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Boerboel home remedies

wrldtraveler16

New Member
Hi there. I'm looking for advice. I have a boerboel who was born in Jan 2013.


I love him and he has been pampered in our home. I'm having a few issues with him and need suggestions on how to correct them ASAP.


First off, I live in Egypt so a trainer isn't possible. So please give suggestions on things we can do.


1) he is food aggressive. He has attacked (but never drawn blood) on our chihuahua. However he has 'attacked ' my hubby, maid and 5 year old son. (Occasionally drawing blood but not mainly due to him lunging and the person pulling back).


2) second issue is mood swings. Some times I swear he is a cat. He likes to be pet but then other times will growl. Today I came home and he was excited I went to pet him and he let out the longest and loudest growl towards me. I stepped back and he continued. When he growls he doesn't show his teeth it is just vocal but I do know (or at atest 98% sure) that he would bite if we continued to pet him.


3) hair loss. This dog sheds so much! We've changed his food, made meals at home and given suppliments. Nothing has helped.


Thanks so much for helping. I love him because he is apart of the family but I'm starting to trust him less. I want to fix these issues ASAP.
 
Last edited:

musicdeb

Well-Known Member
Welcome aboard~

1. He is resource guarding which needs to be corrected before someone gets hurt. Here's some tips to help you.

Try the following exercises to stop resource guarding.

Remove all treats, toys, bones from the floor. Do not allow the dog any treats, toys, bones or food until he has earned it. I recommend keeping all dogs separated while eating until the behavior is resolved because they may fight.

When you feed the dog, do the following:

Step 1.
Make them sit and watch you prepare their food. Put a little bit of food in the bowl, while they watch you. While they remains in sit, place the bowl on the floor. Tell them when they can eat. Point your finger at the bowl while having them look at the food, then click your fingers and tell them to "eat".

When they finish, repeat. Once they have perfected that task, then move onto to step 2.

Repeat Step 1.

Step 2.
While they are eating, put your hand closer and closer to the bowl and eventually put your hand in the bowl. While you do this, add a few pieces of food each time. Repeat Step 2 until they no longer growl or show teeth.

Re: treats/bones/toys. Give them those things while they are in the crate. Have the other dog(s) walk by them and sit by the crate while they have the treat/bone/toy. When they start to growl, tell them "no" in a calm, stern voice. Do not take the treat/bone/toy away from them because that is reinforcing the fear that someone is going to take it. Continue this exercise until they stop growling while the other dog(s) are around.

Once they have perfected the previous step, move them out of the crate. While on leash, allow them to have treat/bone/toy. Allow the other dog(s) to walk past. Give a tug of the leash if the dog growls. Tell them "no" in a calm, stern voice. Continue the other dog(s) walking past them until they stop growling.

This will require lots of patience. Consistency is key.

2. The growling, are you sure it's serious growling or play growling. Titan growls and is very vocal when we play but I know the difference if he means business or it's a play growl. I would suggest not petting him when you leave the home and when you return. Teach him "calm" so he will remain calm upon your departure and arrival. In all honesty, I believe he's excited and he's wanting to play.

3. What kind of food are you feeding him? What kind of supplements? Generally, mastiffs are allergic to grain and chicken found in kibble/dog food.

Does he have demuxed mange which could explain the hair loss? Mange in Dogs (Canine Scabies): Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Diagnosing Mange in Dogs | Demodectic Mange Types and Symptoms
 

DMikeM

Well-Known Member
Boerboels shed two or 3 times a year as they have a double coat. Giving him a good oil supplement (even cooking oils) and 1 or 2 eggs a day can reduce the shedding tremendously.

The biting and growling towards family members sound bad and makes me want to ask if this is a full blooded Boerboel, did your get him as a puppy, did you see the parents, and who is the primary handler of the dog?
Boerboels that bite family and family children are generally not tolerated and in years past were euthanized immediately. Which is why the existing Boerboels are so good with family, the ones that had that problem just were not allowed to breed at all.

Do you have pictures of him and can you share the kennel name or breeders line?
 

Utopia

New Member
I could have litterally posted this, we have the exactly same issues with our 1 year old male Boerboel (and yes, he is a 100% true registered Boerboel).

I would appreciate all advice, so maybe ya'all could help us both?

Our boy has resource aggression issues with people and other dogs. Mainly bones (extreme) and occasionally NEW toys. Not food though, he behaves 100% at feeding and we follow a strict routine.

