Where do I start

[LorriK]

Hello. I am new to this group and new to Mastiffs. We purchased our "little" girl Sunday the 11th so we have had her for 9 days. She is an English Mastiff. She is 11 weeks old and weighs 21 pounds. She is very sweet and affectionate but I am having trouble communicating with her. She is in a large wire crate overnight and she does not potty or poop overnight. I get her out right away in the morning and we head outside and she does her business right away and I praise her and rub her and hug her and tell her she is sooooo good. But then when we come in the house she just squats and does her business whenever she feels the urge. I have several times when she is in the middle of this run to her and said no, no Bear but she doesn't even look at me. My other dogs would startle or at least let me know they heard me and knew I was in the room but she seems like it doesn't phase her. Any hints on potty training would be greatly appreciated. We are signed up for obedience class but it does not start until the end of September and quite frankly I would like to get her trained before I start taking her there. Her breeder said she was going on papers. I have papers down but she does not seem interested in them at all. Also, starting out, what do you feel is the most important and first command that I need to teach her? Thank you for any input.

 

[Smokeycat]

My EM was hard to housebreak. It was just constant supervision and he was on leash for the majority of the first 2 weeks (I got him at 11 weeks). IMO the first thing a puppy needs to learn is its name. That way when you call it out they know that you mean them. After that I taught him to sit.

 

[Strait]

The first and most important command is "come" that could save your dogs life. As far as house breaking my method was to take him out often. Then every time he went to the front door I would take him out. Even if I took him out 5 minutes earlier. He quickly learned that if he went to the front door he would be taken outside and he would stand at the door when he needed to piss

 

[cinnamon roll]

First of all welcome and congrats on your beautiful girl!!!! I personally would not use papers you are confusing her IMO. If you want her to potty outside and not in the house get rid of them. I also kept my girl on a house leash for the first 2 or 3 weeks that she was here. That way she was always with me and I always had an eye on her. Everytime you take her out take her to where you would like her to go and tell her potty and praise (as you have been). Does she only come in and pee on the rug in the morning or is this every time? When you are taking her potty do you take her on a leash?

 

[DennasMom]

...Does she only come in and pee on the rug in the morning or is this every time?

This is my question too...
If she pees in the house just after coming in from outside, she's not eliminating completely... so stay out there a few minutes longer.

When we were potty training, we'd go out first thing in the morning and I'd put her down in the middle of the yard and then just stand there... when she went potty, I'd calmly say "potty, potty, potty" as she was going (trying to create a muscle memory to go with the word), and when she was done and stood up, THEN we'd have a potty-party! lots of praise, and then some fun games... chase/fetch/tug. That normally got her systems moving enough for a #2 outside - so we could have a poo-party, too!! After a few minutes more of play time (and sometimes a second potty), we could go back inside. I'd dump her on the bed with the hubby and go start the coffee... or, on those days when we had the morning potty-break before the alarm went off, I'd dump her AND me back on the bed for some cuddle & snooze time.

I'd keep her close to you at all times when inside, like on a 6ft leash. ANYTIME she stands up (after chewing, napping, playing, etc.), take her outside, until you really know her schedule and habits. If you can't watch her, put her back in her crate, where it sounds like she's doing a good job with her bladder control. It takes time to build the bladder muscles, so be patient and consistent. She'll get it.

 

[joshuagough]

Hi Lorri,

I saw your post of your new addition this morning on the FB group. She's a great looking girl! Your on the right track with crate training, the biggest piece of the puzzle with house breaking is controlling when they eat and sticking to the schedule. Pups will be pups and have accidences but if they are on a eating schedule this speeds to process up greatly. If she's out of the crate shoot for every two hours.. if she needs it or not. I feeds pups 3 meals morning/lunch/dinner - as early as I can when I get home from work.

A good practice is to get a set of bells to hang on your door, when you go to take her out shake them and give her some command so she relates that jingle with going to the restroom. I'm also a fan of taking them to the restroom on the leash as a pup.. keeping them in their "area" to go to the bathroom. Give the command "go potty" whatever you wish to use, and like you've done praise her when she goes. What your working towards is applying that command so they go when its time and not having them mess around sniffing etc.

My first command with a pup is "stay with me" for the first several weeks I have them. That's to be on a lash, no further than the end of the leash with it not being taught. Room to room anywhere I'm going in the house they are with me.. doesn't matter what they are doing sitting/laying/playing with a toy as long as they are no further than the leash. If I get up to walk off they must stop and follow, for my pups there's no free time during these first few weeks .. they are on "stay with me" or they are in the crate. This creates a bond that you will work off of on other skills.

