I am scared of my own dog! - need help/advice/opinions

[joshuagough]

There's no need for him to be on a lead any longer than 6ft until you get all this under check. IMO that will be many many months. You need drastic change with him, and he needs drastic direction changes from you.

If this were my dog he would be closer to me than kids if I had them, this will also create a bond that will aid you greatly in everything your trying to accomplish.

Thx all. I guess I should've answered that myself.

He is close by 95% of the time, except for those occasional moments. If he gets away from me, I am usually good with calling him to where I am and putting him in a down command while I do whatever I am doing. I will make sure I do better with this.

@Joshua - the digging/ripping up grass is outside while I am training on the long lead. I know where he likes to dig/rip grass up so I'm usually following him around and commanding "leave it" when he goes to these spots. He does respond if I am right there (big verbal praises and pets). But sometimes when he runs back and forth, he will dart to those spots and start going crazy digging (I will not give any commands because I am positive he won't respond in his crazy mode). I can't usually correct from a distance even with the long lead because it gets tangled around his legs (I don't want to pull on it - afraid of swooping his legs and hurting him).

It is difficult to correct from a distance with the long lead since it gets wrapped around the trees and his legs. And the martingale corrections are not always effective but I can't use the choke chain with the long lead since it wraps around the trees.

 

[LizB]

I actually do this with all new dogs, adult rescues or new babies, and leash them to my belt anytime they are not in their crate. If it is an older pup or an adult I just go about my business, not coaxing them or alerting them that I'm getting up and moving to another room, but just go ahead and go, and this forces them to pay attention to me and to learn my cues (if it is a very young pup I take my time standing up and give them a sec to get with the program, so I'm not yanking a 12-week-old around unexpectedly) This is a huge help in many aspects of training and life with your dog. They look to you for guidance and act based on your established cues, the ones you know you are giving and the ones you don't.

I learned this technique with my first BM, who as a baby would much rather pay attention to what my other dog was doing than what Mom wanted. A trainer suggested the leash technique and it worked like a charm - I've used it for the past 20 years. Don't give them an opportunity to fail and they won't let you down!

After they're a bit more reliable you DO put them in the situation where they might fail, like a tasty morsel left on the coffee table, or a remote left where they can get it, etc., and then correct them with lots of repetition. Now, if I hold a remote up to my dane's face he'll turn his head as far away from it as possible - he wants NO PART of a remote now. This was not achieved with violence or physical punishment or anything, but simple repeated verbal commands the very SECOND he looked like he was going to sniff at it (this is mentioned above).

 

[DAC]

When he is in sniff mode or play mode have him on a long line & work your recall over and over. Recall him, if he doesn't come.. use "no" vocally.. "come again".. give him a chance to come.. if he doesn't then correct him via the long line. High pitched "here boy" (whatever your recall word is) use your long line to encourage him to you. Heavy praise when he's to you and you can give him a pat, then tell him "ok" let him go back to playing / sniffing... repeat 1,000 or so times

QUOTE]

We have been doing the above for a while now with the long lead.

His commands are 100% on the 6 ft leash in the yard. Same as in the house. He knows when I have that leash in my hand, he does not ignore me. (guests in the house is a whole other issue).

He has to be pushed to the next level with training. I can't teach recall on a 6 ft leash.

What else do I do to obedience train if not in the yard with the long lead? I need him to obey from a distance since he already obeys on a 6 ft leash.

The main things he's not so great with is "off" the furniture, "leave it" with socks, grass, digging). These things can't really be taught on a constant basis, or even a daily basis. I can command him to "down" or "sit" all day long but how far is that going to get me?

 

[joshuagough]

Sounds like your recall is decent except for distraction. What I would like to see you work on is his will to see you as the leader and encourage him to be Velcro to you, it's not about what command you can teach him while he's next to you. This will help the behavior issues as he will have a understanding that you control everything he does, just as a pack leader would.

