Advice on a future rescue

[joee5]

First off I'd like to say hello as I just joined this morning and have been reading many,many posts.
My wife and I are lookingto adopt/rescue a Boerboel. Why did we settle on a Boerboel? Because we were looking at Bullmastiff's first, then we decided we needed a dog that was more active and one she and I could take on long walks with us.
We are traveling a quite a few hours to meet a 4 year old female that is already spayed, up to date on all shots and looks as if she was very well taken care of this upcoming weekend. The current owners say we are welcome to view any and all vet records and have offered us the contact information of same. I do beleive they are not looking for any compensation, just looking toplace her in a loving, caring home. Which we would provide.
Our only concern is, at the age of 4, would she accept us and our household as she has her prior/current home and humans? Wouldany habits be hard to break, being that shes already 4?
She looks like a beautiful dog and we are looking to share our home and much love with her and if we chose, would welcome her into our home.
We have an above average yard so she would have plenty of room to play and a modest sized house. My children are both teenagers, so no little ones except when our little 3 year old niece visits.
The currentowner states she is fed Purina 1, but I plan on changing that if we were to adopt her to a better quality food.
Since my wife and I been together we had a yellow lab, boxer and a black lab (rescue).
Any advice is greatly appreciated as it would be our first Mastiff breed dog.
What should we look for on our visit? What questions should we ask?

God Bless,Joe

 

[DDSK]

When you get there don't rush to pet or handle the dog, these are guardian breeds and you don't want to get off on the wrong foot. These are large impressive dogs and can be intimidating.
Let her come to you let her sniff and get use to you she will probably let you know when she has accepted you.
After moving in she will probably be very confused don't try to hug or cuddle her but she will have to have rules and limitations. Walking her often on a leash may give her a sense of your leadership. She will let you know when to give her affection.

 

[scorning]

Mastiffs can take a bit longer than other breeds to trust. They aren't labs that immediately love everyone, but that is what I like about them. I fostered an English Mastiff last year, he was about 3 years old. The first couple months he was very polite but not affectionate. You could tell he was confused about his new circumstances (had lived his entire life with one family, but re-homed due to divorce). After about 2-3 months, Moose started to become very affectionate and bonded to me. He was incredibly sweet and funny and a really great dog. He also adjusted much quicker from my fostering him (had him about 6 months) to his final adopter's home. Just give them time and space, have a fair but firm and consistent routine, and bonding shouldn't be a problem. Also, Moose hadn't received a lot of training or socialization, but loved food and was super easy to train. He started coming to work with me in downtown Seattle and even backpacked with us. I don't think 4 is too old to learn new behaviors.

 

[joee5]

Thank you for your prompt responses. As she or any dog we choose to bring into our home, would be an indoor dog primarily,would a 4 1/2 foot chain link fence on 3 sides and a 5 foot wooden fence on the other be suffice for bathroom breaks and such? As any dog we previously had was rarely left alone unsupervised, just asking an honest opinion if this would be enough of a deterent to "hop" over.

 

[Yamizuma]

Frankly, you sound like a match made in heaven for this girl. Not so sure about the fence height. We had huge snow the first year we had our DDB that the fence was reduced to less than two feet. She could have stepped over it without hopping, but didn't. However, new dog, new surroundings, high reward interest on the other side, still choosing to call your place home... I think I would supervise outings until you know for sure. DDBs aren't usually known for being nimble, but our girl jumps 4' steps with ease 'cause it's more fun to just jump up onto the deck. Stairs, schmairs.


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[Smokeycat]

The fence height will depend on her. I have a 3 foot fence that does keep in my dogs but they never spend much time alone outside. They are also trained not to leave the yard without being told to so that could be part of it too.

 

[karennj]

Why are they rehoming her? Do you feel they are honest about the reasons? I would absolutely call the vet and ask if she has had regular treatment, if any medical issues are listed in her chart and if she has any temperament flags. Dogs are usually at their worst at the vet so that will give you a lot of info right there. We always put notes in peoples charts if there is anything abnormal temperament wise. I would also ask to speak to the peoples neighbors if they have some nearby.

 

[karennj]

Oh, and you can train a dog at any age and a dog will bond with people even as a senior. It may take a bit longer than a puppy to bond and you may question yourself in the beginning but once everyone settles in you'll be fine. It can take a rehomed dog up to 3 months to really feel at home and fully trust their new family.

 

[joee5]

Why are they rehoming her? Do you feel they are honest about the reasons? I would absolutely call the vet and ask if she has had regular treatment, if any medical issues are listed in her chart and if she has any temperament flags. Dogs are usually at their worst at the vet so that will give you a lot of info right there. We always put notes in peoples charts if there is anything abnormal temperament wise. I would also ask to speak to the peoples neighbors if they have some nearby.

The current owner states that it is her daughters dog and she is going away to college so they wont have the time to spend with the dog that's needed. Oh and that they have another female in the home and don't get along all the time and need to be kept seperated at times. That doesnt concern us as we dont have any other dogs.

 

[angelbears]

The fence is concerning. I have a chain link fence and I never allowed my mastiffs out without being on a leash. I would say this about any dog, but I would be very careful when your niece is over. Do you think you are going to add another dog later? You may not be able to if she is the dominant one.