Welcome to the forum, make sure to post millions of pics

Hello. I am new to this group and new to Mastiffs. We purchased our "little" girl Sunday the 11th so we have had her for 9 days. She is an English Mastiff. She is 11 weeks old and weighs 21 pounds. She is very sweet and affectionate but I am having trouble communicating with her. She is in a large wire crate overnight and she does not potty or poop overnight. I get her out right away in the morning and we head outside and she does her business right away and I praise her and rub her and hug her and tell her she is sooooo good. But then when we come in the house she just squats and does her business whenever she feels the urge. I have several times when she is in the middle of this run to her and said no, no Bear but she doesn't even look at me. My other dogs would startle or at least let me know they heard me and knew I was in the room but she seems like it doesn't phase her. Any hints on potty training would be greatly appreciated. We are signed up for obedience class but it does not start until the end of September and quite frankly I would like to get her trained before I start taking her there. Her breeder said she was going on papers. I have papers down but she does not seem interested in them at all. Also, starting out, what do you feel is the most important and first command that I need to teach her? Thank you for any input.

 

[goetsch4]

I agree teaching her her name first and then sit as the 2nd command. For our dog every time we said her name and she looked at us we'd praise her or give her a treat. She learned it really quick.

 

[DennasMom]

With Denna, the first few weeks she was with us we just "captured" her actions... if she sat, we said "good sit!", if she looked as us we'd say "Denna!!" (all in happy, happy voices), when she would come running toward us, we'd say "come, Denna, come!!!" and then "good girl" when she got to us; before we put her dinner dish down on the floor, we'd say "wait"... then stand still until she sat back and actually did "wait" (even if it was with a confused look on her face, it didn't take long for her to figure out what "wait" meant).

Our goal was just to build her vocabulary. We didn't ask for her to sit... we'd just recognize it and 'name' it when she did it. Then, when we started actually training her to do things when asked, she was a natural, since she already had formed the word-action connection.

 

[joshuagough]

Great ideas there.

With Denna, the first few weeks she was with us we just "captured" her actions... if she sat, we said "good sit!", if she looked as us we'd say "Denna!!" (all in happy, happy voices), when she would come running toward us, we'd say "come, Denna, come!!!" and then "good girl" when she got to us; before we put her dinner dish down on the floor, we'd say "wait"... then stand still until she sat back and actually did "wait" (even if it was with a confused look on her face, it didn't take long for her to figure out what "wait" meant).

Our goal was just to build her vocabulary. We didn't ask for her to sit... we'd just recognize it and 'name' it when she did it. Then, when we started actually training her to do things when asked, she was a natural, since she already had formed the word-action connection.

 

[Robtouw]

Definately make sure she knows her name and I suggest putting her on a more rigid elimination schedule. Schedule the breaks close together like an hour apart and gradually increase the time intervals.

 

[musicdeb]

Welcome aboard~

Congrats on your new family member~

The following tips/suggestions are based on my experience as a dog mommy, forum member’s posts and volunteering at an animal shelter for a year.

*CRATE THE PUP

You want to crate train the pup. Make sure you have a blanket, stuffed animal (about their size) and white noise (ticking clock or ipod with soft music) so the pup can sleep. The pup is used to cuddling with siblings.

*SECURE THE PUP NEAR THE FAMILY

You want to keep the pup in a room with a family member. Mastiffs need to be near their family members.

*FOOD

Find out what kind of food the shelter/rescue/breeder was feeding the pup and continue to feed it to the pup until you transition to a newer food, if you want. Most shelters/rescues use the cheapest food, meaning it is not very good for the pup.

Slow transition to the new food is as follows to prevent diarrhea. If at any time during the transition, the pup has diarrhea return to previous amounts of food per feeding.

Amount per feeding:

Day 1-4 ¾ cup of old food and ¼ cup of new food.

Day 5-9 ½ cup of old food and ½ cup of new food.

Day 10-14 ¾ cup of new food and ¼ cup of old food

Day 15 Start 100% of new food

Generally, mastiffs are allergic to grain and chicken found in kibble. There are a number of posts on the forum regarding kibble for your new pup. Do a search for food to check them out.

You can check www.dogfoodadvisor.com www.dogfoodanalysis.com On this forum, Smart_Family is our resident food guru.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/05/31/large-dog-feeding-mistakes.aspx

You may want to check out the raw diet for your pup. Do a forum search for raw or raw diet.

Check out Dr. Becker’s videos on youtube.com for a lot of great information regarding the raw diet.

*PUP NOT EATING WHEN YOU FIRST BRING THEM HOME

They not used to their new environment and this is a natural behavior. Take the pup to a quiet place at meal times and sit and hand feed the pup. This will help the pup to eat when they are placed in a calm atmosphere, helps you to bond with the pup and helps the pup establish trust with you. As they become settled, they will naturally follow your routine.

*GETTING THE PUP USED TO THE LEASH

You want to keep the leash on the pup for a few hours each day while in the house so they gets used to it. This will help when you try to walk him outside.

*PROTECT THE PUP FROM DISEASE

Keep the pup in your yard and place newspapers down where they will walk on the ground. Keep the pup away from dog areas unless they have had their 2nd set of shots, leaving the pup prone to infection with Parvo or other illnesses. This is very important!