You can drop that 6ft lead if need be in a enclosed yard and work it just the same as if you had it in your hand. "Come/here etc" if he does it big praise yadda yadda, if not walk over grab the lead while he's sniffing use your verbal "no" and correct if need be.. work it just the same as a long lead.

If he's on the 6ft lead the "off" should be no issue.. and the "leave it" and he's not going to be messing with the digging or grass. We can spot fix the "issues" your describing but that's not the underlining issue here, I'd focus on the big rocks first. A lot of that other mess will work it's self out.

When he is in sniff mode or play mode have him on a long line & work your recall over and over. Recall him, if he doesn't come.. use "no" vocally.. "come again".. give him a chance to come.. if he doesn't then correct him via the long line. High pitched "here boy" (whatever your recall word is) use your long line to encourage him to you. Heavy praise when he's to you and you can give him a pat, then tell him "ok" let him go back to playing / sniffing... repeat 1,000 or so times

QUOTE]

We have been doing the above for a while now with the long lead.

His commands are 100% on the 6 ft leash in the yard. Same as in the house. He knows when I have that leash in my hand, he does not ignore me. (guests in the house is a whole other issue).

He has to be pushed to the next level with training. I can't teach recall on a 6 ft leash.

What else do I do to obedience train if not in the yard with the long lead? I need him to obey from a distance since he already obeys on a 6 ft leash.

The main things he's not so great with is "off" the furniture, "leave it" with socks, grass, digging). These things can't really be taught on a constant basis, or even a daily basis. I can command him to "down" or "sit" all day long but how far is that going to get me?

 

[DAC]

ok, I get it. So we basically need to boss him around all day long?

Makes sense since he basically knows how to listen.

Thanks!

 

[joshuagough]

It's not really bossing, as in asking him to do a command every 2 seconds. It is controlling his freedom from having the chance to act out (do the things your trying to spot fix). The act of following you from room to room is work for him in and of it's self in a way. It also creates a huge bond for you and him. As Liz does I usually do this for the first 6 months with the pup after it's a about a 2months old.

You need at least 2 solid weeks of this (14 days), with you on a 4-6ft leash or crated.. you go to the kitchen.. he goes.. bathroom.. he goes.. mail box.. he goes. If he isn't with you on the leash, he's in the crate.

Post back and tell me what you see out of him.

ok, I get it. So we basically need to boss him around all day long?

Makes sense since he basically knows how to listen.

Thanks!

 

[LizB]

Right. Don't think of it as bossing. If you worked at a station in a factory you would not let a new hire wander around at will to learn your job. You'd have them shadow you, no hands on until they had seen you and you felt that they had a good idea of what to do and could be trusted. To let them run things before they're ready would cause problems for everyone.

Think of it as shadowing, and it is unsafe for you and your "new hire" to be on their own prematurely. This dog is young and is very open to learning so it is a great method. The benefits will amaze you later on, and people will be asking for your advice on dog training!

 

[DAC]

Hi everyone,

It's been a while and I thought everything was going ok, something has been going on with my dog.

We have been following the "rules" pretty well, we started to give him a bit more freedom in the house for maybe the past 2 months or so and he was behaving pretty well. This was with me and my husband around.

There have been moments when his hackles have gone up - so many times I can't even remember what happened. I do know that his hackles go up when I wipe his paws (if he gets dirty outside). I'm not sure why he doesn't like this but I can tell something about it makes him uneasy - this started about 2 months ago. He never cared before that. One time his hackles went up when I was just walking him through the hallway and I have no idea why.

There were a couple times my husband walked up behind my sister in the dark hallway and the dog barked at him, and vise versa with my sister. One night I came home with my hands full and stood in the doorway and he barked like crazy at me. Like sometimes he doesn't realize who we are. He's only 3 yrs old and can see a tiny morsel of food from across a room so it can't be his vision.