He also occasionally dislikes petting which can show as growling or even a snap. But then he might also love cuddles. You never know.

He has never severly bitten anyone, just growling or snapping, but it intimidates us. We are not giving up on him despite problems, we want to learn to cope with this. He is not otherwise aggressive with any other animals or people, nor is he shy.

We live on a farm and he should have "everything" a Boerboel would ever want. He is a housedog, he has a big big yard, walks, play etc. Perhaps he has a slightly soft mom and dad who honestly, are used to labs... Not Boerboels.

But we need to get this under control, he is displaying unpredictable behavior which can escalate if don't get it under control... Any help is so appreciated!!
 

DMikeM

Well-Known Member
Wow 1 year old and snapping? Is this at family members and especially the growling while being petted really concerns me. Have you had him since he was a puppy, or did you get him older? Is there a dominant human in the home that can take charge of him? If he is intimadating you then he is the boss and you are not. When Odi showed signs of food aggression and snapped at my older dog I atacked him like a dominant male would, I pinned his head down and literally bit him on his nose. I had to do this twice but, now when any other dog comes near him while eating he will stop and turn his head away. People think I am crazy for this approach but he is a very big dog and I can't have him attacking an elder dog that is 50 lbs lighter than him.

Your dog is the dominant animal in your home (even above humans) and you need to take that away from him or someone will get hurt and you will end up putting him down. These dogs are a dominant breed and need a good solid and strong handler.
 

Utopia

New Member
Hi, and thanks for your reply.

Yes we have had him since he was 8 weeks old and yes he has snapped at all family members, me and my husband and my in-laws who care for him if we are away.

Believe me, i have pondered if he is plain crazy or just super dominant.

It all started when he was a baby with growling and snapping over bones. At that time he was just a bug so i put him on his back to cool and scolded him "no biting!" . Then we did all exercises with leave it and trading the bone for treats and that works well, he is a grade A student but nevertheless you cant spontaniously grab a bone from him if he settles with it. You can even play fetch with the bone and he will bring and give it, but still he can get to guarding it.

Then the second thing he started doing was that if he was lying for ex under the kitchen table and someone accidentally pushed him, he would snap at them. Or if he had new toys he could suddenly after a good play barricade himself in his bed with the toys and growl at someone walking by. He never used to do this with me, until sometime ago i went to smooche him when he was sleeping in his bed and he snapped. I ofcourse know you should not bother a dog sleeping but he was all cute and i did not see that coming.

He also gets really defensive after snapping as if he knows it's bad he he is anxious we get mad at him for it.

I don't know if I'm the boss. I'm closest to boss at least. He does basic obedience, tricks, is fun to play and exercise with. He does not jump, mount or push through doors (he might do this with my mother-in-law though). And he is always really ashamed (or that's how my human mind sees it) after misbehaving. When i scold him he will go to his place or even show his belly, after a while he will come to me with low wagging tail, ears back and trying to give me kisses. He likes bellyrubs, he behaves on all grooming things, he behaves at the vet etc. If i see him attempt snapping at one of the other dogs and i say STOP IT, he immeadiately will leave it. Also if he growls and i tell him to take his place, he will. And despite this, he might snap or go into resource guarding.

The worst thing is that most of the time i adore him and he is so much fun. But then again i cant trust him because i really think he could bite one of us in an unexpected moment. It's litterally killing me.

One mistake was that before we let him on the sofa and even sometimes in the bed.... But then he decided my husband was not allowed just him and the girls (me + other dogs) he has since been sleeping in our livingroom and banned from sofas and beds.

Figure this huh....
 

DMikeM

Well-Known Member
Rolling a Boerboel on his back is not the way to work with them, and it could be part of the root of his aggression. Jade would never forgive me if I did that to her and Odi has done it for me without me making him do it. I can't tell you what to do at this point and I have heard of one Boerboel that was crazy aggressive and had to be put down because of it. But a Boerboel should never show any aggression to his or her family it is just not part of their makeup unless there is something wrong with it.
 

Utopia

New Member
Yes, your probably right, its what the breeders told us to do if he growled at us. As first time mastiff owners its pretty logical to ask first the breeders for advice first.

So it was not the right way but it seems quite drastic that that would have screwed him up for life mentally, we probably spoil him too much but never ever have we hurt him or anything.