Otherwise, just as everyone has said give her a little time to adjust and you will have a wonderful dog. The loyalty of a mastiff is unmatched.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

 

[joee5]

The fence is concerning. I have a chain link fence and I never allowed my mastiffs out without being on a leash. I would say this about any dog, but I would be very careful when your niece is over. Do you think you are going to add another dog later? You may not be able to if she is the dominant one.

Otherwise, just as everyone has said give her a little time to adjust and you will have a wonderful dog. The loyalty of a mastiff is unmatched.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

No plans at all to haves more than one dog at a time.
I would always keep a sharp eye whenever outside, and always on a leash.

Thank you all for responding. Anything further to add, please do so
I'm sure a question or two may pop up from me before our meet ands greet

 

[DennasMom]

Sounds like a good match from what you told us - and what the owners have told you... meeting her will be the kicker.

I don't agree with everything Cesar, but his "no touch, no talk, no eye contact" mantra does have it's merits. Let her come over to meet you - preferably in a neutral location... maybe at the end of the block away from her house? and do your best to be a calm, confident source of positive energy.

...and/or... you could stuff your pockets with dried liver treats to make yourself a pup-magnet.
Have the owner's indicated if she's food motivated at all?

How the meeting goes and the transition phase will totally depend on the dog and how she's been brought up, so far... if she had lots of socialization with new people and places, and she should be curious and interested in a new place... if she is 100% bonded to the daughter, getting her out of the house without the daughter might be a monumental task. Again - be calm & confident, and try not to push the dog into something they're not ready for... take your time and let it be her decision (on some level). I would ask for something of the daughter's to take with you - like a pillow case or old t-shirt - so she can have something of her old home to take with her to the new one. That can be a major comfort and help keep stress levels down in the beginning...

As mentioned above - give her time to adjust. Limit her choices in the beginning... allow her limited access to the home and yard, and slowly increase her "territory" over time. So, first day, yard + living room + bedroom. Then, each day (or 2) you can add a new room in the house for her to explore as part of her 'introduction' phase.

As for the 4ft fence... we raised our first big mutt (195lb) with a 4ft chain link fence. He never tried to go over - even when fence-racing dogs on the other side (which was a city park). But, he was raised knowing where the limits of his yard were. If he had wanted to get over it, I'm sure he would have.

Since this is really your first guardian breed... be ready for a dog that is a more independent thinker, and may not be interested in learning tricks or coming to you for ideas on what to do next. She may follow you everywhere, but that is because the human needs supervision, not because she needs guidance... at least, that's what it feels like with Denna.

I hope it goes well!!

 

[tmricciuto]

She may follow you everywhere, but that is because the human needs supervision, not because she needs guidance... at least, that's what it feels like with Denna.
QUOTE]

OMG...I feel the same way about my girls sometimes. I think they follow me just to make sure I don't run into the wall...or to see if I have a treat in my pocket.

 

[Yamizuma]

Human does need supervision! (Hilarious! And true!)


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[joee5]

Great info from many different sources. The wife and I cannot wait for the 3 hour drive up on Saturday and put some of this new found knowledge to use.
Thanks to all, oh and keep any hints, tips, etc... coming.

 

[DMikeM]

Boerboels are funny dogs. Some you can walk right up to others you need to wait for them. I have both so I always tell people to wait when I have the stand-offish one out or I tell them look out when i have the happy dogs out. You should be able to tell if this dog is right for you in the first 15 minutes of meeting it, I would have some plain human grade beef jerky in my pocket for the meeting. About the fence, a healthy Boerboel of proper conformation can jump a 6 foot fence with little effort, invest in an electric wire and install it 10 inches off the ground and just a few inches from the top.

They can climb and jump better than many other mastiff types.

And like I said some are lovers. he only met these two 5 minutes before.

 

[joee5]

Just got back from our meet and greet and it was well worth the 6 hour round trip. She was more beautiful in real life is 4 1/2 years old. Fence was lower than mine and owners stated she never jumped over. Such a beautiful dog.....did I say that already????
Took my youngest daughter with my wife and I. She greeted my wife and daughter as if she knew them forever. Her stubby tail waggin a mile a minute. Only bad habit I could spot is that she jumps for hugs and kisses, wife and I will work on that later on.
Oh and while we were halfway home, the owners stated that they have chosen us as her new family.
We agreed to a pickup in approximately 2 weeks as we already have plans for Labor Day weekend and the home we rented states NO PETS
Also the owners stated we could have her cage, bed, her pillow, her blanket she had since she was a puppy and her huge stuffed animal she sleeps with.
She too, a while to wag her tail with me, but that's expected, as I live in a household full of women and naturally the women bond faster. Lol. Eventually, when I called her she acknowledged me, came over with her stubby little tail wagging and I petted her and scratched behind the ears. I think I was accepted.
Also, while we were there my wife put her leash on and took her for a walk. Though she is strong, once she began to pull my wife,Moshe stopped when my wife told her to heel.
My daughter played fetch with her in the backyard with a tennis ball and they both had a lotta fun. Oh and by the time we pick her up, we will have her entire medical history from her current vet. She is up to date on everything and her owners state she loves getting baths and lets her nails be clipped with no problems.
Thank you all for your help

 

[Yamizuma]

How wonderful! Any pics?


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[joee5]

How wonderful! Any pics?


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My daughter took a few. I should have but was conducting my research/interview with her current parents. (Sorry they are sideways, dunno how to fix that)

 

[DMikeM]

If they like you they love the top of their head scratched real hard. Sounds like you found a blessing.