Waffles
Well-Known Member
Hello,
I am new to posting, but I have been reading all your posts since before I got my English Mastiff. Her name is Waffles. Waffles is about 4.5 months old right now. I met her when she was 7 weeks and brought her home a little after 8 weeks.
When she was smaller and would get out of hand with playing too crazy, I would hold her down (not hurting her at all), but enough until she calms down. She always knew I was the boss. Lately, She has been really testing me. She is getting much bigger and now she is learning to get out my hold. She is starting to back talk me now, too. Before, she was much more obedient.
I am only 5feet tall. I can still hold her down most of the time , but at this point I have to straddle her for a min until she calms down. She only does this when she gets too excited when playing. I try to throw everything I could think of so she could redirect her playful biting like a million different toys, but she must really like the taste of my skin =\. I even try to ignore her by walking away, but she'll jump me from behind or start biting the backs of my legs.
She is in basic obedience class. She knows NO or OFF about 80% of the time when we are NOT playing (we are still working on it). When shes playing it seems all knowledge of training goes out the door. I even try to get her to sit or down stay which she normally does really well 99% of the time, but not when shes already got the crazies in her butt.
I know she is testing my dominance. Mostly, she still knows I am the boss. When she is being bad, I tell her OFF the couch. She gets off, but now she talks back while doing it. Then she will sit on the floor by the couch and talk back until she calms down. I blame a lot of this on my boyfriend because he used to play very rough with her in the beginning until I had to "train" him- and now he sees how it effects me and feels bad, but she has already learned the bad behavior.
I am pulling my hair with this. She is over powering me and I am not sure what to do. I can tell she is losing interest in listening to me when I am firm with her, like with her recall, she went from 80% to now 40% even with treats.
any advice?
I was going to post a picture of Waffles but I am not sure how?
I am new to posting, but I have been reading all your posts since before I got my English Mastiff. Her name is Waffles. Waffles is about 4.5 months old right now. I met her when she was 7 weeks and brought her home a little after 8 weeks.
When she was smaller and would get out of hand with playing too crazy, I would hold her down (not hurting her at all), but enough until she calms down. She always knew I was the boss. Lately, She has been really testing me. She is getting much bigger and now she is learning to get out my hold. She is starting to back talk me now, too. Before, she was much more obedient.
I am only 5feet tall. I can still hold her down most of the time , but at this point I have to straddle her for a min until she calms down. She only does this when she gets too excited when playing. I try to throw everything I could think of so she could redirect her playful biting like a million different toys, but she must really like the taste of my skin =\. I even try to ignore her by walking away, but she'll jump me from behind or start biting the backs of my legs.
She is in basic obedience class. She knows NO or OFF about 80% of the time when we are NOT playing (we are still working on it). When shes playing it seems all knowledge of training goes out the door. I even try to get her to sit or down stay which she normally does really well 99% of the time, but not when shes already got the crazies in her butt.
I know she is testing my dominance. Mostly, she still knows I am the boss. When she is being bad, I tell her OFF the couch. She gets off, but now she talks back while doing it. Then she will sit on the floor by the couch and talk back until she calms down. I blame a lot of this on my boyfriend because he used to play very rough with her in the beginning until I had to "train" him- and now he sees how it effects me and feels bad, but she has already learned the bad behavior.
I am pulling my hair with this. She is over powering me and I am not sure what to do. I can tell she is losing interest in listening to me when I am firm with her, like with her recall, she went from 80% to now 40% even with treats.
any advice?
I was going to post a picture of Waffles but I am not sure how?