I recently went back to work a month ago. I work very close so I come home for lunch, the dog greets me at the door ready for pets. I always make him wait while I put my stuff down, use the bathroom, wash my hands, etc. then I make him sit and give him some pets. For the past 2 weeks or so when I come home for lunch and in the middle of petting him his hackles go up. For example, he'll roll onto his side, I'll rub his belly and then his body will stiffen, hackles up near his tail and he'll stare at me. Or other times he will be in a sit position and I'll be petting his back (from behind him) and he will kind of fall back into me and then he gets all stiff and stares, hackles up.

The first day it started, he was in a sit position and I was behind him petting him and he fell into me, his front legs off the ground and his body leaning on me. Then he froze in a sit position and just stared at me, hackles up near his tail. I thought he may have been having flashbacks of when he bit me - the time I hugged and lifted him from behind (you'll see that story in my first post). Ever since that day he acts weird when he gets his pets from me. It doesn't happen everyday but a lot. And it's very strange because he is so happy and excited for his pets and then something weird happens. He's not in pain, no injuries anywhere. Every time he's acted this way I ignore it and walk away.

There have been no growls or bites except for today there was a growl towards me.

I came home for lunch, got settled. I think the dog was laying down, he did something funny (don't remember) and I was saying baby like "you're such a weird doggy", I think he started wagging his tail, started to roll onto his side and then he did that weird stiffening thing and hackles went up a tiny bit. (no pets yet from me) I started walking down the hallway and he trotted after me into the bedroom, tail high and wagging. He was behind me as I was getting something out of a drawer, his tail was wagging and he was wanting some pets (I still hadn't greeted him yet). Then he started bumping into my leg, getting all excited, curious what I was doing and then he started to jump on me. I said "no" as did my husband who was also in the room. The dog froze and stiffened, staring at me very intensely. I was cornered where I was and my husband was behind the dog, my husband got nervous and took the dog by the collar and the dog growled at me as soon as my husbands hands touched the collar. My husband pulled him away from me and gave him a down command and then called him into the living room.

What is this all about? I don't get it because one minute he's so excited he can barely stand it and then he switches in a second. I cannot understand this being dominance/pack related. When I come home he always waits for attention and I always give a command first.

This doesn't happen any other time during the day. And it's really only when I come home for lunch.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this weird behavior.

Thanks

 

[marti1357]

You didn't describe how he behaves outside, in presence of strangers, other dogs, or at the park. Is he aggressive or dominant? It may be possible that there is something wrong with him from a medical point of view. I am not an expert, but a well bred Dogo, doesn't behave like that with his people and family. When you say "like he doesn't recognize who we are" - that may be the case (if he has a brain issue or may be losing his vision momentary).

 

[marti1357]

Wow, it wouldn't let me edit my post...
1) Just wanted to suggest maybe get in touch with his breeder and ask their opinion. I would inquire about the health of his parents and grandparents.
2) Peeing on the bed can be somehow related to him being intact and sexually frustrated.
3) I would also search the internet and try to find a vet that specializes in neurological issues. Such problems can't be detected with regular blood tests and very few vets diagnose them correctly.

 

[MiraOCeti]

I agree with the suggestion to have him checked out, I wonder if the spells he is having are seizures.

 

[Mag-Pie]

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread. Personally I am NOT dealing with such issues, BUT being aware of a possibility of such issues and having the advice, and expertise from others is an amazing resource to have, IF the need for it would ever arise. It's definitely food for thought, especially for new dog owners of the large powerful breeds (new puppy owners as well as rescue/adopted dogs). Thanks everybody who has contributed to this thread. There is some SUPERB advice given. I believe many will/could benefit from reading it.

BTW, DAC how is your Dogo doing? I know I'm late to the party, and it's been a few months, but I'm curious.

"What else do I do to obedience train if not in the yard with the long lead? I need him to obey from a distance since he already obeys on a 6 ft leash."

Have you even considered utilizing an e-collar, as part of his training? It will give you control with distance training.

Also, I agree with the suggestion to have him checked out by a vet that specializes in neurological issues....