Please Help Me

[backpackhunter]

Hi everyone, sorry for jumping right into it, but I need help
A little back ground on me...
I've had large breed dogs sense before I could remember .
My grandparents always had 2 or 3 Newfoundland dogs at a time, I've had a Samoyed a lab, Great Dane, English Mastiff
Right now I have a 135lb fawn female English laying on me
I've always been able to work out any problem, and
consider myself a very good dog owner,

Last week I rescued a 5 month old Fila, I did a lot of reading and thought it would be no problem....

George is like two different dogs
One minute he's George the next he's "Gator" he's very
smart , but he gets crazy, if I'm not playing with a toy on the floor with him, and I'm just at his level, he will try to
attack my face, he's bites my arm, he's got my nose, he's brought blood on my hand, if I'm just sitting down he will come up to me and bark like someone is killing him...
If the nabors are in there yard George will no stop bark at them intill I bring him inside
I walk him, I play with him, I reword him
I'm putting in a lot of time, I took 2 weeks off of work just to help him get adjusted. But he's not getting better

What do I need to do
My wife is scare he will bite one of her friends kids

Thanks

 

[ruthcatrin]

One minute he's George the next he's "Gator" he's very
smart , but he gets crazy, if I'm not playing with a toy on the floor with him, and I'm just at his level, he will try to
attack my face, he's bites my arm, he's got my nose, he's brought blood on my hand, if I'm just sitting down he will come up to me and bark like someone is killing him...
If the nabors are in there yard George will no stop bark at them intill I bring him inside
I walk him, I play with him, I reword him
I'm putting in a lot of time, I took 2 weeks off of work just to help him get adjusted. But he's not getting better

What do I need to do
My wife is scare he will bite one of her friends kids

Thanks

Two different problems, well, three actually.

Biting at you: He clearly has no bite inhibition, you're going to have to start with that just as if he was a new pup.
Barking at the neighbors: he's a Fila, did you expect him not to?
Potentially biting a "non-family" visitor to the house: how much reading on Fila's did you do again?

 

[fila4me]

Two different problems, well, three actually.

Biting at you: He clearly has no bite inhibition, you're going to have to start with that just as if he was a new pup.
Barking at the neighbors: he's a Fila, did you expect him not to?
Potentially biting a "non-family" visitor to the house: how much reading on Fila's did you do again?

couldn't have said it any better!

 

[backpackhunter]

I did lots of reading , and I know they don't like strangers

It's the biting at my face
It's like he's two different dogs
One min he's so good. Then out of no were he turns crazy

 

[mountainfila]

Sounds like you are trying to hard to be his friend, filas come to you on their terms. You only had him a week, he is still unsure of you. No amount of trying will help if he doesnt see you as his yet and yes at 5 months filas are starting to gain there temp, so you are a stranger. I would crate or kennel him for a few days or longer and just do the basics, out to potty and eat but no more, no play nothing, just what he needs for survival. Each time you go to take him out he will look at you with more love in his face until you are his world and then the crazy biting should stop. He has been bonded to someone else before you got him so it will take some time.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Barking at the neighbors may fade once he gets used to them and whats normal around him. But thats going to take ALOT of time. And it may get worse again as he bonds to you and your family. But chances are very very good that he's never going to accept ANY non-family in the house, this includes your wife's friends and their kids, and will always be a bite risk towards them.

ALL of that, including him bonding with you, is going to take far more than two weeks. Like Mountain Fila said you can help him bond to you by using a strict schedule and crating him in between necessetities, but its still going to take time for him to really bond and settle in. Adult rescues can take up to a year to really trust their new owners! He's young enough hopefully he'll adapt quicker.

 

[Rugers-Kris]

I see a few things as well but the basics are that he is a puppy that has never been taught appropriate play. Leash him and teach him what is acceptable play. EVerytime he gets too rough, stop play completely....Seperate him for a few minutes if need be and continue to do that until he understands the rules. Every puppy, regardless of breed, needs to be taught what is and is not appropriate. It will seem like it is not working but believe me consistency will pay off and he will learn what you expect and no longer be attacking you like that. As for barking at you, he is attention seeking and being pushy and trying to force you to play on his terms. Just correct, igonore and stay with it and it will work eventually.

Otherwise, what he is doing is normal. He is a Fila and should be barking at the neighbors and (if true to his breed) WILL bite your wives friends, children, etc.......It is what they do.

He does need to bond to you before you can gain his trust but start working on instilling the behavior you expect now as I agree that schedule is the best way to train any dog.

Also, because he is a Fila it is even more important to gain his trust. Be aware of him at all times and don't allow yourself to believe that he might now have the Fila temperment. Treat him as if he is the hardest Fila everywhere to avoid becoming lax and allowing something to happen to that can be avoided if you are a responsible owner.

Good Luck to you and do keep us updated. Do you have any pictures of him?

