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Mastiff!!! HELP

I adopted a 2 yr old mastiff in january, he is super sweet big dum puppy still BUT he bites or tries to bite anyone new that touchea him or triea to touch him. What are some things i can do to nreak him of this? I have a 5 yr old female i never had any issues with her but also got her when she was 12 wks old and not 2
 
I adopted a 2 yr old mastiff in january, he is super sweet big dum puppy still BUT he bites or tries to bite anyone new that touchea him or triea to touch him. What are some things i can do to nreak him of this? I have a 5 yr old female i never had any issues with her but also got her when she was 12 wks old and not 2
Its aggressive bite, break skin draw blood kind of bite. He gets a weird look on his face when i see the look i lock him in my kitchen where he can still see everyone but cant hurt anyone
 

marke

Well-Known Member
a qualified , in person dog trainer would be your absolute best bet , big dogs like you describe can be pretty dangerous …... i'm not a dog trainer , but I've trained a lot of dogs … my approach wouldn't work for you , but I've seen it done a way you could probably go , a muzzle , ignore , distract , move on and repeat when neccessary……. ignore the muzzled dogs threats , get the dogs attention onto something else, don't let him even think he's getting rewarded in getting his attention changed , just help him put his attention elsewhere without him knowing it , walk away and do something , it'll probably distract him , the person he threatens needs to not react in anyway ….. when his attention has been distracted to something else go on about normal behavior , you could get him to do something for you or possibly the person he threatened , as long as he can't relate the reward to the threatening behavior in any way ...….when he gets nothing out of the behavior he'll eventually give it up ...….as for people touching him , don't allow it unless he's accepted them ……. getting him to accept folks can be a job in itself , requires desensitization , again best done by a qualified dog trainer , it's doable …… some dogs just don't like strangers , they can be taught to tolerate , personally i'd just not allow folks to touch a dog that's just tolerating it …...jmo …….
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Marke's advice is very good, and he's right that you need a professional. It's really important to have someone that can actually see the interactions and behaviors of both the dog and the people around him. Even seasoned trainers and owners can benefit from having a professional that can observe both the dog and the human working. Not just any trainer. Remember than anyone can call themselves a trainer. You really want a board certified animal behaviorist. We work with Dr. Colleen Koch (https://www.lincolnlandac.com/meet-our-veterinarians.pml). She's worth every single penny. I'd be happy to try to help you find someone in your area, but know that there aren't that many in the US and they are expensive. Are you in the US? I'm sorry. I forgot to ask.

In the meantime, you could do as Marke has suggested. You don't want your boy practicing bad behaviors, so do everything you can to make sure he doesn't. I would start working on muzzle training immediately. You want to keep everything positive. Go very, very slow. Really awesome things should happen when the muzzle is around. It needs to be a basket muzzle with a strap that goes over the top of the head and attaches to the neck strap.

https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/dogs-and-muzzle-training

Can you tell us a little more about how he came to be with you? What were the circumstances that led to his being rehomed? What kind of training techniques (punishment/correction/reinforcement) were used in his other home? Has this behavior been happening since you got him? Is it escalating? Are there other issues you're having? Anything and everything is helpful. And remember - even negative reinforcement is reinforcement.
 

Dea

Member
I got my Boerboel from a rescue group when she was 4. They described her temperament as sweet, obedient, courteous, a bit stubborn but would give in if you maintained eye contact and firmly stated in a non aggressive but alpha tone. I was told that her former owner was a college aged guy who had brought her to professional training classes. They told me how lucky I was because she was so obedient. She even walked on a leash perfectly, and he had even taught her to look both ways before crossing the street. She'd stop, look both ways, and if it was clear, look up at me as if to say ok! I think the successfulness of her obedience was because this young man followed the dog's training program very seriously and was consistent with it at home. Eventually he had to give her up because he was going to live in the dorms. She truly was a perfect dog.