Mollys dad
Well-Known Member
OK...let me go through what is happening and what we have done with our new bullmastiff:
- Molly is now 11 weeks old (bought her at almost 8 weeks)
- crate training was already started when we picked her up - so we have continued and she is really good - no poop or pee overnight (11pm - 6am) and no eliminating in the house for almost a week during the day - she will go to the door when she is ready to potty
- we take her out first thing and she eliminates and we bring her in and its great
- after breakfast though - she becomes a biting terror! no amount of saying OW or OUCH will help - she becomes more aggressive and will bark or yelp in response - when you turn to walk away she will clamp down on your ankle or pant's leg, or skirt and pull hard or break the skin. My wife has a couple pair of shoes with blood stains now and so do I. I have ruined dress slacks and long sleeve shirts she has bitten through and either torn or left bloody or both. Popping her nose resulted in a bark and lunging towards you. She will practice her sit and stay etc, but as soon as the treats stop it's on again.
- put her back in the crate and she calms down. the rest of the morning and early afternoon she is much calmer. By about 6PM she is back crazy again.
- I'm home from work between 5 and 6 to give the wife a break and the pup will usually pull the hem out of my pants or bite through my sock and bring blood - so far everyday this week. Using the off command or leave it will work, but after she gets a treat we're back at it. With other breeds I have raised, a loud reprimand or strong hand would curve the behavior immediately (lab, german shepherd).
- back in the crate she goes until dinner time.
- after dinner she is a little angel again - following us around the house - interacting with the cat (they paw at each other and sometimes will sleep together), chewing the kong or nylabone etc., wanting her belly rubbed, giving out puppy kisses etc
- before bedtime we take her out to potty and then back in to the crate for the night - no whining or yelping - she settles down and goes to sleep.
Diversion toys do not work - she'll drop em and go back to skin or clothes. Off and leave it commands do work but will wain after the treats stop - I'm beginning to think she bites to get a treat.
We are feeding her what the breeder was using - nothing else except a training treat. She has a dozen chew toys of different texture and hardness from stuffed animals to a nylabone. Outside on a leash she is good not to pull and will respond to stop and heel - turning away from her when she pulls has been effective. She responds well to sit, stay, come, leave it, off, and we are working on shake.
I am typing this at work after a phone call from my wife who is in tears that we are failing and in fear of Molly when she "goes crazy".
The breeder has been little help - "oh she'll grow out of it" and the vet - "bullmastiffs are a weird breed - good luck with that." I guess I need a trainer to come to my house and see whats up with us - unless the pup is bipolar I know we control the outcome here.
This is the first pup I have considered putting up for adoption.
- Molly is now 11 weeks old (bought her at almost 8 weeks)
- crate training was already started when we picked her up - so we have continued and she is really good - no poop or pee overnight (11pm - 6am) and no eliminating in the house for almost a week during the day - she will go to the door when she is ready to potty
- we take her out first thing and she eliminates and we bring her in and its great
- after breakfast though - she becomes a biting terror! no amount of saying OW or OUCH will help - she becomes more aggressive and will bark or yelp in response - when you turn to walk away she will clamp down on your ankle or pant's leg, or skirt and pull hard or break the skin. My wife has a couple pair of shoes with blood stains now and so do I. I have ruined dress slacks and long sleeve shirts she has bitten through and either torn or left bloody or both. Popping her nose resulted in a bark and lunging towards you. She will practice her sit and stay etc, but as soon as the treats stop it's on again.
- put her back in the crate and she calms down. the rest of the morning and early afternoon she is much calmer. By about 6PM she is back crazy again.
- I'm home from work between 5 and 6 to give the wife a break and the pup will usually pull the hem out of my pants or bite through my sock and bring blood - so far everyday this week. Using the off command or leave it will work, but after she gets a treat we're back at it. With other breeds I have raised, a loud reprimand or strong hand would curve the behavior immediately (lab, german shepherd).
- back in the crate she goes until dinner time.
- after dinner she is a little angel again - following us around the house - interacting with the cat (they paw at each other and sometimes will sleep together), chewing the kong or nylabone etc., wanting her belly rubbed, giving out puppy kisses etc
- before bedtime we take her out to potty and then back in to the crate for the night - no whining or yelping - she settles down and goes to sleep.
Diversion toys do not work - she'll drop em and go back to skin or clothes. Off and leave it commands do work but will wain after the treats stop - I'm beginning to think she bites to get a treat.
We are feeding her what the breeder was using - nothing else except a training treat. She has a dozen chew toys of different texture and hardness from stuffed animals to a nylabone. Outside on a leash she is good not to pull and will respond to stop and heel - turning away from her when she pulls has been effective. She responds well to sit, stay, come, leave it, off, and we are working on shake.
I am typing this at work after a phone call from my wife who is in tears that we are failing and in fear of Molly when she "goes crazy".
The breeder has been little help - "oh she'll grow out of it" and the vet - "bullmastiffs are a weird breed - good luck with that." I guess I need a trainer to come to my house and see whats up with us - unless the pup is bipolar I know we control the outcome here.
This is the first pup I have considered putting up for adoption.
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