*HOUSE TRAINING YOUR PUP

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/house-training-your-puppy

*TRAINING YOUR PUP

Start basic commands. Train for about 5 minutes per day and slowy increase the training time. Teach one command at a time. Once they master one command, move onto another command.


Number one command is sit. Teach the pup to sit, by placing a treat in front of his head and move it to the back causing him to sit to get the treat. When the pup sits, tell them good sit and give them the treat.

Second command should be "focus/look" This will help you tremendously when the pup is over 100 lbs. Put the pup into sit. With a treat in your hand (let the pup smell it), put the treat up to your eyes and tell the pup to look or focus. They may only do this for about 1-2 seconds. As soon as they look at your eyes, tell them good look or good focus and give the treat. Some mastiffs (DDBs generally) do not like to look anyone in the eyes for long because that means a challenge to them. Titan is up to 35 seconds of looking at me.

Other commands are stay, come, leave it and drop it.

When you are training and when the pup does not do as you ask, then tell him no no no and redirect back to command in a normal voice. The only time a stern and somewhat loud NO should be used is when they are doing something that can cause harm to themselves or others.

For example, when I'm doing the look at me training with Titan. He will look at me and then his eyes will move to the left or right. I say, "no no no, look at me" and he returns to the look to my eyes.

When they do what you want them to do, get all giddy and excited and say, "Yes, good look!" I clap, giggle, and sometimes do a little dance. My dog looks at me like, really woman?

Mastiffs can be extremely stubborn and if you get frustrated with them, they will shut down. Mastiffs do not do well with yelling or hitting. Hitting can result in some unwanted mastiff behavior meaning fear aggression, which equals biting.

*EXERCISE

Puppies can exercise with natural movements and free play like running, stretching, playing on soft surfaces (grass and dirt). This type of exercise is actually healthy and good for their developing bodies but they do need to be able to pace themselves.

Structured exercise/play on hard surfaces and where they don't have they ability to pace themselves is where you need to be very careful. This type of exercise could harm the pup’s joints and bones. Puppies should not do any heavy exercise or walking for the first 1-2 years.

Stairs should be maneuvered while on leash (even in the house) especially going down the stairs. Stairs should have carpet or rubber matting to give the pup traction.

Most mastiffs (DDBs especially) can be very lazy but they still need to exercise. Puppies should not be walked for more than 15-20 minutes for the first 6-8 months and do your best to avoid heavy running or jumping for the first 1-2 years. Excessive jumping, running and long walks (1-2 hours) can cause hip, elbow, knee and joint injuries.

*PUPPY BITING/NIPPING

If you puppy is biting/nipping, then try the following. This behavior can sometimes take a lot of patience and consistency in training.

They bite because that is how they played with their siblings.
When they bite, tell them “OW” in a high-pitched voice and “NO” in a stern, calm voice. NEVER HIT OR YELL AT A MASTIFF. They will shut down on you and ignore you.
When they stop biting, tell them to sit and reward. Tell him “good sit and good no bite.”

*YOUR PUP AND HEAT

Remember, mastiffs do not tolerate heat. In the heat, reduce walk/exercise times. Have clean water available at all times. I freeze towels to either place on Titan or put on the floor for him to lie on in the summer to cool him off. Buy a kiddies’ pool for the pup to play in to keep cool.

*DE-SEXING YOUR PUP

Mastiffs should not be neutered/spayed until 18 months to 2 years. NO MATTER what the vet says. Early neutering can cause growth problems.

Enjoy your baby! Have lots of patience! The pup will reward you with love and loyalty!

 

[niktracy]

Hi Lorri. We added our EM puppy named Macy on August 17 so we are in the same boat. I am not sure on weight, we go to the vet in about a week so we will find out then how much she weighs. I can sure tell you she has grown in the last two weeks though.

Anyway, Macy does the same thing. She sleeps through the night with no accidents then in the morning when I bring her out she literally pees for about 2 minutes straight. She goes to the door to go out and everything but she still has accidents in the house though. I am thinking this is where patience is needed. They are still real young...I am sure they will get it. Good luck!!

 

[Lovecanecorso]

I have a 5 month old cane corso that is completely potty trained. We got her when she was 8 1/2 weeks old and started the minute we brought her in the door. We took her out about every half hour that she was awake for the first couple weeks, as well as taking her out the minute she stood up from a nap, right after eating, and immediately after getting her out of the crate. She did of course have a few accidents, and when that happened we would see her squat and immediately say no and then run her outside and say go potty as soon as she was out there. We also have a training ribbon with bells on it that we rang when we took her out and we said lets go potty when we rang it so that she associated the 2 things. She now rings the bell, but only when she has to go #2, and sits by the door when she has to go #1. We still keep a very close eye on her though so we usually take her out as soon as she walks over by the door.