 

[backpackhunter]

Thanks everyone
We are using a kennel to train....
And I think I'm trying to hard to b his friend....
I'm unsure of his past, and want him to have a happy and good life....
When I seen he was for adoption, was already looking for a friend for my EM, because she was starting to get lazy.
I took on the challenge, because I like the hunting aspect of the breed , and there are a lot of bad people around where I live, and thought he could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.... ( people steeling dogs and dog fighting )
And though that he would protect my too gentle n friendly English mastiff, if someone came into to yard and try to get her to go with them....

As for pics, do you up load with photobucket?
Or is there a better way?

 

[DMikeM]

Something that comes to mind with me is when you are face to face with him and he bites at you. I don't have a Fila but I have a Boerboel and if any stranger/adult were to get down face to face with my Jade she would bite them. She will not tolerate anyone to look her in the eye except me or kids. As stated above you are still a stranger and I think he is reacting as expected. Once you have become the boss and bonded, you will know it because he will let you look him in the eyes with no aggression.

PICS
I copy the links from my Facebook or Google+ Pics for posting photos.

 

[DennasMom]

For pics, I just click on the "picture frame" icon at the top of the post box (^ here ^) and upload from a local copy - you can also link to photobucket from the same icon, too.

I'd follow MountainFila's recommendations when it comes to Filas - s/he knows what s/he's talking about (and I know I don't)!

I'd put the puppy on a NILF plan and be very consistent, patient and calm at all times with the puppy to enforce those rules. Play time and "being friends" can come later, after the rules are understood and respected.

As for barking... Denna is never allowed to bark at the neighbors, but she still does - until I go tell her to be quiet and/or bring her back inside. And she's a laid-back 2-yr old EM, who's been living under the same rules for her whole life. SO... be prepared for bark-control to be a life-time activity. Hopefully it will be much less of an issue in a few months, when the puppy starts respecting your rules more, but it might go on much longer than that.

And - Thank you for taking him in! It sounds like he does have a good new life with you - maybe too good at times, if you know what I mean.

 

[backpackhunter]

thanks again everyone
mountainfila, i think your advice is great, we are using the crate more now

i just figured out how to up load pics
all my pics of George are on my phone, Ill put them on my comp tomorrow and post them

I did post pics of my old english and my old english with my new english

Nash (late)
Nash & Sam

in the English Mastiff forum

 

[backpackhunter]

 

[backpackhunter]

heres George
the tape line in the last two pics, is where ive been playing with fish tank sizes

 

[angelbears]

Cute pup! Do you know anything about his parents or his prior living arrangements?

 

[zebraworks]

maybe the barking and biting was just his intense "play" ?? needs to be trained as to what kind of play is not acceptable.

 

[DMikeM]

Honestly he looks too young to have any real issues maybe it's like zebraworks suggested. Over exuberant play.

 

[mountainfila]

People that have never owned a fila pup do not understand that they are not like other puppies. A pup of any other breed will be out at the end of a leash trying to get pets from on coming people out walking, fila puppy on the other hand will not, they stay at your side and observe the on coming people and maybe even a little bit of growling can be heard. They are wired different then other breeds, filas are oranges and all other breeds are apples, no comparison, unless you have raised one you have no idea about how different they are then other breeds as far as temp and attitude.

 

[backpackhunter]

Cute pup! Do you know anything about his parents or his prior living arrangements?

I don't know much, he slept inside in a create
I don't think he was beat or abused

 

[backpackhunter]

People that have never owned a fila pup do not understand that they are not like other puppies. A pup of any other breed will be out at the end of a leash trying to get pets from on coming people out walking, fila puppy on the other hand will not, they stay at your side and observe the on coming people and maybe even a little bit of growling can be heard. They are wired different then other breeds, filas are oranges and all other breeds are apples, no comparison, unless you have raised one you have no idea about how different they are then other breeds as far as temp and attitude.

I do see what you are describing, I also see him following my English Mastiff's lead....
I've been trying to take him to the dog park (off leash but we've been keeping both on the leash) everyday now, to socialize him, and try to make him tolerate people n dogs a little more.

He hates people coming up behind us
He has been going up to 50% of people smelling and letting them pat his head, wagging his tail.... Sometimes he doesn't like someone n does the growl, it's about 50% he's by are side the other time he's in front


Last nights walk was going good. At the end of the trail a young pit bull came up to us n was smelling, then George got scarred , started to try to hind behind my wife's legs, then the PB took a more aggressive stands , and started going at George as to fight.... The PB tried to bite George's neck, George let out a cry and my EM was on that PB bit it in the shoulder n basically ran it over.
I regain control of Sam, I yelled at the PB it get, and told the owner to get his dog under control....

George was pretty scarred.... But seems very happy with Sam looking out for him, after that ....

I wouldn't let anything to ever happen to one of my dogs
They're are kids....
Should I've have handled that differently ?
I was surprise at how the fila got scarred, and didn't jump to the fight mode
It was the first time I've ever seen him scarred....

I do think when he gets crazy, it's carried away play
If he start to getting ruff, I stand up n the biting stops.
I do think he's bonding with us, and seem to love us already

I see him getting ruff with the EM, n Sam keeps him in check
I got to remind her that he's just a puppy sometimes

 

[Hector]

What kind of training are you currently doing with him? How do you plan on training him?