide to the Dogue De Bordeaux) that I suggest you order on Amazon; it will be very helpful. It will give you a timeline on when your DDB will be experiencing those fearful stages. During those times I suggest you spend a lot of time building your dogue's confidence and desensitize her to objects by making it a game. Also, before you start walking your dogue I suggest you walk your dogue in your backyard and have her walk around the house with her leash. I would do perimeter checks with Miel as a puppy and now she loves her job when I say check. She also loves going on rides and walks around the track at our park. I do not allow her to socialize with other dogs or take her to the dog park due to irresponsible owners and unsanitary conditions. In the end, be patient. Miel, (my DDB) was very sketchy (loud noises, brooms, umbrellas, fast movements, etc.) during the first six months but she got better. She's now very confident and an awesome DDB.